“When we look at putters and start developing them, we see so much of putting is about alignment. That’s what we were addressing here.”
That’s the head of Callaway’s Odyssey putter line, Sean Toulon, discussing the company’s new Red Ball Putter which is meant to address two keys that are central to every golfer regardless of ability: set up and alignment.
Toulon says the problem most golfers face isn’t the inability to make a good putting stroke. Rather, he says the issue is their inability to line up properly. The toe or heel of the putter can be raised, or the golfer has the face closed or open to their intended target. The result is the same—the ball doesn’t go into the cup.
To deal with that, Odyssey developed the Red Ball Putter line—and it seems to be capturing the imaginations of golfers in the days since its launch.
Key Technologies:
- The Red Ball putter uses a scope to help you align the red ball inside it. If it is centered, your eyes are properly over the putter, a key factor in aligning to the stroke. If it aligns to the right, you’re too far behind the ball, or if it is too low, you’re too far ahead. The goal is to center the ball inside the scope.
- Black and white framing and Versa contrast alignment make this mallet easy to align even without the scope.
- The White Hot RX insert provides the roll and feel expected from Odyssey putters.
- The mallet head offers a higher MOI and more forgiveness, something Toulon says is clear given the number of PGA Tour pros making the move to mallet-shaped putters. The mallet shape allows Odyssey to take weight out of the center of the head and distribute it to the perimeter, increasing forgiveness.
Who is it for?
Odyssey is seeing a lot of interest from its tour pros, with Toulon noting Michelle Wie is expected to put the putter into play almost immediately.
“Whenever you go to a tour event, you’ll see players working on their putter alignment,” Toulon explains. “I think that’s why this is really catching on.”
But truthfully, this is a putter every golfer, regardless of ability, can benefit from.
Toulon says most golfers need help aligning to the putt, but unlike a tour pro, the average player can’t put in hours refining their approach. That’s why Odyssey Red Ball is such a significant step forward.
Odyssey Red Ball is available now in-stores and online.