When Odyssey turned up at the 2014 PGA Show in Orlando with a genuine tank at their stand, it had a few people turning heads. Other than drawing attention and several selfie-photos, it was there to highlight the company's Tank range of putters.
To build on the original Tank putter design, Odyssey have launched the Tank Cruiser, an adjustable, counterbalanced version of the original designed to combat the anchoring ban and improve stability.
Available in four different head types, each of the models features a new White Hot face insert, a new Superstroke putting grip and two dimensions of adjustability.
Each model comes fitted with two 15-gram sole weights with additional weights of 10 and 20 grams included. Odyssey recommend players change these weights based on green speed, with the lighter weights suited to a soft touch and faster greens and the heavier weights offering a stronger impact for slower greens.
Odyssey's Principal Designer, Austie Rollinson explains the company's thinking behind the Tank Cruiser:
Our goal was to create a putter with Tank’s stability, but with adjustable balance. With two levels of adjustability in Tank Cruiser, golfers can dial in the balance that suits their game and the courses they’re playing, better than ever before, without compromising inertia, which helps stabilise the putting stroke.
As Rollinson states, the new design allows players to alter the balance of the putter as well as the sole weight thanks to an adjustable screw weight in the end of the grip.
Once again the putter comes installed with a 15-gram weight in the grip, but this can be changed to feature a 5 or a 30 gram screw also.
The idea behind the grip weight is to alter the balance point of the putter. The heavier the weight in the grip, the higher the balance point is on the putter, and vice versa with the lighter weights. Moving the balance point will affect the feel and feedback a player gets from the putter.
Often if a player's hands are too active during the stroke, adding weight to the grip can help stabilise that. Likewise, if the head is too active or moving far more than the hands, adding less weight to the grip can solve this issue.
As mentioned, the Tank Cruiser is available in four familiar head shapes (from left-to-right below): the wide, blade-style #1, the 330 mallet, the popular #7 model and the larger V-Line mallet shape. All four models are available to right-handers, with left-handers offered either the #1 or #7 models.
For the first time Odyssey have teamed up with Superstroke Grips to offer a non-tapered grip as standard. The 15", oversized grip has proved to be very popular on Tour and Odyssey say the addition of the grip to the Tank Cruiser helps relieve tension in the wrist and forearms, whilst promoting a pendulum-like stroke.
