Is The 1/2 Ball Design Half Baked Or A Game Changer In Putter Alignment?

I’ve always seen Odyssey as front-runners when it comes to implementing new technology and ideas into putters, and recently, it has been pushing the boundaries using Artificial Intelligence to create putters that help stay ahead of the competition.

Following the massive success of the Ai-One and Ai-One Milled lines, which were deemed some of the best putters on the market, the brand has returned with the new Ai-Dual range. I took the Ai-Dual 1/2 Ball Double Wide DB ($349/£299) out on the course to see if the new technology lives up to the hype.

The headline feature (aside from the necessarily long name) is undoubtedly the Ai-Dual Insert, which is designed using A.I. to create a variable face thickness - the goal being to deliver consistent ball speed across the face while enhancing the feel. This insert is a dual-layer urethane construction featuring a soft outer layer and a firm inner layer, which has undoubtedly formed what I believe is the softest feeling putter face on the market.

Image 1 of 2

Odyssey has paired this with a new FRD (Forward Roll Design) Groove. It features a deeper, more aggressive 19° slope that works in conjunction with the insert to get the ball rolling forward almost immediately, reducing skid and bounce. This worked particularly well on the fast greens of Terre Blanche (France), where I took this putter for a spin.

This putter is finished with the SL 90 Shaft, a lightweight steel shaft with 20-30 grams of counterbalance weight in the butt end (depending on the grip) that we have seen in previous Odyssey putters. The idea is to quieten the hands and improve tempo, which I certainly found the latter to be true.

For those wanting even more stability and a true counterbalance feeling, these putters are also available in a Cruiser option ($399/£339) that comes with a heavier 140g shaft and 17” grip.

This shaft offered a smoothness throughout the stroke, which, alongside the clever face design, helped me with my distance control and allowed me to consistently roll my ball up within ‘gimme’ range. I wouldn’t quite classify this putter as one of the most forgiving putters on the market, but some of the larger mallet putters in this range certainly could be.

The Double Wide DB is a shape that boasts some popularity on tour, offering the forgiveness of a mallet with the toe flow of a blade. Alex Noren uses an older Double Wide model, while Min Woo Lee recently made the switch away from a Double Wide and into a new S2S Jailbird putter. However, it’s the new 1/2 Ball Alignment option that is what really stands out with this Double Wide model.

Odyssey frames this as its next revolutionary alignment technology, designed to center impacts and improve aim, however, being honest, the new 1/2 ball alignment just doesn't suit my eye with this particular model, eating too much into the head of the putter.

That’s not saying I hate this alignment aid in general, and the line through the middle certainly helps, I just much prefer the look of this alignment system in the larger mallets, such as the #7 and Jailbird heads. With these, there is more real estate for the design to stand on its own and contribute to the look of the putter rather than detract from the aesthetics.

The Odyssey Ai-Dual 1/2 Ball Double Wide DB is very much a tale of two halves for me. The performance of the Ai-DUAL insert is really impressive, and if you chase a soft feel in the ilk of the legendery White Hot status and true roll, this putter is right up there with the best.

However, you need to make sure the 1/2 Ball alignment system fits your eye. On this specific head shape, I found it to be a little too busy, but everyone is different and there are four other shapes should you want it on a larger head.