How's the White Hot Tours?

• How are the TOURs doing in play? Still in the bag?
• Also, might want to take off a couple of degrees. Can the double bend be adjusted????
  

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!

*****(inserted from below)****
I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if I'm missing something. NOTE:I did not get a chance to get on an actual green (winter). Similar to buying a driver from just testing and demoing in a sim.

But to me....

• The Tours have a heavier weight compared to the XG and I'm also guessing earlier Odysseys.Comparable in weight to high end putters at 355 grams in my 34".
• The balance is something to behold, both feel wise and technically. I double checked the sweet spot and it's bang on in the middle of the head.
• The combo of weight and balance lends itself to a putter that likes to swing itself and stay on line.
• The finish is esthetically pleasing, unique and non glaring.
• The insert is definitely firmer than the XG's that so many complained about.
• Much better feedback than a YES! and some other popular flatsticks.
  

All this adds up to a first class putter. To me comparable to any out there and I've played with quite a few over the years. Scotty's, Pings, Bettinardi's.....both blades and mallets.

Is it just a matter of Callaway putting these out at below high end prices giving the impression it's just an "o.k." putter but there are better ones to be had but at a higher price? To me the price had the opposite effect. Why pay more when everything I need, including quality feel and workmanship, seems to be in this package. (just so you know, I always demo and demo.......everything I can get my hands on for weeks before buying. In this case Scotty's to Pings, YES! to Nike......and anything else I could find).

I don't get it because it has all the hallmarks of a very good quality putter.

SO WHY AREN'T I SEEING THESE PUTTERS IN MORE BAGS????? ....especially at this price point?

***edited update: Just want to add if I'd stayed a sbst putter the Tour #5 would still be in the bag.

Still looking for feedback

Thanks! :rolleyes:

Sure there must be some others who are or have played the Tour series.

j

I can't comment on the White Hot tour since I don't have one (and don't like inserts) but the double bend neck on yours can easily be adjusted for lie by a competent club maker/repairer.

Thanks for the input

The lie is actually pretty good. I might want a bit less loft. My clubmaker thinks he'd have to bend the shaft to do it.

I just ditched my Tour #1 for a Yes! Callie. The insert was too soft and it was causing me problems with my distance control.

I have and play a #1 ... took me about a month to really get use to it but now I love it

I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if I'm missing something. NOTE:I did not get a chance to get on an actual green (winter). Similar to buying a driver from just testing and demoing in a sim.

But to me....

• The Tours have a heavier weight compared to the XG and I'm also guessing earlier Odysseys.Comparable in weight to high end putters at 355 grams in my 34".
  
• The balance is something to behold, both feel wise and technically. I double checked the sweet spot and it's bang on in the middle of the head.
  
• The combo of weight and balance lends itself to a putter that likes to swing itself and stay on line.
  
• The finish is esthetically pleasing, unique and non glaring.
  
• The insert is definitely firmer than the XG's that so many complained about.
  
• Much better feedback than a YES! and some other popular flatsticks.
  

All this adds up to a first class putter. To me comparable to any out there and I've played with quite a few over the years. Scotty's, Pings, Bettinardi's.....both blades and mallets.

Is it just a matter of Callaway putting these out at below high end prices giving the impression it's just an "o.k." putter but there are better ones to be had but at a higher price? To me the price had the opposite effect. Why pay more when everything I need, including quality feel and workmanship, seems to be in this package. (just so you know, I always demo and demo.......everything I can get my hands on for weeks before buying. In this case Scotty's to Pings, YES! to Nike......and anything else I could find).

I don't get it because it has all the hallmarks of a very good quality putter.

SO WHY AREN'T I SEEING THESE PUTTERS IN MORE BAGS????? ....especially at this price point?

You did include the "but to me" part, so I can't completely discredit you. But to say it had much better feedback than a Yes! is completely subjective. Anyways, the heavier weight is nice over previous Odysseys IMO. The insert is more firm than the XG's, but I still don't like it. The finish just looks cheap to me. Surprisingly enough, they are actually stainless steel putters, I don't know why they didn't just leave them raw. You can fix that part though...strip the finish, bead blast everything, and polish off the sole like this:

(all work done by Black Oxide Service)

Yeah. I picked up a #5 the other day and was impressed with the feel and set up. The only downside is the quality of the finish i think. It could be a lot sharper.

805 thanks for the pics. I totally understand if you don't like inserts, you don't like inserts.

As far as look/finish goes, I have no problem with it. Actually like it. Saw the new Redwoods today and was not impressed with that finish...especially at TWICE THE PRICE.

I get what you guys are getting at. I guess I'm trying to see if there's something wrong with the putter once you get in on a green and considering all the qualities that I see in it, why aren't there more out there? Can't be just the finish...is that worth spending $100+ for?

I putted around with them for a bit, the 5 was nice, wasn't to crazy about their anser head though, didn't look quite right, and the line in on the topline, looked odd. They do have a nice feel to them, and the #9 is coming out in the tour model soon

• Much better feedback than a YES! and some other popular flatsticks.

