Odyssey introduces a new 1/2 Ball alignment aid with Ai-Dual putters

Odyssey has always been a leader in alignment technology, going back over 20 years with their first 2-ball putter.

Now the company is adding another option to their lineup with the new 1/2 Ball alignment aid in the Ai-Dual putter line.

“When you look at addressing, you want something that is so smooth that you don’t see any interruptions,” Callaway VP Product Strategy Jacob Davidson told GOLF. “The half ball on the putter and the actual ball – they just all blend together. That unlocks this tension and freedom where everything lines up so perfectly, and subconsciously your brain just lets go.”

The new Ai-Dual line features the company’s Ai-Dual insert, first used in the S2S Tri-Hot line, and has six traditional models and four Square 2 Square models. Six of the new putters are available with the new 1/2 Ball alignment aid

Keep reading below to learn more about the Odyssey Ai-Dual putters, including my thoughts on the release.

View the entire collection here.

What’s actually new with Odyssey Ai-Dual putters — and why should you care?

Technology that needs no explanation

The 2-ball alignment aid has been part of the Odyssey line for years and has shown how much better people aim when the ball is placed and centered in the middle of the putter face. The only downside, Davidson admitted, is that it can get a little crowded for some.

For the new Ai-Dual series, Odyssey engineers wanted to create a new system that was simple and achieved the same thing as 2-ball. That’s where the new 1/2 Ball comes into the picture.

“Once you see it, you can’t unsee it,” Davidson said. “You don’t have to explain it to the consumer. The light bulb moment goes on.”

That happened when Akshay Bhatia became the first player to use the new alignment aid on the PGA Tour when he switched to an Ai-Dual Jailbird 1/2 Ball Cruiser Broomstick at the Procore Championship last fall.

“They went out on Wednesday and played a practice round and he had his coach and his caddy watch him line up every putt, and just the line-up based on the starting line from where he was looking was just drastically different,” Davidson said. “He liked the forward roll, the insert and the feel of the insert, but the alignment technology was the most important.”

And while the technology needs no explanation, Callaway worked with two college professors from Baylor and Clemson to prove how well the alignment tool worked. With more than 1,000 putts hit by 52 testers, players made more than 10 percent more putts from 6 feet with the 1/2 Ball alignment aid.

Same insert, bigger stage

The namesake Ai-Dual insert actually makes its second appearance in an Odyssey putter. It was first released in the S2S Tri-Hot line, but will now be more widely available in the Odyssey flagship line.

The insert consists of two layers of urethane with a softer outer layer and a firmer inner layer, shaped by artificial intelligence to control ball speed. While there is no window where you can see the back of the insert like the Ai-ONE line, you can see the contours on the bottom of the insert on the bottom of the putter.

Similar to Tri-Hot, the insert is paired with deeper and more aggressively placed Forward Roll Design grooves to ensure consistent forward roll across the face.

Updates for S2S

There are three Square 2 Square options with the shapes No. 7, Jailbird and S2S Max. While Tri-Hot introduced low-torque putters without shaft lean, the new Ai-Dual options still feature shaft lean, although reduced from 3.3˚ to 2˚ versus the Ai-ONE Square 2 Square models.

“In the last 18 months, 40 percent of the market has said, ‘We don’t mind the axle lean. We bought it. We like it,'” Davidson said.

On the standard length models, Odyssey has created a new reverse-tapered grip, which compensates for the skinny shaft. While other manufacturers use straight, tapered offset grips on their low-torque, bevel-axis putters, Odyssey’s version has a more standard overhand, making the grip feel more natural.

S2S models will also come with a heavier black SL120 axle instead of the silver SL90 axle found in the rest of the Ai-Dual range. That came directly from Tour feedback, as players asked for low-torque models with heavier shafts to stabilize the stroke. The black shaft is also less distracting due to the placement of the central shaft.

The Odyssey Ai-Dual setup

The 15 different models in the Ai-Dual range from six of Odyssey’s most popular shapes.

#1

What is it: A traditional Anser-style knife with rounded contours

Hose configurations: Crank hose

Who is it for: Players who want a traditional shape.

Double wide

What is it: A face-balanced broad-blade knife. Available with or without the new 1/2 Ball alignment tool.

Hose configurations: Double bend

Who is it for: Golfers who want a traditional look, but a little more forgiveness.

#7

What is it: A fanged style hammer. Available in a Cruiser configuration with a Double Bend Hostel and 1/2 Alignment. Standard versions are only available with the 1/2 Ball in the angled neck.

Hose configurations: Slanted, double bend, S2S

Who is it for: Players with different shot types who want a more traditional looking hammer with high MOI.

Jailbird Mini

What is it: A smaller version of the popular Jailbird hammer shape with the horizontal Versa alignment tool. Available with or without the new 1/2 Ball alignment tool.

Hose configurations: Double bend

Who is it for: Players who want a more compact hammer shape.

Prison bird

What is it: Odyssey’s most popular rounded mallet shape with a window for higher MOI. Available as a Cruiser with the 1/2 Ball alignment tool or in S2S.

Hose configurations: Double bend, S2S

Who is it for: Players who want a hammer with a high MOI and a counterbalance configuration to stabilize the hands.

S2SMax

What is it: Odyssey’s most forgiving head shape. Only available for S2S in standard, counterbalance or broomstick configuration.

Hose configurations: S2S

Who is it for: Players who want maximum forgiveness.

My opinion: Alignment means everything

Your putter is only as good as you can aim it and Odyssey has always taken that message to heart.

The big message of the new Ai-Dual series is the 1/2 Ball alignment tool, something that in my opinion looks much better than the 2-Ball and achieves the same thing.

When it comes to the Odyssey setup, the Double Wide is my favorite shape and going back and forth between the traditional version and the new 1/2 Ball version has been fun to see how much better I get centered over the ball. We’ve seen more subtle examples of this concept, but the Odyssey version is the simplest and easiest to use.

That’s the whole point of alignment technology. What good is it if you have to explain to someone what it is and what it does?

The new line is also another example of the Ai-Dual insert being praised for its vastly improved feel over Ai-ONE. Ai-Dual feels soft, but there’s still enough sound to get the feedback most players want. I think this could be an Odyssey insert that starts to rival Microhinge for dominance on the PGA Tour.

Price, specifications and availability

Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 ball double wide DB custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball #7 S custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 ball Jailbird Mini custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball #7 DB Cruiser custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 ball Jailbird DB Cruiser custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball Square 2 Square Max custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball Square 2 Square Max Cruiser Custom Putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL #1 CH custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL double wide custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 DB custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 S custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL Jailbird Mini DB custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL Square 2 Square Jailbird custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL Square 2 Square #7 custom putter

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Odyssey Ai-DUAL 1/2 Ball Square 2 Square Max Broomstick Cruiser Custom Putter

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Odyssey’s new Ai-Dual putters are available for pre-order from January 21 and will arrive at retail locations at January 23.

Standard Ai-Dual models cost $349.99, while Cruiser builds and S2S models will cost $399.99. S2S Cruiser models cost $449.99.

Stock specs for standard Ai-Dual models are: 3˚ loft, 70˚ lie and lengths available from 33″ to 35″, with Cruiser models available at 38″. Standard specifications for S2S Ai-Dual models are: 3˚ loft, 72˚ lie and lengths available from 33″ to 35″, while Cruiser models are available at 38″. The S2S Max Broomstick is 48″ long with a lying angle of 78˚.

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