The one true constant of playing various courses — outside of being scoffed at by the regulars — is that the greens will be totally different. Fast or slow, firm or soft, mowed tight or recently aerated. Finding consistent putting surfaces can drive you mad. Owning two putters seems ludicrous, but given the variability in green conditions, sometimes having options couldn’t hurt. After all, adjustable drivers have become common place, so why not make an adjustable putter? Odyssey Golf recently released the Flip Face Putter ($350) that gives golfers a choice between a White Ice insert and the company’s new Metal-X face.
Our experience with this unique putter on the next page.
Before you chalk up the design as another infomercial gimmick, let us assure you that this is a stout, solid putter. We didn’t find any wobble or structural looseness that would alter putts or put doubts in a golfer’s minds. Since a screw holds the head together, changing faces is as easy as using the provided wrench and literally flipping the face over. It’s quick, painless, and the end result is two very nice putters in one.
The White Ice face has been around forever and is a tried and true insert. It’s soft and supple design provides exceptional feel that’s probably best suited for faster, firmer greens. The Metal-X face is brand new and has us very excited. A double layer insert mixes the firm feel of metal, in this case aluminum, with a Urethane inner layer for a softer influence. The two materials play nicely together for what we’d classify as medium firmness. Additionally, the aluminum face is cut with oval depressions that help to improve the mechanical lock with a golf ball’s dimples. The effect is reduced skid and better topspin which will help putts hold their line, especially as they begin to slow down.
We’ll concede that a dual-face putter may not be for everyone, but we can certainly see the appeal of warming up on the practice green and dialing in your feel with each face before make a final decision.
Editor’s Note: We’ve put in a few rounds with the Metal-X Putter and came away impressed with the face. It worked wonders on slower greens and gave us plenty of pop for longer putts. It rolls a consistently true putt. If you’re interested though, Odyssey offers a standard putter options with the Metal-X face here.
Buy Now: $350
