In the 1500s a set of clubs consisted of: a set of play clubs, “longnoses”, for driving; fairway clubs or “grassed drivers”, for medium range; “spoons” for short shots; “niblicks” similar to wedges; and a putting “cleek”. These golf clubs were made up of wood with the shafts being made from ash or hazel and the club heads being made from tougher wood like apple, holly, beech or pear. The club head would be connected to the shaft with a splint and then bound with a leather strap.

At this time it was possible to forge iron into the wooden club heads but it was uncommon due to the fragile nature of the featherie ball. Around 1750 the world of golf saw the first club heads made entirely of iron.

The first metal putter is often credited to the Scottish golf club maker Robert Forgan, who created it in the late 1800s. Forgan was one of the earliest known makers to experiment with metal-headed clubs, particularly for putters, as golf equipment began evolving from the traditional wooden clubs.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Arthur Knight, the top player at Mohawk Golf Club in Schenectady, NY, identified that his putting was rather inconsistent, not because of his stroke or green reading, but that his putter design was simply inadequate. Technology within the sport was
primitive and almost all the putters available at the time were bladed, heel-shafted designs. The General Electric engineer decided he would take things into his own hands and create a superior, more consistent putter design. He spent the summer of 1902 off the golf course and instead in the workshop constructing a center-shafted mallet putter with a crosshatched face, made from wood and lead.

Bobby Jones travelled to New York and took the opportunity to visit his old friend Jim Maiden at Nassau Country Club. After playing nine holes Jones complained he was putting poorly. Maiden suggested he might have the solution: an old putter he turned to in times of need. It was a simple offset blade with a hickory shaft, forged by Condie and sold by William Winton. The putter was almost 20 years old and Maiden had stamped it with the nickname, “Calamity Jane.”

Jones tried Calamity Jane and loved the feel. He used it at Inwood and won. In fact, he used the original then a replica (Calamity Jane II) to win all thirteen of his Major titles.

Karsten Solheim's engineering career began at General Electric, where he worked on various projects, including aircraft and missile systems during the early days of the aerospace industry.

He applied his engineering principles to golf club design, created the first PING prototype famously naming it after the distinctive 'ping' sound it made when striking a golf ball. Unlike traditional putters, Solheim's design featured a heel-toe weighting system, which improved the club's balance and forgiveness. This innovation helped reduce twisting on off-center hits, significantly improving accuracy and consistency.

Karsten Solheim’s contributions to golf were not just limited to equipment design. He was also instrumental in promoting the use of scientific analysis in golf, paving the way for the modern, technology-driven approach to the game. His work earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001, recognizing his profound impact on the sport. Solheim's legacy continues through the ongoing innovations of PING, which remains at the forefront of golf technology.

Arnold Palmer's original putter, known as the "Palmer Original," was introduced in the early 1960s. Specifically, the famous "The Original" putter was created by Wilson Sporting Goods and became associated with Palmer during this period. Arnold Palmer used this classic blade-style putter throughout much of his career, contributing to his iconic status in the golf world.

This putter became one of the most recognizable and influential putters in golf history, symbolizing Palmer's style and success on the course.

The use of cast stainless steel in putter heads begins, enhancing durability and consistency in manufacturing. The Ping Pal model was introduced in 1971. Cast from manganese bronze, the perimeter-weighted head featured a shorter blade length and an Anser hosel. It was used to win more than 100 tour events, including six major championships, including the 1988 Masters.

First introduced in 1976, the Zebra featured adjustable weights and the “Stripe” alignment system that gave the putter its name.

Before mallet putters became fashionable, the Zebra was a pacesetter. Players like Nick Price wielded the Zebra to great affect, it remains one of the most popular mallet putters of all time.

The first CNC (Computer Numerical Control) milled putter was developed in 1982 by Dick DeLaCruz. This innovation was part of a collaboration with Callaway Golf, leading to the creation of the "Bobby Jones Billet Series" milled putter. The introduction of CNC milling technology into putter manufacturing marked a significant advancement in the golf equipment industry, allowing for precision and consistency that was previously unattainable with traditional hand-milling techniques.

The Golden Bear lifting his putter in one hand high above his head. That putter was the mammoth MacGregor Response ZT 615. Although there have been larger putters gracing tour pros bags since then, that putter—an oversized blade—was one of the biggest at the time.

Bill Fahy and his wife, Jane Fahy, were the brilliant inventors of the original convex golf putter, securing a U.S. Patent for their innovative design in 1992.

Beyond his contributions to golf, Bill was also an accomplished engineer at General Electric, where he made significant advancements in the aerospace industry. His most outstanding achievement was the development of patented technologies that were pivotal to the success of NASA's Viking program, one of the most ambitious and successful missions aimed at exploring Mars.

Gaining a reputation as the young putter maker from California whose prototype creation was used to win golf’s greatest tournament, Scotty Cameron began to receive interest from the golf industry’s heavyweights. Introduced to Wally Uihlein, then-CEO of Acushnet Company/Titleist, by well-known teaching pro Peter Kostis after the 1994 PLAYERS Championship, it became clear that Wally and Scotty shared the same vision for quality design and manufacturing. A relationship was formed, and in September of 1994, Cameron Golf International and Acushnet Company became partners.

Tiger Woods wins his first Masters using a Scotty Cameron putter, bringing significant attention to precision-milled putters. Woods won his first Masters title and first major tournament. The 21-year-old demolished the field, finishing 18 under and winning by 12 shots.

The Odyssey 2-ball putter launched a revolution when it burst onto the scene late in 2001. Odyssey placed two round circles, each the diameter of a golf ball behind the putter face to act as an alignment guide. By putting more weight behind the ball, it skidded less off the face.

Since 2002 there have been a number of different versions of the 2-ball but the concept remains the same and the top pros continue to trust it.

The original TaylorMade Spider launched in 2008 and was built with the sole function of creating maximum stability and MOI (Moment of Inertia). MOI is a critical factor in golf club design, particularly in putters, as it measures the club's resistance to twisting upon impact. A higher MOI means the putter is more stable, especially on off-center strikes, leading to more consistent and accurate putts. The TaylorMade Spider's innovative design, with its distinctive perimeter weighting, significantly increased the MOI compared to traditional putters, offering golfers unparalleled forgiveness and making it easier to keep putts on their intended line, even when the ball is struck away from the center of the face.

In 2023, Patrick Fahy founded Convex Golf, continuing the Fahy family tradition of innovation in golf putter technology. In partnership with engineer Ben Greenberg, they developed revolutionary interchangeable convex-face putters, bringing game-changing innovation to an industry that has seen little technological advancement in putter design in recent decades.