Martin Hopley
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If you are struggling with your putting then one of the options is to take your hands out of the stroke and adding weight to the putter helps achieve this.

However you can't just add it to the head only as otherwise it becomes unwieldy. You need to counterbalance the putter by also adding weight to the grip end of the club too.

This may sound like you will get a putter that is too heavy to use at all, but if you get it right then the two weights will balance each other out and it will have a similar feel to a regular putter.

That in essence is what Callaway has done with the Odyssey Tank putter. The head is 400g instead of around 320 grams, the shaft is 150g instead of around 120g and the grip has a 40g weight in it.

Odyssey Tank Putter

Now making putters heavier is nothing new as the appropriately named Heavy Putter company did this years ago. However over time they had to make lighter versions as the originals were too heavy for wide appeal. What I feel Callaway has done is refine this approach further and combine it with the one of their most popular head shapes in the #7.

Odyssey Tank Putter

This #7 is a face balanced head with a Moment of Inertia (MOI) that is 34% higher than a normal putter and you could feel that as you swung it. The extra weight felt very manageable and from short range the weight counterbalancing almost takes over your stroke and the Tank is excellent at this distance.

Sometimes when you move further away from the hole, heavier putters can become harder to control. However with the refinements that the Tank has done to the concept, even longer putts of up to 90 feet were as easy to judge as a normal putter

I tried a 34 inch shaft which is an inch shorter than my usual and I think it helped more as the heavier weight with a longer straighter arm is a good combination. If you want longer putters then you have to go up in 2 inch jumps to 36, 38 and 40 inches.

Odyssey Tank Putter

Some of the longer lengths increase the MOI gains even more and are good for having the heavier butt of the club above your hands. The longer shaft also allows you to grip the club where you feel it is most comfortable, rather than feeling compelled to hold it at the end of the grip and I like that approach.

Be careful on the grip size as the 38 and 40 inch shafts have chunkier grips and these grips may neutralise the wrist movement, but will result in a loss of feel. It will really be trial and error to see what length of shaft and grip gives you the best results.

The now classic #7 head uses a 'fang' design to keep the weight back and to the outside of the putter to increase the MOI.The Versa black and white colour scheme comes in a variety of combinations with the lines going with the line of the stroke or perpendicular to it.

Odyssey Tank Putter

According to some putting coaches, designs with the white on the outside and the black in the middle seen easier to align for more golfers, but that is really what you see is best for you. What is amongst the best is the white hot inset which as usual gives a great combination of sound and feel.

Odyssey Tank Putter

As a counterbalanced putter then the Odyssey Tank Versa #7 is one of the best I have tried. If you are needing some help with your putting then you should definitely check the Tank out as the extra weight should improve your strike rate from 6 feet and in.

If you are already a good putter then it is worth experimenting as it is as close to a normal putter as I have tried in this category. However compared to a normally weighted putter there is a bit less feedback of feel through the shaft and grip.

Go for one of the regular length shafts and it has the added benefit of looking like a regular putter to your opponent who will just see you banging them in and may give you a few more putts than if you stand there with something longer that advertises you may have an issue. And that could be worth the pretty reasonable price in itself.

Golfalot Rating: 5 stars
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Callaway Odyssey Tank Putter - Product Details

UK Launch12 April 2013
UK Launch RRP£149
USA Launch12 April 2013
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
Left Handed Lofts
Right Handed Lofts
MaterialSteel
Club Lengths34, 36, 38, 40 inches
Shaft TypesSteel
Moment of Inertia1060g/cm²
Putter ShapesMallet
Putter InsertYes
Putter Face GroovesNo
Manufacturer's WebsiteCallaway Website

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