Difference in Odyssey Putters

[Good Times]

I'm in search for a new putter and I went to a huge shop the other day and found that the Odyssey 2 ball has the most feel for me. However, I was wondering what the difference is between the white hot 2 Ball and the white hot blade 2 Ball? Also whats the difference between these and the DFX 2 Ball? I was reading some really good reviews about the DRX tour lined and filled and I was wondering how and where you can pick one of these up at?

[jscw]

I'm in search for a new putter and I went to a huge shop the other day and found that the Odyssey 2 ball has the most feel for me. However, I was wondering what the difference is between the white hot 2 Ball and the white hot blade 2 Ball? Also whats the difference between these and the DFX 2 Ball? I was reading some really good reviews about the DRX tour lined and filled and I was wondering how and where you can pick one of these up at?

I was in your shoes a couple months ago, and I did my best to try all possible models in local pro shops.

In the end I chose white steel two-ball blade. It just fit me well. The black inserts (Dual Force) is the hardest, steel is the middle, and the white one is the softest)

 

For current odyssey models, you can check the following link,

Odyssey putters

[dfung]

All the 2-ball putters are mallet heads, but they have different shapes. If you look at the footprint of the regular 2-ball, most of the base is pretty round (except the striking face, obviously!). In the 2-ball blade, the footprint looks like a "T". The center of gravity must be lower with the regular mallet than the blade model, but they feel pretty similar to me, so I think this is more an issue of what your eye finds pleasing.

 

One huge difference is that the heel-shafted White Hot 2-ball mallet has a curved/bent shaft, the center-shafted mallet has a straight shaft, and the White Hot 2-ball blade has a crank-neck. I never have done well with the curved shaft, but the Blade was great for me.

 

The difference between White Hot, DFX, and White Steel is the type of insert in the face of the putter. White Hot is a softer polymer, DFX is a very hard polymer, and White Steel is a metal insert in the center of a white elastomer polymer (probably like the White Hot, but I don't know for sure).

 

I used the White Hot 2-ball Blade for about a year and liked it very much. I never liked bent shafted putters as I started with a Ping with crank neck. The 2-ball alignment system is really good. The only thing I didn't like about this putter was that I didn't feel that I had very good distance control on long putts. I switched to an aluminum faced, center-shafted Bettanardi Big Ben and have found this to be much better for distance control in my hands.

 

I think the White Steel is great and the metal insert seems to fix my distance issue (at least when I'm trying one out on the practice green). The only problem with the White Steel 2-ball was that the blade putter was changed from a crank neck to a bent shaft, which I couldn't warm up to. Recently (in the past 3 months or so), there's been a new White Steel 2-ball Blade II model which has the crank neck again. I haven't gotten one, probably will wait now to see what happens with the new SRT models.

 

I would highly encourage you to go try out all the different 2-ball models (along with everything else in the store). The basic design comes with different inserts, head styles, and lengths, so you want to get all those element right.

 

David Fung

[jscw]

...

and White Steel is a metal insert in the center of a white elastomer polymer (probably like the White Hot, but I don't know for sure).

...

 

Yes, that part is right. Odyssey said the white steel is the white ball with the metal inserted in the center such that people can still get a feeling of distance control, as you mentioned. However I still have problem in feeling the distance, so I also got a new "all-metal" putter recently, just like you. (From Dicks sport, Tommy Armour Tri-Measure, for only 30 bucks, what a deal!)

[PING*]

As much as I hate to admit it, these clubs are the real deal. I've been playing the same ole Anser for 15 years but I've been listening to the technologists regarding putters.

 

I hit the new 3-Ball last night, if you can be open minded about it's look, there's no question in my mind that I would putt better with that than my Anser.

 

I think I'm going to take a baby step this summer and try out a 2-Ball Blade...

[dmac]

FYI, the White Hot versions of the 2-Ball are on the way out. Odyssey has a new line called White Hot XG which will be out by April. There are two inserts: a soft one covered by a firmer white insert. A little bit softer feel than the original White Hot, and much softer than White Steel or the Stronomic (black insert) models.

 

And yes, the Tri-Ball is the real deal. Used one for 9 holes in Orlando. Unbelievable.

[dfung]

It's interesting to hear that really positive feedback on the Tri-Ball. Did Odyssey have the 2-Ball SRT out for trials as well?

 

I've been waiting for some price break on the White Steel Blade II (I'm the one that likes the crank neck, but fat chance that it won't be full boat!). Looks like the 2-Ball SRT will be very similar with the perimeter ring. I'm kind of surprised at how big the 3-ball is. I have to admit that I found that first Ping DOC putter to work really well, but I just didn't want to carry that gigantic potato masher in my bag - too much grief if I ever missed a shot. Of course, I ended up with the Big Ben which was probably the biggest one before the DOC.

 

Man, Sasquatch drivers and Tri-ball putters. If I upgraded my bag, I probably need to dump everything out just to find my irons!

[tallshorty]

I'm a fan of the odessey line of putters, I tried the 2-Ball versions of the white hot, white steel, and the DFX and I liked the firmer feel myself. Picked up a used one for $100 so I was happy.

[golf2da]

As much as I like the look and the line up of the two ball putters I just never could putt well with them. I am probably the only one. I have tried a many different one. I have the original Tri-hot and just can not give it up.

[dfung]

Golfsmith in my area just got the Tri-ball SRT in in the last few days and I had a chance to try one out today. Wow, it's really great - unbelieveable stability. They don't have the 2-ball SRT in yet, so I coudln't compare it to the existing White Steel. It is also *much* larger than it looks in the pictures (can that be possible?). It's definitely larger than the current generation of the Ping DOC, probably bigger than the original giganto-DOC too. In the putter forum, somebody mentioned that it's legal as long as the front-to-back depth is less than the width of the face. Just eyeballing it, it doesn't seem like it meets that criteria.

 

I have been using a Big Ben, so a giant putter isn't that weird to my eye, but this is still pretty shocking. The Scotty Cameron crowd will pooh-pooh this for sure.

 

The shop also just got in the Ping UG-LE. Since I was trying weird looking putters, I figured I'd give this a shot too. It's very interesting. The shaft joins the head really close to the face and there's a very strong sense of directional stability (even higher than the tri-ball, I think) with the large back section. Very nice feel too, although the insert has a super-soft feel which reminds me too much of my old White Hot 2-Ball Blade which had distance problems for me on long putts. It's a dual color/material insert and feels quite a bit softer to me than the one on the CRAZ-E.

 

Interesting weird stuff, for sure.

[franmel123]

ping ug-ly! funny, but true