Odyssey putter face locks into ball

• By Global Golf Post
• May 14, 2012 12:43 PM ET

What makes Odyssey’s new Metal-X insert putters different from other flat stick lines is the employment of a lightweight aluminum face in front of a urethane backer layer. The idea behind that is to give golfers what company engineers describe as “the crisp feedback” of a metal-striking surface, while retaining the softer feel for optimal touch that urethane is known to provide. The aluminum insert also allows Odyssey to deepen the Center of Gravity (CG) by removing weight from the putter face.

In addition, the Metal-X putters utilize a unique face pattern with oval depressions that are made to create a mechanical lock with the ball’s dimples at impact. That lock is intended to help the club deliver a lower launch with topspin and reduce skidding, so that the golf ball rolls straight and true.

“The texture on the face does two things,” says Austie Rollinson, principal designer for Odyssey putters. “It reduces surface contact and increases edge contact between the face and the ball. Reducing the surface contact during impact helps to create a solid, yet soft sound at impact. That sound equates to feel, so it is a great feeling insert.”

As for the oval design, Rollinson says he did that to create lots of edges that would increase the friction between the face and the ball for a smoother, more consistent roll.

Metal-X putters are available in a variety of models, from #1, 2-Ball and D.A.R.T. to Belly and Long, and each comes standard with a Lamkin 3GEN Pistol Grip, which is made of that company’s softest, synthetic rubber compound and designed to reduce vibration with dulling feel. A midnight black finish is used to increase durability and reduce glare on sunny days, as well as for aesthetics, so the putter boasts a sleek look.