I am going to Golf Galaxy this weekend while my wife is working and going to look for a #10 to roll.
Review Odyssey TEN and Bird of Prey Putter Review
That's actually not surprising. It feels like they improved upon the “other” design in every facet to me. I had putts drop that I expected to two putt. ??
Yeah it’s staying.
curious to what you think coming from a milled face. I have my thoughts, but won't say until you take a few putts with one.
design wise i get the aiming line on the top, but a simple sight dot option would be great.
I don't anticipate replacing the Las Vegas, but I have to see the hype.
I am probably wrong, but it might make a loooot of sense for Toulon to look into a #10 style model
that would be an interesting shape to see. material cost would be nuts for something with that kind of footprint.
Very True.
Chipandrun
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Ok so I will admit I’m not as well obsessed about new equipment nor as good a player as many of the reviewers in these threads. I play off 18 and aim to hit between 90-100 off the stick each round.
First round with the Ten S (over the incumbent Ping Nome), was 31 putts (2 x 35 footers sunk). I normally hit between 36-40 putts (I’m super nervous over 1-2m putts). Total 38 points stableford. Missed 2 putts from 3-4m but they were from misreads. VERY happy with the putter at this stage. Confidence over short putts is strong (it feels SO stable) and long putts distance is good.
Best club in my bag right now.
How did I end up with a Bird of Prey? When the pictures and reviews first hit THP I was not interested in the least bit. There are some wild putter designs out there that I would never be able to play due to aesthetics. Yes I'm talking to you Indianapolis, Spider and anything EXO. It happened by accident actually. I was walking out the door of PGA SS when I saw a lonely BOP leaning against a pole. I picked it up "first mistake" and looked down at it. That huge white line stood out like a divining rod pointing to the hole 30 feet away on the featureless expanse of indoor putting green. I lined up a putt and drained it, I lined up another and it barely lipped out. A third putt went right in the hole.
Well that was interesting I thought as I quickly put it down and walked out of the store, seed planted. A word about my putting, I suck. I love golf but hate putting. I play golf despite putting being an integral part of the game. I used to practice putting a lot even though it ranks somewhere in between sitting in traffic and a root canal on the fun meter. After many months of practice my full shot game was improving but my putting remained bad. I decided to not dwell on it and play golf without worrying about putting.
Well big surprise, those three putts at PGA SS stuck out in my head and I decided to roll it again when I had more time. My return to golf in November of 2017 began with my ancient Rossie II that had been marinating in the closet for 15 years. I bought an O-works Tank 7 with a huge Superstroke grip on a whim a couple months later which I liked and then settled on a regular sized O-works 7 with a slim grip that I gamed for 2018 and 2019. Being frustrated with putting but satisfied with my putter I was not looking to make a change.
Lets discuss putter shapes and what constitutes a putter being too wild looking. The iconic 7 shape has been around forever and is very well respected. I have not heard many people say that the 7 is unsightly or too busy or insert your catch phrase for an ugly ass putter here.
When you look at the two putters side by side I do not see the aesthetics being that far apart on the wild scale. The 7 shape may have been lambasted years ago when it was first introduced but it has become widely accepted and I would bet most THP'rs have some experience with the 7 in some form. My point here is that first impressions are just that and if you give the BOP a chance it might just be the best putter you have ever rolled.
What is it about this putter that makes it great especially for a bad putter? Simple, alignment and distance control. The large white alignment line stands out against the green and is long enough to see if you are lined up correctly even when standing over the ball. That is what impressed me the most that day at PGA SS but the real surprise is how well it works in harmony with the Triple Track technology found on the previous generation CSX and now on the 2020 Chrome Soft and CSX. Those of you who want to try the TT but the CSX did not fit your game can rejoice and run to the store to buy some soon. I will have thoughts on the 2020 Chrome Soft with triple track in the appropriate thread soon.
The second part of why its so good is in the new White Microhinge insert and the namesake of the putter, Stroke Lab. I have read plenty about the Stroke lab technology but I still do not fully understand why it works. With that being said it absolutely does work and in conjunction with the new insert lag putting and distance control have become much better for me. I do not have to understand it and as long as it helps my putting ignorance is bliss. I was a bundle of nerves during the Grandaddy but this putter helped me and @HarryPotter win the second match on day one. On a cold rainy day where I was not playing well this putter on its maiden voyage drained some clutch putts down the stretch. How good is that, the very first day of use this putter made me better in the most pressure packed round of my life. I am very proud of what Jourdan and I did that day. We felt like two whipped dogs after the first nine but we persevered and did just enough to win the match.
