A short story, bear with me... 20 years ago I was a teenager who had been promised a new putter for my birthday if I got down to a scratch handicap. My birthday is in August and on that month at the British Girls event in 2000 I shot one under par with 17 pars and a birdie to reduce my handicap to 0. My dad drove me to the nearest golf shop in Dundee (I was playing at Blairgowrie) to fulfil his promise.
Now all I ever wanted was 'A Tiger Woods putter' but the professional handed me an Odyssey 2-Ball. It was nothing like I had ever seen before, I holed everything I looked at. But as a headstrong teenager I overruled my dad, professional advice and the fact that I couldn’t miss with a Scotty Cameron putter.
Fast forward three years of watching my England foursomes partner play a 2-Ball with a White Hot insert I finally put an Odyssey White Hot in the bag, but still not a 2-Ball as I was always a heel toe weighted kind of girl... Could things finally have changed?
What's It All About?
Odyssey was my youth. I won the English Girls with one, I watched Happy Gilmore putt with one and the 2-Ball was the iconic shape of the noughties. Ok I never played the 2-Ball but the insert was something I did use.
The feel of the White Hot is hard to describe without sounding like you contradict yourself “its a soft but firm feel”. This iconic feeling has never been improved upon and over half of the tour players still use the old insert, leading Odyssey to believe that if it ain’t broke then don’t fix it - hence the fact that they are bringing back the insert of 20 years ago.
The new range features a rich silver PVD finish and finely milled surfaces with 6 head shapes available: 1, 1WS, #5, #7, 2-Ball and Rossie.
Both the Rossie and 7 are available in either double bend face-balanced models or with slant necks and a degree of toe hang.
The original White Hot insert was made from a golf ball. It was the same urethane as the cover on Callaway’s Rule 35 ball. Whereas soft inserts are usually slow, with a soft feel and dead sound, the White Hot insert combined the feel of a softer model with the performance of a firmer face.
Now the White Hot was also significant as Odyssey used to have a smaller black insert which made hitting the putt out of the middle important. But with the White Hot insert spreading across the whole face, this made off-centre strikes better. That’s what I felt anyway!
Each putter is available in 33, 34 and 35 inches with a steel or Stroke Lab shaft. Grip options as standard are the Odyssey DFX or Stroke Lab Oversize.
The Test
Packed with enthusiasm I set off to The Mere to try out these putters in the gorgeous sunshine using Titleist Pro V1x balls. I tested the 2-Ball and #5 Putters with Stroke Lab shafts, 35 inches length and the DFX grip.
Odyssey say that they have improved the Stroke Lab technology this year by adding more graphite to the shaft, making it even more stable.
You can watch my full review via the Golfalot YouTube channel here:
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Odyssey White Hot OG Putters Review
Looks: 2-Ball
As one of the most iconic putter shapes in golf, I would say that this is the most famous mallet of all time as it changed the perception of face balanced putters forever due to good golfers using them. Golfers don't just say “I have an Odyssey putter”, they say “I have a 2-Ball”.
Nothing has changed too much over the years, although the finish is slightly more rounded and a little more premium looking.
The alignment aid of the two balls is a genius design (however who remembers the Tri-Ball disaster?!). These 2 balls are great to centre your ball onto the face and to improve alignment, and they also allow the weight to be put back in the head for higher MOI.
When I first held a 2-Ball I hated it, as it went against everything I knew from a putter. I thought that if you used one, it meant that you couldn't putt.
This wasn't true of course, but it sure helped bad putters get better. And if anything these last 20 years have showed that the face balanced putter is game improving. You soon get over the looks when you see the ball find the bottom of the cup.
I am much more used to seeing mallets now and this throwback actually made me smile as I thought back to the good old days of amateur golf and being on trips away with England Golf.
Looks: Number 5
The half moon shape is slightly more compact than Odyssey's Rossie shape, which is another popular option. The black line on the head will be ideal for players who put a line on their golf ball. The way the face is cast in shape also helps to frame the ball and align the face really nicely.
Feel
The feel of these putters took me back all those years to that familiar feeling of a nice firm strike at impact, but not to the point where it felt as if the ball was going to get away from you.
I do like a slightly firmer feel on the face with my putter, and it is the reliability of the same sound and feel every time that makes this insert so valued by Tour professionals and amateurs alike.
I interviewed Georgia Hall recently and she used an old White Hot model to win the Women's British Open back in 2018 - she even had to ask Odyssey to put a new insert into the putter as she had worn it out after so many years of use!
You can watch my full review via the Golfalot YouTube channel here:
Consistency
To test these putters out I did a 5 foot compass drill, trying to hole putts from four different points around the hole, and made 3 out of 4 putts with each models.
I then focused on a variety of medium and long putts in order to test out all aspects of the putters' performance. I felt that throughout the test, the 2-Ball was more stable at impact and there was less face rotation even when I struck the putt off-centre.
In contrast, the #5 seemed to want to close the face when struck more towards the toe, whilst I felt as if it was better suited to more of an arced stroke than the 2-Ball.
Odyssey White Hot OG Putter Review Verdict
I really enjoyed testing the White Hot OG Putters, and I have to say that the 2-Ball was my favourite of the two.
Oh the memories... I wish I would have played the 2-Ball years ago. My ego got in the way, but now I can safely say I am well and truly sold.
The shape is a no-brainer if you're looking for alignment and forgiveness. The White Hot insert is something that many people love, as it provides the ideal combination of a soft feel whilst retaining plenty of feedback.
At the end of the day, if you have good memories and positive thoughts when standing over a putter then you are going to hole more putts. The mind can will the ball into the hole just as well as it can make it miss with negative thoughts.
I admire Odyssey for admitting that they can't find anything to beat a technology of 20 years ago, but then it also makes me think that £199 is quite a lot for a putter that really has little in the way of enhancement on the actual insert.
Stroke Lab technology is a massive plus for me though, and I would highly recommend that golfers consider paying the extra £50 to get the Stroke Lab shaft as it can clearly improve your game.
I did search for second hand 2-Ball and #5 putters on the web and found that you can get models from 2000/2001 for around £50, so if you want to save a few pounds but still get that face insert then this may be your best place to look.
A word of warning though, back in 2000 the Fang shape didn't exist, and this is the shape that you may have seen the likes of Henrik Stenson use to great success over the last decade. Lots of the tour players seem to have moved on from the 2-Ball to the Fang in this time due to the added gains in performance and MOI, so don't be surprised to see players with older Odyssey models looking to upgrade.
So, Georgia Hall and Steve Stricker, you no longer need Odyssey to refurb your old faithful as you can now upgrade to the new White Hot OG 2021 range.
Would I Use It?
Absolutely. As I said earlier, I have used this insert in the past and would certainly use it again, particularly when paired with the Stroke Lab shaft.
If I was to pick one, I'd go for the 2-Ball based upon my testing, but I'd definitely be keen to get fitted for the perfect model for my arc and eye.
2-Ball Putter Pros
- Easy to frame and align
- Same dependable feel off the face
- Stroke Lab shaft is a great addition to a great putter
2-Ball Putter Cons
- Price compared to the original White Hot putters will put a lot of golfers off
#5 Putter Pros
- Same dependable feel off the face
- Stroke Lab shaft is a great addition to a great putter
#5 Putter Cons
- Price compared to the original White Hot putters will put a lot of golfers off