First Look: Bettinardi Queen B 2023 Putters
Are you wondering how to spend your Santa Saver funds this year? Well, I have good news for you. Bettinardi Golf is updating their Queen B putter line for the 2023 season. Yes, that means it has already been two years since the line was refreshed in 2021. Where did the time go?
The first Queen B putters were released in 2015. Initially, the Queen B line was marketed toward women. Thankfully, that marketing plan was quickly abandoned. These days, the Queen B line is the most experimental of the Bettinardi putter lines. This is where you will find primarily non-traditional putter shapes or at least deviations from traditional.
This theme continues with the 2023 release as all four of these heads are unique when compared to other putters in the marketplace. Sure, you’ll still see common putter elements like plumber’s necks and heel-toe weighting. However, for the Queen B putters, Bettinardi takes these core elements in new design directions.
Let’s take a look and see how the new Bettinardi Queen B line shapes up.
Bettinardi 2023 Queen B Putters
Models: QB6, QB11, QB14, QB15 Dexterity: QB6: RH/LH, QB11, QB14 and QB15: RH Lengths: 32”-35” Finish: Carmel Copper PVD Loft: 3° Lie: 70° Offset: QB6: 3/4 shaft, QB11: 1/2 shaft, QB14: 1 shaft, QB15: 1 shaft Face Milling: Mini Honeycomb Material: 303 stainless steel Weight: 362 grams Toe Hang: QB6: 1/8, QB11: 1/2, QB14: 1/4, QB15: 1/4 Grip: Lamkin Sink Fit, standard or jumbo MSRP: $430
New for 2023 Bettinardi Queen B Line: Caramel Copper PVD Finish
Rose gold was so 2021. In 2023, the queens are wearing copper. Actually, it’s caramel copper. While that sounds like a sticky coating, it’s pretty sweet. The Queen B’s Caramel Copper PVD coating is anti-glare and looks different from other putter finishes out there.
One of the interesting things I noticed about the finish is that it looks different on the various Queen B putter models. On the Queen B 15, the finish looks grayer than it does on the other models. Below the bumpers on the Bettinardi Queen B 6, the same finish delivers a touch of rainbow iridescence. The finish really plays off the angles in the putter heads, changing tone with shadows and slants. Overall, it is far more interesting and attractive than I expected.
New for 2023 Bettinardi Queen B Line: Mini Honeycomb Face
Previous Queen B models all featured Micro Honeycomb faces. The faces were covered with small versions of the classic Bettinardi honeycomb milling pattern. In 2023, Bettinardi moves from Micro to Mini. The Mini Honeycomb milling uses a tool that is one-eighth smaller than the Micro tool so the resulting honeycomb pattern is one-eighth smaller as well.
What does that mean? The smaller pattern reduces the amount of face that is contacting the ball at impact. Less metal at contact means the face will feel softer. Softer feel is not necessarily better than firmer feel but it is something consumers look for in a putter. A putter that feels harsh off the face will likely remain in the putter corral.
(Disclaimer: At no point in writing this did I raise my pinky to my mouth and say, “I shall call it Mini Milling.”)
Model Review: Bettinardi Queen B 2023
Queen B 6
Surprising no one, the Queen B 6 is included in the 2023 Bettinardi Queen B line. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess the Queen B 6 is the most popular and best-selling of the Bettinardi Queen B models. As such, how could you not include this fan favorite release after release?
Perhaps there are other reasons for its inclusion. I view the Queen B 6 as a gateway putter to the Queen B line. While this wide blade has character, it is not as unique a design as the other models. Players unfamiliar with Bettinardi putters could easily put this one behind a ball and have success. Everything in the putter squares to the target line, from the bumper borders to the cavity edges. Obviously, no putter is point-and-shoot but the Queen B 6’s familiar style shouldn’t require much of an adjustment period.
Queen B 11
The Queen B 11 makes me sad. Not that it’s any fault of the putter. It’s just that if the numbering is already up to 11, then we shall see no Queen B 10 this time around. Sadness ensues as my favorite Queen B 10 is left out of the mix. Maybe it’ll come back in 2025 for the 10th anniversary of the Queen B.
Anyway, I am supposed to be talking about the Queen B 11. This Bettinardi gives me a bit of an Odyssey 9 vibe. It has a toe-heavy build and the most toe hang in the 2023 Bettinardi Queen B line. It’s not a #9 clone, though. The hosel differs from the Odyssey 9. The Queen B 11 has a crescent neck that is set a bit off the heel. The neck shape and position still facilitate significant toe hang but not as much as you would get if the neck was all the way at the heel.
Queen B 14
The Queen B 14 is a new head shape for 2023. Though I may bemoan the absence of the Queen B 10, the presence of this new little mallet softens the blow quite a bit. The Bettinardi Queen B 14 sits right in that mallet-that-plays-like-a-blade zone. The slant neck facilitates some toe hang, allowing the Queen B 14 to fit comfortably with a typical blade player’s slightly arcing stroke.
Visually, I find the putter the most attractive of the cohort. I like how the edges sweep smoothly toward the center. The lack of cavity adds an interesting aesthetic and a unique sound/feel at impact. Though the new face milling is designed to soften the feel, the impact of the QB 14 packs a firmer contact feeling than the others in the line. Of the four, the Queen B 14 is the one that will be contending for a spot in my bag.
Queen B 15
The Bettinardi Queen B 15 is another new model for 2023. One might be tempted to dismiss the Queen B 15 as the obligatory “Anser” in the line. I can see that. It is a heel-toe weighted blade with a plumber’s neck, after all. At address, it looks like a traditional blade putter—at least until you look at it more closely.
First, the Queen B 15 is 10 percent smaller heel to toe than a traditional blade. I find this especially interesting as the head weight is still 362 grams. Trimming the profile but keeping the weight means you’ll need to put that weight somewhere. Some of that weight is in the bumpers and the bumpers are a bit odd. Notice how they slant toward the center rather than sit flat. Some putters, like the just mentioned QB 14, have the bumpers slant outward to increase perimeter weighting.
If shifting the weight to the perimeter makes the putter feel more stable during the stroke, then pushing it toward the center should do the opposite. Though that seems logical, the Queen B 15 doesn’t feel especially wiggly during the stroke. Perhaps the reduction in the size of the head reduces the impact of the weight reversal.
Bettinardi Queen B 2023 Putter Sales Begin Today
Pre-orders for the new Queen B putters begin today with the putters arriving in shops on Jan. 17. Obviously, this is not the ideal situation if you are planning on giving one to someone (or yourself) as a Christmas gift. Think of it as a double gift. The recipient will get excited when you tell them you bought them a putter and then again when the putter arrives the following month.
If this year is like previous years, you should also check out the Bettinardi website on Black Friday. Each Black Friday, Bettinardi releases a limited number of blacked-out versions of their new putters. These will ship well before January. If you like one of these new models but would rather have it in black, then Black Friday is your answer. I’m thinking the QB 14 will look pretty good in the all-black aesthetic.
You may also want to take a peek at the just-launched Studio Reserve B site. Here you’ll find variations on traditional designs as well. Long necks, unique alignment schemes and entirely new heads are all found in this new area. So far, this is also the only place to find the new Inovai 6.5 models. If you like that kind of putter stuff, it’s worth checking out. Be forewarned: the putters do pack a punch in their prices.
To find out more, visit Bettinardi.com.
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