Equipment
Odyssey’s new Red Ball putter is built for better alignment
A 5,000-plus MOI face balanced mallet, Odyssey’s new Red Ball putter pushes the limits of MOI for maximum putter stability. Odyssey has gone with the popular White Hot RX insert for the Red Ball’s face, coupling it it with high-contrast Versa alignment technology.
The centerpiece of the Red Ball is, as the name suggests, a red ball in the scope of the putter, which offers immediate feedback to let players know when they’re set up properly (and consistently).
Sean Toulon, Odyssey general manager and senior vice president at Callaway Golf told Golf Digest’s Mike Stachura, “We think it satisfies a definite need in the marketplace,” he said. “I guess there’s never really been a super game improvement putter that’s come to the marketplace, but that’s kind of what this is.”
Odyssey says helping players to set up to the ball and align to their intended target lines are the key focuses with the new Red Ball.
“We’ve put a distinct Red Ball inside the scope of the putter so that it’s incredibly easy to align the face to the intended start line on every putt,” the company says.
Exhibit A: Improper alignment
Exhibit B: Proper alignment
“It’s not just that golfers get in an improper setup, it’s that their setup changes from round to round, and sometimes from hole to hole,” said Luke Williams, Odyssey’s senior director of product and brand management for putters. “When you get the ball too far forward, you tend to aim left, and if you get it too far back, you tend to aim right. Having your eyes too far inside the ball or too far outside the ball affects the way you see the line as well.”
The Red Ball is available at retail 7/20 for $179.99.
Click here for more photos and discussion.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
…The Jailbird craze hasn’t really slowed down in 2024, either. According to Odyssey rep Joe Toulon, there are about 18-20 Jailbird putter users on the PGA TOUR.
Most recently, Akshay Bhatia won the 2024 Valero Texas Open using a broomstick-style Odyssey Jailbird 380 putter and Webb Simpson is switching into a replica of that putter at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Now, Fowler, who essentially started the whole Jailbird craze, is making a significant change to his putter setup.
Fowler, who has had a couple weeks off since the 2024 RBC Heritage, started experimenting with a new, custom-orange Jailbird 380 head that’s equipped with a standard 35-inch putter build, rather than his previous 38-inch counter-balanced setup.
According to Fowler, while he still likes the look and forgiveness of his Jailbird putter head, he’s looking to re-incorporate more feel into his hands during the putting stroke.
He told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Championship that the 38-inch counterbalanced setup “served its purpose” by helping him to neutralize his hands during the stroke, but now it’s time to try the standard-length putter with a standard-size SuperStroke Pistol Tour grip to help with his feel and speed control.
Although Fowler was also spotted testing standard-length mallets from L.A.B. Golf and Axis1 on Tuesday, he confirmed that the custom Odyssey Jailbird 380 is the putter he’ll use this week at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship.
Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.
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- Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max LS (9 degrees @7.2, 2 grams lead tape heel, 4 grams toe)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (44 7/8 inches, tipped 1 inch)
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max D (9 degrees @7)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Max (15 degrees @13.9)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X (43 inches, tipped 1.5)
Hybrid: Callaway Apex UW Prototype (19 degrees @17.8)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 10 X
Irons: Callaway X Forged UT (21 degrees) Buy here, Callaway Apex TCB Raw (5-PW)
Shafts: KBS $-Taper 125 S+
Wedges: Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S @49, 54-10S, 60-08C @61)
Shafts: KBS Hi-Rev 2.0 135 X
Putter: Odyssey Versa Jailbird 380
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Split
Grips: Iomic
Ball: Callaway Chrome Tour
More photos of Akshay Bhatia’s WITB in the forums.
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- Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (9 degrees @10)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (15 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
5-wood: Cobra LTDx Prototype (18.5 degrees)
Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Blue RDX 70 TX
Irons: Callaway Apex TCB (4-9)
Shafts: Project X 6.5
Wedges: Callaway MD3 Milled (46-08S), Callaway Jaws Raw (50-10S, 54-10S, 60-08T)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Flatso 1.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Check out more in-hand photos of Emiliano Grillo’s clubs here.
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Akshay Bhatia WITB 2024 (May)
Akshay Bhatia what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. Bhatia is deciding between drivers. More photos...
Emiliano Grillo WITB 2024 (May)
Emiliano Grillo what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Callaway...
Webb Simpson WITB 2024 (May)
Webb Simpson what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Keegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
Keegan Bradley’s WITB accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. >14 clubs pictured. Obviously, Bradley will reduce that number to...
