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Odyssey’s new O-Works putters: The technology Phil Mickelson had to have

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At the 2016 Ryder Cup, Phil Mickelson earned 2.5 points for the U.S. team. His inspired putting performance was one of many key factors that led to the U.S. Team’s first victory in eight years, and he was using a prototype Odyssey putter insert to roll in some very long (and very clutch putts) on Hazeltine National’s greens.

The prototype insert is prototype no more. Odyssey’s new O-Works putter line offers nine new models, each of which uses the company’s new “Microhinge” insert.

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Each Microhinge insert is full of “microhinges.”

The formulation of the insert is complex — it’s made from thermoplastic elastomer and a 304 stainless steel “hinge” plate, which are co-molded together — but its function is simple. At impact the insert “hinges,” gently flexing and rebounding to add topspin that reduces the skidding that can cause putts to veer offline. Rory McIlroy is said to be using the new insert in an Odyssey putter that he is expected debut at the European Tour’s BMW South Africa Open next week.

Odyssey Principal Designer Austie Rollinson calls the action of the insert “kind of like a topspin lob shot in tennis.” In development at the company’s new putting lab at its headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., initial testing showed that the Microhinge insert was creating twice as much topspin as previous inserts.

In recent years, Odyssey has been focused on creating putter inserts that use friction to create a better roll on the greens. The friction technology works, Rollinson says, particularly well for better golfers who deliver the putter head to the ball with forward shaft lean and an upward attack angle. The benefit of the Microhinge insert, however, is that it can add topspin to putts even when a golfer’s putting stroke is poor.

The Microhinge insert is designed to feel like Odyssey’s original White Hot Insert. Stock grips for the putters are SuperStroke’s Slim 2.0 and Pistol GT. See photos of each new putter below.

Note: Tank versions of the #1 and #7 putters are also available, which are counter-balanced designs (heaver putter heads, heavier putter shafts, longer grips, longer lengths) that Odyssey testing showed can improve the consistency of a golfer’s path by 60 percent. A V-Line Face CH model (not pictured) is also available. 

R-Line

bf0396b9c41961ba1e9eadd60c85871b 3ffc68391a744365e4543684e81d5f50 7789e014ee7b2ec177226b7c6069dceb cd6f62637e8e984f284907bce59e772a

#1 (also available in Tank)

43d58b7199b39fd42fc17baa9fa34d39 ee85694b049840fe8e419010265ca030 5968f0921bcc90c248bc111507ac495b fe58f685c39401cc36ad4d223dad74c6

#1 Wide

c06304ba8dceadc2b0a650081fd4fda2 283f2c39cec402168b7afac6b94f1b22 5a1812d642d18f0d2c960f660a0ffbae ca7598e80a7e40878f2233353045bff6 d8dd842a6c6e63714873d225bc86c58f#2

26f4ee40e6a5c7509e17e60cdcee8722 cf409a1d254446d932249c1f17cdfffd 8563587a89fb2e786ebaa481465f896d97cc2aaf50acb630437ce4e8f07c3902

2-Ball

a2e85d18e548af0c1d28a0992ce3f2fe9e54400a9cc0d776bf41940f123f09b5 b46aee9e97bb273f4b09919d212b4d7f 178f90514c8ddb622b3318e1ad8f3edb eb5f8d79bb811072e23c6ae5c40651f5#9

33e2654f20c45ef9e009923c40090c0a 935623950500f6b5a380bb3767cda36f06ad07a14f2fde4f850fcf78f591a3e0 d43b80cc7ef07f2eb985edb1a63e3268 bf7391c0d355514d1c664d626f3509ea#7 (also available in Tank)

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More Photos: See what GolfWRX Members are saying about O-Works putters. 

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30 Comments

30 Comments

  1. golfraven

    Mar 24, 2017 at 5:26 pm

    I pulled the trigger and got the Tank. The white is more silver ish so is not so much in your face – matt black is nice. Sound and roll of the insert is great so not to bothered with the aesthetics. As long balls find the bottom of the cup I will stick with it. Played Scotty for years and this line did it for me eventually. Price is reasonable compared to any Scotty.

  2. rex235

    Jan 11, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    It appears Phil Mickelson is the only LH player to get “the technology he had to have.”

    From all your photos and written info, it is implied these are RH Only- No LH models shown.

  3. Forsbrand

    Jan 10, 2017 at 5:06 pm

    Taylormade Nubbins?

  4. Joey

    Jan 10, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    I’ve rolled a few putts with one of these indoors at my local golf store when the rep was in. I can say the tech has a cool factor to it. But, the finish looks terrible. It looks more like a putter that would sell better at the 149.99-169.99 dollar range. The insert is a bit “clicky” also. I don’t see people dropping around 250.00 after tax on a putter with a cheap finish and clicky insert. With almost every putter these days having some sort of “tech” promising more forward roll more quickly, there are much better options out there for the same price if not cheaper. If this insert were to be put in a black series putter with a black shaft and grip then I’d be intrigued. But I’ll stick with my current putter. I was honestly let down by this years offering from odyssey.

  5. Tim

    Jan 10, 2017 at 10:01 am

    How cute! A nubbins putter!!!

  6. Heffe

    Jan 9, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    Insert Tech sounds legit. Can’t wait to roll a few.

