Gear: Odyssey TRTL and TRTL Max S2S putters
Price: $349.99 for TRTL S, DB and CH; $399 for TRTL Max S2S.
Specs: Mallet heads with four adjustable sole weights, Twin Track alignment and an aluminum-urethane face insert. Standard models have S-neck, double-bend or crank-hosel configurations; Max S2S has a zero-torque configuration.
Available: Nov. 6
Who it’s for: Golfers who want a forgiving mallet with a prominent alignment aid and multiple fitting options, including a larger zero-torque model.
What you should know: Odyssey’s TRTL family pairs extreme perimeter weighting with a new insert designed to maintain ball speed on off-center strikes. The Max S2S is six percent larger and has approximately 20 percent higher moment of inertia than the standard
models.
The Deep Dive: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had weapons, attitude and a love of pizza. Odyssey’s new TRTL putters have four sole weights and a design made to help golfers stop leaving putts short.
Pronounced “turtle,” TRTL started as a sketch made by Odyssey’s product team in Japan. The concept was straightforward: Take weight out of the middle of a head and re-position it in the corners to increase moment of inertia (MOI) and make the putter more resistant to twisting on off-center strikes.
Odyssey spent about a year refining the design before bringing it to Tour players. Early versions were angular, with elements borrowed from the company’s #7 putter, but the finished head has softer edges, a black exterior and a green central crown. Maryland Terrapins fans may not be crazy about the color scheme, but every golfer can benefit from enhanced forgiveness on the greens.
The new Twin Track alignment system extends back from the leading edge. It contrasts with the green background and should appeal to golfers who like a long visual guide behind the ball.
The real star of the show, however, is the new Ai Star insert that was created to enhance distance control.
Like Odyssey’s Ai-One insert, Ai Star combines an aluminum backing with a urethane face. Thinner sections toward the heel and toe are designed to preserve ball speed when golfers miss the center. Odyssey defines its sweet spot as the area producing ball speed within one percent of a center strike, and the brand claims Ai Star expands significantly.
While the Ai-Dual insert emphasized forward roll, Odyssey says it produced slower ball speed and some golfers found the response too soft. Ai Star brings a firmer response and more speed for a given putter-head speed.
Four adjustable sole weights add a level of personalization. Fitters can redistribute mass, shift the center of gravity, and increase or decrease the swing weight on the length, loft, lie, grip and personal preferences of the player.
Min Woo Lee, who first put a TRTL into competition at Pebble Beach back in February, moved into a double-bend version with more weight toward the heel later in the season.
The standard TRTL comes with an S-neck, double-bend shaft or crank hosel, but the larger Max S2S brings Odyssey’s Square 2 Square (zero-torque) configuration to a head with additional stability.
David Dusek is a senior Golfweek writer covering golf equipment and technology.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Odyssey TRTL putters target better aim and fewer short putts