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topsuggests
Sep 13, 2018 at 12:39 pm
I really like your awesome idea that you have given here. thank you so much
Joe
Aug 21, 2018 at 11:46 pm
Getting awful technical nowadays. Whats next, an Iron Byron putting machine?
The voice of reason
Aug 14, 2018 at 10:31 am
the hater-aide is strong in this group…what gives? Sheesh I tried the thing at the pro shop the other day and it feels a lot like a TM spider another ugly duckling that seems to work well, the algnment aide is helpful- gives you confidence and one less thing to worry about. If the ball goes in the hole- it’s a good putter.
jim
Jul 16, 2018 at 3:43 pm
My local pro let me use one at the hallway demo day a month ago. Really nice feel, really easy to putt. Its a bit more hectic than most but t thought it worked well. And what putter is under $200 these days?
shawn
Jul 12, 2018 at 2:48 pm
If you want to slobber over this ridiculous putter, go to the WRX main forum where all the geerheeds post their twitter-sized blurts reflecting their feeeelings and love for their clubs…. and post their WITB goodies they polish daily and play once monthly.
Jack
Jul 12, 2018 at 12:14 am
Time and again new clubs have made us all better (looking) golfers. Buy on people!
Jim McPherson
Jul 11, 2018 at 11:56 am
People don’t want to practice putting. They are continually told they can buy a better putter that will fix their lack of skill. Sadly, they will buy this gimmick.
shawn
Jul 12, 2018 at 2:45 pm
Red ball… the height of stupidity that gullible golfers will buy because their clubs are simply toys to own and flaunt to other equally gullible golfers.
David
Jul 10, 2018 at 7:13 pm
I’ve always been drawn to ugly putters. I was an early adopter of the Directed Force putter, which means, sadly, I will likely buy one of these….
ogo
Jul 10, 2018 at 3:25 pm
This is a 99% zinc die cast putter… except for the red ball which is made of rare-earth metal called “neodymium” as a spherical magnet that interacts with the earth’s geomagnetic field and stabilizes the putter against gravity. Most of the world’s commercial neodymium is mined in China… where the putter head is made no doubt.
ogo
Jul 10, 2018 at 3:15 pm
You must align the red ball to the ring only with the dominant eye because that’s the only eye that provides true alignment vision. Do not open both eyes after alignment otherwise you will lose it in the backstroke. Open both eyes after you start the putting motion and focus on the ball and only the ball. It’s an eye switcheroo putting method.
bob
Jul 10, 2018 at 11:26 pm
Not only that, once the putter is moved into the stroke all alignments are lost and there is no guarantee that alignment at address will assure alignment at impact. If you can’t align your body to the putter and the putting line, you are pathetically incompetent.
cody
Jul 10, 2018 at 3:04 pm
at over 200 dollars, i am not seeing these sell over the Oworks, or exos.. not sure why this is needed. they have some great putters out right now.
rymail00
Jul 10, 2018 at 8:14 pm
I believe it said at the bottom it comes out July 20 at $179.
Te
Jul 10, 2018 at 12:42 pm
That red ball is too small, I need a bigger one so I can see. Wait – Ill just make one and call it Blue Ball – get it? lmao
Golf64
Jul 10, 2018 at 11:50 am
Only thing I like about this putter is the insert. The rest is ugly and too busy for me!
alexdub
Jul 10, 2018 at 11:28 am
Try suing us now SeeMore
Rob
Jul 11, 2018 at 12:03 pm
This wins the internet today!!
greg taylor
Jul 10, 2018 at 11:02 am
The Two ball and #7 looked hideous as well. Now look at them. #1 and #2.
coops
Jul 10, 2018 at 10:52 am
“I guess there’s never really been a super game improvement putter that’s come to the marketplace…..” – is this GM & Vice President ignorant, stupid or just lazy?
Ping Doc 17 from 2004 just to give one example… MOI > 10,000.
Pic any Seemore to see where these geniuses got their revolutionary alignment concept from.
moses
Jul 10, 2018 at 9:46 am
Gimmucks sell.
pkn17003
Jul 10, 2018 at 7:54 am
Looks hideous
ogo
Jul 10, 2018 at 3:28 pm
…. but it’s a godsend for golfers struggling on the greens. Finally a Super Game Improvement putter for the golffing masses who can’t putt worth a snot… 😉
faq
Jul 10, 2018 at 6:16 pm
Hideous sells…. golfers want to own anything that will get a yuk from buddies… like clubhead covers that look like tigers, colleges, brand logos. Golfers are gullible suckers.