Odyssey O-Works Red Putter
Odyssey‘s O-Works lineup has expanded to add both the “Black” and “Red” lineups to the mix, giving more options to golfers who didn’t quite like the Versa paint scheme. The new vibrant red finish of the O-Works line gives golfers an new, unconventional finish to their putters, with the performance to boot.
First Impressions
Pop. That’s the first word that comes to mind with the Odyssey O-Works Red putters. The finish really catches your eye, and stands out on the greens. The contrast between the white ball, green (hopefully) grass, and the red putter head is visually appealing, but also make alignment very simple. For those of us “flashier” folks, the red finish may be right up our alley, but the more conservative golfers may steer away. But hey, that’s why they made the O-Works Black line as well.
The only difference with the Red line (besides the finish), is the head shape availability. Currently, the red finish is only available in a 2-ball, #7, and #7S (slant neck). Odyssey created a great looking putter with the Red finish, but were smart in keeping the original Versa and simplistic Black finishes as well.
How Does it Feel?
The biggest performance boost for the OdysseyO-Works lineups is the Microhinge insert. Odyssey created a urethane insert that has the “Microhinge layer” molded on top of the “Thermoplastic Elastomer Feel Layer” to create the feel for the O-Works putter. This insert gives the putter a nice and soft feel, mixed with a click-y response off of the face. It’s different, but in a good way. If you like a soft, insert feel in your putter, the Microhinge might be a great fit, and is one of the best inserts Odyssey has come out with in awhile.
How Does it Sound?
Of all of the soft feeling putters I have rolled in my lifetime, I would say 90% of them also have a muted “soft” sound to them. The Odyssey O-Works line is no exception to this. While it does have a slight click to it, it’s still muted compared to, say, a firmer, milled putter. I think Odyssey found a happy medium, however, as it doesn’t have a “dead” sound at impact like other insert putters sometimes have.
On-Course Performance
The idea behind the Microhinge insert is to get a more pure roll off of the putter face at impact. The small “hinges” (hence Micro and Hinge), are designed to grab the ball and get it rolling both upwards and forwards at impact. The Odyssey O-Works worked exactly as advertised.
The ball comes off of the face of the O-Works very easily, and creates a smooth, pure roll. One great thing I noticed about the O-Works is that the face wasn’t too hot. More often than not, it’s hard to adjust to these “quick roll” inserts that shoot the ball hot off of the face, and speed/distance control is hard to adjust to. Not with the O-Works. The pace seemed almost (dare I say it?) perfect off of the face, and distance control was effortless. I think Odyssey hit the nail on the head with this insert.
Final Thoughts
Odyssey had made some phenomenal putters over the years, and it’s no surprise that they are number one in putters used on Tour. The O-Works lines, in my opinion, are some of the best that Odyssey has produced in a long time, in both the looks and performance departments. As long as you are fine with either the 2-ball or #7 head shapes (for now), the O-Works Red lineup is definitely worth taking a look at.
