Are Odyssey’s Stroke Lab Shafts Changing the Game?
In 2019, Odyssey rolled out a new wave of technology, the Stroke Lab putter shaft. Billed as a potential game-changer at the time, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the multi-material golf shaft. As with any new technology, Stroke Lab brought with it promises of improvement. In putting, consistency is the name of the game. To that end, Odyssey says Stroke Lab putters shafts can improve consistency across several facets of putting, including backswing length, face angle, tempo, and velocity.
Of course, Odyssey wasn’t the only one modernizing the putter shaft, and it certainly wasn’t the only one promising better putting. For example, BGT offers multi-material models, and LA Golf Shafts offers a composite golf shaft. The same is true for Mitsubishi and Fujikura.
As a maker of the putter and the shaft, Odyssey has a leg up on its competitors and certainly accounts for the majority of multi-material putter shafts in the bags of average golfers. In that respect, it’s fair to call Odyssey the leader in the clubhouse, but it’s fair to ask if Stroke Lab putter shafts really produce better results.
We decided to take a look.
A Blast from the Past with a Twist
In 2021, Odyssey released a new lineup featuring the classic White Hot insert and an updated version of the Stroke Lab shaft. Notable in the updated Stroke Lab shaft is a shorter and stepless steel section. The change resulted in a 7-gram reduction in weight. Odyssey says the small tweaks further improve tempo, swing arc, and face impact consistency.
Most Wanted Putter Testing
In this year’s Most Wanted Mallet Test, there were five Odyssey putters utilizing Stroke Lab Putter shafts:
- Odyssey 2-Ball Ten S
- Odyssey Triple Track 2-Ball
- Odyssey White Hot OG #7 Stroke Lab
- Odyssey White Hot OG 2-Ball Stroke Lab
- Odyssey White Hot OG #1 Stroke Lab
Three putters featured traditional steel shafts:
During Most Wanted Testing, we gathered performance data for each putter. Here are our findings.
Strokes Gained Results – Mallet Putters
Under our strokes gained methodology, the mallets showed the least performance separation. That said, Stroke Lab shafted putters still hold the edge.
- Odyssey Stroke Lab Putters – 0.096
- Odyssey steel-shafted Putters – 0.078
With a Strokes Gained differential of 0.019, the gap between Stroke Lab and non-Stroke Lab mallet putters is narrow.
Notable is that the conventional steel-shafted putters performed slightly better at 10 feet.
Strokes Gained Results – Blade Putters
Within the blade grouping, the Strokes Gained differential is more significant.
- Stroke Lab Putters – 0.255
- Non Stroke Lab Putters – 0.049
The blade Stroke Lab putters bested the steel shafted putters by 0.206 Strokes Gained. That’s a much larger difference than we saw in mallet testing.
Once again, the steel shafted putters outperformed the Stroke Lab putters at 10-feet.
Strokes Gained Results – Overall
Under our Strokes Gained methodologies, the Odyssey Putters featuring Stroke Lab Putter shafts outperformed the Odyssey Putters without Stroke Lab Putter shafts. Here are the Strokes Gained Averages for the two groups:
- Stroke Lab Putters – 0.128
- Non Stroke Lab Putters – 0.068
The Strokes Gained differential is 0.060 in favor of the Stroke Lab Putters.
Key Findings – Odyssey Stroke Lab Putters vs. Odyssey Steel Shafted Putters
1. Effectiveness at 5 Feet
From 5 feet, our data suggests that Stroke Lab Putter shafts provide a performance benefit. With mallets, testers completed the putter test with 195 putts on average with the Odyssey Stroke Lab Putters. With Odyssey steel-shafted models, the average was 199.
For the blade group, the performance gap was wider. With Stroke Lab Putters our golfers completed the putting test with 197 putts on average. With the steel shafted models, the test pool averaged an additional 13 putts, completing the test in 210 putts. This is a considerable differential from 5 feet.
Whether it is four, seven, or thirteen putts, the data suggests there is an increase in effectiveness from 5 feet with a Stroke Lab Putter.