  7. DJ

    Jan 9, 2017 at 12:12 pm

    best odyssey putter is the white hot pro. Feels like the old tri hot.

  8. Tim

    Jan 9, 2017 at 11:46 am

    Where is the center shafted model? My wife is a very good putter and has used nothing but a center shafted Odyssey…no center shafted model, saves me $229.

    • Golfgirlrobin

      Feb 4, 2017 at 6:38 pm

      Not safe yet, there’s a center shafted R Line available.

  9. Ray Kearney

    Jan 9, 2017 at 11:42 am

    Ive had a love hate relationship with Odyssey putters, This is definitely a hate cycle. Face Insert is interesting, but the rest looks like it was done by a 5 yo.
    Terrible Aesthetics…

  10. Smitty

    Jan 9, 2017 at 11:23 am

    I’m interested to try the insert and see how it feels but the looks are horrendous. Way too much going on. Lose the White/Black garbage and make the head all black with a simple alignment line.

    • S Hitty

      Jan 9, 2017 at 12:10 pm

      But the black/white is what helped them sell so many of the previous Versas……

  11. Prut

    Jan 9, 2017 at 11:03 am

    Is black and white still a thing? Looks kind of dated.

    • Geetime

      Jan 9, 2017 at 11:51 am

      Same models as the last few face changes…take a $25 putter sell if for $125, 4 years later add a a few $2 weights and add new paint and a $4 insert sell it fro $229. Even the old trick of putting a new grip on an old putter is gone up, new grip $25. That really cuts into my saving for my $2,500 PXG irons.

  12. Rich Douglas

    Jan 9, 2017 at 10:56 am

    Putting is so influenced by the full swing in golf. If the game involved putting alone, two things would be true. First, everyone would use a center-shafted putter. The heel shafted putter only makes sense in the context of the overall game: all other shots are played with heel-shafted clubs. But it doesn’t make sense that we strike the ball in a place away from where our hands are swinging. (The full swing needs this for leverage, but I wonder what a center-shafted iron would look like and how it would perform.)

    Second, we’d all be putting facing the hole. There’s no physical reason for standing to the side. Again, this behavior is affected by the rest of the game, which is side-stanced. (There probably wouldn’t be in place the arbitrary rule about maximum lie; we would putt facing the hole with a putter whose shaft is perpendicular to the clubhead.)

    I’ve noticed–and this is strictly anecdotal–that center-shafted putters are disappearing, except for those from niche manufacturers (SeeMore, Happy, etc.). The two best putters I’ve ever hit from mainstream companies are the Craz-E from Ping and the Spider from TM, neither of which, IIRC, are made center-shafted.

    I use the Happy putter because it is immensely adjustable, is center-shafted, and comes in a high-MOI design.

    • Dill Pickleson

      Jan 9, 2017 at 6:13 pm

      A voice a reason amidst a crowd of dunces.

      Did anyone else notice they are taking about topspin? They can’t be serious.

    • Dj

      Jan 10, 2017 at 12:08 am

      Center shaft is awful.

      • Scott

        Jan 10, 2017 at 10:46 am

        Wrong dj. You obliviously have zero knowledge of eye dominance and different types of stokes.

        • JR

          Jan 25, 2017 at 2:07 pm

          Embarrassing if he turns out to be a better putter than you!

  13. D.J.T.

    Jan 9, 2017 at 10:21 am

    Tech looks solid. Again, agree with Chip, color is down right terrible. Will wait on new color schemes.

  14. Chip

    Jan 9, 2017 at 9:41 am

    Sound great, look terrible. That color scheme is bad.

    • chinchbugs

      Jan 9, 2017 at 10:06 am

      +1

    • michael

      Jan 9, 2017 at 10:51 am

      I’d want to murder out the flange. Too much white.

      • Boobsy McKiss

        Jan 9, 2017 at 10:59 am

        when did the term ‘murder’ represent the color black? Surprised all the pc people in the world let this come to be. lol.

        • Phil

          Jan 9, 2017 at 11:08 am

          The TV show – Pimp my ride. haha

          • Ray Kearney

            Jan 9, 2017 at 11:41 am

            Ive had a love hate relationship with Odyssey putters, This is definitely a hate cycle. Face Insert is interesting, but the rest looks like it was done by a 5 yo.

            Terrible Aesthetics…

        • JR

          Jan 25, 2017 at 2:10 pm

          In Scotland where I play my golf ‘murder’ is also a colloquialism for ‘terrible’. Pretty much describes these putters.

  15. Dj

    Jan 9, 2017 at 8:30 am

    Hard pass. Some of these look like the Wilson triton alignment. That number 7 has way too much going on

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Whats in the Bag

Kevin Tway WITB 2024 (May)

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Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X

3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX

5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX

Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)

Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4

More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.

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Did Rory McIlroy inspire Shane Lowry’s putter switch?

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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 timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?

Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.

When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.

To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.

Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.

“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.

“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”

Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.

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Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird

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With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.

On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.

Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?

Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’

So that’s why I went back.

 

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A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?

It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.

Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.

It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.

Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.

Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.

So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?

Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.

Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play? 

Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.

There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.

It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.

Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.

And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?

Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’

If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’

My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’

I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”

And you’re going with it this week?

Hundred percent.

Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week. 

Thanks, man.

See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here

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