Odyssey’s new range of putters consist of two categories. There’s the Ai-One series, and there’s the premium Ai-One Milled collection, which come in at a considerably higher price point but will rank highly when it comes to the best Oyssey putters.
The big story with these newly launched putters is in the use of Artificial Intelligence to create what Odyssey is calling “the most advanced insert in golf”. Odyssey has utilised the same super-computer that Callaway used to create the Flash Face technology that features among its best drivers, and the result is an A.I. designed face which they see as being a real game changer that will prolong their run as the most played putter brand across the professional tours.
How does this A.I. work? Well, much the same as with Callaway clubs, the computer collates a mass of data from tens of thousands of shots to determine where on the face golfers tend to strike the ball and then it creates a face that is engineered to minimise the damage of any off center strikes. Whether it’s the most forgiving driver, a fairway wood or the best putters, the same logic applies; find out where golfers are missing and then create contours behind the face to best negate the damage caused by those misses.
The Odyssey AI-One Milled range offers a wide variety of head shapes, shaft lengths, and hosel options to cater to golfers of all skill levels and preferences. There’s something for everyone, with blade putters, high-MOI mallets, face-balanced options, various degrees of toe hang and different hosel types, so all bases are covered.
There are even customisable weights in the head too, which allows the golfer to find the optimum set up for their game and also provides the option to change the weight set up depending on the speed of the greens. Odyssey have catered for all needs with this latest range.
I also reviewed the Ai-One Rossie S putter and was extremely impressed with the look, feel and performance which made it one of the best mallet putters I have tried. The Ai-One Milled putters come in at a much higher price point (£160 more than the standard Ai-One) but I didn’t see any noticeable difference in performance as both felt great and delivered a consistent, smooth roll.
The higher price is because of the build quality. Milled putters cost more to make so will therefore have a higher retail price, that's just the nature of the beast. The multi-material construction of the Ai-One Milled range includes unique contours on the back of the face that minimise ball speed losses on off-center hits, and greatly increase the sweet spot.
The luxurious look is completed with a navy blue PVD finish that sets these putters apart from anything else on the market currently. I prefer a black or dark gray finish but the navy does look quite fetching, especially in combination with the gold face insert.
I was looking forward to testing a blade putter because it’s something a little different for me and got me out of my mallet putter comfort zone.
As a general rule I tend to steer clear of blades because my stroke is more straight back and through and I struggle for consistency with an arced stroke. There are two blades in the Ai-One Milled range, the One T and the Two T but there really is not a great deal of difference between them. The One T has three degrees more of toe hang than the Two T as well as a much smaller alignment line (see above).
For the purpose of this review I opted for the Two T simply because I preferred the longer alignment line and how it suited my eye.
I tested the putter extensively at home on my artificial turf putting green as well as on my home course, Hurlston Hall in West Lancashire. The course had seen a lot of rain of late meaning the greens were sodden and running much slower than usual. Despite the difficult conditions I saw good results from the Ai-One Milled Two T.
The main problem I have when using a blade is a tendency to pull quite a lot of putts, so it was no surprise to me that most putts I missed went to the left. That’s not the putter, it’s me.
The feel is fantastic, which you’d expect from a milled head with an A.I. created face insert. I was impressed with the smooth roll and consistency in speed too. Most of my putts seemed to come out of the sweet spot which tells me that the size of the sweet spot has indeed been increased as I tend to be a little erratic with blade putters. The off-center strikes were not coming up well short either, which is a big plus.
In keeping with recent releases from Odyssey the putters feature Stroke Lab weighting in the shaft. It’s a steel shaft with 20-30 grams (depending on the grip) of counterbalance weight in the butt end. This really allows you to feel the clubhead and promotes confidence in the stroke.
The putter is very easy to line up due to the single alignment line down the center of the head and it felt nicely balanced in my hands. I was able to make a consistent, repeatable takeaway and other than those occasional pulls I was starting them online and getting a very nice, true roll time after time.
It probably isn't the best putter for high handicappers but anyone who prefers a blade should certainly give this a look.