2. Consistency at 10 Feet
Across the board, both the Stroke Lab and steel-shafted Odyssey putters were strong performers at 10 feet. However, from 10 feet, the steel shafted putters bettered the Stroke Lab models by two putts in both the mallet and blade groups.
The slight advantage for the steel shaft at 10′ is certainly a curiosity.
3. Most Wanted Winners Excel at 20 Feet
The biggest insight for Stroke Lab vs. steel-shafted putters is the performance from both the Odyssey Triple Track 2-Ball and the Odyssey White Hot OG #1 Stroke Lab. From 20 feet, the Odyssey Stroke Lab putters dominated the field.
- Odyssey Triple Track 2-Ball Mallet – 278 Total Putts
- Odyssey White Hot OG #1 Stroke Lab Blade – 271 Total Putts
For the White Hot OG#1 Stroke Lab, its total of 271 is twenty-two putts better than the steel shafted White Hot OG #1.
On the mallet side, Triple Track 2-Ball was twelve putts better than both Odyssey steel-shafted putters – the White Hot OG 2-Ball & Odyssey White Hot OG #7.
Would you consider a switch if you could potentially make 4-7.5% more putts from 20 feet?
Again, Are Stroke Lab Putter Shafts Changing the Game?
Putting is a game within the game of golf. After all, up to 30 to 40 percent of a golfer’s score is accumulated on the green. Throughout this year’s Most Wanted testing, our golfers saw better results at 5′ and 20′ when using putters with Stroke Lab shafts. While steel shafts performed slightly better at 10′, overall, Stroke Lab putters required fewer putts to finish the test and posted higher strokes gained values.
If you struggle with your putting, particularly at longer distances, our data suggests you might benefit from a putter with a Stroke Lab shaft.
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Ryan F
11 months agoI would like to see the data again with the Ten S and 2-ball triple track removed. What are the results when you are using the exact same putter with a steel shaft vs. stroke lab? The two putters I mentioned finished as most wanted and runner up so it’s no surprise that they skew the statistics in favor of the shaft they have, but we don’t know whether the contribution to strokes gained is coming from the triple track alignment aid and the ten S head shape or if it is truly from the shaft.
Show me the data for the same putter head with different shafts and lets see how big the differences are then.
I miss, I miss, I make
12 months agoReally now. Your average “retail” golfer takes between 28 and 32 putts per round. Of those putts some where between 10 and 12 are from the “zone of friendship”. Inside 2 feet where the make percentage is basically 100%. Then a good number are from outside 20 feet. Making the putt is rare and 3 putting is also the exception. Based on strokes gained by Mark Broadie the 4-8 foot range is where good and bad putters show the greatest separation. The stroke lab shafts show a slight advantage at the 4 foot end and the steel shaft at the 8 foot end. I would say getting a putter that is compatible with your stroke will do more than just sticking a “better” shaft on some random head. .
Kyle
4 months agoYes, the true “make” range is up to 8feet, but Broadie also spends a lot of time on lag putting amd reducing 3 putts.
Jordan Evans
12 months agoA little over a year ago I installed a BGT Stability Tour shaft in my Odyssey O-Works Black #7 putter. I paired a SuperStroke Traxion Tour 3.0 grip with it and added a 75 gram CounterCore counterbalance to the grip. At the same time I also purchased an Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas putter with the Stroke Lab shaft to compare against.
After several months of playing and practicing with both putters I gave the Toulon putter to one of my good friends as a gift.
The BGT Stability Tour shafted putter became my full time gamer and I built another identical putter as a back-up and to practice at home with.
I’ve since sold my remaining putters as the O-Works Black #7 with the Stability Tour shaft has proven to be superior in both feel and performance to anything else I had.
According to my Arccos Stats during this time my average number of putts per round has declined by two strokes. Putting is now my best skill as reflected in the strokes gained breakdown.
Since it’s introduction many other companies have copied the BGT Stability shaft in order to get the same benefits.
