Odyssey Backstryke Blade

This picture of the Odyssey Backstryke blades might leave you feeling a little bit queasy!, especially if you haven't seen many onset putters before (where the shaft enters the head well behind the face). It's unlike almost any other putter on the market, but all we really want to know is: "Is it better?"

Before I give you my verdict, I'll tell you that I really liked the Odyssey Backstryke which looks terrific when you address the ball. You find many of the same benefits with the Backstryke blade. You can see whole of the putter face without it being obscured by an ugly hosel and you have a massive aiming line on the back.

on an Odyssey Backstryke blade putter...

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As you can see from the picture there's not just a long line on the back of the putter, but also a wide white strip surrounding the line on either side. It really does make for a good visual image to help you line up.

That having been said, I still have my doubts as to whether I could get on with the Odyssey Backstryke blades. When I tested it, I wondered whether my hands were behind the ball at address. With the shaft attaching so far behind the putter face it seems barely possible for your hands to be ahead of the ball (as all putting gurus recommend).

Added to this, I found that the onset face of the Odyssey Backstryke blades made it look as though the putter was always aimed up to the left of the target. For some reason it was really hard to get comfortable with the aiming. On this front I far prefer the Backstryke 2 Ball.

How does it feel?

Much like the Backstryke 2 Ball, the feeling of the putter face will probably take you some time to get used to. The sound it makes for starters had me surprised. For such a big putter head, the sound you get when you strike the putt is a surprisingly high pitched "ping".

I also found that the feel was quite hard and, for want of a better word, "metallic". The fact that it has the best putter insert in the business in the face seemed to make no difference whatsoever.

In short it wasn't a feel I took to immediately - of course you may well be different. If you want a duller feel, I'd still go for the either the Odyssey 2 Ball or the 2 Ball blades.

How does it roll the ball?

Although the roll was good, I found that the ball came up short of the target an awful lot of the time. You may well find this easy to get used to, and it would no doubt be a good thing on very fast greens.

Just as with the pingey sound, the roll of the ball was just a bit different from what I'd expected, and I'm not sure that I liked it.

Our Verdict on the Odyssey Backstryke Blade

We like the Backstryke design because you have an unimpeded view of the leading edge of the putter and this should mean you can aim it better. However, for our money the Odysssey Backstryke blades is not the top Backstryke model.

That honor falls to the Backstryke 2 Ball, which is definitely worth a look!

Others to consider

Odyssey Backstryke One of the most revolutionary designs in putting. Love it or hate the look, the results are good

Odyssey 2 Ball The iconic putter of the 2000s - easy to aim, great feel

TaylorMade Rossa Kia Ma Fortuna A highly refined mallet from TaylorMade - recommended!

Odyssey White Hot 5 One of the most refined Odyssey White Hot putters. Strongly recommended if you're looking for a toe weighted putter.

Odyssey White Ice 5 Classic face balanced D shape with silky soft Ice White insert!

Yes Natalie (C-Groove) Futuristic design with amazing roll, super long aimline and nice ping sound!.

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