Golf Today Equipment Special - Spring 2000

Odyssey White Hot Putters

The quest for line-hugging topsin has pre-occupied designers ever since Scottish clubmakers began tinkering with loft on their flat-sticks over a century ago. Progress came on apace in the last decade when Odyssey took advantage of the relaxation of the insert rules to come up with soft plastic inserts that claimed momentary 'grip' on the ball as the putter-head travelled through the impact zone.

Five years on and the same company claims to have perfected the marriage of face and ball with a high-performance insert made from the proprietary cover material of - wait for it - the new Callaway golf ball itself.

The Odyssey engineers set out to find an innovative insert material combining soft feel with improved roll and increased resilience. Of the numerous materials tested, many had achieved the feel factor but all were too soft to provide consistent performance in terms of the vital top-spin criterion.

"The way a golf ball rolls after being putted is tied to the natural vibration of the putter hitting the ball," says Richard C. Helmstetter, the Callaway design chief who's been overseeing the putter enterprise since its high profile takeover.

"The natural vibrations between the White Hot insert and a golf ball are very similar, since their chemical properties are very similar," says Helmstetter. "That helps the golf ball dwell on the putter face for a fraction of a second longer, thereby helping to get the ball rolling with overspin more quickly."

Each of the five new Odyssey models feature this new insert pressed into a steel putter-head and machined flat through a computerised process to ensures a precise fit. The new insert is lighter than steel, increasing the amount of perimeter weighting and forgiveness.

A stepless, fluted steel shaft and a proprietary cross-line grip, complete the package.

Price: £109

Contact: 0181 391 0111