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Mike
12 months agoInteresting article. But a tour pro, by all the stats I’ve seen, makes about 15% of putts from 20 feet. A 7.5% improvement (the high end of your improvement range) would take that up to 16.1% of their 20 footers. So before, they made 15 of 100 20 footers, now, 16 of 100. And that’s for pros. I have no doubt folks w/ excess cash are rushing out & buying new putters. But I need better math here!
Garrett
12 months agoI think they mean 4-7.5% of the percentage that person WOULD have made using a steel shaft. If that person makes 5% of 20 footers. They might make 5.3% using the better shaft
Allen
12 months agoLove my Stability Tour shaft in my Bettinardi INOVAi.
Greg
12 months agoYep,
Small gains but would like to see if the gains were because they went back to the soft inlays in the putter giving better roll and feel..My bet it is as Newton once said to every action there is a equal and opposite reaction.
Simple eh!
Sammy
12 months agoInteresting info, as usual. Since Mygolfspy is located in Yorktown, do you have any recommendations for the best place to get a putter fitting locally?
Imafitter
12 months agoSorry, just don’t buy it. So if Tiger had a Stroke-Lab he would have won every single tournament he played in by making every single putt? LOL!
LBB
12 months agoYes, that’s EXACTLY what this article and testing is saying. In fact, with a Stroke Lab shaft, Tiger would have won the majors he didn’t play in, including the ones Jack Nicklaus won.
Chas Michael Michaels
12 months agoI think there is a very small advantage to this stuff. But my biggest gain came from choosing a heavy MOI perimeter weighted putter with alignment aids that helped fix my misses. Just like a golf swing proper routine setup, hand position and delivery separate good from bad shots. Like my father used to say….”you can’t fix the yips by changing putters”
wayne
12 months agoAre we looking at all stroke lab shaft models vs steel? Seems like the data may be off if a certain putter head is only tested with stroke lab shaft
They do make the same head with the shaft as the only difference, #7 for example. The stroke lab only data is just noise
Duane
12 months agoI tend to agree with the “archer vs arrow “. I consider putting to be the better part of my game, rarely 3 putt and some time sneak one in, but I work on it and would benefit more by being able to get the ball closer by chipping better. It’s really marketing playing to “this new (fill in the blank) is going to improve your performance, and it may very well do that but I’ve seen oldies that could outputt me with a rock tied to a stick.
Steve S
12 months agoI think the key take away for me is that the shaft makes very little difference when you use a mallet head.(may actually be in the data “noise”) So IMO not worth the extra cost. The other issue is that there are obviously weight(swing weight?) and balance differences for the steel vs Strokelab shafts. Those alone could be the difference in performance; not the Strokelab “technology”. It would be interesting to set up a test to determine that.
Joe
12 months agoGood article. As with everything, what is the approximate cost to have my mallet putter upgraded to one of these new shafts?
Alex
12 months agoWhat was the shaft used in the Tommy Armour Wide Blade #2– the runner up to most wanted and winner of best value of blade putters?
Bob
12 months agoWould fitting a Stroke lab shaft to Ping, Evnroll , Taylormade or other face correcting putter heads have a significant improvement?
BRUCE
12 months agoThanks to most wanted testing I purchased the two ball triple track. I have always been a good putter but my improvement was nothing short of amazing. Especially long parts, 20 feet, 30 feet and even longer. Whether it was the shaft that caused my improvement or the triple track alignment aid I’ll never be sure. But I am a believer in the most wanted testing.
Jon Konkler
12 months agoThe benefit of the new Stroke Lab shaft is enticing, but I have to wonder if your ability to read the green (or not) overrides the benefit of the shaft.
Phillip Bishop
12 months agoAll of the putts hit were straight, which takes green reading out of the equation. If you have a putter shaft that theoretically delivers the club head back to the ball with a more consistent face angle at impact, there is potential to seeing a better proximity to the hole. The better the proximity, the likelihood of more putts being made. It’s an intriguing prospect.
