Joe Ferguson from Golf Monthly takes a look at the Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II putter, which Nick Faldo won the Masters with in 1996, and compares it to the modern day equivalent in the Odyssey Ai-One Rossie putter in this series of Retro Review.
Can it still compete with the modern day equivalent?
Filmed at: Frilford Heath golf club.
Can it still compete with the modern day equivalent?
Filmed at: Frilford Heath golf club.
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00:00Retro review time again and I've got a beauty for you today.
00:03Today I'm looking at the Odyssey Dual Force Rossi II Putter.
00:08Now those of you in the know will know this was made famous
00:10by Nick Fowler at the 1996 Masters.
00:13And as always on Retro Review,
00:14we're putting it up against the modern day equivalent.
00:16So I'm looking at the Odyssey Rossi AI1 Double Bend Putter.
00:22Now we teamed up with Golf Clubs for Cash,
00:24one of the leading retailers of pre-loved equipment.
00:26We're gonna see how these stack up against each other.
00:28Let's go.
00:30Let's go.
00:36So the Rossi II was really the putter that paved the way
00:38for Odyssey to become what they are today.
00:41And paved the way for other models like the two ball,
00:43like the number seven, the fang that you'll all be familiar.
00:46Loads of familiar Odyssey models.
00:48Now essentially this was a face balance putter
00:51and it came with some really cool alignment aids.
00:53On the top of the flange here,
00:54we've got three alignment aids that sit on the leading edge
00:56and two that sit on the back.
00:58So it was really super easy to line up.
01:00And another benefit of that is it kind of helped you with your eye line.
01:03I always found if you try and get those two lines to match up when you're looking down on them,
01:07you could be pretty sure your eyes were in a really nice place over the ball.
01:12It was one of the first putters ever to use an insert, which really affected the feel and enhanced that feel.
01:17And again, really paved the way for some later technologies, which you'll see present on this AI-1.
01:22So we've got the white hot insert.
01:24This has become really, really familiar and we've got the AI-1 face that sits behind there,
01:29which is all designed to increase the MOI and increase your performance off your miss hit putts.
01:34Loads of other technological advancements here.
01:36We've got interchangeable weights.
01:39We've got the stroke lab shaft.
01:40There's a lot more going on here.
01:42So I think it's time to see whether the technological advancements have made all the difference
01:46and see if this can still stack up against the competition.
01:49So before we get the first impressions here, let's get the numbers out of the way.
01:53I picked this up for £48.99, less than £50 for a putter that's won multiple, multiple majors.
02:00That's a really, really good deal.
02:01When you consider the AI-1 that I'm putting it up against, retails at around £289.99.
02:06There's quite a significant difference there, I think you'll agree.
02:09So in terms of first impressions, down by the ball, I've used this putter a lot in the past.
02:13It was really a very familiar look for me.
02:16I love the abundance of alignment aids, as I mentioned.
02:19They're really prevalent on the top and it makes it really, really easy
02:22to point this putter where you want to point it.
02:25This is one of the first putters with an insert, so it'll be really interesting.
02:29Yeah, that's really nice.
02:32A little low on the blade, but it still felt really, really soft.
02:35So it just ran out of pace because I hit it a little lower on the blade.
02:40But really, with that very simple alignment aid and that super soft feel to just burn the lip there,
02:47that's a really, really nice feeling putter.
02:50It's giving me vibes of Faldo 96 already.
02:53I'm really enjoying this one already.
02:55A little bit off the toe, still maintain its speed and just slipped out on the left edge.
03:01So that's a really interesting one.
03:03Let's grab those balls back and we'll hit a couple of putts with the AI-01 and get some first impressions of that as well.
03:07Okay, so the first thing I notice about the AI-01 when I put it in behind the ball is it's a little bit deeper.
03:14So there's more depth to this head, it's a bit rounder and it's a little bit larger, which is likely to give us a little bit more MOI and a little bit more forgiveness.
03:22The alignment aids are still very, very clear, although they've gone away from the sort of wider corresponding lines on the top edge to be able to match to the back edge.
