Zebra AIT 1 Putter Review: Refined Classic

Pitchmarks Verdict

The Zebra AIT 1 Putter reimagines the classic design from 1976, featuring a large, forgiving head with distinctive alignment stripes. With a smooth roll and great performance on mishits, this putter is great value for money.

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In 1976, inventor Dave Taylor designed a revolutionary mallet putter: the Zebra.

His philosophy? Bigger putter heads offer more forgiveness. Plus, the large surface area gave Taylor the perfect canvas for a striped “Zebra” alignment aid.

That year, Raymond Floyd won the 1976 Masters using a Zebra putter. This was a big deal, as blade putters were vastly more popular than mallets at the time.

Fast forward almost 50 years and Zebra has reimagined the iconic design. The latest release is fit for the modern game — and packed with technology.

In this review, we put the Zebra AIT 1 Putter to the test.

In This Article show

Looks

Immediately, the eye is drawn to the bold alignment stripes on the putter head.

While most putters have a single alignment line, the Zebra’s repeated pale gray lines provide a highly useful guide to align the putter’s face to the target.

In the center, a contrasting white line helps you locate the middle of the face.

zebra ait 1 putter top down — *The stripes help with alignment at address, it’s certainly no gimmick.*

Zebra has released four new putter models, including mallet and blade versions.

The AIT 1 is the successor to the revolutionary design of 1976. The head takes on a rounded mallet shape and is considerably larger than the original version.

zebra old vs new — *The new Zebra AIT 1 vs the original Zebra. (Image: Women in Golf)*

Like the original, it uses a single bend hosel to offset the face behind your hands.

Underneath, two replaceable weights are screwed into the sole. The AIT 1 ships with 10g stock weights but can be swapped with 20g weights for a heavier feel.

I appreciate the attention to detail Zebra has taken with this putter. Small details like the laser-etching on the sole and the embossed logo go a long way.

The Zebra AIT 1 looks premium and has a very high build quality.

zebra ait 1 putter iso — *The weight inserts and laser-etched details add a premium look.*

Sound & Feel

The Zebra AIT 1 features a steel face insert, with a polymer layer behind it.

Essentially, this multi-material insert approach combines the firmness of metal with a more responsive layer — creating a balanced feel.

I found the ball comes off the face with a reassuring “tock.”

zebra ait 1 putter face — *The multi-material face insert has a balanced feel.*

One of the most impressive features of the Zebra AIT 1 is the grip.

In fact, it’s one of the best grips I’ve used on a putter. The shape fits perfectly in my palms and the outer layer is soft and tacky, keeping it grippy in the rain.

zebra ait 1 putter grip — *The grip feels excellent — it’s ergonomic, soft, and tacky.*

Performance

If there’s one word to describe this putter, it’s forgiving.

The combination of the large head, along with internal and adjustable weights drastically increases the MOI. This helps prevent twisting on mishits.

Even when I purposely hit putts off the heel and toe, I was still able to get the ball close to the hole. You won’t be punished if you miss the center of the face.

zebra ait 1 putter overall view — *The AIT 1 is highly forgiving and performed great on mishits.*

Another notable trait was the quality of the roll. The etched grooves and textured face on the Zebra AIT 1 are designed to add topspin and prevent skidding.

Even when it started to rain during testing, I found the etched grooves provided a smooth and reliable roll. This is great if you struggle with distance control.