Equipment

Mickelson has a new putter, grip at Bay Hill

Published

11 years ago

Mar 21, 2013

Phil Mickelson started 2013 with a cut-down SuperStroke 21-inch putter grip on his Odyssey gamer, which better accommodated the “claw” grip he started using in 2012.

A few weeks later, Mickelson ditched it for one of Odyssey’s new Versa putters and went back to his old grip. In true Phil fashion, the new putter only lasted a couple of weeks in the bag before he put a different putter back in the bag, still sans-SuperStroke.

This week at the Arnold Palmer invitation, Phil is back with a Versa putter and a SuperStroke grip, although different versions. Unlike the old SuperStroke grip, which had a 1-inch diameter, Phil’s new SuperStroke “Slim” grip has a diameter of 1.3 inches. It’s also lighter than his previous grip by about 30 grams.

The new Versa putter Phil is gaming has the same “white-black-white” paint scheme, but adds a white sight line in the back flange that is perpendicular to the Versa’s parallel lines and appears to have more offset than any putter we’ve seen Phil use in the past. It also has Odyssey’s slightly firmer “Metal-X” insert, which is anodized to be black instead of its usual silver to keep with the Versa’s black-and-white theme.

That’s not all. Mickelson also added a custom black-colored shaft to the Versa putter, giving it a totally custom look that gear heads will be hard at work trying to replicate in their garages tonight.

Specs: 34 inches, 3.5 degrees of loft and a 75-degree lie angle.

Check out the photos we snapped of Phil with his new putter at Bay Hill below, and Click here to read what members are saying in the forums.

Click here to read what members are saying in the forums.

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Related Topics:grips Odyssey putters Superstroke

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8 Comments

thomas murphy

Jun 14, 2013 at 8:37 pm

I am digging this putter. I don’t know if I buy into the white/black/white sandwich really helping with alignment but it looks great especially with that shaft. Amazing to see the fast ramp on SuperStroke even though the effect doesn’t seem to be lasting for Jason Dufner this year.

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Blanco

Mar 23, 2013 at 10:51 pm

Anyone else think Phillip has too much pride to ditch the heel shafted putters in favor of something that actually works with his stroke?

I have an idea for you Phil– get a Reuter Bullseye with the notch and throw a round grip on it. Problem solved.

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michael

Mar 22, 2013 at 12:47 pm

Phil mickelson is one of my favorite golf players; hence I’m a left hand golfer as well but…. as uncle si would say “good NIT!!!!” I mean common..I think is going a little over the top with the putter changing this season, I honestly think now it might be a compulsive disorder,…in the back of my head I see Phil talking to odyssey saying I want this with that ,black shaft,verdical and perpendicular alignment aids,1″ thicker super stoke grip, black shaft to reduce glare…odysseys response , umm ok Phil I guess, boys we got some work to do….what else can you put on a putter?

Phil is great, I just think he is over analyzing the putter, there all # 9 style putters, just work what you have and work on the stroke, + didn’t see much improvement on his putting yesterday

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pooch

Mar 21, 2013 at 8:45 am

Phil’s got a Versa putter ,with a Metal X insert, a shaft from the Black ProType line and a Superstroke Grip. As an endorser he has the entire putter line in one putter. I thought maybe he would stay with the putter he won with at WM in AZ. Good Luck Phil. Is he back to a forward press too?

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GEORGE STEEN

Mar 20, 2013 at 6:26 pm

WHAT A PIECE OF CR@P = WONT BE WINNING ANY MORE MAJORS WITH THIS IN THE BAG

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- thomas murphy
  
  Jun 14, 2013 at 8:33 pm
  
  so what are you thinking about that now?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - michael
    
    Jun 16, 2013 at 1:40 am
    
    lol well said I hope he wins man…
    
    Reply Report comment
- George
  
  Jul 21, 2013 at 2:27 pm
  
  You must be regreting this comment now, what a wonderful performance of Phil on the green
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

11 hours ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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