If you have been a reader of THP for any period of time, you might just be a bit tired of reading about how under the radar Cleveland Golf putters are. Well, get ready to hear it once again, because there is no avoiding the truth.
Last year brought the debut of the HB SOFT 2 putters and if you saw our review on the lineup here then you know, they got almost everything right. Cleaner visuals, a wide assortment of shapes, and retaining perhaps the best bang for the buck in the putter segment. So, why are they still under the radar then? Well, last year the HB SOFT 2 had a bit of a Never Compromise problem in the opinion of this writer, and it took a little buzz off of the lineup.
With that in mind, the decision to expand the lifecycle of the HB SOFT 2 putters entering 2025 makes total sense. In fact, doing that alone would have been enough, but Cleveland is taking it further with the lineup now also being offered in Black Satin, accompanied by the much awaited the return of the UST Mamiya ALL-IN putter shaft.
Quick Take
It really is amazing the difference a finish can make. The HB SOFT 2 putters in satin were the epitome of bang for your buck and consistency last year, but adding a little flash with the Black Satin finish and substance through the UST Mamiya ALL-IN putter shaft takes things to a new level. Even with the price jump to $199 due to the new shaft setup, the value and performance are there, and you will be hard pressed to find anything in that range which offers what these putters do.
2025 HB SOFT 2 Black Satin Putters
While there are no major design changes with this expansion of the HB SOFT 2 putters, nor are there any new head shapes, there is still much to talk about. With all nine options making their way into the new finish, choices remain plentiful for those who want the aesthetics of a high end milled putter without the high end price.
Those shapes are once again classified based on putting stroke type. There remain five models (8C, 11, 11C, 15, and Retrieve) which are face-balanced and designed for “straight” strokes and four shapes (1, 8S, 10.5, 11S) that have some toe-hang for those with “slight arc”. Additionally, all of the “straight” grouping uses and oversized pistol grip, while “slight arc” are standard.
Where materials go, these remain a cast stainless steel design which then undergoes milling of the include the SOFT face. For those unfamiliar, that stands for “Speed Optimized Face Technology” and it remains a key aspect of the Huntington Beach lineup that separates it from the pack in this price range.
It would be easy for Cleveland Golf to move to a simple deep milling like some of their competitors do to help soften the feedback off the face, but here you get that as well as normalization no matter where the putt is struck. The variable pattern impacts how the ball comes off the face, to the center there is a tighter pattern with more material removed, but, as you move to the perimeter the milling then spaces out. This allows off-center putts to retain more speed while dialing back well struck ones to a point of equalization with those misses. So, no matter where you strike it, your distance control will be consistent.
Then, of course, we must mention that for the first time since a brief stint in the HB SOFT Milled putters released in 2022, the UST Mamiya ALL-IN putter shaft is back. A truly premium putter shaft, Cleveland is using the multi-material steel and composite version which weighs 115g in single bend and 109g for the straight shaft heads. The ALL-IN is 26% stiffer than traditional putter shafts and based on Cleveland Golf’s testing that equates to face angle at impact being 10% more consistent. This shaft is well worth the price jump from $149.99 to $199.99.
When it comes to releases like this, Cleveland Golf is one of the best at wanting to make sure we get to experience much of the variety within the lineup. Just as with last year’s release, we received three of the shapes in hand for a closer look.
Cleveland Golf HB SOFT 2 – 1
The #1 is a classic plumber’s neck blade paying homage to the most popular putter shape of all time. Falling under the “slight arc” classification, this is a moderate toe hang design with a single site line on the flange which weights in at 355g. The #1 is available in both RH and LH.
Cleveland Golf HB SOFT 2 – 11
I’ve said it before, and I will say it forever, Cleveland Golf can call this one the 11 for as long as they want, but it will remain the Elevado in the heart of this particular reviewer. The 11 is the Cleveland answer to the fanged mallet and is continuously one of the best versions in all of golf. Situated in the “straight” category, it is face balanced in this single bend version we reviewed, but also available in 11S slant neck for slight arc golfers. The 11 is 365g and will be offered in both RH and LH.
Cleveland Golf HB SOFT 2 – RETREVE
The Retreve returns this year, still with its quirky ability to pick the ball up out of the cup. This is a single-bend face-balanced mallet that has a very rounded shape that truly will fit all the way inside the cup. According to Cleveland, this will save people’s backs, knees, and hips, by using the center cutout to pick up the ball. It is a higher MOI shape which is available in RH and LH.
On the Course
Fortunately, I have had these three putters in hand for quite a while now, and that meant quite a few chances to get them out onto the greens over the last month and a half before our weather really turned. The SOFT face milling is nothing short of witchcraft, and I say that because it remains capable of fooling even the pickiest of golfers when it comes to feel.
In the past, the only hangup for putters with this face design from Cleveland Golf has been aesthetic. Last year, when the HB SOFT 2 made its debut, the line took a huge leap with the company seeming to finally understand that less is more and they finally allowed the shapes to stand on their own. The satin finish very much helped to achieve that goal, but this Black Satin is something else altogether.
We have seen black finishes from Cleveland on some of their putters before, but I cannot recall any of them having this quality up close and out in the sunlight. From address, it is a matte/satin finish, but it is smooth without any visual roughness which you see in a lot of other affordable putter lines using dark finishes. Add to that, they stuck with a “less is more” look for engraving as well as a blend of matte and polish on the sole, these look pretty incredible. In fact, in my personal opinion they look much more finished and premium than the Never Compromise putters which cost exponentially more.
Out on the course, jumping from shape to shape, you really can tell how the SOFT face milling performs, and it is worth noting that each putter in the lineup has a unique variation of it as opposed to being copy/paste. Each model is optimized, so just because these are sub $200 putters, don’t for one moment think that there isn’t ample R&D involved. Then, adding the ALL-IN shaft to the equation amplified the presence of control mixed in with the feel (sound) that the face is generating.
The HB SOFT 2 putters remain extremely good. No, there isn’t crazy marketing or a multi-material MOI torque story to them, but that is part of the brilliance. With this new Black Satin finish, these putters will turn heads in stores and on the course, and as always, they will give you exactly what your putting skills put into them.
The Details
Cleveland Golf’s new Black Satin HB SOFT 2 putters, complete with premium UST Mamiya ALL-IN shaft, will be hitting retail on 1/17/25. While there is an increase in price from the satin version we saw last year, what you get for $199.99 keeps them one of the premier options within this price realm.
For more information, check out their website at https://us.dunlopsports.com/cleveland-golf