In closing I would like to point out that at first I did not like this putter and would not have given it a chance if not for that fateful day at PGA SS. This would have been a mistake on my part and my putting would have suffered as a consequence. I urge everyone reading this to roll some putts with the Bird of Prey with an open mind. If its not for you there are a lot of different models in the Stroke Lab Black line of putters and I would bet one of them will grab your attention like the BOP did for me.
Thanks for the repost badolds! Very valid points about initial looks. The side-by-sides show that the BOP is about the same size/footprint as a “traditional” mallet.
And that big white line is so appealing to me! My first adult putter purchase was a Yes! Natalie because it had the longest alignment line in could find at the time.
Question for you: Did you try any of the Triple Track putters at the Grandaddy? If the BOP had a TT option would you game that?
And that big white line is so appealing to me! My first adult putter purchase was a Yes! Natalie because it had the longest alignment line in could find at the time.
Question for you: Did you try any of the Triple Track putters at the Grandaddy? If the BOP had a TT option would you game that?
Well done! Nice to feel confident about putting.
I really can’t believe that the Ten is already #1 model on tour this early on. It just seems like so many pros use blades. That is super impressive. Are there any stats on whether more pros use mallets vs blades?
I did not try any Triple Track putters at the Grandaddy. I was pretty sure the Bird of Prey was the putter for me and @Luke WilliamsCG verified it with the laser alignment test. I am a big fan of the Triple Track ball and would definitely give it a try on the BOP if it becomes available in the future. I was happy my putter fitting went fast, I was dying to get to the driving range and take my first swings with the Mavrik woods and irons. I grabbed a Callaway guy and he helped me pick some wedge grinds before my fitting began. Man I get excited thinking back to that day!!
- Staff
- #88
I think the other part of that equation to remember though is everyone and their dog has a blade shaped like the Anser, or multiple variations within a line, so they don’t hit the counts that the unique or at least more unique mallets do.
Plus, players have been clamoring for Ofyssey to do this shape for yeeeeaars.
- Moderator
- #89
Rolled the Ten when we were in the Callaway booth at the show. That’s a solid putter. I’m sure I’m not the only one who does this, but I hit the first putt from about 15ft and it was center cut. Hit a second, also went in center cut. I jokingly said to myself, “knock in the third and you should probably buy one when they come out.” Hit the putt and I just started saying no no no noooooo as it tracked right towards the other two. It bobbled on some sorta debris on the green and lipped out.
I love the TT on the ball. The putter version is even better but I don’t think I could use the TT on putter and ball. It would be a bit too much. The roll is strong, the feel is the same as my SL 7, so it wouldn’t be a hard transition to make. Not being able to flip the ball up though like with my 7 or San Diego though is more frustrating than I’d like to publicly admit. Some of us are lazy and appreciate that little flick to get the ball up.
I love the TT on the ball. The putter version is even better but I don’t think I could use the TT on putter and ball. It would be a bit too much. The roll is strong, the feel is the same as my SL 7, so it wouldn’t be a hard transition to make. Not being able to flip the ball up though like with my 7 or San Diego though is more frustrating than I’d like to publicly admit. Some of us are lazy and appreciate that little flick to get the ball up.
- Staff
- #90
The Ten is a #Gamechanger
- Moderator
- #91
One, you’re a monster. Why you do this?
Two, It’s a really really easy putter to line up.
- Staff
- #92
Best part is that they sit square, no manipulation needed like the Spider.
- Moderator
- #93
I knew there was something different between the two other than the alignment that I couldn’t figure out. I’ve never had success with the spider and thought it was just not working for me.
Yeah I realized after I posted that there's probably 157 different blade putter models used on tour
- Staff
- #95
Yup, spider when soled won’t naturally sit square, little thing that’s a big thing to many imo
As much as I liked the design & looks of the Spider in all its iterations, I never felt comfortable because I felt like it always twisted slightly when I soled it on the ground as I was setting up to aim it. So the Ten is a big improvement for sure.
It's funny when we where getting our presentation, Luke said there where a LOT of pros who could be better putters if they would stop using blades.
The Ten is a great putter and will help a lot of guys and gals make more putts.
While I don't agree with everything said about it, it is a putter that everyone should try if you are okay with the size.
According to Robin Williams (Live at The Met), size matters: "You can't make butter with a toothpick!" Big is OK with me. TBH, after starting with that Yes! Natalie, everything else looks small by comparison.
