What’s Black and White and Played All Over?
Written by Dave Wolfe (@Golfspy Dave)
Odyssey Golf is the #1 putter company on tour. That’s a pretty huge stat. The pros, who are playing for serious money by the way, trust Odyssey putters. The number one statistic is impressive, but not as impressive as the number of tour pros who play Odyssey putters without getting a dime of money from Odyssey to do so. Who are these pros? If you follow Odyssey on Twitter, you know who is not getting paid by Odyssey because when these players do well, Odyssey will tweet that “a player” using an Odyssey putter just took down Tiger in match play.
Using the player’s name costs money, but the golfing public knows who these stealth Odyssey-playing pros are. Charles Howell III dropped Tiger with a Versa in round one of match play and also killed it in Hawaii. Is Ricky Fowler playing his Cameron GoLo still? Nope, it’s a Versa #7. Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Graeme Mc Dowell are all on staff with other companies, but game Odyssey putters. They could all probably make more endorsement money playing another putter, but they know that they will earn even more prize money by bagging an Odyssey.
“That’s interesting, but what’s that got to do with the Versa line?” Have you looked at the Versa line before? I know that you have seen these putters before, because, as I just said, tour pros are playing them. But have you really looked at them and realized that they don’t look like any other putters out there?
The introduction of the Odyssey Versa brings me back to a point that I made in the Bettinardi BB37 review; Bob Bettinardi is big enough in the industry that he doesn’t need to come up with new head styles, but because he is dedicated to his craft, he still does. Think about Odyssey in this context. They are #1 by a wide margin. It would be easy to just roll out the same heads each year with some minor cosmetic tweaks. The money would still flow.
Instead though, those wacky designers at Odyssey Golf have produced a line of putters that are a real left turn from the norm in the Versa line. Something this different really has the potential to be a huge flop if the public doesn’t “get it”, or if the claims of the Versa line don’t hold up on the course. You can forget about that second part, Versa putters have already earned millions of tournament dollars this year, and we’re only one Major deep into the season. Odyssey doesn’t get any of that tournament money though. For the Versa to be a commercial success, they need your money, and to get that, you need to get what the Versa is all about.
So What is the Odyssey Versa All About?
I have already talked a bit about the Versa concept when I shared their press kit with you a few weeks back. The short story about the Versa is alignment and accuracy. This graphic from that previous Versa article really explains the whole concept of how the coloration of the Versa line helps you to aim better.
The bold graphical design of the head allows you to see if you are open, closed, or square to your desired putting line. The visual feedback is stronger than you would receive from any of the traditional alignment systems out there. It’s different, and if we again look back to tour performance, it’s working. Insert-wise, Odyssey has outfitted the Versa with the updated version of the White Hot Pro insert (also new for 2013). Add to that the new Odyssey eyeFIT Fitting Mirror, and you have a whole bunch of “new” coming from a company that is already #1 in the market. So much for laurel resting.
Which One Should You Try?
As always, the goal of a Club Reports article is to give you an idea about which of the new models would likely match your stroke. Historically, I have used the iPING system to offer suggestions based upon how the putters fit the different swing arcs. Today though, I am switching to the dash system that Odyssey is using via eyeFIT. Find an eyeFIT mirror, stand over it, and get your dash value. Easy. If your shop doesn’t have a mirror, you can also go with the information about toe hang, or with the style of head that you know has worked for you in the past. Seriously though, go check out the eyeFIT and see what it says.
One Dash Putters
Versa #1 Wide
Versa #1 Features
- Compact heel-toe-weighted blade
- Wide flange
- Double-bend shaft
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Versa #7
Versa #7 Features
- Weighted Alignment Wings
- Double-bend Shaft
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Versa 90 #7
Versa 90 #7 Features
- Weighted Alignment Wings
- Double-bend Shaft
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Versa 2-Ball
Versa 2-Ball Features
- Extended Mallet Head
- Double-bend shaft
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 355g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Two Dash Putters
Versa #1
Versa #1 Features
- Rounded heel-toe-weighted blade
- Crank-Neck Hosel
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Versa #2
Versa #2 Features
- Squared heel-toe-weighted blade
- Crank-Neck Hosel
- Full-Offset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
Three Dash Putters
Ok so there are no Three Dash putters in the current Versa line-up, but Odyssey seems to be making more Versa styles all of the time. I have seen photos of a Versa Backstryke and a Versa Sabertooth. I am sure that a Versa Three Dash is coming. If you can’t wait, go and check out the White Hot Pro #3.
Four Dash Putters
Versa #9
Versa #9 Features
- Toe-weighted
- Flanged Blade
- Heel-Shafted
- Half-ShaftOffset
- Weight: 343g
- Loft: 3°
- Lie: 70°
- Lengths: 33″, 34″, & 35″
But Do I Go BWB or WBW?
That is the question that the eyeFIT mirror can’t answer. Does it come down to personal preference, or is there a difference in the performance of the two different configurations? I read a tweet from one of the Odyssey/Callaway guys that said that people who aim by squaring the face prefer WBW, while those who use the Versa’s middle line go BWB. At this point, I don’t have any information about how the pattern affects performance, but I will soon. The Versa putters and I are hitting the local practice green to see if there is in fact a performance difference between the two patterns, or four set-ups if we look at the #7. Maybe it is just a personal aesthetic choice, or maybe some performance is involved as well. We will let the data decide.
Tell Us What You Think
Let’s hear your opinions about the Versa line!
:: Do you believe the Versa alignment system works?
:: Are there any other Versa models that you would like to see?
Mike V.
9 years ago
Where is the Sabertooth??? One of the best Versa putters there is!!!