Choosing a new putter is rarely just about performance, as a lot of putting is about confidence - something often achieved by the look of a putter. It’s about that immediate reaction when you set it down behind the ball and with the Vice Golf VGP04 ZT (£209), that reaction is likely to be one of intrigue.
It’s safe to say Vice has never been a brand to play it safe, pushing eccentric club and ball designs into the market, and its venture into the 'Zero Twist' market is no different.
The VGP04 ZT is a fang-style mallet that looks like it’s been plucked straight from a sci-fi movie set. It boasts very futuristic looks, resembling an aircraft straight out of Star Trek - aggressive lines and a high-MOI silhouette that screams stability. However, while the shape is modern and purposeful, the finish is where I find myself slightly at odds with the design team.
The putter features Vice’s signature black and lime-green detailing, and while this neon pop is clearly part of the brand’s standout DNA, I can’t help but feel it looks just a tad cheap and downplays what is otherwise a very smart-looking, well-engineered putter.
To my eye, this putter would look far more premium with subtle grey detailing or even a sleek, monochrome gloss black finish. On a club designed to help you focus, the lime green can feel a little distracting at address.
The ‘ZT’ in the name stands for Zero Twist (a play on zero torque putters), and Vice achieves this by aligning the shaft axis directly through the head's center of gravity, much like some of the best zero torque putters I have recently tested.
At address, this creates an onset look, where the shaft enters the head slightly behind the face. If you are coming from a traditional offset plumber's neck, it takes a few holes to get your eyes accustomed to the odd look at address, but it’s easy to see the appeal of this style of putter, once you get a little more used to the aesthetics.
The benefit of zero torque putters like this one is clear - the face wants to stay square to the arc throughout the stroke. Much like the L.A.B. Golf DF3i, the VGP04 ZT fights the urge to rotate, making it a fantastic option for golfers who struggle with an inconsistent face angle at impact.
The parallel alignment lines on the fangs are excellent, framing the ball and simplifying the task of aiming on shorter, must-make putts. I found I was able to set up exactly where I wanted to, more often than not, and I was holing those crucial putts. If I’m being picky, I would like to see the alignment lines a touch bolder to make them stand out a little more, but that’s just personal preference.
When putting from range, I found the performance to be a little bit of a mixed bag. The CNC-milled grooves on the face are a highlight, helping produce a really solid, end-over-end roll with almost zero skidding, which was particularly noticeable. Even on slightly off-center strikes, the wing weighting keeps the head remarkably stable, and I found the distance control on long lags to be surprisingly intuitive.
However, the feel and audible feedback didn't quite match the premium roll I was seeing. Despite the solid steel construction, the feel and sound felt a little hollow at impact, and instead of a soft ‘thud’ or a crisp ‘click’, it produces a fairly high-pitched 'tink' through impact, which I wasn’t such a fan of.
It’s a sound that lacks the dampened, premium feel found in some of the best putters on the market, and so if you prefer a muted, soft-feeling putter, this might be a sticking point. But if you use a soft feeling golf ball, it could be a winning combination to get a bit more feedback that you're used to.
Overall, the Vice Golf VGP04 ZT putter is a great value putter option for those wanting to move into a zero-torque putter without committing to some of the more premium-priced options on the market. The looks may be conflicting, but the performance was solid, and if you start holing putts with this flatsick, I can see it being easy to overlook the controversial aesthetics.
