Revisiting 2022's Best Putters: What the GolfWRX Members Choice Taught Us

There's something valuable about looking backward before we sprint forward. GolfWRX recently dipped into their archives to resurface the 2022 Members Choice awards for best putter, and honestly, it's a worthwhile exercise for anyone thinking about upgrading their flat stick.

Why Historical Context Matters in Putter Selection

I spend a lot of time on launch monitors testing new releases, but context is everything. When manufacturers claim their latest putter features "revolutionary" face milling or "game-changing" alignment aids, it helps to remember what was considered cutting-edge just a few years ago.

The 2022 Members Choice results weren't just popularity contests — they reflected thousands of golfers voting with their wallets and their putting stats. These weren't theoretical preferences; they were putters that real players trusted over four-footers to save par.

What Made the 2022 Winners Stand Out

While I don't have the specific voting breakdown in front of me, the 2022 putter landscape was defined by a few key trends that continue to influence designs today:

• Mallet dominance: High-MOI designs had firmly established themselves as the choice for golfers seeking forgiveness on off-center strikes
• Face insert technology: The debate between milled faces and insert materials was heating up, with each camp claiming superior feel and consistency
• Alignment innovation: Manufacturers were getting creative with sightlines, contrast colors, and visual cues to help golfers square the face at address

The beauty of a members choice award is that it cuts through marketing noise. You can spend millions on advertising campaigns, but if the putter doesn't perform when it matters, forum members will call it out.

How 2022 Trends Shaped Today's Market

Looking at current releases, you can trace direct lineages back to what was winning awards in 2022. The stability that made certain mallets popular then has been refined and enhanced. Face technologies that showed promise have been iterated upon with better materials and more precise manufacturing.

Here's what I find most interesting: the putters that won community approval in 2022 weren't necessarily the most expensive or the most technologically complex. They were the ones that delivered consistent performance across a range of skill levels.

The Feel Factor

One thing that hasn't changed — and likely never will — is the importance of feel. You can engineer the most forgiving putter in existence, but if a golfer doesn't enjoy the sensation at impact, they won't trust it. The 2022 winners understood this balance between performance metrics and subjective feedback.

Fitting Matters More Than Brand Loyalty

Another lesson from examining historical preferences: the "best" putter varies dramatically based on stroke type, green speeds, and personal preference. What earned top marks from GolfWRX members in 2022 might not suit your game at all — and that's perfectly fine.

Using Archive Data to Make Better Decisions

When I'm helping someone choose between current putter options, I often reference what came before. A putter that's essentially a refined version of a 2022 award winner carries different implications than a completely new design direction.

Proven lineage isn't everything — innovation requires risk — but there's comfort in knowing a manufacturer has successfully delivered for the community before.

Key Takeaways

GolfWRX's decision to open their archives more frequently is smart for consumers and the industry alike. Historical context helps us evaluate new releases more critically, understand which "innovations" are genuinely new versus repackaged, and make more informed purchasing decisions.

If you're putter shopping today, take twenty minutes to research what was winning awards two or three years ago. Understanding where we've been makes it much easier to evaluate where manufacturers claim they're taking us. The fundamentals of a good putter — proper fit, consistent face contact, and confidence-inspiring visuals — haven't changed, even if the marketing language has.