Level one
Best Disc Golf Putters for Beginners (2026)
The disc you will throw most, and the one most new players spend least time choosing. Five putters that forgive an unpracticed stroke.
By Selena H. Published September 21, 2026 Updated October 8, 2026
Hyzer & Chain is reader-funded. We earn a commission when you buy through a link here, at no extra cost to you. Picks come from published manufacturer specs and current retailer availability, never from who pays most — here is how we pick.
A putter is the highest-leverage disc in a beginner’s bag and the one most people buy last. You will throw it from inside 30 feet more often than you throw anything else, and the difference between a putter that suits your stroke and one that does not is several strokes a round. These five differ mainly in how hard they finish left and how much they carry — both of which matter enormously at short range.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Innova Aviar Best beginner putter overall | a brand-new player who needs one disc that does exactly what they aim it at, and for every level above that as a putting disc | 2 / 3 / 0 / 1 · Putter | |
| 2 | Innova Dart Best for a dead-straight finish | a beginner who wants a zero-fade putter and approach disc in one — the straightest-finishing Innova putter | 3 / 4 / 0 / 0 · Putter | |
| 3 | Latitude 64 Pure Best if your putts keep finishing left | a beginner whose putts keep finishing left — the -1 turn cancels out the fade you cannot control yet | 3 / 3 / -1 / 1 · Putter | |
| 4 | Dynamic Discs EMAC Judge Best beadless alternative | a beginner or intermediate player who wants a beadless putter that flies straight and holds whatever angle they release it on | 2 / 4 / 0 / 1 · Putter | |
| 5 | Discraft Roach Best for a bit more carry | a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight putter with a bit more carry than an Aviar | 2 / 4 / 0 / 1 · Putter |
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1. Best beginner putter overall
Innova Aviar
- Flight numbers
- 2 / 3 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 2
- Glide
- 3
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, Star, Champion, GStar
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The most-bagged putter in the sport, and it deserves the position. For a beginner the relevant quality is that speed 2 with 1 fade means a slightly wobbly release still goes roughly where you aimed. Buy two in DX plastic so you can practice with a matched pair — a putting routine built on two identical discs beats one built on whatever is nearest.
How it flies
Speed 2 with 3 glide and a flat 0 turn means the Aviar goes where you point it at any arm speed. The single point of fade shows up only at the very end, so from inside 30 feet it drops almost straight down rather than drifting left. That predictability is the whole reason it has been the most-bagged putter in the sport for decades.
Best for a brand-new player who needs one disc that does exactly what they aim it at, and for every level above that as a putting disc.
Look elsewhere if you want a putter that fights a headwind — the Aviar's 1 fade gives you very little resistance when the wind picks up.
What works
- Flies the same line for a 150-foot arm and a 500-foot arm
- Available in DX (cheap, grippy) all the way to Star (durable) so you can buy the same flight in whatever plastic suits you
- Low speed means a bad release barely changes the line
What does not
- 1 fade is not enough to hold a line in real wind
- DX plastic wears noticeably after a season of tree hits
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
2. Best for a dead-straight finish
Innova Dart
- Flight numbers
- 3 / 4 / 0 / 0
- Speed
- 3
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 0
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, XT, Star
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On this page the Dart is the specialist: 0 turn and 0 fade is genuinely rare, and it means the disc does not curve either way. For a new player who keeps missing left — which is what fade does to an under-powered putt — it removes the problem entirely. The 4 glide also makes it a useful approach disc from 150 feet, which an Aviar struggles with.
How it flies
0 turn and 0 fade is a genuinely rare combination, and it does exactly what the numbers say: the Dart flies the line it was released on and comes down without curving either way. For a new player that removes the two things hardest to predict. The 4 glide gives it enough carry to be useful inside 200 feet.
Best for a beginner who wants a zero-fade putter and approach disc in one — the straightest-finishing Innova putter.
Look elsewhere if you want any kind of finish or wind resistance; 0 turn and 0 fade means the disc simply holds its line and lands.
What works
- Dead straight — the simplest flight on this page
- Works as both a putter and an approach disc
- Cheap in DX
What does not
- No fade means no hyzer finish when you need one
- Nothing to resist a crosswind
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
3. Best if your putts keep finishing left
Latitude 64 Pure
- Flight numbers
- 3 / 3 / -1 / 1
- Speed
- 3
- Glide
- 3
- Turn
- -1
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Understable
- Plastics
- Opto, Zero Hard, Zero Soft, Retro
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The Pure earns its place for one specific beginner problem. If your putts consistently drift left of the basket, you are watching fade you have not yet learned to compensate for. The Pure's -1 turn cancels its 1 fade on a normal-strength putt, so it flies straight instead. It is a fix for a specific fault rather than a general-purpose recommendation.
How it flies
The -1 turn is what makes this a beginner's putter: on a normal-strength putt it flies straight rather than hooking left, because the slight turn offsets the single point of fade. Thrown harder on an approach it will drift right and keep going, which is useful for a gentle right-hand turnover shot.
Best for a beginner whose putts keep finishing left — the -1 turn cancels out the fade you cannot control yet.
Look elsewhere if you throw hard; -1 turn at speed 3 means a firm release will turn it over and run right.
