Bettinardi's new BB Series, Inovai putters inspired by work with tour players

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: The 2022 lineup of Bettinardi's milled putters will focus on two distinct player preferences: those who prefer the classic shapes of the BB series (with several modern enhancements); and those who are looking for the forgiveness of a high-stability, multi-material mallet in the latest installments of the Inovai line.

PRICE: $430 for the four models in the BB Series; $400 for the Inovai 8.0 and 6.0 (each is available in three versions).

THE DEEP DIVE: The key to Bettinardi Golf’s success in milled putters, whether it’s founder Robert J. Bettinardi or his son and vice president Sam, always has been as much about innovating as it has been about being an observer. Indeed, both would be the first to tell you that the latter inspires the former, something that’s especially true for the company’s 2022 lineup. That collection includes the classic shapes of the BB Series and the more contemporary high-stability mallet shapes of the Inovai line. Each line has strong influences of the company’s roots, as well as the knowledge it develops from its work with tour players.

That’s why Bob heralds the BB Series for its "tour inspired look, feel, and performance.” Meanwhile, Sam points to the modern shaping of the 2022 Inovai line, “This adds a new level of innovation to Bettinardi Golf. We are now able to enter the ever-growing compact mallet segment with all of the performance characteristics that our tour players have asked for. This new model is a game changer for the Bettinardi brand.”

Game changers or not, what’s refreshing to fans of the company’s putters is how the new models in the BB Series and the Inovai line mix a familiar past with an updated present. That starts with the more classic of the two 2022 lines, the BB Series. There are four traditional shapes here, including three blades (BB1, BB1F, BB8W) and one smallish, blade-like mallet (B46), but for the first time the entire line will be milled from a single block of 303 stainless steel. That’s a direct result of working with tour players who almost universally prefer that steel in their putters. The BB1, wider-flanged BB8W and compact half-mallet BB46 feature the same one-half toe hang, while the flow-neck hosel on the BB1F yields a three-quarter toe hang to appeal to those players with the most face rotation in their strokes. The face utilizes a new fly mill milling pattern. The aggressive cut is designed to produce a softer, yet responsive feel.

The Inovai lineup has been an ever expanding presence in Bettinardi’s approach to contemporary mallet shapes with high-stability and multiple materials. The changes for 2022 include refinements to the Inovai 6.0, and an all-new Inovai 8.0. Each of these modern mallets displays a more compact shape (the Inovai 6.0 is five percent smaller than its predecessor from two years ago), but both combine a 303 stainless steel face and front piece with a 6061 military grade milled aluminum rear section. The Inovai 8.0 takes on a more square shape, while the 6.0 again offers the parallel wings shape seen previously.

Both the Inovai 6.0 and 8.0 come in three varieties. The 6.0’s offerings include the slightest toe hang on a spud-neck model, a slant neck version with more toe hang and a center-shafted version. The 8.0’s options include spud-neck and slant-neck models, as well as an armlock version.

All the Inovai putters feature the asymmetrical groove pattern on the face, called "roll control." According to company research, the face pattern produced forward roll “five inches faster than traditional models.”