Axis1 Tour Putter

Mallet Putter

Axis1 built its whole reputation on one idea, torque. Or rather, getting rid of it. The company's patented head shape pushes weight into a heel counterbalance that sits ahead of the face, and the goal is a putter that doesn't want to twist open or snap shut during the stroke. The 2021 Tour is the flagship expression of that idea, a mallet that looks like almost nothing else in the putter corral.

Here's the thing that surprises people who only know the marketing. This version of the Tour hangs with mid toe hang, not the face-balanced setup you'd assume from a mallet. That makes it a fit for players with a slight to moderate arc in their stroke, which describes most golfers, not the straight-back-straight-through minority.

The other notable choice is what's missing. There's no alignment aid on this head. No sightline, no dots, no flange channel. You aim it with the face and the topline, the way blade players have always done it. That's a deliberate call, and it tells you who Axis1 thinks should be putting with this thing.

Design

The head is a compact mallet with the signature Axis1 heel counterweight, the piece of mass that juts forward of the face on the heel side. It looks strange at address the first few times, then you stop noticing it. That weight placement is the engineering story here, moving the center of gravity onto the sweet spot so the face resists twisting on off-center hits and through impact. The crown is kept clean and uncluttered, which pairs naturally with the no-alignment-aid decision. Combined with the mid toe hang, you get an odd but coherent package, mallet stability in the head with the release characteristics and clean look of a blade. Players who arc the putter but want more forgiveness than an Anser-style head provides are the intended audience, and the design doesn't stray from that brief.

Who It's For

• Players with a slight to moderate arc in their putting stroke, since the mid toe hang lets the face rotate naturally rather than fighting it.
• Golfers who aim with the face and topline and find sightlines and dots distracting rather than helpful.
• Blade putter users who want more stability on off-center strikes without switching to a face-balanced, high-MOI shape.
• Anyone curious about torque-reducing putter designs who wants the concept in a compact mallet rather than an oversized head.

Technology

About Axis1

Axis1 brings a distinctive approach to putter design, focusing on quality materials, precision manufacturing, and performance-driven engineering.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Axis1 Tour face balanced?

No, the 2021 Tour has mid toe hang. That surprises people because Axis1 markets its putters around reducing torque, but toe hang and torque resistance are separate things here. The heel counterweight handles face stability at impact, while the mid toe hang suits players whose stroke has some arc to it.

How do you aim the Axis1 Tour without an alignment aid?

You use the leading edge and topline, the same way blade players have aimed for decades. Some golfers actually aim better this way because there's no line to argue with. If you rely heavily on a sightline or a 2-ball style visual, this probably isn't your putter.

What does the weird heel piece on the Axis1 Tour actually do?

That forward heel counterweight shifts the center of gravity onto the sweet spot and in line with the shaft axis. In practice, the face resists twisting when you strike it off center, so mishits stay closer to your intended line. It's the core of Axis1's patent and the reason the head looks the way it does.

Is the Axis1 Tour good for a straight-back-straight-through stroke?

It's not the ideal match. Mid toe hang works best when the face naturally opens and closes a bit through the stroke. If your stroke is genuinely straight with minimal face rotation, a face-balanced mallet will fight you less.

Is the 2021 Axis1 Tour still worth buying?

If the design fits your stroke and your eye, yes. Putter technology moves slowly, and nothing about the balance concept here has aged. The bigger question is availability and price on the used market, since Axis1 is a small brand and inventory can be thin compared to the big manufacturers.

Alternatives to the Axis1 Tour

Other mallet putter models from different brands, closest to its model year.

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