Let it be known that Odyssey Golf listens. They listen to their Tour staff, their professional staff, sales team, and they listen to us. Why do I lead with this? Because finally, the company is giving us what so many have asked for, the White Hot is back!
That said, in the immortal words of one LL Cool J, “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years”.
For 2021 Odyssey Golf is officially releasing the White Hot OG lineup of putters, and this putter nerd who has been screaming from the rooftops for years about officially bringing the greatest putter insert of all-time back couldn’t hold back the excitement even if I wanted to.
Let’s dive in.
Legend of the White Hot
Before we get to the White Hot OG line, it is worth diving into just what makes the re-release of this insert such a big deal. Normally, if a company goes back to the well then there will be keyboard warriors and squeaky wheels whining until the cows come home, but the White Hot isn’t just tech, its legend, and from THE #1 putter company on Tour for the last decade that is saying a lot.
I realize writing this, that though some will fondly remember the White Hot and hold it in the same regard as so many of us do, after all Odyssey admits to hearing a desire for this insert to come back for years upon years, others may not have been around to experience the heyday. If that is the case, I bet you have still seen the insert either on a course somewhere or just on TV as over half of the company’s Tour staff uses the White Hot insert retrofitted into their modern putter head-shapes.
The White Hot insert came about when Odyssey’s putter designers were looking for insert materials and had a conversation with Callaway’s golf ball engineers. In that conversation they were lead to the also legendary Rule 35 golf ball and its urethane material. The material itself is a two-part urethane that is firm to the initial touch, but under impact performs much softer and these traits allow it to have better rebound and faster speed compared to other soft feeling options. This is what gives the White Hot insert its legendary feel and roll combo.
For years now, the company has tried to replicate the feel of the White Hot while improving the roll, and to do that they continuously tried to match the hardness as closely as possible, but even as they have accomplished that, something was still off feel and sound wise. Turns out, when they looked at the flex of White Hot compared to their other inserts, though the various designs may have had the same hardness, none of them compared to the White Hot in how it flexes. What does it mean? Basically, that the White Hot was the perfect storm, and though they have designed many inserts since that put a better overall performance roll on the ball, the White Hot remains the be-all for many.
So here we are, 20 years later, and the White Hot is back. Not only is it back, Odyssey wants it made clear, this isn’t a new take on the original, this is the original. The formula, composition, processes, and the way it is cast into sheets and then cut for the models is all the same. It is truly the OG.
Odyssey White Hot OG
While the insert is clearly the star of the show here, Odyssey didn’t want to just throw it into any old head design, nor did they want to miss on the looks. So, they went through their arsenal and selected some of their most popular designs, then they focused in on milling the heads and finishing them with a classic satin silver PVD. With major attention paid to the edge radii of the putters as well as fine milling marks, the company vehemently believes when combined with sole weights, clean graphics, as well as an all-new Stroke Lab (SL) shaft and popular DFX grip in grey, that they will make a lot of golfers incredibly happy.
While the putters will be available with steel shafts for a lower price, the new Stroke Lab is sure to turn some heads. Some of you have spotted a couple on Tour already and the Candy Apple Red upper section is a major departure from the stealthy black of the previous iteration. The new SL has a shorter stepless steel section, is 7 grams lighter, and is a stiffer overall profile which has led to Odyssey’s testing to show 6% more consistent time to impact, 9% more consistent impact location, and a 6% more consistent swing arc.
As for the head shapes, the ever popular #1 and #1 WS (wide sole) make up the blade models alongside the classic #5 SB (single bend) for the mid-mallet option. For mallets, the Rossie with a thinner topline and modernized overall flow is returning in a double bend and slant neck, and naturally their most popular shapes of all time the 2-Ball in double bend, #7 in double bend, and slant neck are also coming to the party.
The Odyssey White Hot OG putters will drop on 1/28/21 and come in at $219.99 for steel and $269.99 with the new Stroke Lab. Do not miss our THP Showcase next week featuring testing of each of these new putters and so much more.
Greatest insert of all time my man!
My SL Ten is face balanced and my SeeMore is toe hang. Honestly, the biggest difference I notice between them is the feel off the face (insert vs. no insert).
Now I’m debating if I should order one or pick one up locally. Can’t decide which model though. SL1? or SL7?
Both pretty hard to argue with choices. Can’t lose? Which shape do you have less of in the stable – maybe branch out?
I got drawn in by this line. Ordered a Rossie S SL yesterday. I rolled these at the store and was so impressed. White Hot is an iconic putter and I missed to original Odyssey craze,, so I pretty stoked about trying out both White Hot and especially the Rossie S for a bit.
I actually rolled a 7 with a micro hinge insert in the past. Good looking putter. That would be my first non blade choice….
