Bettinardi rebuilt its spud mallet for 2026 and kept the parts that matter: milled stainless, a compact fang shape and a face that feels soft. It putts well from short and medium range. Lag putting is another story.
What's new
The BB 6.0 is a compact mallet with a traditional fang look, milled in the USA from 303 stainless steel and finished in Savannah Blue PVD. Bettinardi cut a nine-zone Variable Depth Flymill pattern into the face, and the head weighs in at 363 grams.
It belongs to the 2026 BB series, which went to pre-order in January and reached shops in early February. This version uses the spud neck at 3 degrees of loft and 70 degrees of lie, with a Lamkin Smooth Pistol grip, and the price sits at the premium end of the mallet market.
How it plays
Feel carries this putter, scoring 8.9. Strikes come off the milled stainless crisp and solid, and forgiveness follows close behind at 8.5, because the spud shape resists twisting and the variable milling keeps ball speed consistent across the face.
In a 29-model mallet test it finished ninth. Its PuttView scores were closest to par from medium range and fell away badly from long range, and a 7.8 for distance and 7.6 for accuracy match that. Bettinardi pitches it at minimal-arc strokes, and those players will get the most from the head.
Where it lacks
Lag putting holds it back. Long putts were its worst range in testing by a wide margin, and a player who faces a lot of them will feel that gap more than the soft feel makes up for.
Price adds to the problem, and value scores just 7. A ninth-place finish is respectable, but premium money usually buys a mallet nearer the top, and the blue PVD finish will put off anyone who wants a quiet look behind the ball.
“Lovely to hit on the short ones. I just would not trust it on a long lag.”- The Club Stand gear team
Reasons to buy
- Milled from one piece of 303 stainless, and it feels crisp off the face
- Nine zones of variable-depth fly milling keep ball speed even when contact drifts
- A high-MOI spud shape holds steady on strikes away from the center
Reasons to think twice
- Long putts were its weakest range in the 2026 mallet test
- Savannah Blue PVD stands out at address, and some players will want something quieter
- Costs premium money for a mallet that finished ninth of 29, well short of the top
Specs
| Material | 303 stainless steel, milled in USA |
|---|---|
| Face | VDF (Variable Depth Flymill) 9-zone |
| Weight | 363 g |
| Loft | 3 degrees |
| Lie | 70 degrees |
| Neck | Spud |
| Finish | Savannah Blue PVD |
| Grip | Lamkin Smooth Pistol |
| Best for | Minimal-arc players who want a compact mallet with a traditional fang look |
More putters we've scored
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- Sub 70 011-SQ 2026 - 8.8/10. A milled aluminum zero-torque mallet that finished second of 26 on the robot without flagship pricing.
- TaylorMade Spider Tour X 2026 2026 - 8.7/10. Lighter than the Spider Tour, nearly as stable, and the most accurate putter in a 2026 test.
- TaylorMade Spider ZT Max 2026 - 8.6/10. TaylorMade stretches the Spider ZT into a bigger, higher-MOI head that keeps its face square on its own.
- PXG Torpedo ZT 2026 - 8.5/10. PXG takes the torque out of its Torpedo mallet without changing a shape players already know.
- PING Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset 2026 - 8.5/10. A compact white mallet whose Onset hosel and top-rail dot keep a pull-prone stroke from drifting left.