Bettinardi Antidote SB3 Putter

Mallet Putter

Bettinardi makes its name milling putters in its own shop near Chicago, and the Antidote line is how that shop-cut quality reaches more bags without the flagship price. The SB3 is the 2024 Antidote mallet built for the most common stroke in golf. It carries the machined face and the tight build Bettinardi is known for, then sets it up with a shape and a balance point aimed squarely at forgiveness and a straight stroke.

The SB3 is a mid-to-full mallet, so the weight lives back and out toward the corners of the head. That is what keeps the face steady when you catch a putt off the sweet spot, and it is the whole reason to reach for a mallet instead of a blade. Bettinardi finishes the head cleanly and runs an alignment aid across the top, so you can square the face to your line before the stroke ever starts.

The spec that settles the fit here is the balance. The SB3 is face balanced, which means the face points at the sky when you rest the shaft on your finger. Built that way, the head wants to stay square through impact rather than rotate open and shut. If you take the putter straight back and straight through, the SB3 moves the way you already move. Players with a strong arc will feel it fighting the release, and that is the one group this putter is not for.

Design

The mallet head does two jobs at once. It parks mass at the back and the corners for stability, and it clears space across the top for the sightline so your eye runs cleanly from the face to the hole. Bettinardi machines the face instead of bonding in a soft insert, and you feel that as firmer, more consistent contact with real feedback on where you struck it. The sound is cleaner and the hands get more information than a muted insert gives back. Face balancing is the piece that ties the head to the stroke. Bettinardi set the hosel and the internal weighting so the face resists rotation and holds square from takeaway to follow-through. You feel it most in the transition, where the head tracks straight instead of drifting open. Pair that stay-square balance with the corner weighting and you get a stable, forgiving mallet that rewards a straight motion, which is exactly the golfer this model targets.

Who It's For

• Your stroke runs straight back and straight through, and you want a mallet that holds the face square instead of rotating it.
• Mishits cost you the most, and the back-and-corner weighting keeps the head from twisting when you miss the center.
• You like milled feel and firm feedback, and soft face inserts leave you guessing on strike quality.
• Lining up is where you lose putts, and the sightline across the top gives you a clean read to the hole.
• You want Bettinardi's shop-milled build without paying flagship Studio Stock or Queen B money.

Technology

About Bettinardi

Bettinardi is one of the few brands that still mills every putter in their own facility. Their signature honeycomb face milling and one-piece construction create exceptional feel and consistency.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Bettinardi Antidote SB3 face-balanced or toe hang?

It is face balanced. Rest the shaft on your finger and the face points straight up. That setup keeps the head square through impact, which suits a straight-back-straight-through stroke. If your putting motion has a noticeable arc, a toe-hang model like the SB2 fits you better.

How does the SB3 differ from the Antidote SB2?

Both are 2024 Antidote mallets with milled faces and alignment aids, but the balance is the split. The SB2 has mid toe hang for an arc stroke, while the SB3 is face balanced for a straight stroke. Same line and same build quality, tuned for two different putting motions.

How is the Antidote line different from Bettinardi's higher-end putters?

Antidote is the more accessible line. You still get a machined face and Bettinardi's build, but it sits below the flagship Studio Stock and Queen B models on price. You keep the milled feel and the alignment help without paying for a full tour milled putter.

Is the SB3 forgiving on mishits?

More forgiving than a blade, yes. The mallet head pushes weight back and out to the corners, which raises stability and keeps the head from twisting when you catch the ball off center. That extra stability is the trade you make stepping from a blade into a mallet like this.

Who should skip the Antidote SB3?

Anyone with a strong arc in their stroke. The face-balanced setup resists rotation, so a heavy release will feel like the putter is holding the face open on you, and a toe-hang model will match your motion better. Players chasing the softest possible feel may also prefer an insert, since the milled face plays firmer at contact.

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