50 Words or Less
The Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 putter is a super wide Anser style putter. Lives at the intersection of blades and mallets. Four neck options to fit more players. Good forgiveness and feel.
Introduction
The INOVAI line is where Bettinardi experiments with multi-material construction and bolder, less traditional head shapes. The Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 uses a combination of steel and aluminum to stretch the boundaries of the traditional Anser. I tested one to find out if this also pushes the performance to new highs.
Looks
If the BB1 Wide [review HERE] is a widebody Anser, that makes the Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 a super widebody. From front to back, this putter measures approximately 2.125″ compared to 1.375″ in the BB1 Wide. This is balanced by the fact that it’s about 0.5″ shorter from heel to toe.
Overall, the address look is that of a traditional mallet. The two-tone look may stretch that definition a bit, but the shape and size are right on. Bettinardi’s use of three sight lines is interesting. To me, the two lines on the flange are so close to the edges that they’re almost out of sight. I like this, as I prefer a top line to a “normal” sight line. For me, the combination of the well-proportioned cavity and the top line are excellent for alignment.
Flipping the putter over reveals an excellent design job by Bettinardi. There is a lot happening on the sole of the INOVA 10.0, but the minimalist use of white and grey paint makes it work. The milling on the sole is echoed on the headcover, which, like the 2024 BB1 Wide, uses magnets. Once again, a round of applause to Bettinardi for making that oft-requested upgrade.
Sound & Feel
The stainless steel face of the Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 putter produces a very solid feeling when striking a Tour caliber golf ball. On short, well-struck putts, there’s a measure of softness, but the overriding sensation is the strength of the hit. Interestingly, the feeling becomes softer and sweeter on longer putts that are perfectly hit.
The sound of impact is a middle of the bell curve “tock.” It’s average in volume, ticking up slightly on longer putts. There is a hint of extra crispness to the sound on premium strikes, but it’s very demanding.
Feedback is delivered primarily through your hands. There is almost no change in the character of the sound, even on truly bad strikes. Your hands, however, can feel the impact location exactly. Also, when you get to twenty feet and beyond, mishits become noticeably firmer than pure strikes.
Performance
Looking over the specs of the Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 putter, the first thing I noticed was the array of neck options. This putter comes with four different necks, more than I can remember seeing on any Bettinardi putter. That’s an exciting evolution because it allows more players to be well fit.
The neck seen in these photos is the spud neck/double bend. This creates a nearly face balanced putter, best for putting strokes with minimal arc. The center shafted model is very similar, though it offers a different look. Players with more arc in their stroke can opt for the mini plumbers neck – 1/3 toe hang, per Bettinardi – or the slant neck – 1/4 toe hang.
Moving to the construction of the head, the INOVAI 10.0 has a stainless steel face with an aluminum flange. This multi-material construction is seen in most modern mallets to boost MOI, something Bettinardi claims for the INOVAI as well. While this putter is measurably more forgiving than a traditional Anser, it comes up well short of more extreme mallets for forgiveness. Aluminum is lighter than steel, so this head’s forgiveness comes primarily from the Anser-style shape pushing weight away from the middle.
The benefit of this more conventional weight distribution is that the Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 is easy for a blade player to transition into. For me, this putter swung naturally despite its slightly heavier weight (360 grams) and stretched head shape. Additionally, it didn’t take much time before I was able to competently control my distance.
Conclusion
Over the last couple years, Bettinardi has firmly staked their flag in the liminal space between traditional blades and extreme mallets. The Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 putter may have multi-material construction and a large footprint, but it doesn’t lose the feel of a more conventional flat stick. If you’re looking for a change on the greens but don’t want to fight your new putter, this is one to try.
Buy the Bettinardi INOVAI 10.0 HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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5 Comments
I love bettinardi putters. They are great. Good review.
Thanks for the putter review Matt. I appreciated the quick note regarding neck placement and face balance for swing arc. I’ve always thought this important in selecting a putter, matching your “natural” swing with the balance at impact. I wonder if there’s also a variety of grip options and how that would affect feel or feedback?
Dave,
Bettinardi offers a standard and jumbo grip.
Best,
Matt
Meh. They lack innovation with their putters and their stance behind all their putters as being cut from a solid block is untrue. All the putters they present are forged.
Hi Matt. I’ve been using the Inovai 6 spud neck for the past few years. First the blue one and then the black one. I put the Stability shafts on them with the winn 15″ long counter balanced grip. My putting has gotten a lot better from long range. Then, last year, I was in a golf shop and tried the studio stock 9 with a plumber’s neck and was blown away. I somehow made every putt from all over the green. With the inovais, I seemed to be missing short putts often. So when I found a mint pre-owned ss9 on ebay, I grabbed it. I have played a few rounds with it and have to say, it’s incredible. Now short putts are no problem. Just have to figure out the lag putts. I think the slightly increased toe hang is the difference for me. Guess I have a bit of arc to my short putting stroke.