The new 2024 range of Teardrop putters consists of three head shapes, all inspired by the brand’s classic putters from the 1990s, which changed the face of putting with their "Roll Face" design. Before Teardrop came on the scene, putter faces were flat. Roll Face was a game changer back then and now for 2024 the brand is back with "Radial Face", which is designed to help golfers who apply too much or too little loft to their putter face at impact.
While the shape of the heads in the new range are all very different, the styling on all three is more or less the same with a fetching, clean black finish complimented nicely with white branding and multiple sight lines. The TD-1 is a classic blade design, the TD-5 is a rounded mallet and the TD-7 - the subject of this review - is a high MOI, face-balanced mallet.
In terms of the tech, the multi-material construction combines steel and aluminium for exceptional feel while the winged design increases the MOI to make the TD-7 the most forgiving putter in the Teardrop range. Because it is a face-balanced putter it suits the golfer who has a straight back and through putting stroke with minimal face rotation.
The main tech story of these putters though is the Radial Face Design. Teardop engineered an 8-inch radius face that gradually changes from 0 degrees on the bottom of the putter to 4.6 degrees at the top. Essentially this compensates for the increase or decrease of loft applied by a golfer's putting stroke, creating an ideal launch angle and spin rate for a smooth and consistent roll regardless of where you strike your putts.
The brand claims: "The precisely machined grooves on the new TearDrop putters provide just the right amount of friction between the face and ball at impact to get the ball tumbling down the line. Better distance control. A smooth and consistent roll. All thanks to friction."
Sounds good, but did it deliver?
The first thing you'll notice are the four sightlines on top of the putter - three parallel ones that run along or adjacent to the ball-to-target line, and another perpendicular to this along the leading edge. This is a really powerful system that helps you see where the face is pointing as well as the path of your stroke.
I tested the TD-7 extensively over 18 holes at Southport Links as well as at home on my artificial turf putting surface and on the practice green at Hurston Hall Golf Club. I used the best golf balls and struck hundreds of putts with it to get a comprehensive feel for how it performed on all manner of putts, and the first thing to say is that it did what it said on the tin, so to speak. Smooth and consistent roll? Check. Better distance control? Check.
I had never used a Teardrop putter before so I had no idea what to expect. From the very first putt with it I was immediately struck by the lovely feel off the face. To look at the face you might be forgiven for thinking it would produce a somewhat firm feel. Certainly most putters I’ve used without face inserts tend to err towards the side of firm rather than soft, but this had such a pleasing feel it reminded me of the TaylorMade Spider Tour with the TPU Pure Roll insert.
The more I used it the more I then noticed how impressive my distance control seemed to be with it. This is quite difficult to quantify as you can’t always tell if it's the putter or if you just happen to be stroking it particularly well on that given day. I wasn’t holing more putts than I’d normally expect but it was noticeable how the distance seemed to be spot on so often. I suspect this is down to the consistently good roll I was getting from the Radial Face Design.
In terms of forgiveness, overall I was impressed. There was a drop off on heel strikes but toe strikes (something I suffer from quite a bit) generally still made it to the hole, which is particularly helpful for me, if not for those who tend to miss on the heel.
It would not be too much of a stretch to include this one our guide to the most forgiving putters but forgiveness isn’t the first thing that immediately jumps out at me when I think of the TD-7. The biggest standout for me with this putter is the lovely feel and the fantastic alignment lines, which both really go a long way to promoting confidence over the ball, making this an ideal putter for beginner golfers who want to upgrade from their introductory putter to something in the mid-price bracket. Golfers of all skill levels could benefit from using the TD-7 though, so if you are in the market for a new mallet add this to your short list.
