Blade vs Mallet Putter Covers: Which One Do You Need?
Putter covers are the single most returned headcover type, almost always because a blade cover was bought for a mallet head. Here is how to tell them apart in ten seconds.
Blade or mallet? The ten second test
Look at the back of your putter head. If it is a thin bar with a heel and a toe and nothing behind the face, that is a blade. If there is a body behind the face, wings, fangs or a large flange, that is a mallet.
Blade covers are slim sleeves. Mallet covers are wide and deep. A mallet head will not go into a blade cover, and a blade in a mallet cover flops about and offers little protection.
Blade putter covers
Blade covers are cut narrow for Anser style and heel toe weighted heads. The priority is a snug body and a closure that shuts one handed, because you take a putter cover on and off more than any other cover in the bag.
Mallet putter covers
Mallet covers are built for high MOI heads including spider, fang and large flange shapes. Depth matters as much as width, because a mallet cover that is too shallow leaves the sole exposed to the clubs next to it.
Why closure matters most on a putter cover
A putter face is milled or insert faced and marks easily, and unlike a driver you are removing the cover on every green. Velcro clogs with grass and stops holding, usually inside two seasons. Magnetic closures keep working and let you shut the cover one handed as you walk off.
Lining is not optional here
An unlined putter cover with an exposed seam will scuff a milled face over time. Look for a soft plush or fleece lining stated in the description, not just implied by the photos.