50 Words or Less
The Bettinardi Antidote SB5 putter fueled some of my best putting in recent memory. Great distance control. Zero torque makes hitting start lines easy. Feel is disappointing. Beautiful in the bag and at address.
Introduction
Bettinardi recently released two new zero torque putters, the Antidote SB3 and SB5. I reviewed the Antidote SB3 [find it HERE] two weeks ago, and often, when reviewing multiple clubs from the same line, things can get a little repetitive. The two clubs may look different, but everything else is more or less the same. That’s not the case with the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 putter. Read on to find out what makes the SB3 and SB5 unique.
Looks
Described as “a compact mallet featuring sweeping shoulders that flow into the rear flange,” the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 putter highlights the brand’s deft touch at designing traditional mallets [the Queen B 7 is another recent example, review HERE]. As you can se above, the shoulders frame the ball perfectly with just enough room on either side to give the player confidence. Further credit to Bettinardi for choosing alignment aids that interact well with the shaft position.
Speaking of the shaft position, the neck or hosel is the one piece of the Antidote SB5 that I do not care for. While I understand that compromises have to be made to achieve the zero torque performance, the bulge in the top line looks unrefined, a word I’d never associate with Bettinardi. I would have strongly preferred a thicker topline, a la the Antidote SB1 [review HERE].
The sole design of the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 is bold but tasteful. Prominent “Bettinardi” and “The Antidote” branding take center stage, painted in navy against the matte silver sole. The lack of paintfill on “SB5” and “303SS” make them intriguing second glance elements. My favorite part is the honeycomb pattern milled into the sole’s cavity.
Finally, Bettinardi tops the Antidote SB5 with a classy navy aand black headcover. 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. The design of this cover is outstanding, highlighting Bettinardi’s signature honeycomb pattern without going over the top.
Sound & Feel
Both the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 putter and SB3 are milled, stainless steel putters. They come from the same maker, and they have the same head weight, shaft, and grip. Despite all those similarities, I found the impact sensations to be worlds apart.
Where the SB5 felt very soft and solid at every distance, the SB3 didn’t produce a satisfying feel until I got into the mid-range. At short distances, the feel was uninspired, average. When I did get to longer distances, the F.I.T. Face milling produced the soft, solid feel I expected. Feedback on strike quality is surprisingly muted for a milled putter.
The sound was an even bigger head-scratcher. At close ranges, the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 sounds thin and tinny. This improves slightly at longer ranges but never gets to the premium, quiet “thud” of the SB3. The volume is quite low at all distances, which is a good thing.
Performance
Let’s start with some key similarities between the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 and the SB3. Most importantly, both putters deliver on the zero torque promise of staying square to the stroke path. If you’re able to let the putter swing and not manipulate the face, hitting your intended start line feels automatic. This can be easier said than done – most golfers have been managing torque their entire lives – but it’s worth striving for.
For more info on zero torque putters, including technique tips, go HERE.
Something that makes both Antidotes unique from other zero torque putters is the use of a conventional putter grip. Many zero torque putters use unconventional grips to negate the built-in shaft lean that zero torque design usually creates. The Lamkin Deep Etched grip is one of my favorites, but it did take some time to adjust to the combination of shaft lean and traditional grip.
The final similarity is that you cannot modify the loft or lie of the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 or SB3 putters. The putter 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 SB5 is available for right handed players only.
Now on to the unexpected but interesting differences. I noted in my SB3 review that despite weighing 360 grams, the club head felt “airy” and only moderately “connected” during the stroke. The Bettinardi Antidote SB5 weighs the same 360 grams, has the same swing weight, but it could not feel more different to me. With the SB5, the head felt perfectly weighted, and I knew where it was every instant.
Given what I’ve learned through Golf Myths Unplugged testing [check out our research on zero torque and perceived weight HERE], I knew that zero torque can mess with perceptions of weight, but this is the most dramatic example I’ve encountered. My putting with the SB3 was average; with the SB5 it bordered on sublime. The putter felt like an extension of my arm, and my distance control was outstanding from the first roll.
Having no fear of longer putts created a virtuous cycle of aggressive, confident putting. There’s moderate forgiveness in the Antidote SB5, but I felt like I barely needed it. This is one of those instances of a putter feeling “just right” in hand. It’s also a great example of why every player needs to try equipment for themselves. Based on my results with the SB3, I would never have predicted this kind of success with the SB5. Get out there and try lots of stuff.
Conclusion
For me, the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 putter delivered some of the most impressive performances I’ve seen on the putting green in a long time. Will you find similar results? You won’t find the answer on the internet, so get to your local shop or, better yet, a putting fitting, and see if you can find the magic in a new flat stick.
Buy the Bettinardi Antidote SB5 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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