Odyssey Moves Forward With Square 2 Square Tri-Hot Putters

Today, Odyssey announced the continuation of their Square 2 Square line of torque-balanced putters. This was expected since torque-balanced putters now make up such a large portion of the current putter market.

What I didn’t expect was that Odyssey was going to take the “going forward” concept so literally with their new Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters.

Odyssey’s new hosel forward design

Odyssey believes there are potential customers who want to try the Square to Square concept but they are not comfortable with the look of the shaft attaching so far behind the face.

The position of the hosel necessitates forward shaft lean. This, too, is not universally accepted, especially if you add a non-traditional grip to hide said shaft lean.

To address the hosel issue, Odyssey moved everything forward in their new Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters. This involved far more than just welding the hosel closer to the face.

With the previous Square 2 Square putters, the shaft was positioned at the center of gravity. The reason for this was that if the shaft enters the putter at the center of gravity, torque is eliminated.

To move the shaft forward in the S2S Tri-Hot line, Odyssey needed to move the center of gravity forward. To accomplish this, they needed to return to their multi-material Tri-Hot playbook.  

Tri-Hot multi-material construction

Consider the monumental depth of the Odyssey design catalog. For decades, they have made so many different putters with so many various elements. PING may be the only other company with a larger putter repository.

Not all of those designs were commercial winners, like the FlipFace, but others, like the White Hot insert and 2-Ball, became industry icons.

The Odyssey Tri-Hot design is another Odyssey design with demonstrated longevity. You may remember the Tri-Hot 5K line of blade putters. In that line, Odyssey used multi-material construction to get the moment of inertia values for the blade putters above 5,000. That high MOI value is typically only associated with mallet shapes. By using steel, tungsten and aluminum, Odyssey was able to push blade MOI into mallet territory.

When I saw the aluminum and steel in their respective red and black colors, I thought of the multimaterial 2019 Odyssey EXO putter line. As with this new Tri-Hot S2S line, Odyssey used different metals to manipulate the weighting of the putters. With the EXO putters, the centers were aluminum and the edges were steel. This pushed the weight to the edges and, as with the Tri-Hot 5K putters, boosted MOI.

CG front and center

For the S2S Tri-Hot line, Odyssey again has used the combination of metals to influence the head properties. The goal this time was not to boost MOI but rather to push the center of gravity toward the face.

The combination of the heavier steel and tungsten front end and lighter aluminum rear moved the CG from the previous S2S cavity position to the top edge of the putter. In the end, about 80 percent of the head weight is positioned in the front end with the rest behind the topline.

Overall, this allowed Odyssey to reach their goal of having the resulting putter look way more like a traditional center-shafted putter than an “odd” torque-balanced putter.

The shaft is not all the way at the front but that location provided Odyssey with an opportunity as well. The new Odyssey crosshair alignment scheme fits nicely into that top edge space.

The new Ai-DUAL Insert

The Tri-Hot S2S putters feature Odyssey’s new Ai-DUAL insert. From a sales standpoint, the development of this new insert was probably unnecessary. Odyssey’s Ai-ONE insert is hugely popular and Odyssey could have just taken another loop around the sun with that insert for 2026.

What does the Ai-DUAL insert do?

The Ai-ONE insert does an excellent job of normalizing speed across the face. Odyssey wanted to keep that characteristic with the new Ai-DUAL insert but they also desired to improve the forward roll.

This mandate came from the various Odyssey tour players. Some players were sticking with older Odyssey inserts, like the Microhinge, because that puts a crisper roll on the ball than the Ai-ONE insert.

Tour players asked and Odyssey listened. That’s why they are the #1 Putter on Tour.

Double the polymer and add new face grooves

The new Ai-DUAL insert is a marriage of Microhinge and Ai-ONE. What is interesting about the Ai-DUAL insert is that it lacks the metal component of the Ai-ONE. The new Ai-DUAL insert is a two-layer urethane insert.

Ai-DUAL is still designed by artificial intelligence. If you look at the insert from the underside, you can see the odd configuration of materials the computer created. By going with the dual layer of urethane, Odyssey was able to make an insert with a softer feel than Ai-ONE.

To achieve their goal of promoting better roll across the face, Odyssey added their new Forward Roll Design grooves. The addition of these “aggressive” grooves to the insert face produces an increase in forward roll, with the artificial intelligence making the new roll uniform.

New Pistol Plus Grip

The stock grip for the Odyssey S2S Tri-Hot putters is a new mid-sized pistol grip. This grip is a bit boxier than a traditional mid-sized grip, featuring shaper angles and a flat front.

It’s an interesting new shape that pushed the boundaries of what I would call “mid-sized.” Compared to the stock grip from the previous Square 2 Square line, it looks and feels much larger.

This increased size and new shape compelled me to slightly alter my putting grip, placing my thumbs more towards the edges of the grip as opposed to their usual vertical alignment.

It is also worth noting that the new grip does not have any internal lean built in. That is one of the advantages of the new shaft lean-free hosel position. If this new grip doesn’t suit you, feel free to swap it out with your usual favorite.

Heavier Stroke Lab 120 shaft

What will likely be lost amid the vigorous discussion of the new hosel position and insert is the fact that the S2S Tri-Hot line also features a new Stroke Lab 120 shaft. If my math is correct, this new shaft is 30 grams heavier than the previous stock Stroke Lab 90 shaft.