I have both the 1WS and the 7S. I really like both, but I think that I will settle into the 7S. I putted so well with it yesterday, despite never having had it on a real practice green.
More time. It’s early!
Patience is low when I only play once a week! ? I’ve never loved slant necks but went with one this time because of the toe hang.
I’ve sold a putter after one bad round before so I hear you on this
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pretty shape, what’s the back-scoop-pickup-the-ball situation with that one?
Sadly, I took the golf balls and putting target I had at work home a couple weeks ago. I’ll check it out later and report back
that looks awesome!
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Back scoop is not the easiest picker-upper. Fairly think on the trailing edge.
I like both of those heads a great deal. Indoors, the 1Ws is as good as anything I have ever tried. Outside, I think my lagging is a touch better with the 7s.
IN: White Hot OG #7S
The feel from the insert is just so much better. Microhinge star is an absolute lemon.
I mean, I’m one in the camp preferring the WH feel, but there is no denying the MH Star insert is the highest performance insert that Odyssey has.
MH Star might be good at producing immediate forward roll.. but for me putting is all about feel.. and I know which option I prefer and performs better for me.
Clearly I have a bias for soft feeling putters. I couldn’t find a ball soft enough to make the MH Star feel the way I wanted it to.
And it’s fair, preference is preference. Both are damn good inserts at what they do.
I’m the same way. I tried the MH Strokelab putters when they first came out, and just didn’t like the feel of them. I LOVE the feel of the White Hot. My buddy bought a MH Strokelab and putts pretty well with it. But not quite as well as I do with his old WH that I traded him an A wedge for! He was lights out with his old WH, and I have no idea why he’d ever want to change.
I have been testing the Two Ball OG and had the same impression on the face. Not quite sure how to explain it other than it feels soft, but doesn’t come off the face like the putter cover is still on it. I did swap the grip out for something thicker and I am having a little remorse for doing so. So far I am pleasantly surprised with its performance.
I swapped out the stock grey grip recently and it was an instant improvement. The stock grip was tacky and felt great the first week or so and then from practicing it became really smooth and slippery. It was slick and I ended up hating that feeling and wasn’t putting well. I switched it out for a Tour SNSR and it’s changed the putter for me. Just quoting to let you know what ended up happening to my stock grip after a few uses
At first I wasn’t sure, and over a couple days have really come to like the stock grip. I do notice it is very smooth, and I do like some cord so it may get swapped. For now though I’m embracing it, hoping it won’t turn slippery as you mention.
I have had the same unexpected wow experience with the #1. Great combo with that insert.
Appreciate the feedback, I went to a Superstroke 1.0 which I play in my other putters. At least I feel better knowing that it gets slick (it felt a little slick but I do remember the original ones were like that.
That’s the other thing. The insert felt perfect on that one. Felt a bit softer on others, but it could be in the weight perception. I’m sure the total club weights are nearly identical, but the perceivable weight is different and I was shocked. That’s the most stable blade I can remember trying and the insert is perfect for it.
I hope so too for you since I loved that grip when I first got the putter! It wasn’t bag wear or anything either since I was just using it on a putting mat and kept it out in the open during that time. So I’m not sure what happened to it
Rossie S. ?
Not a shape i usually gravitate towards but i’d take it! I really need Odyssey to stop neglecting us Jailbird fans.
Sounds like taking a trip back in time.
Me either. This is about my 3rd mallet putter ever, I’m a blade guy. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone because my first temptation was the 1WS. It was fantastic when I demo’d them back to back. I left the store thinking 1WS and talked myself into Rossie after I got home, and glad I did.
My reasoning was, since I have not gamed to many mallets, I went Rossie S instead of 1WS to expand my experience repertoire. Plus, Rossie is about as OG as it gets with Odyssey. I think the new shape is even better than the original since they made it deeper front to back. The first couple days I was not totally sure I could align it well automatically…. but I think I’ve worked through that because even though I still feel like I am double checking the alignment, the results are pretty darn money. I’ve told myself to back off the OCD and just trust the roll.
The milling on the bumpers is nothing but flow. And the head combined with the White Hot – just amazing.
Like everything, including humans, things get old!
The Odyssey WH putter that I traded my buddy for came with the largest, I think, grip that Super Stroke makes! It was old, and slick, and far too big for my hands. So, I went to the golf store, shopping for some golf, and pulled every single putter grip that they had! I found a slightly oversize Lamkin paddle grip that I just love! Works with this putter perfectly for me.
I would agree with that if the putter wasn’t less than a month old with no course time when I decided to replace the grip lol
but I’m glad that whatever happened, did because the new Tour SNSR is working wonders on this thing