Want to cut your 3-putt percentage? Odyssey AI-One Putter Review

The Odyssey AI-One putter harnesses artificial intelligence to deliver greater distance control, in a bid to reduce your three-putt percentage. But do they deliver?

Harnessing the power of AI to develop optimized wood faces, which enhance good strikes and counteract misses, has been part of golf since Callaway unveiled the tech in the first Epic Flash driver in 2019. Ever since the company has developed fairway wood, hybrid, and iron faces using a super-computer. The idea gives the capacity to quickly and efficiently test 15,000 different iterations of new designs before coming up with an optimal solution for each individual model. Something human modeling just can’t compete with. The new Odyssey AI-One putter (Callaway owns the company) is the first flatstick to introduce AI-designed faces to the dancefloor.

Odyssey has produced some of the best putters available for decades. And it’s well-known even the best players on the planet, like Rory McIlroy regularly miss-hit putts by up to 3mm from the center of the face. But, where most putters, when hit off-center experience a loss in ball speed, leading to putts traveling less far, and ending up further from the target. Odyssey’s AI faces have been specifically optimized to counteract imperfect impacts.

Everything you need to know about the Odyssey AI-One putter

AI-One, AI-One Milled, or AI-One Crusier?

Odyssey is all about offering every golfer their perfect putter solution. So, to ensure there’s an AI option for all comers the new AI models are available in three different families.

The AI-One models here consist of the brand’s most popular tour-proven head shapes. Five models launched in November 2023, and a further eight shapes will follow in February 2024. Thanks to having a cast construction like the Odyssey White Hot OG putter, this family will set you back significantly less dosh ($299.99 in the USA and £289 in the UK).

Each model comes decked out with an AI-designed aluminum face and White Hot urethane backer. The pair promote great feel and sound, plus consistent ball speeds across the face.

Odyssey knows though there’s a whole band of golfers who prefer the feel and feedback of a premium CNC milled putter, so there’s also a very precisely made CNC machined AI-One Milled family. Expect eight head shape and hosel choices to appear in November 2023. These models come with AI-designed titanium face inserts, each with a uniquely contoured back surface, which Odyssey says gives the pure feel milled putter fans expect.

Avid putter fans will also know that counter-balanced putters are trending up right now. Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman won majors in 2023 using counter-balanced putters, so a heavier head-weight AI-One Cruiser family will also be available from March 2024. The Cruiser models will cater to golfers looking to explore counter-balancing, armlock, and broom handle designs.

How much difference can an Odyssey AI-One putter face make?      

Odyssey knew they were onto something special with AI but they wanted a figure to prove just how much better the tech was compared to the competition. So, they robot tested from 15 different spots across the face and discovered their super-computer-designed faces hit putts 21% closer to the intended target than any traditional model.

Admittedly center-hit performance remains the same as any other putter, but most golfers do not hit putts from the center that often. So I’d say to see the AI models as having larger, more effective sweet spot sizes (with the AI-One being slightly more forgiving than the AI-One Milled), so putts from a larger portion of the face travel the same distance, which ups consistency and reduces your three-putt percentage.

What’s the real-world benefit?

With AI being Odyssey’s flagship new tech, the brand obviously wanted star player Jon Rahm to be an early adopter. So, the brand put in some serious hard work to study his stats in a bid to convince the current world #2 AI could help. And their findings are mind-blowing. 

Bearing in mind the 21% accuracy improvement, the company reckons they could reduce Rahm’s 23 three-putts for the season (2023 prior to the Tour Championship), immediately to 12. Part of the thinking at least comes down to how Rahm sees longer-range putting being about speed control, rather than just trying to hole more putts more often.

The numbers might only equate to an improvement of 0.2 in strokes gained when putting. But such a rise would see the Masters champ jump from 23rd to 9^th for his on-green performance. In terms of cold hard cash that’s a move that would see JR earning an additional $2.5 million in 2023.

Needless to say, Rahmbo was so impressed an AI-One Rossie putter went straight into his bag the week before the Ryder Cup.   

It’s Stroke Lab but not as you know it

Odyssey made a massive play on their original Stroke Lab shafts which launched in 2019. They and their subsequent siblings have become hugely popular on tour and found many fans around the globe since.

But, for this new generation Odyssey reckon a new lightweight 90g Stroke Lab steel shaft, which has 20g – 30g of counter-balancing built in, and weighs 15g more than the original Stroke Lab shaft (where traditional steel putter shafts are between 115 – 120g) will appeal to even more golfers.

Multi-material Stroke Lab shafts are still available as a custom order.   

True blue

Putters are seriously personal pieces of equipment, hence why the AI family runs to 27 different models across three different families. All models come with a deep, rich navy blue PVD finish which is both durable and attractive. Expect a look that won’t offend or jar any golfer’s eye.

Each AI-One putter also has an automotive-grade polymer window either in the sole or cavity back to showcase just how lumpy and bumpy the AI-designed face is. Two front sole weights let golfers tailor head weight by 5g, 10g, 15g, or 20g, so each can be dialed into the exact set-up you desire.   

