Review: Cleveland HB Soft Milled #4 Putter
By Curated Experts
Nate Cox and Calvin Max
11 photos
The Curated Take
4.2/5
The Cleveland HB Soft Milled #4 Putter, with its "Speed Optimized Face Technology," offers effective speed control even on mishits, making it ideal for golfers seeking improved forgiveness. This putter provides a distinctive feel with a soft center and a clicky off-center due to its unique milling design. It also offers high-quality grips tailored for different stroke types. It's a well-balanced, visually appealing blade putter that gives good value for money, outperforming more expensive alternatives. This is a viable option for golfers transitioning to blade putters or those after a firmer feel.
Ideal for
- Soft feel for a milled face putter
- For a blade-style putter, distance control on mishits is better than most
- Heavy in the hand, which makes it easy to generate power for long putts
- Super easy to keep on line
- Beautiful classic blade look
Not ideal for
- Fairly significant difference in feel when hitting the ball out of the center of the face
- Low MOI (Moment of Inertia) makes it easy to over or under-rotate the face
Forgiveness
My least favorite part of this putter is how different the ball can feel coming off the face depending on where I hit it, but that is the feature, not...Read more
Alignment
There are no frills with the alignment on this putter. There is a classic white line on the flange behind the ball. I was a little worried before playing with...Read more
Grip
I love my grip on my personal model, which I chose to have gripped with the Traxion Flatso 2.0 grip. The grips for this putter lineup are pretty stellar, as...Read more
Feel
Due to the milling pattern on the front of the clubface, there is an incredibly soft and satisfying feel when I strike a putt out of the center. This provides...Read more
Balance
For a blade putter, this is one of the heavier models I have tried. I am not a fan of blade putters that are so light that it feels too...Read more
Expert Reviews of the Cleveland HB Soft Milled #4 Putter
Nate Cox I have played with a mallet-style putter for the last 10 years, and the HB soft-milled putter marks my journey back into the world of blade putters. If someone prefers a blade-style putter with a firmer feel off of the face that a milled putter face provides, this could be a great option for them, too. Moving from a TaylorMade putter with their Pure Roll insert, I definitely notice that the feel off the putter face is firmer than I am used to, but in testing other milled blade putters, the feel off of the center of the face is softer than many others. However, when hitting putts off the toe or heel, there is a significant difference in how it feels. It feels more clicky, primarily a byproduct of the milling design. The milling is closer together in the center of the face providing that great soft feel. As golfers move outward from the center, the milling gets farther apart. Cleveland designed it like this so that more of the putter face makes contact with the ball when I hit it, making distance control on mishits more consistent. I find that this design is effective for speed control, though it makes the feel less soft. I am very impressed with how this putter has performed thus far, and I am excited to continue using and testing this one!
Calvin Max I am always looking for a new putter because I don’t putt very well and firmly believe golf‘s ABCs (Always Blame the Club), so I test A LOT of new ones. This thing has become my standard that new stuff gets judged against. It is so, so stable and clean-looking. If Cleveland can do this for under $200, why would I pay $500+ for a Scotty, Bettinardi, etc.?
Product Specs
| Club Type | Putters |
| Head shape | Blade |
| Grip type | Pistol |
| Head shape | #4 |
| Used (Y/N) | No |
| Loft | 3° |
Review Ratings
Forgiveness
4/5
Nate Cox gave 4 of 5 stars. My least favorite part of this putter is how different the ball can feel coming off the face depending on where I hit it, but that is the feature, not the bug. What Cleveland calls their "Speed Optimized Face Technology" creates a variable milling pattern across the face that helps with speed control on mishits. Though I don't love how drastically different this can make putts feel off the face, it does a good job of increasing the forgiveness.
Alignment
5/5
Nate Cox gave 5 of 5 stars. There are no frills with the alignment on this putter. There is a classic white line on the flange behind the ball. I was a little worried before playing with the putter that the white wouldn't contrast enough with that light matte silver color of the clubhead, but I haven't found that to be the case at all. Very easy to see my alignment.
Grip
5/5
Nate Cox gave 5 of 5 stars. I love my grip on my personal model, which I chose to have gripped with the Traxion Flatso 2.0 grip. The grips for this putter lineup are pretty stellar, as Cleveland offers different options depending on whether someone has a putter designed for a straight stroke, slight arc, or strong arc.
Feel
3/5
Nate Cox gave 3 of 5 stars. Due to the milling pattern on the front of the clubface, there is an incredibly soft and satisfying feel when I strike a putt out of the center. This provides one of the softest feels among milled putters I have used. It feels pretty clicky when I don't strike the putt out of the center. This is, by design, to help the speed be more consistent across the putter face, but it does impact the feel pretty drastically.
Balance
4/5
Nate Cox gave 4 of 5 stars. For a blade putter, this is one of the heavier models I have tried. I am not a fan of blade putters that are so light that it feels too easy to rotate the face, and I would not put this putter in that category. This is a toe-hang putter, so I naturally get some rotation. But the weight of the clubhead gives this putter a stable and well-balanced feel throughout the putting stroke.
FAQs
What was your favorite moment with this gear?
Nate Cox My favorite moment with this putter was one of the first mishits I had on a longer lag putt. I had about 40-50 feet up the hill, and I hit it off the toe pretty significantly (this putter provides great feedback in terms of the quality of strike). As I felt it come off the face, I expected it to end up 7- 10 feet short, but it cozied up right near the tap in range. Cleveland calls this the "Speed Optimized Face Technology," which is supposed to make the speed consistent all the way across the face. I am not convinced that it makes it exactly the same, but I am impressed with how it improves distance control on off-centered strikes.
Why did you choose this product?
Nate Cox I chose the Cleveland HB Soft Milled #4 because I wanted to journey back into the world of blade-style putters. I have played with a TaylorMade Daddy Long Legs counterbalance putter for about 10 years now—a spaceship, more or less. I have loved that putter, but there are times that, in the 5-10 foot range, when it is heavier than I would like, and it feels like I lose face control a little bit, thus the transition back to trying a blade.
I knew I wanted to try a blade with a milled face, but I didn't want to spend in the $400-500 range right away, where many other milled face putters sit from competitors' brands. The value proposition is what drew me in, but the performance has been what has made me stay, if I am being honest. I think that this putter feels great, looks stunning, and holes putts just like the more expensive models.
What is the value for the money versus other options?
Nate Cox The value for the money is what drew me in and got me to buy this putter. A milled face putter for $200 is just about unheard of. I honestly didn't have the highest expectations for it compared to the Scottys and other milled putters out there, especially since the clubhead is cast. The face is CNC milled, but it significantly outperformed my expectations. It rolls the ball great, feels great and soft out of the middle, and provides good feedback on mishits, with better speed control than I anticipated on those mishits. This putter certainly has to be one of the best value-for-money putters on the market right now.
What do you love about this product?
Nate Cox When it comes to the Cleveland HB soft-milled putters, specifically the #4 blade style in this instance, there is a lot to love. For having a milled putter face, the feel of this putter at impact is very soft when I strike it out of the center. For those instances that I strike it out of the toe or heel, the distance control seems to be as good or better than many other blade putters I've tried, which is a positive for Cleveland because that is exactly what they claim their variable milling on the face will do. The milling is very condensed in the center of the putter face, providing a soft feel. As one moves away from the center, the milling gets more spaced out to allow more of the clubface to contact the ball. The looks are quite stunning. For all of this to be offered in a putter that sits at the $200 mark, a great value compared to many other milled face putters on the market, this should at least be considered a viable option for anyone in the market for a new blade-style putter.
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Nate Cox
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