Independent Golf Reviews is reader-supported, when you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission.

Review: TaylorMade Manta Ghost Putter

This putter is scary good

Sometimes there are products that really surprise me with their performance. This was one of those times when I wasn’t expecting great things, only to be really impressed with how much I liked this putter. Initally I thought it was just another “Ghost” putter. They are white so the contrast is really nice for alignment, but after that kind of blah. The Manta has some features that really make it scary good.

The biggest difference for me was the face. Taylormade has what they call a “pure roll” insert. It is basically grooves on the face to help get the ball rolling forward as quickly as possible. It works quite well, but many of the inserts I saw (or have used) were a plastic of sorts. I didn’t like the feel, sound or distance control with those. This on the other hand is metal. It feels great, sounds good and makes distance control so much easier. It really is one of the reasons this putter worked so well on the greens. I thougth that the firm feel of the face was just right. Which translates into very good distance control. If you’ve read just about any of my putter reviews, you know I have a real dislike for non-metal faces. They just don’t offer the consistancy, sound or feel to be confident over putts.

A trademark of the “Ghost” line is the white head paired with black alingments. The Manta might be the best and easiet putter to align for both long and short putts. It is like two rails that you just point at your target. They frame the ball very nicely. There were no tricks, no illusions, just simple straight forward alignment. The double bend hosel seemed to allow the putter to just naturally stand flat and square to the hole. It is scary simple to align.

The bottom side of the Manta putter is where a bunch of weights are which keep this putter incredibly solid through impact as well as resisting twisting while making the putting stroke. Taylormade put two tungsten balasts on the edges of this putter. They create a balanced swing and feel like they push right through the ball. The additional adjustalbe weight right in the center helps add a little heft to the putter as well as keeping a very solid feel right throught the ball at impact.

On the greens this fall I had scary good results with this putter. I rarely had a 3 putt, and anything inside of 8 feet was good. I was confident and comfortable with this putter. The only thing I was not in love with, was the fact that it was so big. While the size helps with MOI and confidence, I really would have prefered it to be a little smaller. (I did happen to see a picture online of a tour version of this putter which was smaller. That to me would be perfect, but I’m not sure if it will ever be available retail)

The whole package is topped off with a nice soft Winn grip as well as a wooly lined putter cover. If you would prefer a different style, there is also a center shaft Manta, as well as a belly version.

If you are looking for a scary good putter, you might just want to check this Manta out. It is balanced, it feels great, it sounds good, it is super easy to align, and putts the ball in the hole.

Check the price online here

For more information: www.taylormadegolf.com

Quick Hits
+Metal “Pure Roll” face insert
+Easy two line alignment
+Very balanced
+Confident and consistant putts

–Big to look down at
–Some maybe still don’t like the “ghost” look

Subscribe to Independent Golf Reviews👇

Receive the best golf discounts available exclusively for our subscribers and be auto entered into our monthly golf giveaways!

No spam, ever. 🔒