Alex #2
12 months agoInteresting insight on the putts being straight (and I’m assuming flat). I thought I saw somewhere that the stroke lab putters are counter balanced. I did a putter fitting a few years ago for an evnroll, and was fit with the 120 gram grip. No doubt it helped me putt straight. However, I just could never get the speed down. When putting on real grass surfaces with breaks and slope, you begin to rely on feel to get the speed right. Put a normal weight grip on and the distance control came back immediately. Just something to keep in mind for those doing a putter fitting. While a CB setup may work great in a fitting environment, that may not always translate to real world results…
Ryan
12 months agoI would love to see a test between a mallet and blade with steel, stroke lab, BGT, LA Golf, etc. It can obviously be done because Odyssey is making non-stroke lab putters. Is this eventually in the works? Are these shaft upgrades really making that big of a difference?
Phillip Bishop
12 months agoOur data suggests there is the possibility. Obviously, every golfer is different and your putting stroke most likely differs from mine or someone else’s. If you have access, it’s worth trying for yourself and utilizing a putter fitting along with it.
David
12 months agoM A R K E T I N G
Phillip Bishop
12 months agoOur goal is to educate consumers and we can do this by publishing labs. Within each Most Wanted Test, we find intriguing data points and if we believe it is worth sharing with the consumer i.e. YOU, then we will do so.
Reg Murray
12 months agoOut of curiosity, we’re the testers aware of which shaft they had (ie. was it a blind test or not)? Any thought/speculation as to whether the testers were influenced by the knowing they were using the Stroke Lab equipment?
tomhars1
12 months agoPutter shafts DO make a difference. After reading an article on BGT’s putting shafts, I decided to take the plunge and had my old EVNROLL er2 fitted with their Stability Tour 2 Polar shaft. What a difference! I have lowered my putting strokes per round by an average of 5 (per my Shot Scope stats). I am amazed at how much more confident my putting has become.
Dr Tee
12 months agooh please–when it comes to putting, it’s the archer not the arrow.
Phillip Bishop
12 months agoThen go get fit for a putter…so that the archer can better utilize his/her arrows.
DR TEE
12 months agoI’M ALL-IN WITH FITTING, BUT BY THAT I MEAN SELECTING THE RIGHT PUTTER HEAD, INSERT (OR NOT), LOFT, LIE, ALIGNMENT, GRIP. SERIOUSLY DOUBT THE SHAFT–AS SHOWN BY THE STATISTICS WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON PUTTING STATS FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF AMATEUR RECREATIONAL GOLFERS. WAY TOO MANY OTHER UNACCOUNTED FOR VARIABLES.. ALSO–HOW MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WERE INVOLVED IN PRFORMING THE TEST PUTT STATS–MORE THAN ONE? MORE THAN FIVE? MORE THAN TEN. MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
David
12 months agoBarney Adams idea again (remember Tight Lies), now it’s his Stability Shaft. Give him a few million to go away (again).
Smart guy.
Jeff
12 months agoThis is simply an ignorant statement. I’ve been doing my own strokes gained putter testing and after 50 holes of testing putters trends begin to emerge. I can promise you with 100percent confidence that you will score differently with different putters but the smaller the margins the longer it takes for trends to show up but they always do.
Dr Tee
12 months agoconversely, cutting down to the proper length may IMPROVE this persons putting. best solution: putter fitting !
Steve Bettencourt
12 months agoI like the looks of the Stroke Lab shaft and I like how works with my Toulon Las Vegas mallet–just wish it wasn’t rust pitting after less than a year in the bag…
Brian Kinread
12 months agoI won a Odyssey 7 putter, 35 inch with a “regular grip”. Changed it to a fatter Odyssey grip. Will cutting shaft down by 1 inch affect the putter or should i just buy the correct length putter?
Terry
12 months agoThe swingweight will change if you cut it down. which could screw up your putting.
Travis
12 months agoIf it is a Stroke Lab putter it will make big changes. There is weighted plug at the top of the shaft that you would be cutting off.
WBN
12 months agoWhy cut down the putter 1 inch. Just grip down 1 inch and leave the putter in it’s original condition.
Tim
12 months agoLead tape on the head and reinserting the weight plug will solve both these issues, Brian.
Cole
12 months agoI cut mine down an inch and RE-inserted the weight. It pulls out and dropped back in with no issue … looks similar to a bullet.