There’s no arguing that the easiest place to
pick up strokes on the golf is on the
putting green. So, after you grab the latest
driver to chase down a few extra
yards, why not invest in a putter that will
deliver the performance you need to
lower your scores?
The new Odyssey White Hot Pro Havok putter
($159) is one of the most accurate and
forgiving putters the company has ever
produced. It couples the highest
MOI in the Odyssey line up with the brand’s
patented -- not to
mention, new and improved --
White Hot insert.
FIRST REACTION
The first thing you will notice about the
Odyssey Havok is the sleek and stylish
design -- the glossy white face against the
clean matte black finish is really
attractive.
SPECS
The Odyssey Havok is offered in both right and
left- handed models, with length
options from: 33-35 inches. The putter comes
with a standard 70 degree lie
angle, three degrees of loft, and a full offset
shaft. The newly-engineered White
Hot insert rounds out the package, delivering
improved sound, feel, accuracy, and
forgiveness.
PROS AND CONS
On the plus side, it’s hard to argue with
performance and feel and the White Hot
Pro Havok delivers on both fronts.
The White Hot insert would make any putter
feel great. The sweet spot of the
putter feels smooth, and as you work your way
out from the center, the feel
becomes a little firmer. I would
almost compare the feel of the toe
and heel of the Havok to the center of the
brand’s White Ice insert. Even better there
was hardly any difference in
distance control between center
and off center hits.
To be really comfortable with a putter, you've
got to find the perfect weight and
balance for your stroke. Many golfers are
very particular about the weight of
their putter. Compared to most mallet putters
the Havok's weight is in the middle of the
pack at 360 grams head weight. As far as the
balance goes, I really enjoyed how
this putter swung
freely in my hands, as if it was
programmed to travel back and forth on my
intended line without having to do
anything but rock my shoulders.
The simple dotted line coupled with the two
white railings helps you imagine the
putter is on rails so that it’s much easier to
keep your stroke on path.
One small negative: The white insert tends to
get grass-stained
fairly easy if you forget to clean it
after each round. I was putting
for maybe 10 minutes and I
started to notice stains on the face. They
clean off pretty easily, and your insert
should stay clean and white if you are diligent
about it. In
addition, the larger mallet head might
take a little getting used to if you're not
currently using a mallet putter.
FINAL THOUGHT
Putter technology has come a long way in the
past 10-20 years, and Odyssey
has another winner with the White Hot Pro
Havok. If you've dedicated yourself to
lowering your putts per round, and like a mallet
style putter, you should give it a
try.
