50 Words or Less
The Bettinardi BB7.0 putter has a unique mallet shape. New face milling improves performance and offers sensational feel.
Introduction
The new Bettinardi BB7.0 put a smile on my face the moment I took it out of the headcover, and I know I’m not the only putter junkie old enough to have had that reaction. This unusual design is an homage to Bettinardi’s Big Ben, a putter made during their partnership with Ben Hogan. But this is much more than a rehash, so let’s dive deep into this intriguing mallet putter.
Looks
With all the putter makers out there, it’s hard to have a truly unique shape, but I think the Bettinardi BB7.0 qualifies. It looks like the offspring of an hourclass and a ball peen hammer. This doesn’t sound like a good thing, but it works.
There are some very notable changes to this shape since the last time we saw it as the Inovai 7.0 [review HERE]. First, the BB7.0 is a one-piece milling where the Inovai 7.0 showed off its multi-material construction. Additionally, the BB7.0 has three levels: the flange sits substantially below the top line, and there’s a channel cut even lower than that. This works with the long white sight line to help golfers aim this putter intuitively.
My favorite thing about the 2026 Bettinardi BB Series is the finish. They call it Savannah Blue, and my pictures don’t do it much justice. It’s deep and rich with loads of subtle tones. At the same time, it doesn’t call attention to itself – at a glance it barely registers as blue.
Turning to the sole, a lot of the visual interest comes from the engineering of the putter. The Bettinardi BB7.0 has two sizable recesses, one near the face, the other taking up almost the entire flange. This larger pocket houses a Bettinardi “B” logo, the model number, and the head weight. This is balanced against “Milled In the USA” across the leading edge. There’s a lot going on with the sole, but it’s all done in a clean, straightforward way that works, aesthetically.
Finally, Bettinardi continues to elevate their headcover game. This cover has a variety of different textures and highly detailed stitching. The subdued black and navy color scheme keeps it from being visually overwhelming. From a performance side, the use of a magnetic closure means you won’t scratch your putter, and the cover will stay securely in place – a win-win.
Sound & Feel
If you read my review of the 2026 Bettinardi BB1 [find it HERE], you’ll recall that I was over the moon about the feel. My excitement about that putter made me both eager and nervous to try the rest of the line, as I didn’t know if they could live up to my sky high expectations. Thankfully, the Bettinardi BB7.0 delivered.
Using the same face milling and one-piece construction as the BB1, the BB 7.0 has a nearly identical soft and solid feel. I often describe putters as having a “premium” feel. If you’re not sure what that means, roll this putter. There’s a sense of connection to the ball but absolutely nothing that’s harsh. “Impact” almost seems like the wrong word. The sound of striking a urethane-covered ball is a dull “tock.”
The thing I like best about the new face milling is that it’s not as demanding as some in the past. You’ll get ample feedback through your hands, but every good putt feels really good.
Performance
The most notable performance change for the 2026 Bettinardi BB Series is the introduction of VDF – Variable Depth Flymill. This is a new face milling for Bettinardi, and it’s driven by performance. According to their testing, VDF reduces distance variation by 30% and topspin variation by over 40% across top, middle, and low position strikes.
As I saw with the BB1, the Bettinardi BB7.0 produced impressively consistent ball speed during launch monitor testing. Unlike the BB1, I don’t have a perfectly analogous non-VDF putter to test it against, but I can report that the ball speed stayed in a 0.1 MPH range on anything resembling a good strike. Additionally, the other metrics – launch angle, backspin, skid distance – were very consistent.
The Bettinardi BB7.0 is a face balanced putter, meaning it’s best suited for players with minimal arc in their stroke. At 363 grams, it has a swing weight of E0 at 34″. These specs would lead me to think that swinging this putter is like swinging a 40 kg kettlebell, but I found it surprisingly agile.
I used my PuttOUT Airbreak [review HERE] to set up short, breaking putts, which are typically my kryptonite with a bigger, heavier putter. The BB 7.0 had no issue putting a light touch on the ball with the appropriate pace. While it’s not an ideal fit for my arcing stroke and preferences, there’s ample forgiveness in the BB7.0 to make it a viable gamer for players transitioning away from blade putters.
When I took the Bettinardi BB7.0 to larger greens, the thing that stood out was how easy it is to aim. Beyond easy, I’d use words like natural and intuitive. Some large mallets use garish alignment aids that, for me, cause more tension than good aim. The subtle channel in the flange of the BB 7.0 frames the ball and creates a tunnel to point at the hole.
Finally, something I appreciate about Bettinardi putters is the use of high quality components. They’ve stuck with the Lamkin Deep Etched putter grip, which is a personal favorite of mine. I think this grip has a great shape and texture, and it enhances the feel of impact.
Conclusion
The Bettinardi BB7.0 pays homage to the putter that won the brand its first major championship while also showing how far they’ve come. Precision weight distribution blends with the new VDF face milling to offer performance far beyond what I thought was possible in a one-piece milling.
Buy the Bettinardi BB7.0 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.
- Bettinardi BB7.0 Putter Review - February 17, 2026
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