Video: How do the Odyssey AI-One models compare to other leading 2024 putters?

Odyssey AI-One putter: Meet the models 

Odyssey AI-One #1

RRP: $299.99 / £289

	Loft	Length	Lie	Head Weight	Toe Hang
Odyssey AI-One #1	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	355g	47°

Odyssey’s answer to one of the best blade putters of all time – Ping’s iconic toe and heel-weighted Anser. Thanks to having a crank neck hosel and 47° of toe hang this 355g traditional narrow body model is best suited to slight arc strokes and fast running surfaces.

Compared to the #2 that’s coming in February 2024 this model has a slightly wider head profile and more flowing, less angular back bumpers. There’s no sightline on the top rail so it’s likely golfers who gravitate to this model will use the length of the putter blade to square up to their target line.

Odyssey AI-One Double Wide DB (Double Bend)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

	Loft	Length	Lie	Head Weight	Toe Hang
Odyssey AI-One Double Wide DB	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	20°

Very much the modern blade putter as wider body blades are trending up right now. A double bend shaft gives this head 20° of toe hang which opens this 360g model up to slightly straighter stroke players. Expect a fraction more forgiveness and stability than narrower traditional blade alternatives.

If you’re drawn to this model I’d seriously advise trying the 20g heavier and longer shafted Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Double Wide too. So long as you can handle the extra length and additional weight, you get extra stability and buy into the fastest-growing putting trend on tour – counter-balancing. 

Verdict: Odyssey AI-One Double wide putter

‘Forgiving’ and ‘blade’ used to be two words never uttered in the same sentence. But putter trends have changed so much over recent years that wide-body blades are now a seriously popular trend. The market has developed to such an extent today that forgiving blades could be a separate category, a concept that would never have been entertained just a few years ago.

Last year Odyssey’s Tri-Hot 5K Triple Wide featured among our award-winning blade putters whereas this year thanks to the AI insert tech helping to ensure on and off-center putts travel the same distance the Ai One Double Wide has taken up the baton.

I love this head shape with a face-balanced double bend shaft as I’ve always liked the look of blades but thanks to swinging the putter straight down the line the toe-hang often fights rather than helps my dancefloor game.     

I’d love to say Odyssey’s AI family has the capacity to ensure you never three-putt again but obviously, that’s not true, even though the company can legally claim their insert will on average hit off-center impacts 21% closer to the hole.

I’ve used the Double Wide for three months and have been really impressed with my distance judgment, I’ve also holed several pressure putts which might ordinarily have got away. I can’t specifically put that down to the AI tech but what the Double Wide head and AI face insert have given me is bundles of confidence which isn’t always the case on the greens.

I’ve seen enough from the AI One family during our 2024 test sessions to say if you’re looking at premium new putters in 2024, irrespective of whether they’re blade, mallet, or MOI models and you don’t at least trial an Odyssey AI model then you’re not doing your game justice.

Odyssey AI-One Rossie S (Slant) / Rossie DB (Double Bend)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

	Loft	Length	Lie	Head Weight	Toe Hang
Odyssey AI-One Rossie S	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	46°
Odyssey AI-one Rossie DB	3°	33″/34″35″	70°	360g	0°

The modern-day Rossie mid-mallet is much bigger than Odyssey’s original, but it remains a really good-looking putter and is one of the best mallet putters available. It’s Jon Rahm’s personal favourite and we love how there will be both a Slant Neck and Double Bend option to suit different strokes.   

Select the DB (Double Bend) for a face-balanced head that will suit straighter stroke players. Where the S (Slant Neck), which comes with 46° of toe hang, tends to be a better fit for more arcing strokes.

Odyssey AI-One #7 S (Slant) / #7 CH (Cranked Hosel)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

	Loft	Length	Lie	Head Weight	Toe Hang
Odyssey AI-One #7 S	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	40°
Odyssey AI-One #7 CH	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	10°

Odyssey #7 putters have been used by everyone from Open Champions to average hackers, which means this modern fang-shaped model comes with a huge pedigree. The head is a great combination of stability and feel, with golf ball width alignment cues and a sightline to highlight your intended impact position perfectly.

Slant Neck and Cranked Hosel options, give 40° and 10° of toe hang so the model can suit a wide range of players and stroke types.

Odyssey AI-One Jailbird Mini DB (Double Bend) / CH (Cranked Hosel)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

	Loft	Length	Lie	Head Weight	Toe Hang
Odyssey AI-One Jailbird Mini DB	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	0°
Odyssey AI-One Jailbird Mini CH	3°	33″/34″/35″	70°	360g	15°

Verdict: Odyssey AI-One Jailbird Mini putter

Golfers went crazy for the Jailbird after the 2023 US Open where Rickie Fowler shot the low opening round and Wyndham Clark went on to win the event using the same nine-year-old model. Unsurprisingly then Odyssey have reintroduced the Jailbird in their new 2024 Ai One putter family, a move I think will reap massive rewards in 2024.

