50 Words or Less
The Bettinardi Antidote SB3 putter is a beautifully milled zero torque putter. Soft, solid impact feel. Produces great start lines. Feels lighter than its 360 grams. Zero torque for the player who still wants a high end flat stick.
Introduction
Bettinardi is well known for making some the best high-end, milled putters in golf. What gets less attention is the fact that they’re unafraid of trying new things. The last several years, they’ve pushed the envelope through their INOVAI line [INOVAI 10.0 review HERE]. In early 2025, they introduced their zero torque Antidote line with the Antidote SB1 [review HERE]. They’re closing the year with two new models: the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 and SB5. In this review, I’ll take a close look at the SB3, a fang-style mallet designed to make hitting your start lines easier.
Looks
A lot of putters use two different colors to hide their size, but few make this look as good as the Bettinardi Antidote SB3. The “Diamond Blast” finish on the face and top line eliminates glare, and the “Sapphire Blue” body looks upscale in a way that colored putters rarely do. Turning to the shape, this is obviously a fang homage, but Bettinardi puts a different spin on it with very soft lines and a gentle slope from the face to the tips of the fangs.
The only thing I don’t like about the look of the Antidote SB3 at address is the hosel or neck. The circular bulge off the topline is not pleasing to my eye, and it cuts against the otherwise elegant appearance of this putter. I understand form must follow function sometimes, but I wish this could have been done differently.
In the bag, the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 looks great. The blue sole is disrupted by just a sliver of silver at the leading edge. “The Antidote” branding sits boldly on the only large, flat surface of the sole with a subtle “SB3” above it, naked. My favorite part of the sole is the honeycomb pattern milled into the recesses in the fangs.
Finally, Bettinardi tops the Antidote SB3 with a classy navy and black headcover. The large, flat surface is a great canvas for the clean “Antidote” branding on top of Bettinardi’s signature honeycomb pattern. Bettinardi brought their headcover manufacturing in house not too long ago, and the quality is outstanding. They’ve also switched to a magnetic closure – a move golfers were begging for – which puts their covers on par with best in the game.
Sound & Feel
The marriage of 303 stainless steel and Bettinardi’s F.I.T. Face milling creates an impact feel that lives up to the brand’s reputation. With a tour-quality ball, the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 feels solid at impact but is still soft and controlled.
This feel is enhanced by the sound – a quiet “thud.” At all distances, the sound has a consistent character and below average volume. Feedback on strike quality can be gleaned through the hands and ears, but the Antidote SB3 is not as demanding as some other Bettinardi putters.
Performance
For those of us who live in the world of golf equipment, zero torque feels like old news, but to the larger world it’s still a relatively new concept. So, for a little background, the promise of zero torque is that it keeps the putter face square to the stroke path without any input from the golfer. If you let the putter swing, you should hit your start line every time. For more info on zero torque putters, including technique tips, go HERE.
The Bettinardi Antidote SB3 putter delivers on the promise of hitting your intended line, if you can avoid the trap of trying to control the putter face. When I let the club do the work, I saw the ball rolling right on target.
Something unique about Bettinardi’s Antidote line is that it features a conventional putter grip – the Lamkin Deep Etched. This is one of my favorite putter grips, but it’s smaller than many zero torque grips, and it doesn’t do anything to negate the built-in shaft lean. Whether or not this helps or hurts you will come down to fit and preference. I’ve gotten used to larger, “press” grips, so there was a small adjustment period where I learned how to putt with this combination.
Having tested numerous zero torque putters, I’ve come to learn that the static head weight means very little in terms of how the putter is going to feel to me. The Bettinardi Antidote SB3 is 360 grams of stainless steel – not overly heavy, by modern standards, but certainly not light. However, during the stroke the Antidote SB3 felt airy. What makes this even more confusing is that the Antidote SB5 [review coming soon] has the same specs, comes from the same maker, has the same neck/hosel…yet it feels totally different to me.
This lighter feel puts the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 in the middle of my “connected-ness” spectrum. I’ve found that with some zero torque putters, I feel totally separated from what the club is doing. Others feel almost like traditional putters. The SB3 is somewhere in between, which led to reasonable distance control but very good start lines. As with any putter, I expect that with more time, I would feel more connected and my distance control would improve.
The Bettinardi Antidote SB3 has average forgiveness for a putter of this size and shape. Bettinardi calls it a “high M.O.I. fang-style mallet,” but the requirements of zero torque cut against those of high M.O.I. To achieve high MOI, you would want the weight pulled back away from the face – at the ends of the fangs. As you can see above, the fangs are hollowed out to bring the CG in line with the shaft. This is not a difficult putter to use – moderate mishits can hold their line and get to the cup – but there is typically a tradeoff between stability and aesthetically appealing zero torque designs.
Finally, it’s worth noting that you cannot modify the loft or lie of the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 putter. The putters is built with 3 degrees of loft and a 70 degree lie angle. To change either of those would disrupt the zero torque equation. This putter is available for right and left handed players.
Conclusion
For the putter snobs* who want to try zero torque but want to do it “right,” the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 is the answer. This putter is beautifully made and offers a wonderful, traditional feel alongside the benefits of zero torque performance.
*I say this with affection, I’m a founding member of the putter snob society.
Buy the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 Putter HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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