What works
- Genuinely straight for a player who has not yet learned to compensate for fade
- Doubles as an easy turnover approach disc
- Zero Soft plastic grips in the cold and wet
What does not
- Turns over if you throw it hard
- Not a wind disc in any plastic
Specs read from Latitude 64’s own published product page.
4. Best beadless alternative
Dynamic Discs EMAC Judge
- Flight numbers
- 2 / 4 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 2
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- Classic Blend, Prime, Lucid, Supreme
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The Aviar has a bead on its rim and some hands simply prefer a beadless one — it is not better or worse, it is a different reference point for your fingers. The EMAC Judge is the beadless standard at the same forgiving numbers (2/4/0/1), with one extra point of glide that makes it carry a little better on a long approach. Classic Blend plastic is tacky and cheap.
How it flies
Speed 2, 4 glide, 0 turn, 1 fade: straight, with enough glide to carry a putt and only a hint of finish. Dynamic Discs describe it as the Judge with less bead and a bit less fade, developed with Eric McCabe for exactly that reason. It holds a hyzer or an anhyzer without wanting to flatten out.
Best for a beginner or intermediate player who wants a beadless putter that flies straight and holds whatever angle they release it on.
Look elsewhere if you want a bead to index your grip against — the EMAC Judge is deliberately beadless and feels quite different in the hand from an Aviar.
What works
- Holds the angle you release it on, which makes it a good teaching disc
- Classic Blend plastic is tacky in the hand and cheap enough to buy three
- Straight enough to use as a 150-foot approach disc
What does not
- Beadless rim takes adjustment if you learned on an Aviar
- 1 fade is not a wind answer
Specs read from Dynamic Discs’s own published product page.
5. Best for a bit more carry
Discraft Roach
- Flight numbers
- 2 / 4 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 2
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- Big Z, Z, ESP, Jawbreaker
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Included because 4 glide at speed 2 is the sweet spot for a player whose putts are consistently landing short. More glide means the disc floats the last few feet instead of dropping, which is exactly what a soft push-putt stroke needs. The flat profile and beadless rim release cleanly.
How it flies
An extra point of glide over the Aviar at the same speed and fade, which translates into a few more feet of carry on a putt and a slightly floatier approach. The flat 0 turn keeps it honest on a firm release.
Best for a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight putter with a bit more carry than an Aviar.
Look elsewhere if you need wind resistance — 1 fade and 0 turn is a fair-weather combination.
What works
- Straight with a little extra carry
- Flat profile sits comfortably in most hands
- Beadless rim releases cleanly
What does not
- The extra glide can sail past the pin
- 1 fade offers little in wind
Specs read from Discraft’s own published product page.
Fade is the number that decides a beginner putter
Inside 30 feet, speed and turn barely matter — there is not enough flight for either to express itself. What matters is fade, the left-hand hook at the end. A putter with 1 fade drops almost straight down; one with 3 fade curls noticeably left, which is exactly what you do not want when aiming at a basket.
That is why the Discraft Zone, an outstanding disc, is not on this page: at 3 fade it is a superb approach disc and a difficult putter. Keep beginner putters at 0 or 1 fade and leave the overstable ones for when you need something to fight wind.
Glide decides whether you come up short
Glide is how long the disc stays airborne, and in a putter it maps directly onto putting style. If you push-putt — a soft, floating release — more glide carries the disc the last few feet, so 4 glide suits you. If you spin-putt with a firmer, flatter release, lower glide stops the disc sailing past the basket on a miss, which leaves you a shorter comeback putt.
New players usually start closer to a push-putt, which is why most discs on this page sit at 3 or 4 glide. If you later develop a firm spin putt, the spin putting page covers the lower-glide molds that suit it.
Buy two, and buy cheap plastic
Buy at least two of whichever putter you choose, and ideally three. Putting practice means throwing several discs in a row at the same target without walking back and forth, and a matched set is what makes a repeatable routine possible. It also means the disc in your hand on a scoring putt feels identical to the one you practiced with.
Base plastic is right here too: DX, Putter Line, Prime and Zero are grippier than premium blends, which matters more on a putt than anywhere else, and they are cheap enough that buying three is a normal decision rather than an indulgence. Pair them with a practice basket and you have the highest-return setup in the sport.
Ready to move up?
Gear that suits you depends far more on how far you actually throw than on how long you have played. If these picks are starting to feel wrong in either direction, the matching page one level away is the better place to shop.
Common questions
What is the best putter for a beginner?
An Innova Aviar (2/3/0/1) for most people. Speed 2 with a single point of fade means release errors barely change the line, and it is available cheaply in grippy DX plastic.
How many putters should I own?
At least two, ideally three of the same mold. Practicing putting means throwing several in a row at one target, and a matched set makes a repeatable routine possible.
Why do my putts keep going left?
That is fade. A putter with 1 to 3 fade will hook left at the end of its flight unless you aim slightly right or throw firmly. A 0-fade putter such as the Innova Dart removes the problem.
Should a putter be soft or firm plastic?
Soft base plastic grips better and sticks in the chains rather than bouncing out, which suits most beginners. Firm plastic is more durable and preferred by players who throw their putter on long approaches.
Every flight number and spec on this page was read from the manufacturer’s own published product page, linked beside each pick. We do not throw these on a course — here is how we pick.
Sources
Read next
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