The best MOI stability mallet money can buy? Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom 2024 Putter Review
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At a glance
- TG Rating
- Owner Rating
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Pros
- The Phantom putters were designed right when Scotty Cameron was at the peak of his MOI putter powers.
- The finish is second to none.
- No face insert or softer face 100% CNC Milled putters are rare.
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Cons
- Scotty Cameron putters always represent a sizeable investment.
What we say...
More stable, better feel, and improved sound – the Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom putters are ready to take on the MOI putter big guns.
Scotty Cameron has an enviable almost legendary status within the blade putter market. His empire took years to build but with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, and Justin Thomas on his client list, nobody doubts the guy knows his onions when it comes to making the best putters available. For all his fame and fortune though until now Cameron has always been best known for figuring out how to beautifully CNC Mill Ping Anser style blade putters. The launch of the new 2024 Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom putter family marks a coming of age for the flatstick legend within the mallet and MOI putter arena.
This is no longer Xperimental
For decades Cameron dominated tour putter counts by making some of the best blade putters available. The best players have all used them at some stage of their career. Plus Tiger’s dominance while winning 14 of his 15 majors with the same Scotty Cameron Newport 2 did the putter wizards street cred no harm at all. But the putter market is changing.
Today 10 – 20 Phantom putters can be spotted in play every week on tour. Max Homa uses one, Justin Thomas uses one as does Patrick Cantlay. And since 2020 mallet and MOI putter usage has grown so much, that they now make up 50% of the Scotty Cameron putters being played on tour. Phantom putters also now account for 40% of the Scotty Cameron putters being sold globally. Which is vastly different from a decade ago.
With serious form and pedigree building within the mallet and MOI category Cameron has decided the time is right to drop the X from the Phantom family name. X has stood for Xperimental and with the putter masters mallet and MOI putter stock rising fast, there is nothing experimental about the new Phantom family.
Everything you need to know about Scotty Cameron Phantom putters
Design goals
You know you’re doing something right when the likes of Patrick Cantlay and Justin Thomas play your previous Phantom X putters. But Cameron is never content with just being played by the world’s best players, he’s always looking to push boundaries and make advancements no matter how big or small.
With the 2024 Phantom models he wanted golfers to benefit from the alignment aid input and feedback he’s gleaned from tour player requests over recent years. He also wanted to improve sound and feel, as the aluminum face of the previous X12 didn’t give quite the same impact sensation as its 303 stainless steel faced siblings. Cameron was also determined to respond to demands for a larger more modern grip profile. One that could get more of the hand in contact with the grip, whilst maintaining a preferred rubber feel.
Superior sound and feel
Milling patterns have a huge impact on sound and feel. While Scotty putters are well known as some of the best feeling available, the maestro has developed a new dual milling process for the Phantom. First the face is milled with a deep cut pattern. Then ‘the peaks are knocked off the top’ with a second pass. So, golfers get a deep-milled sound and feel, with the consistency of a mid-milled pattern.
A 40% thicker aluminum soleplate, additional vibration-dampening tape, plus repositioned soleplate screws (closer to the face) complete the dialing in of sound and feel to whole new levels within these multi-material designs.
More touch points
Cameron has always preferred more traditional feeling rubber grips over the modern trend towards larger, lighter-weight polyurethane alternatives. For the Phantom he’s developed a brand-new putter grip which heightens face angle awareness and alleviates pressure points.
Thanks to differing upper and lower shaped sections the new full-contact Paddle grip better fits the shape of the hand. It fills voids and relieves pressure points to encourage a better position within the palm of the hand. A switch that gives more consistent pressure and control to the upper hand and a more relaxed lower. A wider flat paddle surface on the front also gives better face angle awareness.
Scotty Cameron Phantom putter alignment aids explained
Cameron has gone to great lengths to understand what the best players want from alignment aids on their putter. He’s also recruited mallet and alignment maestro Austie Rollinson from Odyssey to inject his knowledge and experience into four different alignment set-ups within the Phantom family. Here’s how to choose which best suits you.
Three Dots
This player may not like lines because sometimes lines can look square and a line can appear ‘crooked’ or point to the right. Dots are a subtle way to show the middle of the putter or provide a ‘line’ that’s not going to confuse this player on breaking putts or uneven lies when they’re pointing right or left. Tiger Woods originally requested a single dot on his Newport 2 putter, and Scotty has experimented with them ever since.
