- This is the third incarnation of the multi-material Indianapolis mallet design.
- The Indianapolis features show-stopping feel and stability.
- Available at Odyssey.CallawayGolf.com and other online retailers with a MSRP of $649.99.
Today, I’m bring you a deep-dive review of the new Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis putter. Way back in 2017, the Toulon Design division of Odyssey golf unveiled the Indianapolis design. As the name suggests, the Indianapolis design was inspired by open-wheeled Indy race cars. Both the putter’s shape and its carbon-fiber construction could be traced to the racetrack.
The second Indianapolis design appeared a year later as part of the Odyssey EXO putter line. The Odyssey EXO Indianapolis traded in its carbon-fiber core for aluminum. This change, along with some other design tweaks, allowed Odyssey to seriously boost the MOI and the stability of the entire EXO line.
This new Indianapolis represents a departure, or perhaps an evolution, from the previous two Indianapolis designs. You won’t find the carbon fiber of the original or the Odyssey White Hot Microhinge insert of the EXO version.
The race car vibe is still there but this new Indianapolis is on a different track.
This Indianapolis is Designed by Toulon
Though the Indianapolis carries both the Odyssey and Toulon Design names, I’d say it has a much more Toulon Design feel. Sure, it has the easily identifiable red Odyssey Stroke Lab shaft but the remainder of this insert-free putter head says Toulon Design.
Why does this Indy give me the Toulon feels?
First of all, the Indianapolis head is fully milled. This includes the 303 stainless steel and 6061 aircraft aluminum components. The Indy’s face features Toulon’s double-diamond milling pattern, though the secret face sauce seems to have changed slightly. Toulon improved the feel and roll of their face in 2022 and this version feels even better.
The Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis also features adjustable weights toward the front of the putter. This design was an integral part of the 2022 Toulon Design putters. Moving from weighted sole plates to weights in the front corners allowed Odyssey/Toulon to both boost the MOI of the putters and to move the center of gravity forward.
This new Indianapolis feels like the natural progression from the 2022 Toulon Design line and the previous versions of the Indianapolis. That’s a good thing.
Specifications: Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis Putter
- Material: 303 stainless steel, 6062 aircraft aluminum and tungsten
- Construction: CNC milled
- Finish: Black
- Face: Double Diamond Milled
- Neck: Spud
- Loft: 3 degrees
- Lie: 70 dgrees
- Toe Hang: Face-Balanced
- Weight: 360 grams
- Shaft: Odyssey Stroke Lab
- Grip: Toulon Design Indianapolis
- MSRP: $649.99
Going Under Indianapolis’ Hood
I love deep diving into a putter design. I often see elements I missed during my cursory initial observations. Usually, though, I don’t completely miss the design plan as I did with the Toulon Design Indianapolis.
At first glance, I thought this new Indianapolis was a combination of the previous Indianapolis and the boxier Toulon Le Mans putter. Once I actually explored the design, I realized just how wrong my first impression was.
This new Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis is actually a variant of the iconic Odyssey Seven.
This Indianapolis is a Seven?
Let’s take a look at how the Indianapolis was put together.
The front section is 303 stainless steel. However, the stainless steel does not stop at the front. As you can see in the photo above, the stainless steel continues along the perimeter of the putter in what can best be described as FANGS!
See, I told you there was a #7 hiding in there.
The center portion of the putter is 6061 aircraft aluminum. This lighter material at the center with the heavier steel at the perimeter improves the MOI of the putter. Maybe not more than having that central space open would accomplish but definitely more than building the center out of stainless.
The true wizardry of this new Indianapolis design is how seamlessly it all fits together at address. Now that I know to look for it, I can see the Seven hiding in the head.
The fangs are integrated into the overall design. The way that the stainless steel and the aluminum components blend together looks very natural. It’s the exact opposite of the harsh material transition found in the first Toulon Indianapolis.
Taking the Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis out for a Spin
The Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis has been my bag for the last half-dozen rounds. That fact alone should tell you how I feel about this putter but I’ll give you a bit more of a thorough review, anyway.
The first thing I noticed about the Indianapolis is just how balanced it feels. When it comes to stability, not all putters are created equal. While the Indianapolis is not a zero-torque putter like those from L.A.B. Golf, its torque doesn’t fight your hands during the stroke, either.
Some putters feel like you are landing a five-pound trout when you swing them. Think the opposite of that and you have the stability of the Indianapolis.
Why Not Just Play a Seven/Las Vegas?
The Indianapolis has similarities to the Odyssey Seven and Toulon Las Vegas but its center section makes it different and, I’d argue, better.
Yes, I did just say this putter is a better design than one of Odyssey’s classics. For me, that statement is absolute and it’s all because of the Indianapolis’s alignment scheme.
The addition of the central aluminum portion allows the Indianapolis to have a long and elevated alignment line down the middle of the putter. This is just not possible with a normal fang design as it is tough to draw a line on air.
With a Seven or Las Vegas, you see grass in the middle of the putter at address. I always find the open space distracting. The Indianapolis’s long line, combined with the lines at the edges of the central core, creates a superior alignment scheme.
When you place the Indianapolis behind the ball, you know where you are aiming.
That Indianapolis Feel
The new Indianapolis is multi-material but now we have reduced the materials from four (tungsten, carbon fiber, aluminum and stainless steel) to three, removing the carbon in the new design.
This helped us use the aluminum as the lead dampening material which really improves the sound and feel.
–Sean Toulon, former Odyssey Grand Poobah
The impact feel of the Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis is unparalleled. Even with all of the other design tweaks, it is the feel that stands out the most for me.
I suppose I should not have been surprised by the Indy’s great feel, as the 2022 Toulon Design putters also had outstanding feel.
The Toulon Design double-diamond face milling was changed in 2022. They cut an additional groove across the diamonds. Adding the cut reduces the metal that hits the ball at impact, producing a softer feel.
To my expert-ish eye, the face milling on the Indianapolis looks like the 2022 pattern. This means the combination of materials and face thickness must be responsible for the improvement. Whatever tweaks they made, they got it right.
Final Thoughts on the Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis Putter
It amazes me how little fanfare there was when the Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis launched this year. I’d bet many of you are learning about the putter for the first time today. Perhaps all of the Odyssey PR folk needed to pivot their efforts to the unforeseen Jailbird resurgence this summer. Thanks, Ricky …
In some ways, this unsung release reminds me of how PING released the original Ketsch putter. It just appeared on their website without so much as a press release. A couple of months later, the same Ketsch dominated the Most Wanted mallet competition. The promotion was limited but the performance was amazing.
Is this Indy the next Ketsch? Let’s not go that crazy … just yet.
Regardless, this new Indianapolis deserves some attention. Toulon Design was able to seamlessly integrate the fang design of the Odyssey Seven into a closed body mallet. At the same time, they were able to keep that Indy car-inspired wing at the back. It’s a great look.
More importantly, the Indianapolis is the best-feeling putter I have rolled this year.
Find out more about the Odyssey Toulon Design Indianapolis at: Odyssey.CallawayGolf.com
Marc
3 months ago
My Cousin has my Old Marxman I’m thinking about getting him one of these. Him & his wife just had a Baby Girl (Pearl)
I usually goto the comments for insight not insults. I guess that’s what to be expected from most people these days