Odyssey Metal X - Putter No. 1
Odyssey is said to be the number one putter company in the world and although they have milled putters, they are noted for their putters with face inserts. There are all kinds of putters out there with face inserts to make the putter feels softer than the metal itself. To some golfers, however, the feel of the putter is even more important than any other club in his bag. He may thus prefer one with crisp feedback like the sound of a metallic "ting" of "click".
Those that are milled like a Scotty Cameron are very soft though they have a fully metallic face but before you even start to consider what kind of face you like in a putter, you must first carefully consider other important factors like whether you putt in a "straight back/straight forth" manner or with a small or accentuated arc because different neck or hosel designs are not cosmetics but were built for a particular purpose. Also consider what is the best alignment aid for you, shaft/hosel type, half or full offset, blade, full or half mallet. Please see my previous article which will help you to get there: http://gforce-guru.blogspot.sg/2009/07/which-putter.html
A really good putter is as important as a good driver perhaps even more so since it is the most used club in the bag but also do remember that the best putter out there is the one that suits you best. You can use a $5 or $500 putter and the one that matters is the one that frequently puts the ball in the hole with the least strokes. The cover is well designed but why can't they put magnets instead of Velcro. The thing about Velcro is that when someone is putting and you just started peeling the Velcro on the cover you might just caused his putt to veer off. If that is the intention then it is good.
My good old Scotty has a thin grip while Yes! use a soft Winn grip which feels good in the hands. This one here is unspectacular and just decent. It is a Lamkin 3GEN Pistol Grip made from soft synthetic rubber. It is said to have been designed so that your hand will feel relaxed so that only light grip pressure is applied reducing hand tension.
There are various ways but the key thing is for a putter to make a ball roll forward in the shortest time to prevent skidding so things like an offset hosel or many types of face inserts claim to be the most effective. A truer and forward roll will prevent the ball from veering from its intended target and provide distance control.
Ladies and gentlemen, Odyssey's latest series of "Metal-X" putters and this is the no. 1 and there are others like no. 6, 7, 8, 9, Dart, Two-Ball, etc. The insert this time is metal, in fact, an aluminium (6061 aluminium) with oval-shaped grooves to create friction between the putter face and the ball so as to encourage topspin and reduce skidding. This metal face is placed over a urethane back layer so that you my get a crisp but soft feel.
A key thing here is a reduction of surface contact. A small white alignment aid on top lets you know which way to heaven.
The grooves on the metal face are oval-shaped dimples that help in locking onto the dimples of the golf ball thus increasing friction to release the roll of the ball correctly.
All Metal X comes in a premium midnight black finish which is really good to prevent glare from the afternoon sun.
The white alignment aid is a simple line but from this angle you can see the curves of the weight distribution.
Reviews and magazines has been talking about its feel and roll. The crisp metallic sensation is quite an amazing feel.
The roll is consistently good with precision in distance control. This could be due to what was claimed that the oval dimples in the metal face creates friction thus lowering the ball's launch angle for a faster forward roll. Some testers said that the balance of the putter is flawless and that they get giddy putting with it.
The Metal-X #1 putter here is a heel toe weighted blade design with a crank neck or plumber neck hosel with a full shaft offset. I had wanted one that is 33 inch but believe you me, I just could not find one which just means that they will just bring in the most common length that is 34 inch. Most of us just probably need a 33 inch putter.
Odyssey has a long history of game-changing innovations and this is going to be one of them.
When I played with it, I felt that I was hitting more towards the heel. So when I had the opportunity, I measured it side by side with my Scotty Cameron Newport 2 and as you can see, the Scotty is longer front to back.
Odyssey got their idea of developing the Metal X from Tour players who like the look and performance but wanted more metallic feel. Metal X has been put in play by many players including JB Holmes and Alvaro Quiros. Check them out if you are looking for a great putter that cost much less than the milled putters and they have the full range of patterns to suit you.
Golf as in life, play as it lies.
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