As with the insert and new grip, Odyssey made this switch based upon PGA Tour player feedback. They determined that extra weight and stiffer profile were a better fit for this new putter.

Because of the increased stiffness, many golfers will find the Tri-Hot S2S feel more stable than the previous Square 2 Square models. The new shaft is not the main selling point for the Tri-Hot S2S putters but it will play a large role in selling lots of putters.

If nothing else, Odyssey finally got rid of that gigantic sticker on the putter shaft.

Four models to choose from

The S2S Tri-Hot  line includes four models, all mallets. Two of the models, the Seven and the Jailbird, were part of the original Ai-ONE Square 2 Square line. The Rossie is new to the Square 2 Square family. The set is rounded out by a Cruiser version of the Jailbird.

Let’s take a closer look at the standard length models.

Square 2 Square Tri-Hot Seven

The original Ai-ONE Square 2 Square Seven putter must have been challenging to design. The job was to anchor the shaft at the center of gravity which rested very close to the empty space between the fangs. To make it work, Odyssey needed to slip a bit more material than usual between those teeth. It worked but the odd hosel location made it look like a traditional Odyssey Seven and a Backstryke Seven had a baby.

This new S2S Tri-Hot Seven looks like a normal Seven. If you just look at the radiant red rear, the putter could be easily mistaken for a traditional Seven. Even when you include the front end, the S2S Tri-Hot Seven looks far more like a center-shafted traditional Seven than a zero-torque putter.

Bottom line: Odyssey did a great job of making this Seven look like a normal Seven.

Lefties, there is a S2S Tri-Hot Seven coming your way in November.

Square 2 Square Tri-Hot Jailbird

Truth be told, I didn’t really think much about the rearward hosel when putting with the Ai-ONE S2S Jailbird. Maybe the hosel location was camouflaged a bit by the Versa stripes or maybe I just see the Jailbird as an odd design overall, so I was more accepting of the hosel location.

As with the Seven, the S2S Tri-Hot Jailbird has a more traditional look at address than last year’s version. Although I am not completely sure the Versa alignment scheme helps me aim, I do believe the crosshairs at the front are a great addition. With all of the S2S Tri-Hot models, the crosshairs provide a great focal point for aiming and aligning the ball to the putter face.

I would really, really, like to see Odyssey release a Versa 90 version of this Jailbird in the future.

Square 2 Square Tri-Hot Rossie

The Rossie is the new addition to the Square 2 Square family. It’s great to see one of Odyssey’s iconic designs all dressed up in modern duds. Though I am incompatible with small round mallets, I have a warm spot in my heart for the Rossie since my first “real” putter was a Rossie II.

The only thing that strikes me as odd with the S2S Tri-Hot Rossie is the lack of a line on the rear section. That forces you to focus on the front of the putter which likely is the reason the line is missing. I get it but it still seems like there should be a line or maybe two lines back there. 

Rolling the Square 2 Square Tri-Hot mallets

I was super-excited to roll balls with the S2S Tri-Hot putters, primarily because of the new Ai-DUAL insert. My typical miss is on target but short. In most cases, this is why I stick with metal-faced putters. The one exception was the Microhinge insert. I could make good things happen with that insert.

Somehow, Odyssey has done the impossible with the Ai-DUAL insert by making “soft” fast. (Sorry, Tony Covey.) Maybe it’s the new grooves or maybe the 60 trillion hypothetical permutations of the insert proposed by the supercomputer resulted in a unicorn.

The Ai-DUAL insert feels soft at impact but it definitely gets the ball rolling toward the hole. It even makes a sound at impact. How that happens in a urethane insert striking a urethane ball situation is beyond my comprehension but it produces a pleasing, feedback-providing tone.

Insert design has long been one of Odyssey’s strengths and the Ai-DUAL insert continues that tradition in a robust fashion. Not sure what they can come up with next since this insert feels good, rolls the ball better, and produces more consistent distances across the face.

Can you think of what they could add to the wish list?

Final thoughts on the Odyssey Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters

There are so many layers to this new Odyssey release, some obvious, others more subtle. On the obvious side, Odyssey has committed to the Square 2 Square category. They’ve made zero-torque putters in the past but now that golfers are more accepting of the unusual design, Odyssey wants to make putters for them.

With the new hosel location, Odyssey has made zero-torque putters that look less like zero-torque putters.

The new Ai-DUAL insert also falls into the Obviously New category. After the hosel location, the Ai-DUAL insert is the most significant technological advance. Odyssey took their successful Ai-ONE insert that normalized distance across the face and improved its roll characteristics.

The new grip and shaft are less obvious alterations but both affect how the putters feel and play.

The downside of a putter packed with modern manufacturing and technology is that it comes with a hefty price tag. The stock length Odyssey Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters have a MSRP of $549.99 with the Jailbird Cruiser version priced at $599.99.

On a more positive note, Odyssey did recently drop the price on their Ai-ONE putters by $50. I was happy to see this, especially when some companies are raising the prices on previous year’s clubs.

Regardless, Odyssey has packed a whole bunch of newness into the Tri-Hot Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters. I can’t wait to hear what you think about the new insert and the new look. You should find these in your local retail shop Nov. 7.

Find out more about the new Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters at callaway.odyssey.com