03:31So they've lost that kind of, as I said, accidental training aid if you like, although it is still really, really clear to line up.
03:39Secondly, I would say it's definitely a much more premium looking head.
03:43The sort of dark navy finish is really, really smart and the white alignment aids really contrast nicely against that sort of dark navy finish.
03:53We've got the very, very popular white hot insert, which is essentially made from the same material as a golf ball.
03:58So matching those fields has always been a real winner.
04:01And we've got more features everywhere.
04:03We've got a weight plate on the bottom.
04:04We've got interchangeable weights in the heel and toe to spread that weight.
04:07And we've got that AI-1 face behind the ball, which we know gives us some assistance on mishits.
04:12Not only that, we've got more tech in the shaft.
04:14We've got the Stroke Lab technology in the shaft.
04:16So in theory, this putt is packed with an awful lot more features.
04:19So it'll be really interesting to see how it performs.
04:22Let's say, as with the other Rossi, really easy to line up.
04:26I would argue that's slightly firmer to the feel.
04:30It's done a great job.
04:31It's rolled straight in for me.
04:32I would argue that's slightly firmer in the feel.
04:37Coming off really, really nicely.
04:40That probably would have gone in had it not glanced that ball as well.
04:49Yeah, rolling really nicely off that face.
04:51Arguably, that was probably three out of three from this 20, 22 foot range for the newer technology there.
04:58So it's going to be really, really interesting to see how it gets on when we start putting it on some more official tests.
05:03Okay, if you're enjoying what you're seeing, don't forget to hit that like button and subscribe to the channel.
05:08Also, let us know in the comments what you'd like me to take a look at in my next retro review.
05:13Okay, so I'm down here at Frilford Heath Golf Club, which is beautiful by the way.
05:17And I've set up a 70 foot putt on this par three.
05:20So lag putting is crucial to your score, not only to your score, but also to your short putting.
05:25Because obviously the closer you can lay these, the more chance you've got holding the next putt.
05:29So it's really, really important.
05:31In theory, the tech behind the new modern putter, the AI1 face, the Stroke Lab shaft,
05:36everything that goes into this should make it a little bit more forgiving on these longer putts.
05:40And this is where people generally miss the center of the face when they're putting more swing and more oomph into the putt.
05:46So in theory, this is where it should come into its own.
05:49So what I'm going to do is I'm going to hit six putts with each.
05:52I've got my handy tape measure with me here.
05:54And I'm going to measure each single putt.
05:57I'm going to add them up each.
05:58So I'm going to hit six with each, add them up.
06:00The cumulative total, in theory, obviously the one that's got less distance,
06:04will be the winner in this test.
06:06So let's go.
06:07I'm going to start with the AI1 putter.
06:09And as I said, in theory,
06:11this should be significantly more advanced in this test with its technology.
06:18I'll block that one a little bit to start with.
06:20Just a little bit shy of pace.
06:23Actually, that did better than I thought.
06:24That's an interesting one.
06:25That was quite low on the face.
06:26So I'm wondering whether a bit of AI1 technology helped me there.
06:29Let's see if we can get a little bit closer this time.
06:35Really good for pace.
06:36Two pretty good there.
06:37One a bit iffy.
06:38I'll go and measure them.
06:39Then we'll go again.
06:53Right, so I'm not too displeased with those.
06:55One particularly poor strike to start with,
06:57but I think I was flattered a bit by the AI1 there.
06:59I had 5.92 metres in total for those six putts.
07:04So let's see if the old ones still got the magic.
07:06It's a very different look to look down on.
07:09We've got slightly different alignment aids.
07:11But it is comfy.
07:14It's like a familiar feeling.
07:17I gamed this putter.
07:18That was a nicely struck putt.
07:20Really good for weight.
07:22That's a great start.
07:23A little kick in there.
07:24Okay, great.
07:25Another one's stone dead.
07:26I'll go and measure those and I'll get back to you.
07:31Okay, there you go.
07:36So the old Rossi came in at 5.3 metres versus 5.92 from the AI1.
07:55So really interesting there.
07:56In this test at least, a small victory for the old Rossi 2.