No. I've owned both (White Hot and Yes!) and I can tell you the White Hot is dead compared to a non-insert putter.

Outside of finish and the other complaints I have on the White Hot Tours, it's the insert. I really messes with my distance control. It's a great feeling putter within say 5-10 feet just the like newer Black i-Series putters are, but outside of that....for me, the inserts just kill my depth perception. It's a personal opinion. Obviously people like the inserts or they wouldn't produce them, but they're not for me. Not Odysseys anyways. The only insert I can say I like right now is the Cameron Studio Style. Neither here nor there though.

I bought my wife a White Hot Tour #1 for Christmas and I was impressed with it. Nice look and feel along with a good weight at the shorter length.

She bought me the Black i #1 also. There is not alot of difference between the two in puttability (is that a word?) from first impressions.

I like them well enough that I will sell my SC Studio Select Newport 2 before it has ever been hit!

I play with a college golfer who may add the center-shafted White Hot Tour #2. I have never seen him putt better than he has with this one, and he is a good putter who normally plays with one of severall Mills putters he owns. He putts well with everything, IMO, but rolls the Tour extremely well.

It is a good putter, and it sounds like you made a good choice. For some reason, most people don't pick them up in stores, including me. I don't like inserts, but the Tours don't have a typical insert feel.

Good luck.

• Much better feedback than a YES! and some other popular flatsticks.

No. I've owned both (White Hot and Yes!) and I can tell you the White Hot is dead compared to a non-insert putter.

So have I and the big problem I had with the YES is it's dull/muted feel. For me they are amongst the worst "feeling" putters.

I have the #5 with an IOMIC black grip. I love it. It rolls really well and I have great distance control with the putter.

I also have a Cameron Studio Stainless that I play, but I have far better distance control with the White Hot Tour. I always come up short with the Cameron.

My wife has a Rife Barbados that I might steal. That might be the best putter ever made, in my book. Lot's of PGA/LPGA wins with the Barbados.

I like the White Hot Tours a lot in terms of weight and balance. I'm just not sure about the insert, though.

I totally get that some of you don't like an insert. Fair enough.

But I noticed that Rocco and his caddy both had insert putters at the weekend skills tourney.

I'll have to wait and see how it works for me once I can get to a real green. I play mainly on faster greens so maybe I'll be o.k. Wait and see.

Ernie Els, XG #5, 340g 35"

How new/old is that pic?

XG

Always envisioned Els with a blade

I have a 34" Tour #1 blade. I like it a lot and it feels realy nice when you hit it dead in the centre BUT feels very different and puts a noticbly different roll on the ball with anything other than pure centre contact.

My fault not the putters.. Just feedback of how it is.

I have a 34" Tour #1 blade. I like it a lot and it feels realy nice when you hit it dead in the centre BUT feels very different and puts a noticbly different roll on the ball with anything other than pure centre contact.

 

My fault not the putters.. Just feedback of how it is.

Most putters will react differently when you miss the sweet spot. My worst was a Scotty Pro Platinum. The sweet spot was so small (more like the putter just didn't fit me properly) as I often came up many feet short when lag putting. But that was me, as you said, and not the putter.

I you try the high MOI putters, the sweet spots are larger. But you often sacrifice feel with those.

I have never liked any of the Odyssey white hot series, insert putters. The insert just doesn't feel all that great to me.

I'll stick with my Byrons and C&L putters.

I got the White Hot Tour #5 as well and to me it's a great feeling putter. And I've been through a bunch...

I actually ended up buying a 2nd one of of 3balls at ebay at the same length. It turned out to be a prototype of the #5 model and looks a tiny bit different than the "real" one. Does anyone have any idea if it's worth something? I prefer the real one over the prototype so I'm selling it soon...

Thanks.

The smallest sweet spot for me has been on Yes putters. People swear by them and some have good success. They just aren't for me, personally.

Perhaps I should clarify. Because the sweet spot is a nice, juicy, perfect feeling insert (I much prefer this firmer one over the XG). My main problem in putting tends to be making contact on a slight up stroke.. So I can catch the ball on the bottom face edge of the putter. This is metal. Very very different feel and result as compared to the center. At least with a milled face you get metal in the center, you get metal on the edge.

Like I said its my fault for being a poor putter. Just giving some feedback.

I have a Tour...and an XG hot or whatever it's called

I prefer the slightly firmer feel of the Tour insert and the heavier head weight.

I love my White Hot Tour #5. I love the feel of the insert (but to be fair, I like the XG insert, too). I like the look, the balance...everything. I spend too much time in golf shops. I try new stuff, but nothing comes close to enticing me to make a change. The Barbados comes closest, but I'm really liking my Odyssey now.

I used a Yes Tracy for several years. Nothing bad to say. Just fell out of love. Also had a deadly XG5 Center Shafted, which I still miss.

Putters are so subjective.