Equipment
Is Rory’s Odyssey Putter Coming to Retail?
Rory McIlroy has made more equipment changes than any other top player on the PGA Tour this season, but one club he’s stuck with has been a prototype Odyssey putter. And since the 27-year-old started using the putter early this year, it has has been both literally and figuratively a secret.
As Odyssey does with several of its prototype models, the sole is engraved with question marks to highlight its prototype nature. And out of respect for McIlroy’s current status as an equipment free agent — the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world says he’s playing without an endorsement deal from any equipment manufacturer — neither Odyssey or its parent company Callaway is commenting on what clubs he’s currently using.
That brings us to this week, where we spotted new Odyssey prototype putters on the putting green of the Valero Texas Open, one of which looked almost identical to the prototype putter McIlroy is using. It’s called the 3T, and appears to be a new model in the O Works line Odyssey unveiled earlier this year. While the putter is black, it seems to have the same shape and size as McIlroy’s prototype, and also uses Odyssey’s new Micro-Hinge insert, which the company says helps putts roll more true.
So is Rory’s Odyssey putter coming to retail? A Callaway representative says that the 3T, as well as the other Odyssey putters we spotted in Texas, are just prototypes for now. If it did, however, it’s safe to say that a lot of golfers would buy one.
Related
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
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Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
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Darryl
Apr 20, 2017 at 7:53 am
Things you should use Rory to advertise in golf: Drivers, Fairway Woods, Blade Irons, Tight shirts that make your odd shaped pecs look more defined.
Things you shouldn’t use Rory to advertise in golf: Putters
Tried the Micro-hinge at the recent Scottish golf show, didn’t really notice any difference to my old DFX 2 Ball, if I’m honest. Maybe a bit heavier, but I think that’s a general design trend.
Gozer
Jun 13, 2017 at 12:30 pm
When it comes to putters, Rory does more damage to who he dumps than who he picks up. What he chooses next may not make him a great putter (and thus is no reason for us to leap to that one yet), but he clearly thinks it is better than the old one (based on a lot of his comparison testing), which is at least somewhat damning.
Golf Traditionalist
Apr 20, 2017 at 1:42 am
If the USGA and R&A had any principles to protect the game they would ban the dubious Odyssey Micro-hinge face insert… but we know they are in the pockets of the OEMs to keep the industry scams alive. Golf on it’s last legs.
Chuck
Apr 20, 2017 at 11:31 am
Hey, I’m okay with that. Then, 460cc driver heads, composite shafts, and a re-regulation of multilayer urethane balls.
But seriously (well, I was being serious above); do you think that the Microhinge is a huge/unfair advantage? If so, why?
Mike
Apr 19, 2017 at 7:43 pm
Why does the retail model have the black ferrule and Roy’s doesn’t? Is the ferrule even needed never understood why odyssey put’s them on all of these style putter.
gunmetal
Apr 19, 2017 at 12:24 pm
I love that there is a small dent on the bottom of the shaft of the darker finish one from bending. Some of my clients cry when they see a small ding from club alterations. I tell them to think of it like a badge of honor – no “standard” for you – type a thing. It’s refreshing to see arguably the best player in our game with imperfections on his clubs!
NoName
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:33 am
The crimp on the hosel is “tour only”
Brad T
Apr 18, 2017 at 1:00 pm
how long before rory has a spider in his bag ?
gg
Apr 19, 2017 at 1:09 am
As he s probably signing/signed a deal with callaway, it doesn t appear to be soon…
Chuck
Apr 18, 2017 at 12:55 pm
So I wanted to tell you guys about a silly little anecdotal-and-not-quantitative “study” I did at my local Golf Galaxy the other day.
First, I grabbed about four or five Pro V1’s on their indoor putting green, which is a carpet and which feels like about 9.5-10.0 Stimpmeter speed.
Next, I grabbed two new putters, and one used putter. Each was 34.” The first putter was one of the new Microhinge O-works Odysseys, a 1W. (My favorite model.) Next, was my favorite current Scotty Cameron, the Newport M2. Similar head shapes. Third and last was my previous favorite Odyssey, an older model Versa BWB 1W. Again, nearly identical head shape.
So the experiment was to hit 4-5 putts with each one, just listening to the sound of the ball on the carpet-y putting green surface. There was a scuffing sound as the ball started to roll in the first 2 feet of the putt, before it started its true roll. The sound of the ball skidding along the top of the surface instead of rolling silently.
The putter that felt the best in my hands, was the Scotty. But it produced the noisiest roll. The putter that produced less noise in the first two feet of roll was the old Versa (which had the softest feel, I must say). The putter that produced NO sound as the ball started to roll was the O-works Microhinge. And it was freaky, what the difference was. There was nothing else like it in the shop. And it seemed as though every O-works Microhinge putter produced the same result. It also seemed like the Microhinge was effectively “faster” too. That is, putts got rolling so fast that it was easy to hit it too far.
This was a completely subjective, unscientific, unquantifiable test. I’m not trying to kid myself or anybody else. But I worked at it for a while. And what I saw/heard was real.
Johnnylongballz
Apr 18, 2017 at 11:50 pm
Cool story bro
Joe
Apr 18, 2017 at 10:41 am
Not funny.
Dat
Apr 18, 2017 at 9:39 am
Funny, it was released years ago as a PING.
Bob Chipeska
Apr 18, 2017 at 9:32 am
You can now own one for the low, low price of $600.
Tony
Apr 18, 2017 at 8:56 am
You can wait for this to come to retail or you can go find a Scotty Cameron Fastback. Exact same shape
rebfan73
Apr 18, 2017 at 12:10 pm
That’s exactly what I thought……
Tyler
Apr 18, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Ditto
Chuck
Apr 18, 2017 at 1:56 pm
No; it’s not the shape. It’s the face insert. And no; a Scotty Cameron Fastback doesn’t have that insert. Nobody else does.
Some people might not like the insert; some people might like it. So far, I see Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, about ten LPGA players (using amazingly stock-looking models) all gravitating to the Microhinge.
Tim
Apr 18, 2017 at 9:20 pm
Except if you hit the hinge just right it goes off line…
Chuck
Apr 19, 2017 at 2:33 pm
See, you are arguing that the Microhinge is a bad idea. You can make that argument if you want. But no matter what, this O-Works putter is not a Cameron with a different name on it. You just sort of admitted to the point; the Microhinge makes it different. That was my point.
I don’t know if what you are saying is true, by the way. I didn’t hit any putts that I thought jumped off the face off-line. And I have a hard time imagining lots of Tour-level players using Microhinge technology if it were actually suspect, in getting putts started on-line. Just guessing here, that Phil Mickelson knows more about putting, and has more money riding on his making putts, than I do.
NoName
Apr 20, 2017 at 12:35 am
But it doesn’t have the micro hinge technology
Dj
Apr 18, 2017 at 8:46 am
Of course they’re going to release it. They release so many putters per year I’d be incredibly surprised if they don’t sell this at retail.
Tyler
Apr 18, 2017 at 1:35 pm
There are so many Odyssey makes and models out at any given time its confusing.
Dj
Apr 18, 2017 at 9:28 pm
Agreed. Impossible to keep track
Tod
Apr 19, 2017 at 1:10 am
+1