Bettinardi just released a new version of their Antidote SB2 putter. The new Bettinardi Antidote Hexperimental #2 a very cool version of the SB2 mallet and it could represent more than just a new version of a popular putter.
The build plan for the new Hexperimental version of the SB2 was created simple. Bettinardi swapped in a plumber’s neck for the original SB2’s center-shaft hosel.
Offering putters with various necks is nothing new for putter companies, Bettinardi included. What is new is the neck option progression.
While most companies are altering existing traditional models to make them zero-torque, Bettinardi went the other direction and added torque to a model that originated as a zero-torque putter.
Why would Bettinardi make this change and what could it mean for the future of the zero-torque putter market?
The ins and outs of the new Bettinardi Hexperimental #2
Before we get to the potential market impact of this putter, let’s explore the putter itself. As you know, Bettinardi uses their Hexperimental line to push the limits of putter design.
For example, the Antidote Hexperimental models that Bettinardi released back in April were zero-torque versions of standard heads, including the beloved #9. The putters’ novel hosels allowed Bettinardi to eliminate the torque from those traditional heads.
This time around, the script is flipped.
For the Antidote Hexperimental #2, Bettinardi removed the shaft from the putter’s center of gravity and mounted it on a plumber’s neck located at a more traditional spot near the heel of the face.
As I mentioned, this neck change completely changes the torque profile of the putter. Instead of having zero-torque like the original, the new plumber’s neck version has some toe hang and, as a result, some inherent torque.
Outside of the neck, the construction of the new Antidote Hexperimental #2 mirrors the original. The three-part body is milled from 303 stainless steel and 6061 aluminum. The face is milled with Bettinardi’s softest-feeling F.I.T. grooves.
The aesthetics were altered a bit to match those of the other Hexperimental models but the two-tone pattern from the top matches the original SB2 look.
So, really, the big difference between the original SB2 and this new Hexperimental #2 model is the neck. Is that really a big difference?
The significance of the neck swap
Bettinardi made this version of the SB2 for one simple reason: not everyone putts their best with zero-torque putters.
Yes, our testing data shows that the 2026 putter testing cohort as a whole performed better with zero-torque putters but some golfers still putt better with traditional builds.
That’s a solid business plan. Bettinardi understands that if you expand your fitting options, you also expand your customer base.
Could the neck swap signify a change in the putter market?
The thing about this release that sticks in my head is that Bettinardi took one of their zero-torque models and added torque. As far as industry trends go, this is completely opposite of the current norm.
Over the past few years, Odyssey, PXG, TaylorMade, Evnroll, Scotty Cameron and even Bettinardi have created zero-torque versions of their traditional putter models. Naturally, this came as a response to L.A.B. Golf’s increasing presence in the marketplace.
The putter corral quickly went from having very few zero-torque options to many.
This new neck got me wondering if we have reached the saturation point for zero-torque putters. Is the competition so fierce in the zero-torque space that putter companies are directing some of their design efforts in other directions?
I am probably reading too much into a simple neck change but Bettinardi wouldn’t make this putter if there was not a customer looking for it. TaylorMade’s Spider has a plumber’s neck option as do a number of Cameron’s Phantoms. That style of mallet must be viable.
Maybe the mallet-that-plays-like-a-blade models are the next ones to really take off with the golfing populus.
I’m not a putter prophet
As I said, I am probably reading too much into the significance of this release. What I know for sure is that the new Antidote Hexperimental #2 will be a hit with mallet players who still need some torque. This time around, Bettinardi’s “antidote” to their putting problems is not zero-torque.
Is this release the inflection point where the putter popularity pendulum swings away from zero-torque?
Maybe. Maybe not.
The thing about trends is that they are almost always temporary. Zero-torque putters are never going away. They are too successful for many golfers for companies to stop making them.
However, I do see lots of zero-torque putters from the various companies in the used bin in the shop. Not everyone who buys a zero-torque putter ends up playing that putter forever. If the zero-torque market cools off, companies will need to go in other directions to match consumer demand.
Bettinardi’s decision to direct their design efforts into the non-zero-torque space may be something that we see more of in the future from other companies as well.
“When it comes to our Hexperimental line extension, the focus is on innovation and iteration. It’s where we get to explore what’s next in putter design.”
-Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf.
Even if I’m wrong about the putter market, the Bettinardi Antidote Hexperimental #2 is still a cool with-torque take on a Most Wanted zero-torque putter. Maybe, though, as Sam Bettinardi says, we are looking at “what’s next.”
Find out more about the new Bettinardi Antidote Hexperimental SB2 at Bettinardi.com.
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