Vice Golf VGP04 ZT Putter

Mallet Putter

Vice built its name selling golf balls online for half what the big brands charge, then pushed that same direct-to-consumer model into putters. The VGP04 ZT is part of that push. It's a mallet, it's face balanced, and it has an alignment aid molded into the top. If you've ever stood over a putt and felt like you were guessing at your aim, this is the kind of head that tries to take the guesswork out.

The VGP04 ZT sits in the fuller-bodied end of Vice's putter line. Mallets like this one carry more of their weight out toward the back and the perimeter, which steadies the head through the stroke and keeps mishits from spinning off line as badly. Combine that with face balancing and you get a putter that wants to move straight back and straight through. It's not trying to be a blade you can manipulate with your hands. It's built to be predictable.

What makes Vice worth a look here is the price. You buy it straight from Vice, so you skip the retail markup that inflates a comparable mallet from Scotty Cameron or Odyssey. The 2024 VGP04 ZT gives you the alignment help and forgiveness of a modern mallet without the four-figure sticker some of those putters carry.

Design

The VGP04 ZT is face balanced, meaning the face points straight up when you rest the shaft across your finger. That points to a putter designed for a stroke with very little arc. If your putts move mostly straight back and straight through, the face stays square through impact without you having to work to keep it there. Players who swing the putter on a strong inside arc will fight this head a little, because it doesn't rotate open and closed the way a toe-hang model does. The alignment aid is the other half of the story. Vice put a visual guide on the crown to help you set the face square and start the ball on your intended line. On a mallet this size there's plenty of real estate to build a clear sightline, and that larger footprint behind the ball also frames your target at address. The perimeter weighting that comes with the mallet shape raises the forgiveness on strikes off the heel or toe, so a putt you don't catch flush still rolls closer to where you aimed it.

Who It's For

• You have a straight-back-straight-through putting stroke and want the face to stay square without extra effort.
• Aim is your weak spot, and a clear alignment line on a bigger head would give you confidence over the ball.
• You want mallet forgiveness on off-center strikes but don't want to pay Scotty Cameron or Odyssey retail prices.
• You're comfortable buying direct online instead of getting fit in a pro shop.
• Players with a strongly arced stroke should look at a toe-hang model instead, since face balancing works against that motion.

Technology

About Vice Golf

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

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Vice VGP04 ZT face balanced or toe hang?

It's face balanced. Rest the shaft on your finger and the face points at the sky. That setup suits a stroke that stays fairly square and moves straight back and through. If your stroke has a noticeable arc, a putter with some toe hang will feel more natural and match the way your face naturally opens and closes.

What kind of stroke works best with the VGP04 ZT?

A minimal-arc or straight stroke. Because it's face balanced, the head resists rotating open and closed, so players who keep the face square through impact get the most out of it. Golfers who rely on hand action and a strong inside-to-out path will have to fight the head a bit to close the face at impact.

How does the alignment aid help me putt better?

It gives you a visual reference on the crown to square the face and pick a start line before you pull the trigger. On a mallet this size there's room for a clear sightline, and the larger head frames the ball at address. If you tend to aim right or left without realizing it, having that line to set against your intended path is the main benefit.

Why is the Vice VGP04 ZT cheaper than comparable mallets?

Vice sells direct to consumers through its own site rather than through golf retailers. Cutting out the middleman and the retail markup lets them price a forgiving, alignment-focused mallet below what a similar head costs from the bigger putter brands. You're paying for the putter, not the shelf space.

Is a mallet like the VGP04 ZT more forgiving than a blade?

Generally yes. The mallet shape pushes weight to the perimeter and back of the head, which stabilizes it through the stroke and reduces how far off line a mishit rolls. A putt you catch slightly off the heel or toe holds its line better than it would with a compact blade. The tradeoff is less feedback and less workability, which some better putters prefer in a blade.

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