Bettinardi’s Junior Series may be their most interesting 2026 putter release.
It has all of the trappings of a typical Bettinardi release. There are multiple classic Bettinardi models to choose from. Bettinardi milled the putter heads from soft carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum (depending upon the model). The faces feature Bettinardi’s Flymill face milling. Every putter is milled in the U.S.A.
Basically, everything that you’d expect to see in a Bettinardi putter.
What makes the Junior Series so interesting is that these putters were not designed for the typical Bettinardi player.
Unless, of course, that the typical Bettinardi player happens to be between six and 12 years old.
Junior putters that aren’t “afterthoughts”
The Bettinardi Junior Series came into being after Sam Bettinardi took stock of the putters that were available for his young children. It’s safe to say that he wasn’t impressed with what was out there for young players.
“In the growing junior golf market, most kids’ putters seem like an afterthought. Many brands only offer one head shape at best, and they’re cast overseas. The Junior Series is made the same way we make our Tour-level putters, with multiple head shapes, premium materials, and precision milling right here in the USA.”
-Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf
I remember when my kids were Little Linkers. Like Bettinardi, I was unimpressed with the available putters. The best that I could do was cut some of my putters short so that my kids didn’t have to putt with ugly, bad-feeling putters.
Since Sam Bettinardi runs a putter company, he could take it to the next level. Maybe just a couple of levels above what I did for my kids.
Bettinardi built the Junior Series putters specifically for younger players, to younger player specs. All of the models have 330-gram heads and the shaft lengths start at 26 inches.
Bettinardi made sure the Junior Series had multiple models. It may not seem likely but even kids will putt better with a putter that best suits them. For kids, and adults, having the right putter equates to making more putts and having more fun playing.
“I’ve seen what the properly weighted putter does for a young player firsthand with my son Matteo, who’s been successfully rolling the MB1,” said Sam Bettinardi, President of Bettinardi Golf. “Putting became much more enjoyable for him with a properly weighted putter in his hands. He was able to feel the difference in control and consistency almost instantly.”
My guess is that if Matteo Bettinardi is having more fun putting, then Sam Bettinardi is having more fun as well.
Here are the three Bettinardi Junior Series models.
Bettinardi Junior Series LB1
The Junior Series LB1, named after Sam’s Bettinardi’s daughter Luciana, is a classic heel-toe weighted blade. Though very similar to the BB1, the LB1’s smaller profile and lighter weighting makes it a better fit for the younger player.
In reality, it’s really not that much smaller than a “grown-up” blade putter. Here is a photo at address comparing the LB1 to my custom BB0.
See, not that huge of a difference. This dramatically increases the potential longevity of the putter in the bag.
I can see a scenario where the Junior Series putter’s shaft gets extended as the player gets taller. 330 grams is light by today’s standards but it would by no means be unplayable with a longer shaft.
The Junior Series LB1 is available in two colorways. The black and yellow version is sharp but the translucent purple in the purple-and-pink version is sublime.
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Bettinardi Junior Series DB1
The Junior Series DB1, named after Sam Bettinardi’s son Dominic, is based upon the Bettinardi BB49. The BB49 is my favorite 2026 Bettinardi BB model and the DB1 is a great version of the putter.
The toe hang is deeper than the LB1 but still moderate for a heel-shafted mallet with a slant neck.
The hex milling and the large stylized bee on the sole hits the sweet spot between looking like a serious putter and retaining some childlike whimsy.
It’s also worth noting that the headcovers are legit magnetic headcovers.
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Bettinardi Junior Series MB1
The Junior Series MB1, named after Matteo Bettinardi, was a shocker. Who had “make a zero-torque kid’s putter” on their 2026 bingo card?
Obviously, Sam Bettinardi did.
The MB1 is very close in profile to Bettinardi’s SB2. For comparison, here is the SB2-like Hexperimental #2 and the MB1.
More than the other models, the MB1 model demonstrates how serious Bettinardi is about making “real” putters for young golfers. If a kid putts best with this kind of putter, Bettinardi has one for them.
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Capturing an untapped market or a father’s folly?
When I first read the press release for the Junior Series, I had a bit of an old man shaking his fist at the sky moment.
“What six-year-old kid needs a $400 putter?”
The more I think about the Junior Series, the more I see the potential upsides of the release.
Obviously, Bettinardi has the chance to corner the junior putter market. A kid who begins their golf career with a Bettinardi has a good chance to keep using a Bettinardi putter as they get older.
As a parent, I see how this putter could be the difference maker for learning and continuing to play golf. If a special putter gets a kid to enjoy putting, I’m all for it.
Kids can be fickle when it comes to playing sports. If they have a putter that they love to putt with, maybe they will stick with golf long enough to see their game improve. Then golf will get really fun. Fun can help remove some of the frustration that accompanies learning and playing golf.
For those not currently involved in youth sports, the $400 price tag may seem unreasonable. Unfortunately, it’s not.
Even with a sport like soccer, where you only really need cleats, shin guards and a ball, your pay-to-play price will quickly rise above that $400 mark. I’m not saying that this expense is OK, just that “expensive” is the norm for most youth sports these days.
A 10-year-old on a travelling baseball team will wear out their $400 composite bat well before the youth golfer wears out a $400 Bettinardi putter.
By the way, if these putters were made for grown-ups and had grown-up specs, they would be a hot ticket. These are legitimate Bettinardi putters. I’m reporting this from first-hand experience.
Yes, I did channel my inner Robert Garrigus, known short putter enthusiast, and roll balls with all these putters. The Bettinardi feel is there in all three. The sound and feel of the LB1 is exceptional. The probability of that putter’s shaft extending to 35 inches is very high.
These real Bettinardi putters with youth specs. By no means are they novelty kiddie putters.
Ultimately, the market will be the judge of Sam Bettinardi’s expansion into youth golf. Bettinardi is a good dad but he’s also running a putter company that needs to be profitable. If these don’t sell, they won’t continue. If they do, we should see the line grow.
I hope these do well and that his idea about making putting more fun for his kids grows into more fun for lots of kids.
Find out more about the new Bettinardi Junior Series at Bettinardi.com.
The post Can Bettinardi’s New Junior Series Putters Captivate And Motivate Young Golfers? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
