A golf putter has a putter head with an actively compliant beam which is parallel to the face of the putter. The beam connects to a shaft along its length and is separated from the head except for its ends. The force of impact between the face of the putter and the ball on the putter face sweet spot causes a stress to develop in the beam, resulting in a deflection in the beam proportional to the force of the impact, while maintaining the putter face orientation with respect to the putting line. Impacts which miss the sweet spot will cause the putter face to skew to an angle with respect to the putting line, also introducing a proportional flexure of the beam, depending on the distance between the sweet spot and the point of impact. The beam has a characteristic time such that as the force between the ball and the putter face decreases to zero after impact, the beam flexure simultaneously recovers causing the putter face to return to its original putting line orientation at almost the same instant the ball leaves the putter face, thereby providing distance and directional correction for mishit putts. Additionally, when a putter head with a suitable moment of inertia is coupled with an actively compliant beam, feel and alignment are substantially enhanced. The putter also uses a unique visual alignment sight line groove on the top surface of the putter head, extending from the face to the back of the putter. The groove is perpendicular to the face of the putter and may have tapered side walls. It is positioned directly above and parallel to the center of mass and the sweet spot, so that it can be positioned directly over the intended putting line when the putter is properly located on the putting surface. The base of the groove has contrasting stripes, so that when the golfer's dominant eye is properly located over the groove, the entire stripped base of the groove is visible to the golfer.