The first mallet I remember was the RAM Zebra putter, but the one that really changed golf was the Odyssey.
If you played a 2-Ball in the early 2000’s then the chances were you'd made a switch because you struggled with your putting. Moving to this putter turned bad putters into good putters.
My foursomes partner at the national level used one and it changed her career, which lead me to think - if you hole more putts with it then why not use it?
The mallet-stigma soon went from these putters as more and more people were playing them and winning with them. Nowadays you would always advise people new to the game to have a face balanced putter and on tour they have become the norm also.
Jon Rahm moved straight into one when he moved to Callaway and he is World Number Two. As did Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson when they were at their peaks.
If it's good enough for them, it should be good enough for you too?
What's It All About?
Odyssey are claiming that the 2-Ball Ten is the best 2-Ball they have ever made, featuring a sleeker and more forgiving head shape which is said to make alignment even easier than before.
Two weights sit at the back of the putter head for a super-high MOI, and yes, you need that on a putter too as it's not always easy to hit every putt out of the middle - just like an iron or a wood.
The Stroke Lab shaft, which has been around as an option in Odyssey putters for a few years now, originally seen in the Odyssey Stroke Lab putter range in 2019 has been improved again thanks to a new stiffer, lighter makeup. This has been done by shortening the steel section and is said to result in providing more stability to help with the tempo and consistency of your stroke.
The face features Odyssey's new White Hot Michrohinge insert which provides a firmer feel than traditional White Hot inserts, whilst also promoting a more immediate forward roll to improve your speed and control on the greens.
This year, extra alignment has been introduced to the 2-Ball with the Tour Lined look, with Triple Track designs on offer also.
Each putter is available in 33, 34 and 35 inches with either a steel or a Stroke Lab shaft, and either an Odyssey pistol or oversized grip.
The Test
I tested these putters at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa with a good old fashioned putting session hitting a range of different putts on the practice putting green. You can watch my full review via the Golfalot YouTube channel here:
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Odyssey 2-Ball Ten Putter Review
Looks and Feel
If you've read any of my previous putter reviews you may have seen that I'm personally not a huge fan of face-balanced models, but I can appreciate the performance benefits that a 2-Ball can give to lots of golfers.
Having said that, I have to admit I wasn't blown away by the look of the new 2-Ball Ten, it reminded me a little bit like a 2-Ball sitting on top of a drinks coaster.
The roundness of the two ball alignment aid made the head look really square, and the extra weights in the back of the club head really flattened the footprint out. Am I putting with a frying pan?!
The positive of this look, however, is that it does sit very square behind the ball and this makes it very easy to frame up the ball and the clubface to your intended target.
The combination of the black head and black shaft are also aesthetically pleasing, making the alignment aid on top really stand out.
The 2-Ball Ten Tour Lined is the same putters as the 2-Ball Ten, apart from the black line which runs through the white circles. I don't miss the days of drawing a line on my putter head like this with a marker pen! It's also great for golfers who use a line on their golf ball as it will effectively extend the line all the way across.
These putters are weighted really well, with the two weights pushed right to the back of the head and spaced away from each other, stretching the weight right into each corner of the club head.
The Stroke Lab shaft and Microhinge insert really did give a firm feel off the face and it felt as if the ball got into its roll quickly without any skidding, jumping or bobbling.
I did notice the forward roll that Callaway suggested, and although its not quite as immediate as they'd like you to believe I'll still give them this one - the Microhinge insert is great.
Consistency/Performance
Throughout my testing I found that the consistency of the roll was good as the ball seemed to just hover across the top of the putting surface, and this coupled with the firmer feel resulted in a clear, solid feedback every time you strike the ball.
But this throws up a bit of a challenge on breaking putts if you ask me - I kept hitting the ball straight through the break. When testing the putter with a 5ft compass drill I missed about a quarter of my putts in this manner, and when I switched back to the straight 5ft putts I was able to make them all.
On longer putts, the results were very consistent in terms of left and right dispersion, but I struggled a little with the distance control. The size of the head on the end of the shaft just felt very alien to me, I have to say though this is just my taste - others golfer may be much more used to it.
Overall the putter felt a little better and more stable on the longer putts, but I don't particularly see that as a good thing. Surely the shorter putts are the ones you want to feel most comfortable on? Maybe I'm wrong...
Odyssey 2-Ball Ten Putter Verdict
I seem to be one of the few golfers these days that can't really warm to this style of putter. Jon Rahm uses it but I'm not sure it's for me, as I just can't see the 2-Ball and Ten models mixing together.
As much as the 2-Ball Ten and 2-Ball Ten Tour Lined are both great putters in their own right, the two putters don't combine to be better than the originals they are born out of in my opinion. Maybe Jon is in fact seeing this too, as he is currently ranked 135th in putting on the PGA Tour as I write this piece...
When trying to work out why I struggled with holing putts particularly inside 10 feet, I came to the conclusion that I see the putting world in curves and not straight lines.
I like a putter to be softer in its edges, I like to have more of an arc in my stroke and I don't see putts in straight lines, whereas this putter is for the players who do.
If you want a putter which encourages that straight back and straight through stroke, then this is definitely worth a try.
It sits very square at address and almost takes a lot of the feel out of the putt, which is why it's an ideal 'game-improvement' type of model. But I see putting as an art and a skill whereas this putter seemed to take some of that away.
The price of this putter is premium, with the Stroke Lab variant coming in at £299 and the steel shafted version being £50 cheaper. In my opinion, if your going to spend this much money anyway, you should add the extra £50 for the Stroke Lab because I do think it adds to the overall performance. If you've given yourself the extra help in the head, why not have it in the shaft also?
Who Is It Aimed At?
Players wanting all the help they can get with their putting. It takes the feel away and is all about enhancing performance. We've seen this in drivers and irons and over the last few years we've seen brands like Odyssey bring it into the putter market too, which can only be a good thing for a lot of golfers.
If you are low on confidence with the flat stick, then go and try one of these.
Would I Use It?
The putter is just too flat and too square for me but these shapes of putter will appeal to many a different level of golfer.
If every putt was straight then sign me up, but it isn’t and I had one of my worst putting performances with it during my testing, so I'm afraid I can't see it going in to the bag this season.
Pros
Headcover is great quality
Excellent for straight alignment
Stroke Lab is great for consistency
Cons
Pricepoint makes this high-end
There's not much point in buying the steel shaft
Very large footprint down by the ball may be off putting
Pace control may take a hit
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Odyssey Stroke Lab Black Rossie and R-Line Arrow Putter Review
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