Dual Purpose (Dots and Dual Lines)
This player likes to align with their whole body. The dual ‘rails’ appear almost as alignment sticks would to a player at address, creating alignment with the player’s shoulders while also framing the ball. The topline dots add confirmation the ball is aligned with the putter’s sweet spot and the putter is square.
Dual Lines
This player likes a line but doesn’t want it to ‘stand out’. The two lines create more of a ‘track’ that’s not so absolute. The alignment stripes also draw a player’s eye towards the face. The dual lines run from the back to the front of the putter head.
This is an important design decision driven by tour players. When alignment lines stop before going all the way to the back, it can make the height of the back of the putter appear too high or too low. If it doesn’t go all the way to the face, players can also get confused about where to line up the ball.
Arrow
The arrow is going to benefit two key groups of players in slightly different ways. For tour players, the arrow is designed to direct all the attention to the face of the putter and indicate both the center of the leading edge and the starting direction of the ball. Amateur golfers will benefit from the arrow as a high-visibility alignment aid to point toward the target.
Video: How does the Scotty Cameron Phantom compare to other leading 2024 MOI putters?
Meet the models: Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom putters
Scotty Cameron Phantom 5 – Wingback Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 5, 5.5 (Jet Neck) and 5S
The MOI putter that has contributed most to establishing Cameron as a major player in the MOI category. The 5 has been used by Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay. Expect a slightly more compact profile than the 7 and more streamlined wing angles over previous iterations.
This model was the best-selling putter within the previous Phantom X putter family. The head is 100% CNC Milled in the USA with a 303 stainless steel face/body and aircraft-grade aluminum sole to free up inefficient mass.
Verdict: Scotty Cameron Phantom 5 putter (2024)
It’s taken Scotty Cameron decades to become a major player in the MOI putter market but 2024 marks his arrival on the scene with a bang. It’s no coincidence the flatstick legend has just recruited Austie Rollinson of Odyssey mallet and alignment aid fame at a time when he’s looking to blow the MOI putter market wide open.
Admittedly the Phantom 5 isn’t massively different in shape and design from the preceding Phantom X 5 but its refined fang-shaped head has been very cleverly designed to throw attention onto the impact position, which to my mind will be a huge hit with CNC Milled MOI putter fans. Where lots of modern fang back putters have slender, thin back shaping the 5 is much wider and bolder which gives a brilliant sense of stability and off-center hit forgiveness. I also really like how the face runs parallel to the fang ends at the back of the head, an idea that really heightens the sense of face alignment over more traditional fang-back models.
I love the feel, feedback, and roll from the Phantom 5, it’s every bit as good as what I’ve experienced from Scotty Super Select blades, with additional impact stability when putts don’t hit the center of the bat. From my test sessions, I’ve also been really impressed by the soft smooth texture of the new grip and how its shape fits my hands while transmitting lovely feedback and feel from all ranges.
Cameron has put in a ton of work to get where he is in the MOI market. Success has not been instant as it was with his beautifully CNC-milled toe and heel-weighted blades. However thanks to the 2024 Phantom family I feel the flatstick master is right on the cusp of a wave of owning this market in the much the same way he has with CNC Milled blades for decades.
Scotty Cameron Phantom 7 – Angular Wingback Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 7, 7.5 (Jet Neck) and 7.5 Left Hand
A crisp angular modern fang back putter, with a body shape not too dissimilar to the Odyssey Ai-One Milled Seven. Stretched wing shaping gives the opportunity to include long alignment stripes and three dots on the topline, to highlight the sweet spot and frame the ball beautifully at address.
The head is 100% CNC Milled in the USA with a 303 stainless steel face/body and aircraft-grade aluminum sole to free up inefficient mass.
Verdict: Scotty Cameron Phantom 7 putter (2024)
As much as I know Scotty Cameron didn’t invent the modern fang putter as we know it today, I have to take my hat off to the guy as once again he’s just figured out a way to make a widely available head shape infinitely more attractive.
Angular wingback putters like this are available all over the place nowadays but Cameron’s offering stands out as it’s beautifully proportioned and finished. I’m drawn to the model as the long alignment lines that frame the ball at address also highlight the straighter path I like to swing the putter along.