08:00Best part of 30 years old Rossi 2 there.
08:03Now it's not necessarily a hugely fair test
08:05because when I went first with the AI1
08:07obviously I'm getting a feel for the pace
08:10and a feel for the line.
08:11So if I wanted to be 100% scientifically accurate
08:14I'd probably do it a few more times
08:16and vary the order that I go in to make that fair.
08:21But for the purposes of this test
08:23we're calling it a victory for the old Rossi.
08:26So that's a long range test
08:28but we all know
08:29and you've probably seen from some of my long range putts there
08:31occasionally I leave myself a little more than a tap in.
08:34So I need to know these putters can do their business
08:37from short range.
08:38And this is a really crucial point.
08:40This is eight foot
08:41which for those of you who don't know
08:42is the 50-50 point for the PGA Tour averages.
08:45It may seem strange
08:47you might think they hold everything from here
08:48but on the PGA Tour
08:5050% of these putts go in and 50% miss.
08:52So this will be a really good barometer
08:54for how these putters are performing.
08:56So I'm going to go with the AI1 first this time
08:58to give it a slightly better chance.
09:00I'm going to hit 10 putts with each of these
09:02and I want to see how they perform under pressure
09:05out of 10 how they do.
09:07So I'm going to go straight away with the AI1
09:09and get into it.
09:10So this putts a little bit off the right
09:13so it's probably right edge.
09:15And that's a really nice solid start.
09:17I remember watching Mark Brooks,
09:19the American Mark Brooks,
09:20win the USPGA with the old Odyssey Rossi.
09:23So this has given me good feelings.
09:24He held out really well that time.
09:26Slight pull there.
09:32Okay, that's two out of three.
09:33I'm going to speed it up now,
09:34take you through the 10 and see how we get on.
09:54Okay, so that's six out of 10 there.
09:56So that's above PGA Tour average.
09:57I'm not displeased with that at all.
09:59So it's a reasonable start from the AI1.
10:01Let's have a go with the Rossi 2.
10:03So I mentioned Mark Brooks there.
10:04He was another USPGA Tour player
10:06who had this original dual force Rossi 2 in.
10:09Another one of my favourite players of all time,
10:11Annika Sorenstam.
10:12She used this putter a lot.
10:13She was one of the best holer outers I've ever seen.
10:15So I'm going to try and channel my inner Annika here
10:18and see if I can beat six out of 10.
10:31That's it.
10:40So a tougher start there for the original Rossi 2.
10:43But when it needed to, like in 1996,
10:45when Nick fouled out the Masters,
10:47it came up clutch under pressure.
10:49Delivered me a really good finish there
10:50and it tied the AI1 at six out of 10.
10:53Both just above PGA Tour average,
10:55which I'm quite pleased with.
10:57And for a putter that's cost me less than 50 pounds,
10:59when you couple that with the long range test we've just done,
11:02that really is quite interesting.
11:04So that was a lot of fun.
11:05It's always nice to pick up clubs that I've used before
11:08and see how they stack up against modern day competition.
11:11And I think you'll see from the tests we did there,
11:13this can still very much cut the mustard.
11:16For £48.99 versus a putter that's costing £289.99,
11:21in those tests at least, it did a really, really good job.
11:24Now I can hear you in the comments below already saying,
11:26well, maybe those aren't fair tests.
11:28You need to do more.
11:29There needs to be a longer test period to get a fair reflection.
11:32And I think you're probably right.
11:34From the technology behind this,
11:35and I've used this putter as well quite a lot,
11:37I think over the course of time the extra forgiveness,
11:40the extra MOI would probably come through
11:43and start to show itself over some longer periods of time.
11:46And undoubtedly from an aesthetics point of view
11:49and a premium feel point of view,
11:51the AI1 is still very much probably the superior putter.
11:56But you should never count out the underdog.
11:58The Odyssey Dual Force Rossi II, it's won majors.
12:01It started off a whole era of putting for Odyssey.
12:04And like I said, for under £50, I think that's exceptional value.
12:07And as a result of this,
12:08it's exceptional value.