On Tuesday, Bettinardi unveiled two new shapes in his Antidote series puttersthese are low-torque, toe-up designs from the Bettinardi family. The trend has exploded over the past two years and shows no signs of slowing down, so Bettinardi is doubling down on the shape offering by introducing the new SB3 fang style and SB5 crescent style designs.
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I had the chance to go there Bettinardi Studio B in Oakbrook, Illinois, to actually get fit for the best option for my game and both putters surprised me. Surprisingly, the SB5 would have been the last in the lineup that I would have referenced, but it ended up being my personal favorite.
;)
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The SB3 has a tusk-style design but looks compact at address, and behind the ball the two-tone design really shines in its beauty. The two white lines that adorn the putter’s fangs in the flange area are easy to use for the right purpose, and my favorite part of both new models is that even though the Hosel is behind the top line, they’ve made it its own section so the top line is still nice and thin.
Having a topline design like this feels to me like you can use both edges (front and back) to help verify the perpendicular alignment of the clubface to the intended putting line.
Bettinardi 2025 Antidote SB3 custom putter
The Antidote series was first introduced to simplify the implementation of an advanced zero-torque design. With the addition of the SB3 and SB5, Bettinardi brings new options for golfers who demand tour-proven stability with head shapes that inspire total confidence at address. Antidote SB3 – A high MOI tusk-shaped hammer designed to stay square on impact. The modern shape improves alignment and framing, while Simply Balanced™ Zero Torque technology eliminates twisting for consistent roll. Antidote SB5 – A compact hammer with broad shoulders that flow into the rear flange, distributing weight evenly to the perimeter for exceptional balance and control in a refined silhouette.
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When you turn the SB3 over to the sole, you’ll see a sleek soleplate design with cutouts in the 303SS backplate. That tells you that Bettinardi is trying to move the center of gravity as far forward as the design allows, while still maintaining the low-end torque characteristics they’re looking for, as well as the sound and feel players expect from Bettinardi. These types of canine designs are very difficult to determine the sound because the canines can act like tuning forks, but Bettinardi has done it.
When you make impact with the ball you get a nice thud-like click from the face that gives you instant feedback without feeling too soft. In my testing so far, and verified by my technician Nick at Bettinardi Studio B, the SB3 is slightly beefier and louder than the SB5, which brings us back to my pick in the Antidote range.
As I mentioned above, I’m not much of a crescent hammer shape player, but the feel of the SB5 is probably the best Bettinardi I’ve ever thrown. It’s a nice compressed pop off the face with just a light click, giving you great confidence in rolling off the face. It provides enough feedback in the hands so that you can feel your off-center strokes, but feels purely like a well-engaged muscle back when you hit the putter off-center. Both putters feature Bettinardi’s FIT Face, which provides just enough ball speed so the putter can help you without feeling like you’re losing control. As far as roles go, we saw great numbers on Quintec. The ball rolls very quickly and the FIT Face does not stay on the ball for long.
Bettinardi 2025 Antidote SB5 custom putter
The Antidote series was first introduced to simplify the implementation of an advanced zero-torque design. With the addition of the SB3 and SB5, Bettinardi brings new options for golfers who demand tour-proven stability with head shapes that inspire total confidence at address. Antidote SB3 – A high MOI tusk-shaped hammer designed to stay square on impact. The modern shape improves alignment and framing, while Simply Balanced™ Zero Torque technology eliminates twisting for consistent roll. Antidote SB5 – A compact hammer with broad shoulders that flow into the rear flange, distributing weight evenly to the perimeter for exceptional balance and control in a refined silhouette.
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However, what makes me so giddy about the SB5 is the alignment. Rather than having a different color 303SS backplate like the SB3, the entire SB5 is the same kind of stale satin silver that shines well in good light and to the eye without reflecting in the sunlight outside. There’s a single navy blue sightline at the top with two navy blue alignment aids adorning the putter’s bumpers in the flange area, and the way those bumpers and those navy blue lines frame the flange is just perfect. It’s not a different finish in this part of the putter, but the way the bumpers flow and are shaped creates an effect on your eyes as if this area in the center of the flange, about the size of a golf ball, is brighter than the rest of the putter. To my eyes, it seems like every time I put the putter behind the ball, I can see this “line” from the flange to the hole. I haven’t aimed a low torque, toe-up putter this well since I started using the Ai-One Max stripe. And you can probably guess why.
Flip the SB5 over and you’ll once again see some material cut from the back as they try to move the center of gravity closer to the face, which helps to improve the feel and give you a “blade-like” playability, which I (as an enduring member of the blade putter nation) really appreciate.
#Bettinardi #adds #SB3 #SB5 #putters #Antidote #series