News
Odyssey 2-Ball Putter
3/14/2004
October 2001, Paul Lawrie used it to sink an impressive 40-foot putt to birdie the 18th hole and win the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. A shot that would have generated hug attention anyway got even more because of the 2-Ball was odd-looking and novel. It came to market a few months later, and with its various spinoff and sequel models, more than a million have been sold. In fact, the dominant White Hot and DFX models – both versions of the 2-Ball – accounted for 25.3 percent of all putters sold in pro shops and golf equipment retail stores during 2003, according to Golf Datatech, far outdistancing all competitors A traditional putter has a rather narrow head; when you look down on it as you prepare to tap a golf ball – hopefully – toward the hole, you see a blank rectangle (or maybe a stripe or a logo). The 2-Ball has extended the mallet, atop which are a pair of white golf-ball-diameter discs, a handy visual trick that is meant to help the golfer visualize a straight hit on the ball itself. The 2-Ball was partly inspired by the Dave Pelz putter of the 1980's, which used three actual golf balls mounted on a flange. But when the United States Golf Association ultimately ruled this setup "nonconforming," the putter sank, since even golfers who have no intention of playing in a club tournament don't want to be ostracized for using unapproved equipment. (Besides, noted Tom Stine of Golf Datatech, the Pelz putter "looked like it was made in your garage.") The 2-Ball's U.S.G.A. approval meant you can get non-skill-related improvement to your game without being accused of cheating.
