Historically, putters were nothing more than a piece of metal on the end of a stick.
But in the modern game, there’s an overwhelming variety of putter specs. Everything from the head shape to the shaft length and grip type can be personalized.
However, one of the most vital putter elements to consider is the hosel type.
Why? The hosel is the sole connection between the head and the shaft, which largely dictates the balance and release of the putter through the stroke.
In this article, I’ll teach you about the plumbers neck putter. It’s one of the most common hosel types and used by many in the professional game.
What is a Plumbers Neck Putter?
A plumbers neck putter has two 90-degree bends in the hosel to offset the clubface behind the line of the shaft. Often manufactured with some toe hang, plumbers neck putters are designed primarily for golfers who have a slight arc in their stroke.
Plumbers neck putters are characterized by a horizontal bend just below the point where the shaft meets the hosel.
Historically, the name derives from the fact that the hosel bend appears similar to the 90-degree bend used by a plumber with pipework.
Typically, this horizontal bend produces plenty of offset — where the putter face is set back from the line of the shaft by upwards of an inch. This helps to keep the hands ahead of the ball, and naturally square up the face at the point of contact.
Two of the most popular putter models in golf — the Ping Anser and Scotty Cameron Newport — are widely known for their plumbers neck hosel types.
I use a Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter with a plumbers neck hosel. It has around a 1/2 toe hang, which means the toe of the putter points about halfway between horizontal and vertical when the shaft is balanced on my finger:
Who Is a Plumbers Neck Putter For?
Plumbers neck putters suit players who have an arc in their putting stroke.
For instance, Tiger Woods has famously used a plumbers neck style Scotty Cameron Newport for a large portion of his professional career. It allows him to maintain a fluid arc in his putting stroke, and release the toe of the putter after contact with the ball.
Check out Tiger’s putting stroke in this clip of his warmup routine:
One of the great benefits of the plumbers neck putter style is that it allows you to position the ball almost directly under your eye line. I find this useful for visualizing the stroke while focusing on producing solid contact.
Also, it helps to keep the hands ahead of the putter head throughout the stroke. That way, you can let your hands guide the stroke — rather than chase after the ball.
Plumbers neck putters are also great for players who stand quite far away from the ball when putting. This encourages an arc in the stroke, aided by the toe hang.
Plumbers Neck vs Slant Neck
While a plumbers neck hosel sets the face back from the shaft via two 90-degree bends, a slant neck putter offsets the face with a simple ‘slant’ hosel angle.
| Plumbers Neck | Slant Neck | |
| Offset | High | Moderate |
| Toe Hang | Moderate | Moderate |
| Stroke Type | Arc | Arc |
Typically, slant neck putters have less offset than plumbers neck putters.
Put simply, this is because the angle formed in the hosel bend is smaller. So, this sets the putter face back from the line of the shaft by a smaller amount.
Also, some players find that slant neck putters are less obtrusive. They offer a clean, uncluttered view of the ball at address, allowing you to focus on the putt.
Slant neck putters are designed for players who like a small amount of offset, but prefer a more minimalistic hosel design than a plumbers neck.
PRO TIP: Slant neck putters are best suited for players who have a slight arc in their putting stroke.
Plumbers Neck vs Flow Neck
A flow neck putter is one where the hosel provides a seamless transition between the putter head and shaft, rather than a horizontal bend as found in a plumbers neck.
| Plumbers Neck | Flow Neck | |
| Offset | High | Moderate |
| Toe Hang | Moderate | High |
| Stroke Type | Arc | Arc |
Very similar to a slant neck, flow neck hosels allow for plenty of toe hang to better suit golfers who have a more-pronounced arc in their putting stroke.
The high level of toe hang helps resist twisting throughout the stroke, which is great for players who are susceptible to pulling their putts left of the hole.
PRO TIP: Flow neck putters are best suited for players who have a pronounced arc in their putting stroke.
Plumbers Neck vs Single Bend
Single bend putters have a bend in the shaft to create offset, allowing the hands to stay ahead of the ball in the stroke as with plumbers neck putters.
| Plumbers Neck | Single Bend | |
| Offset | High | High |
| Toe Hang | Moderate | Zero |
| Stroke Type | Arc | Straight-back, straight-through |
Single bend putters have high offset, which keeps the hands forward of the ball.
However, single bend putters have zero toe hang. This means they are face-balanced, to better suit golfers who putt without an arc in their stroke.
Most of the time, single bend putters are mallets rather than blades.
PRO TIP: Single bend putters are best suited for players with a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke.
Plumbers Neck vs Double Bend
Double bend putters are characterized by a neck with two kinks in the shaft, without any hosel. This produces plenty of offset as with a plumbers neck putter, although it’s best for a straight-back, straight-through stroke.
| Plumbers Neck | Double Bend | |
| Offset | High | High |
| Toe Hang | Moderate | Zero |
| Stroke Type | Arc | Straight-back, straight-through |
Most double bend putters have high amounts of offset, which enables you to keep your hands forward of the ball throughout the putting stroke.
Also, double bend putters are face-balanced. This means there is zero toe hang, and the putter is intended for those who putt without an arc in their stroke.
PRO TIP: Double bend putters are best suited for players with a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke.
Check out the video below by Golfbidder, which summarizes the various types of putter necks to help you decide which is most likely to suit your stroke:
Best Plumbers Neck Putters
So, by now you know precisely what characterizes a plumbers neck putter — along with how it compares to other types of putters available on the market today.
Below, you’ll find three of the best plumbers neck putters to choose from:
Scotty Cameron Super Select Newport 2 Putter
PROS
– Premium and elegant design
– Excellent feel off the face
– Very balanced weighting
CONS
– Softer feel not for everyone
In the world of putters, nothing beats the prestige of Scotty Cameron.
As mentioned in this article, I’m a proud owner of a Newport 2. While it’s certainly on the premium end in terms of pricing, the high-quality build will serve you for years.
The plumbers neck hosel version is the same one used by Tiger Woods. It allows you to keep your hands ahead of the ball and use a gentle arc in your putting action.
Ping 2023 Anser 2D Putter
PROS
– Smart-looking black finish
– Soft feel off the face insert
– Very balanced weighting
CONS
– Thinner stock grip than other brands
If it wasn’t for Karsten Solheim of Ping, plumbers neck hosels wouldn’t exist.
The original 1967 Ping Anser putter was the first of its kind. With a plumbers neck hosel producing offset, it went on to become the winningest putter in golf history with over 500 professional Tour wins including 19 Major Championships.
Today, Ping continues to iterate this classic design. The Ping 2023 Anser 2D Putter comes in an all-black finish and features a soft face insert for an excellent feel.
Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft #4 Putter
PROS
– Classy, metallic looks
– Milled face provides great feel
– Quiet, soft sound off the face
CONS
– Somewhat lacks forgiveness
Cleveland has been producing quality putters since the 1980s,
The Cleveland Huntington Beach Soft #4 Putter certainly looks premium — with a classic Scotty-esque metallic finish and a milled face for excellent feel and sound.
However, it’s incredibly well-priced despite its amazing looks! For this reason, it blows away the competition to win our plumbers neck putter budget pick.
Final Thoughts
To summarize, a plumbers neck putter is one where the hosel has a horizontal bend to offset the face of the putter behind the line of the shaft.
This helps to keep your hands ahead of the ball in the stroke while encouraging a slight arc putting stroke aided by toe hang in the putter head.
I use a plumbers neck putter as it helps with alignment at address and gives me the confidence to make a consistent stroke without reaching for the ball.
I highly recommend you test out several putter types before settling on one. That way, you can see which works best with your stroke.
