Introduction
Phil Mickelson is probably the most famous user of an Odyssey #8. A modern interpretation of a classic Napa / 8802 shape. Given its small size and perceived lack of forgiveness, it will send shivers down the spines of many golfers. However, given what I’ve been finding out about my preferred putter styles, I thought it would be great to give this a try. Listed for only £50, it was a pretty low-risk experiment too.
First Impressions
Wow, this thing is small! Elegant shape, little visual interference, natural head flow, and a strong invitation to putt with instinct rather than with structure (other than that alignment line!). The Metal-X face insert adds a touch of technology to this most basic of putter designs.
Unfortunately, I had to immediately change the grip as the old one fell apart when I cleaned it. I had a spare, but that takes the real price up to about £65. It also didn’t come with a headcover, but I had a spare one of those, too. So, in reality, this putter has cost more like £80. That’s still not a lot of money.
While waiting on a weather window, I spent some time putting with this on my mat indoors, and my initial impressions surprised me. I liked it! I was expecting a sweet spot the size of a pea and an overall terrifying experience, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Maybe Phil Mickelson was onto something after all. But would some of his putting magic rub off on me when I got it outside?
Specs (as tested)
Total weight: 514g
Head weight: 325g
Swing weight: B7
Length: 32.5” - shorter than advertised
Loft: 3°
Lie: 72°
Toe Hang: 90° (6 on clockface)
Grip: Lamkin Deep Etched Cord
At only 514g, this is the lightest putter I’ve tried by around 30g (SeeMore Mini Giant is the next at 544g). The swing weight is also very light at only B7.
Protocol Snapshot (How I Tested It)
Surface: St Andrews Academy practice green
Conditions: The green had been cut and rolled, but it was a cold and windy day.
Make Test: 6 putts x 3 reps from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 ft
Lag Test: 40 ft to 3 ft - uphill and downhill - run once
Start Line: Gate drill (two tees at 18 inches ahead, gate only just wider than a ball)
Benchmark: My current gamer, a SeeMore Nashville FGP (run once)
Full testing framework: HERE
How did it perform?
Notes
Out on the putting green, I continued to find it easy to make a nice, smooth stroke with this putter. Unfortunately, it is really about an inch too short for me. I took it on trust that it would be the advertised length, and carelessly, I didn’t measure it when re-gripping, as I could have extended it. It did feel a bit awkward at times.
One thing it’s made me think about is the impact of weight on my stroke, and it prompted me to add weight details to these reviews. I may investigate further the relationship between total weight, swing weight and stroke impact and bring that back as a future post.
Pros and Cons
Looks (neutral): The Metal-X #8 is for the golfer who wants a classic, old, heel-shafted blade with a lot of toe flow. I genuinely like the shape and size of this putter, but I’m not so sure about the alignment line.
Aim/Alignment (-ve): No, I’m not a fan. If the alignment line had just been on the top edge, I think I would have been fine with it, but I don’t like the way it rolls down onto the trailing side. It was fine when randomly knocking balls around the green, but once I came to conducting the actual tests and creating some pressure, my aim confidence broke down severely.
Feel (neutral): I do like the lighter overall weight of this putter, but I wonder if it’s just a bit too light overall? I struggled as the distance increased and I had to make firmer strokes. The Metal-X insert isn't great either. I didn’t like the sound or feel. Given that the rest of the face has been really nicely milled, it’s a shame Odyssey didn’t carry that through the entire head, but I know they were trying to promote new technology in a classic head. This is the insert that the new chain-link Scotty Cameron one reminded me of. I didn’t like that either! They both have a hollow feel/sound that I don’t like.
Pace control (-ve): Likely related to feel, weight and length, I struggled with pace control. I never knew how the ball would come off the face and struggled to make a consistent, confident stroke. This became more apparent as the distance increased, and it performed very poorly in the lag test. Face or weight?
Performance (neutral): This is a very revealing putter and rewards the player who has a natural release and likes to play with touch and feel. It won’t suit those who need more visual help and prefer a high MOI head. Relative to the Broadie data, the #8 performed reasonably well in isolation. It just didn’t perform as well as the benchmark putter.
Headcover (neutral): Odyssey make good headcovers, and you can pick them up relatively cheaply. It’s a shame this putter didn’t have a cover, but I can’t mark it down for that, especially given what I paid.
Grip (+ve): I would obviously give it positive marks for the grip, given that I changed it! I like the SuperStroke Tour 1.0 that came with it, but it was beyond saving.
Price (+ve): You can’t go wrong for £50, can you? Well, yes! It’s only money well spent if it works for you, and in this case, it didn’t. It was an inexpensive experiment (even with the grip and cover), and I will hopefully break even when I sell it.
Conclusion
I’ll not be calling myself Keith Mickelson any time soon, and I don’t think I’ll be winning any prizes with the Odyssey Metal-X #8. I like the shape, though, and have a Wilson Staff Model 8802 ready to test next. It will be interesting to see how that compares, given its fully milled face and lack of alignment lines.
My fit verdict (for me):
Would I game it tomorrow? No. It’s too short, and I don’t like the insert or alignment line.
What would I change? Increase its length to see if that improved my stroke.
What did I learn? I like the shape. It was easier to use than expected, but I think it would take a long time to build trust. It will be interesting to try the Wilson Staff Model 8802 next.
A final thought. This is the lightest putter I have tested, and it makes me think about how weight impacts performance. Below, I’ve included a link to Tiger Woods discussing how his putter is lighter than most available today and how that impacts his stroke. It’s an interesting area, and if you’ve experimented with weight, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
If you value independent testing and would like new reviews sent directly to your inbox, then please subscribe. It’s free, and you can cancel at any time.
Links:
Tiger Woods: here
Full testing framework: here
All my other putter reviews: here
Finally!!!