I have to put my hand up and say despite the ‘21% closer’ claims of the AI face, it didn’t stop me three putting the first hole I played with my sample. Such a rude start though didn’t put me off loving this model. It’s absolutely not rocket science but the black, white, black, white finish of the Jailbird and having the back edge of the head running parallel to the face, rather than being curved like a mallet, is like having alignment help on steroids. If you can’t aim this model squarely at your target line there really isn’t a putter out there that can help.   

Admittedly this model is a little smaller than the counter-balanced 38” Jailbird model Rickie Fowler uses, but I believe for many that will be a plus as big MOI heads adorned with this sort of paint job are really in your face.

I’d love to say I’ve noticed the AI face tech helping off-center putts finish closer to the hole but in reality, that’s a feat that’s incredibly hard to prove definitively. I do however love the firm but soft feel of the insert, the roll across the greens surface is superb, and the Pistol-shaped grip is better than what the company have made for some time.

If it’s alignment and stability help you want in 2024 the Jailbird has all the answers.                  

I asked Odyssey General Manager, Luke Williams to explain more about the technology wrapped up in the Odyssey AI-One putter

Williams on the construction of the AI-designed face

Why is the pattern on the back of the titanium face different from the White Hot urethane insert?

It’s partly down to the different materials. The titanium has some spots in the heel that has extra humps and bumps, which is to maintain durability on off-center hits. So, it balances off-center speed with durability.

The advantage with the White Hot is how the backer deadens the strike behind the hitting surface. It means we can go thinner in the heel and toe more consistently, without encountering durability issues. So, it’s the materials and the combination of them being different in each family that dictates the different patterns.

Are the lumps and bumps the same on each insert within each of the families?    

We have one insert for the blades and one for the mallets. The shapes are a little bit different, but we don’t have a different insert for each model. There’s a blade insert and a mallet insert for both the AI-One and AI-One Milled families.

Why do you need a different insert for blades and mallets?

It comes down to the difference in geometry of the faces. The blades have a little deeper face where the mallets are a little shallower, so the shape of the insert changes, which dictates the different patterns on the back.

Williams on optimizing the AI-designed face insert

AI driver faces have taken Callaway 15,000 iterations to optimize, were a similar number needed for the putter faces?  

The final tally was around the 10K mark. It’s a little different than a driver, as there’s a smaller range of head speeds, plus there are different characteristics.

The interesting thing is putters are swung so much slower, so the ball is in contact with the ball for twice as long as when hitting a driver. You have more time to influence the ball with a putter, which is sort of counterintuitive, as many people would think it’s the opposite way around.

Williams on the AI-designed inserts used by tour pros

Are the inserts within Jon Rahm and Sam Burns putters the same as the models consumers buy?

Yes, the AI pattern on the back is the same from tour to retail. Sam Burns has his insert colored black as he likes the look, but the only difference is the color. You may see some more different color inserts out on tour, but structurally the inserts are exactly the same.

Williams on the new lightweight Stroke Lab shaft

How can the new lightweight steel Stroke Lab shaft possibly be as good as the previous multi-material design?

It’s better. The previous multi-material red Stroke Lab shaft weighs about 75g, whereas a typical steel putter shaft is about 115g, and the new Stroke Lab is 95g. There’s still 20g of counter-balancing built into the new model (it’s 30g if you choose the oversized grip), and we see lots of players are more consistent with a degree of counter-balancing when putting. They deliver the putter more consistently plus their tempo is more consistent, so we wanted to maintain that and add the benefit of a lower torque steel shaft.

With the previous multi-material shaft, where the steel tip section joined the graphite upper there was a little higher torque. On off-center hits, the putter would twist a little more, and with this new model being all about off-center hits, its all-steel construction will provide lower torque.

We think we’ll get more tour players into this new shaft, as previously only half our tour players have used Stroke Lab shafts, the rest use steel. At the end of the day, we want players to use what we sell.    

 

Odyssey Ai-One putters

Odyssey Ai-One #1

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Head Weight: 355g

Toe hang: 47°

Odyssey Ai-One Double Wide DB (Double Bend)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Headweight: 360g

Toe hang: 20°

Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S (Slant)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Headweight: 360g

Toe hang: 46°

Odyssey Ai-One Rossie DB (Double Bend)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Headweight: 360g

Toe hang: 0°

Odyssey Ai-One #7 S (Slant)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Headweight: 360g

Toe hang: 40°

Odyssey Ai-One #7 CH (Cranked Hosel)

RRP: $299.99 / £289

Loft: 3°

Length: 33"/34"/35"

Lie: 70°

Headweight: 360g

Toe hang: 10°

Stock shaft: Stroke Lab SL 90 (lightweight steel)

Stock grip: Odyssey Pistol

Visit the Odyssey website here