About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the putter which I purchased with my own money in July of 2021.

My take

I LOVE this putter! It has a one piece forged body that’s face balanced with an amazing feel. It is an ideal option for folks with a straight back and forth stroke.

About the club I own

• Model: 2021 Mizuno M.Craft Type III
• Shape: Half mallet
• Hosel Neck: Double bend
• Balance Point: Face Balanced
• Shaft Length: 34” cut down to 33”
• Grip Type: Standard Mizuno
• Finish: Blue

About me

• Average Score: 77
• Handicap: 8
• Experience: 35 years of golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Stroke Type: Straight
• Golf Ball Used: Callaway Chrome soft
• Height: 5’5”

Test conditions

• When I bought the putter: July 2021
• Days tested: 200 days
• Where I’ve used it: Oak Hill Country Club (home of the former TEXAS OPEN), practice greens, and home putting mat
• Weather and Wind Conditions: Normal conditions, wind and light rain
• Green Speed: 9-14
• Grass Type: Bent grass, bermuda grass and poa annua

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a face balanced putter that wasn't so bulky. Most face balanced putters tend to be mallet style. This putter gave me more of a blade type feel.

Why I chose this club

First of all, I love the color! But what it really came down to for me was feel, accuracy and price. I considered other options from Scotty Cameron, Ping, Toulon, and Bettinardi. But ultimately I chose the Mizuno because it was the best feeling face balanced putter I looked at.

What I love about it

• Face Feel: The feel of the face is like butter. I was surprised by how soft it was considering that it was one piece of milled steel. No insert. This putter is forged, not cast. It’s milled from one piece of metal. This process Mizuno uses gives this putter its unmatched feel.
• Forgiveness: The beauty of this putter is its balance and weight distribution. It allows for me to hit the ball on any part of the face and still be accurate.
• Length: I purchased the 34” model, which I did because of my height.
• Aesthetic Appeal: Aesthetically this putter is a homerun! From the head cover to the AMAZING blue color it’s eye-catching for sure. The Black version is sinister as well. Looking down on this putter I like the feeling that I’m putting with a blade style putter. It really inspires confidence. Although it really is considered a half mallet.
• Customization: I’m a shorter guy so I had my putter cut down to 33”. It gave me more control and improved my accuracy. I also changed out the 8 gram weights for the 13’s. This gave me better feel and allowed me to have a shorter backswing, which also improved accuracy.
• Minimal Offset: I like that this putter has a minimal offset of half a shaft length. It allows me to roll the ball true with my straight stroke.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Weight: Coming in at a 355 grams, the weight was a little less than optimal for 33”, so I put in the 13 gram weights. I appreciate that the putter comes with extra weights, which allow me to lower or raise the total weight to dial in for comfort.
• Alignment: The type III comes with a very traditional straight white line that is used to center the ball. A very simple design that is very traditional, but leaves a lot to be desired. If there was anything I could improve on this putter it would be to create alignment markings that inspire confidence. Perhaps something like double lines or a larger white area in the center.
• Grip Feel: The grip is a cord style standard putter grip. The cord feel is firm and gives a no slip touch. I thought this original grip felt a bit rough, hard, and thin. Thus, I changed the grip to a Winn 2.2 VSN.

Best Putt or Round with this Putter

I have found that as I continue to play with this putter, over time, I’ve grown to feel more and more confident with it. Whether it’s distance, lag or keeping the ball on line, my putts roll more true. In a recent round, (my lowest in years) I kept my score down with 1 and two putts. I even rolled in a 60 footer for eagle! I have begun to feel as if everything inside 4 feet is automatic. That’s when you know you’re putting well. Short game is everything. So when I feel like I can’t miss, I know I’ll go low.

Value for the money vs. other options

Gram for gram, dollar for dollar, this putter shines! The determining factor for me with this putter was the price. The quality of this putter is high and so simplistic. Compared with a face balanced Scotty Cameron or Bettinardi not only would I choose this putter over those two for feel (which is saying something), I am also saving a hundred bucks!

Final verdict

All in all, I would highly recommend this putter to folks who have a straight putting stroke. Even if you have a slight arc in your stroke or tend to pull or push just a tad, the face balancing will help bring the club face square every time. The quality of this putter is beyond what I would expect from a putter of this price. Therein lies the value.