SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted April 16, 2018 SPY VIP Share Posted April 16, 2018 Well hello there MGS readers. Today, you are reading the first installment of a new putter series that I will be putting together for your reading pleasure. Welcome to Dave's Putter Profiles Rather than look at all putters head to head, like MGS does with the Most Wanted Putter testing, Dave's Putter Profiles will focus on single models, exploring the features of that individual model, and taking some time to show what separates it from the others in the corral. While the mission of mygolfspy is to be unfalteringly #datacratic, these articles will be much more editorial, and ideally conversational. I'm going to let you know my thoughts on a variety of putters, both new and vintage models, and then you tell me your thoughts, and then we see where it goes from there. I've run quite a number of putters though my garage over the years, and I want to share some of the flatstick goodness with you. Imagine that we are having a conversation on the practice green, perhaps with a nice adult beverage in hand. That's the spirit of Dave's Putter Profiles. We just look at a putter and have a nice chat. For the first installment, we are going to go with a newer model from Odyssey, admittedly one that I was shocked that I actually wanted to even look at let alone game. I Hate(ed) The Odyssey Marxman How's that for a segue into talking about a putter that I actually like? Perhaps it is not the best way to set the mood, I know, but that was pretty close to my actual thought when I visited Odyssey HQ last January and learned that a Marxman would be part of the 2018 O-Works line. For some reason, my love of all putters has never extended to the Marxman. I think that the disdain actually dates back to the Backstryke Marxman, with the two creative spellings not compensating for the fact that the shaft attached at the rear of the putter. Sure, one of you right now is thinking of telling me how awesome backstryke putters are, and feel free to do so. I'm just not down. We all have our turn-ons and turn-offs. Think about porn for a moment. Let's face it, we all have tags on Pornhub that we prefer, and others that we will never, ever, click on. If backstryke is your kink, good for you. I'll spend my three minutes elsewhere. Anyway, sorry for the detour into porn to make a point, but in that January meeting, I'd have sworn that I'd not be clicking any two girls one Marxman links any time soon. But then I got a look at the red Marxman S. Well Hello There This time, I found the Marxman aesthetics quite pleasing. The massive double sight line had been reduced to a single, and the addition of the slant neck fits right into my current more-toe-hang-is-better putting philosophy. Plus, the new body architecture reminded me of one of my old Odyssey favorites, the Sabertooth. I've got a super cool one of those to share in the coming weeks… Standing over this Marxman evoked feelings of reverence, rather than revulsion. Right away this putter went from never touch to must have. Considering that there was also a trouser-tightening #1 wide with a slant neck in the release, placing the Marxman at the top of my need to have list was surprising for sure. SAM Says One of the cool things that happened during the Odyssey visit was that I got to go through a SAM lab fitting with Odyssey's putter pro. I was pleasantly surprised to see consistent numbers from stroke to stroke, with lots of center face contact, and just a bit of that drifting-outside backstroke that I have long fought to avoid. Turned out that I add loft at impact, resulting in a launch angle that was a bit high. Glad to know that I do this with my putter as well as my irons… This though could be the reason why my typical miss is short. I hit the right line, but I just don't get the ball to the hole. The fitter recommended that I get a Marxman built with 1° loft, so that when I add loft with the swing, the dynamic loft produces better launch conditions. Cool, huh? Gaming the Odyssey O-Works Red S Marxman I've had the Marxman in the bag for about a five rounds now. Some of the play experiences have been as expected, and some surprising. The S Neck Slant neck mallets are a big thing this year at Odyssey. In addition to choosing between black and red, you can also decide if you want your mallet with a traditional neck, or a slant. The beauty of choosing a slant neck is that it will allow blade players to transition to playing a more forgiving, at least in terms of MOI, larger mallet. The slant neck makes the putter arc a little more during the stroke, conforming more to the blade path than normal mallet. I loved the feel of putting with this back in Carlsbad, and that feeling has continued as I putt back at home. I've swapped back and forth with traditional necked mallets in my collection, and the slant neck does make a huge comfort difference for me. 1° of Loft So am I still missing short? Yep, but not as often. My distance control has actually been pretty astounding with the Marxian S considering how few hours on the grass with it I've logged so far. Rarely am I super duper maybe I need steroids short anymore. The data set is totally subjective, but the number of holes threatened score has definitely gone up. More up should translate to more in if the opposite of the never up, never in adage is true. The low-lofted face does not look strange to me at address either. That, or I've just adjusted to it quickly. The putter seems to sit naturally behind the ball, and I don't think that I'm adding loft during the putting process