To use this model successfully well you will need to accept the multitude of different lines and angles on top, but they’re no different to what you’ll find on other fang style putters like this. It goes without saying the feel, sound, and impact feedback are outstanding from this beautifully engineered model. If you’re looking for a premium stability MOI putter in 2024 the Phantom 7 is a brilliant choice that will hold its value.
If I were spending my own money I’d be weighing the Phantom family up against the TaylorMade Spider Tour, as a £130 price difference (thanks to the Spider being cast, where the Phantom is CNC Milled) is a lot to stomach in anybody’s book.
Scotty Cameron Phantom 9 – Ring Weighted Modern Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 9, 9.5
A brand-new head shape that Cameron likes to refer to as the Peek-A-Boo, thanks to the shapes created by straight-through cutouts on the back of the putter. This angular high MOI head is adorned with two super simple sightlines that run from the putter’s face to back.
A brilliant choice for drawing the eye to the correct impact position. The head is 100% CNC Milled in the USA with a 303 stainless steel face/body and aircraft-grade aluminum sole to free up inefficient mass.
Scotty Cameron Phantom 11 – Hi-Tech High MOI Mallet with Arrow Alignment
RRP: £429 / £479 with Long Shaft
Neck options: 11, 11.5, 11 Long Design, 11.5 Left Hand
If you’re after the highest MOI Scotty Cameron putter you can get your hands on this is the one for you. With his feet firmly under the MOI table, it’s great seeing Scotty experiment with some new ideas like this hi-tech three-piece construction head.
I really like how the two sneaky wing shapes sit outside the boundaries of the head which helps nudge up MOI forgiveness and stability. The new arrow alignment system focuses attention on the impact zone and points directly down the target line. Also available in a 38” long counterbalanced set-up.
Scotty Cameron on the Phantom Putters
“Max Homa, Justin Thomas, and tour players around the world have found success with Phantom putters, and we’re constantly talking with them and learning more about what they want from their mallet. Recently, it’s been alignment that has dominated those conversations.
We’ve taken that feedback and designed the new Phantoms to give players useful, intuitive alignment features, not only with the sight dots and lines visible at address, but also with the overall shape of each model. Every aspect of the putter design is working together. Every angle has been refined to accentuate a down-the-line view, so the player has a clear and confident look at every putt.”
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About the author
Simon Daddow – Today’s Golfer Equipment Editor
Simon Daddow is the Equipment Editor for Today’s Golfer. Having tested and played more than 10,000 clubs in his life, what he doesn’t know about golf clubs isn’t worth knowing.
He joined EMAP Active (now Bauer Media) as Equipment Editor in 2006 and has worked for both Today’s Golfer and Golf World. Working alongside our test pro Neil Wain, Simon has made todays-golfer.com the most reliable source for golf club testing.
Despite his youthful looks, Simon has played golf for more than 40 years and plays to a handicap of 10. A lack of club speed means he’s short off the tee, but very handy from 125 yards and in.
Simon’s job means he plays regularly around the world, and rates Kingsbarns as his favorite course. He uses a PXG 0311 GEN6 XF driver, TaylorMade Stealth 2 HL (15º), Ping G400 (20.5º), PXG 0317 X Gen2 hybrid, PXG 0311 GEN6 P irons (6–PW), Cleveland CBX2 wedges (52°, 58°), Ping 21 Fetch putter and a TaylorMade Tour Response golf ball.
You can contact Simon via email and follow him on Twitter for loads more golf equipment insight.
Product Information
Titleist Scotty Cameron Phantom putters
Scotty Cameron Phantom 5 - Wingback Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 5, 5.5 (Jet Neck) and 5S
Scotty Cameron Phantom 7 – Angular Wingback Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 7, 7.5 (Jet Neck) and 7.5 Left Hand
Scotty Cameron Phantom 9 – Ring Weighted Modern Mallet
RRP: £429
Neck options: 9, 9.5
Scotty Cameron Phantom 11 – Hi-Tech High MOI Mallet with Arrow Alignment
RRP: £429 / £479 with Long Shaft
Neck options: 11, 11.5, 11 Long Design, 11.5 Left Hand
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