Exploring Sub 70 Putters

Sub 70 putters are all fully CNC milled from carbon steel billets. The line features popular head styles all finished in black PVD. Prices range from $149 to $179.

Did you know there is a golf company that is making fully milled putters for less than $200?

Sound impossible? Well, Sub 70 is doing just that.

While other companies’ fully milled offerings consistently break the $400 mark, Sub 70 putters somehow cost about half of that.

For me, this raises a bunch of questions.

First, are these putters as good as other milled putters? Do they use cheaper materials and manufacturing? Does Sub 70’s direct-to-consumer model allow them to bypass costs that the larger OEMs all pay? Are these putters that people would actually want to have in their bags?

Obviously, I’m not going to be able to completely answer all of those questions, but let’s see what we can figure out.

Are Sub 70 Putters as Good as Other Putters?

Of all of the questions, this is probably the one to start with. Are they good putters? If a putter doesn’t perform, it’s not going to sell for $500. Or $5. So, again, do they perform?

Let’s take a look at how the Sub 70 putters have scored in the Most Wanted putter tests. In 2021, we see that the Sub 70 Sycamore 004 mallet finished in the middle of the pack but had a strong showing at the 20-foot range. The year before, their Sycamore 002 mid-mallet finished seventh out of 44 entrants and was excellent from five feet. The Sycamore 001 blade did not fare as well in the 2020 Most Wanted Blade putter test, finishing in the bottom third of the test pool.

Although the three-putter data set is, of course, limited, the strong showing for the two mallets does suggest these putters have some game. Though the blade didn’t fare as well, it still finished above putters from big companies like PING, Toulon, Cleveland, Odyssey and Bettinardi. It may not have dominated the competition but it was competitive.

Based upon what we have seen so far, I’d say that the Sub 70 putters are definitely as playable as their competitors.

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Do the Sub 70 Putters Use Cheap Materials and Manufacturing?

In a word, no. While some putters in the Sub 70 price range are marketed as milled, they are actually cast putters that are surface milled post-casting. The Sub 70 putters are completely milled from carbon steel billets. No casting involved. This is a more time-consuming process and, as such, more expensive. Since carbon steel can be prone to rusting, Sub 70 had added a black PVD coating to improve durability and looks.

Carbon steel, fully milled construction and PVD finish are not typical characteristics of putters that cost less than $200. Whatever Sub 70 is doing to keep the costs low, it is not happening on the manufacturing side of things.

Are Direct-To-Consumer Savings Influencing The Price?

I think this is the best place to explore when trying to figure out how these putters can be so inexpensive. By selling direct to the consumer, Sub 70 doesn’t need to spend tons of money on the typical things that OEMs spend money on—like advertising. Big companies spend crazy dollars on flashy ad campaigns promoting their latest and greatest creations. This money, along with the salaries of the people involved, must be factored into the price of the golf club if the company is going to turn a profit.

A large company’s putter needs to be $300 to recoup the production and advertising costs. If a company like Sub 70 is not paying these costs, their putter need not have these factor into pricing and therefore can cost less.

Would Golfers Play a Sub 70 Putter?

I would hope the discussion of performance would be enough to answer “yes” to this question. However, we are talking about putters and golfers are strange beasts sometimes when it comes to putter selection.

The Sub 70 putter cohort is loaded with popular head shapes. You’ll see an Anser, a #7, a #9, a wide blade and other familiar styles. Sub 70 is not really pushing the design envelope here but rather giving golfers the styles they are familiar with. This is a good move on their part. I think a customer is more likely to try an unknown brand if they recognize the head shape.

When you dive a little deeper into the customization side of things, you’ll see that Sub 70 also is giving you some choices in how your putter is built. One of the more interesting options is that you can select a single- or double-bend shaft on some of the heads. Not only will this affect the offset and look at address of the putter but changing the shaft will definitely change how the putter plays. As far as I can tell, the price of the putter only changes if you want a more expensive SuperStroke grip. The stock Winn Medalist is a pretty solid stock grip so a change is not really needed.

Sub 70 Putter Takeaway

I was skeptical about these putters when I started looking into them. However, the more I researched them, the more impressed I became. It seems unlikely that a company can produce CNC-milled carbon steel putters with a PVD finish for prices ranging from $149 to $179. Sub 70 has done just that, though. Amazing pricing aside, the combination of popular head shapes and preliminary Most Wanted performances makes these putters worth checking out as well.

Are you still not convinced that these are worth a look? Sub 70 offers a 60-day refund guarantee with “no questions asked.” How about that? You could even treat these like Amazon Wardrobe. Order two or three that you are interested in and then keep the one that works best. Even if you keep a couple of these putters, you are still out less cash than a new putter would cost from other companies.

To see all of the Sub 70 putters, head to GolfSub70.com.

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