to compensate. At least no more than I add naturally. I think that the strong loft theme will be one that I will continue to explore as other putters hit the bag this season. Interesting side note about the insert. As one who plays almost exclusively milled putters, I expected there to be some transition to the microhinge insert, both in sound and feel. Simply put, there was no transition required. At least on the Marxman, Odyssey has nailed the feel and tone, making the milled to insert transition a non-factor. Aiming the Marxman As I said, I've only been gaming the Marxman for a short time now, but one area of concern is alignment. I'm getting most putts near the hole, but I'm just not quite confident that I am aiming the big white line correctly. This I think will improve with practice, but I have a bit of a concern that this will prove Ketsch-like for me. That's right, I think that I am the one person who struggles to aim the Ketsch. Back when I ran the Most Wanted Mallet test where the Ketsch smashed face on the competition, I tried over and over to make peace with the Most Wanted monster. I came to the conclusion that the line and my eye were incompatible. Perhaps the big line on the Marxman will twist my perception the same way, or as I said, maybe it's just a matter of practice. I do know that I've already made some big putts with the Marxman, both at home, and in Carlsbad. During my visit, the Odyssey guys took me out for a round of golf at their home course. My game tends to go into hiding a bit when I play a course for the first time, and you can imagine the pressure of playing with Sean and Tony Toulon, Luke Williams, and Austie Rollinson. They were wonderful hosts, and not high pressure guys on the course, but as “a putter guyâ€, I wanted to sink some putts. Thankfully, I was able to drop some decently long putts with the Marxman that day. Austie dropped some bombs with the EXO #7, but I felt that my performance with the Marxman S was respectable. If that's not putting under pressure, then I've never experienced pressure. In a sentence: Odyssey O-Works Red Marxman S Combining the feel of a blade and the forgiveness of a mallet, the Marxman S should definitely be on your roll at the shop list. What do you think? So first of all, thank you for reading the first instalment of Dave's Putter Profile. I've got a number of putters lined up in the queue for the coming weeks, as I said, both putters you can find in the shops, and unique whips found only in my garage. If you would like me to clarify or expand on anything, just ask. I'm just here to start the conversation, where it goes from here is up to all of you. Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Golfspy_CG2 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Nice read Dave. I'm looking forward to this series. Especially anything coming from the EXO line, like the 7--which by the way Luke had to pry out of my hands at the PGA Show, as it was only one of a couple they had produced yet--or the Indianapolis. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy G430 Max 10K TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 SM10 48F/54M and58K S159 48S/52S/56W/60B Select 5.5 Flowback 35" ProV1 Play number 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miboy62 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 Great read Dave, Looking forward to more insight into your putter thoughts in the future. ZX5 MKII LS 8.5 Stealth 2 plus 3 wood Stealth 2 plus 5 wood Stealth 2 plus 19.5 Hybrid ZX5 MKll 5 / AW Dart stiff MG3 black 52 9b 58 12b 7.5 Phantom 34” Z Star Diamond 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTexGolfer Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 I am looking forward to this series a bunch! Great pictures and excited to see what you test next. Putters more than any other club seem to hold the promise of being the next "great" club in the bag. 400 Driver (8*) UST ATTAS Punch 6S F6 Baffler (16*) Matrix Red Tie 65Q4 816 H1 Hybrid (21*,23*) Diamana S+ Blue 82 HY Z765 (5-PW) +2* Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw Vokey SM5 50.08F 54.10M Aerotech Steelfiber i110cw PM Grind 60* Dynamic Gold S400 TR 1966 Anser 2 Z Star ball Pioneer Cart Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ED13 Posted April 16, 2018 Share Posted April 16, 2018 What are the chances the Marxian S will become your gamer? Curios since you made some good pressure putts. Is your confidence in this putter high enough yet? Looking forward to see the next putter. Driver - Ping G410 Woods - Callaway Rogue 5 wood Hybrid - Titleist TS2 21 degree Irons - Taylormade P790 5-PW Wedges - Taylormade MG3 50, 54, 58, SM9 60 Putter - Mizuno Black Carbon BC3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tommc23 Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Nice read Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PMookie Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Nice article! I've liked the feel of these off the face, but they are way too light for my liking. Not sure about the red color too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X Irons: Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100 Wedges: SMS 50D/54V/58DModus 130 stiff, +1” Putter: EAS 1.0 Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Putter review with pornhub references 10/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnosil Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Glad to see some putter specific content on the site as I am a putter guy myself. Your loft discovery is probably one of the biggest thing people need to look at when fitting a putter. I also hit the ball on the upstroke and need lower loft to get ball rolling better. Really like the fact that manufacturers are coming out with mallets that aren't face balanced. Provides the benefits of the longer sight line for an arcing stroke. As for the O-works insert, I have to say I hate it. My biggest issues are that it feels mushy and for me I can't tell where on the face I am making contact. Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: TS3 15* w/Project X Hzardous Smoke Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe Backup Putters: Milled Collection RSX 2, mFGP2, Futura 5W, TM-180 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted April 17, 2018 Author SPY VIP Share Posted April 17, 2018 What are the chances the Marxian S will become your gamer? Curios since you made some good pressure putts. Is your confidence in this putter high enough yet? Looking forward to see the next putter. So far so good. Honestly, my putter slot in the bag has a revolving door. Partially because of my job here at mygolfspy, but also because of my putter addiction. To be fair, many of my rotating gamers pre-date my time as a MGS staffer. This marxman S has a better than average chance at longevity at this point, though there is an EXO in construction right now, and the Toulon Rochester and Bettinardi ZomBB0 would both like back in the bag as well... Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted April 17, 2018 Author SPY VIP Share Posted April 17, 2018 Putter review with pornhub references 10/10 Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted April 17, 2018 Author SPY VIP Share Posted April 17, 2018 Glad to see some putter specific content on the site as I am a putter guy myself. Your loft discovery is probably one of the biggest thing people need to look at when fitting a putter. I also hit the ball on the upstroke and need lower loft to get ball rolling better. Really like the fact that manufacturers are coming out with mallets that aren't face balanced. Provides the benefits of the longer sight line for an arcing stroke. As for the O-works insert, I have to say I hate it. My biggest issues are that it feels mushy and for me I can't tell where on the face I am making contact. I think that the insert has played out better for me than expected. So far so good, but the feedback is definitely different from a milled head. Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cnosil Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 I think that the insert has played out better for me than expected. So far so good, but the feedback is definitely different from a milled head. It isn't just a milled head. There are inserts that provide enough feedback to indicated if the ball is struck toward the toe or heel. Some people seem to love the o-works insert, just isn't for me. Driver: G400 Max 9* w/ KBS Tour Driven Fairway: TS3 15* w/Project X Hzardous Smoke Hybrids: 915H 21* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype 915H 24* w/KBS Tour Graphite Hybrid Prototype Irons: TR20V 6-11 w/Vizard TR20-85 Graphite Wedge: 54/12D, 60/8M w/:Accra iWedge 90 Graphite Putter: Sacks Parente MC 3 Stripe Backup Putters: Milled Collection RSX 2, mFGP2, Futura 5W, TM-180 Member: MGS Hitsquad since 2017 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hckymeyer Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 You had me at slant neck. Much like when I found BOA for shoes, once I went slant I'll never go back The Marxman is definitely on my 'must try' list for this season. I've also got the 7s and the newly made ER5 (custom S) fighting for a spot in the bag right now. Driver: SLDR w/ Fujikura Ventus Black 3w: '16 M2 hl w/ Diamana D+ 82 5w: Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Yellow Hybrid: 22 deg. Launcher HB w/ HZRDUS Black Irons: 5i - gap Launcher CBX w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Wedges: 54 CBX & 58 Zipcore w/ Nippon Modus 3 125 Putter: Red 7s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaksy68 Posted April 17, 2018 Share Posted April 17, 2018 Great read, thanks for sharing. I know what you mean about Backstryke, hideous, and the name is on a par with Rocketballz. If aiming is an issue, have you tried any of the MLA putters? The alignment system is so different to everything else I've seen, it may work well for you. Not sure if slant neck is an option, but they are low loft as well. 849 Pro Evenflow Riptide 6.0 F8 3 & 5 Woods Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0 TS2 7 Wood Project X Evenflow Blue 6.0 MP18 MMC - Project X LZ 5.5 Zipcore Wedges 50,54,58 - Project X LZ 5.5 MLA Tour Mallet 33" Z Star Pioneer bag buggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY VIP GolfSpy Dave Posted April 17, 2018 Author SPY VIP Share Posted April 17, 2018 Great read, thanks for sharing. I know what you mean about Backstryke, hideous, and the name is on a par with Rocketballz. If aiming is an issue, have you tried any of the MLA putters? The alignment system is so different to everything else I've seen, it may work well for you. Not sure if slant neck is an option, but they are low loft as well. I have used the MLA system. Like the idea but it wasn't the killer app for me. At least with the head I had. Maybe I need to buy another MLA putter with a different head. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy Volvo Intorqueo All the cool kids follow me on twitter: @GolfspyDave If you are not a cool kid, following me on twitter will make you cool... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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