Golfers of all abilities have experienced it, a 10 footer for birdie, the read is good and the stroke is good however, as their eyes rise in anticipation of watching the ball roll into the cup, the thrill is replaced with a sinking feeling that indicates that the line chosen is not the line the ball has commenced its journey on.

There are a lot of reasons why this type of shot occurs and many of them do not involve the stroke itself. One of the most common reasons for missing a putt, beyond the actual read, is the improper use of the alignment aide that is designed to assist with proper club alignment at address.

It is with great joy that Odyssey, a company long known for its cutting edge technology, has developed a putter that properly addresses the alignment issue and many other putting design issues with their development of the Odyssey Metal-X D.A.R.T. Putter.

How Does Odyssey Differentiate itself from Other Companies?

For the longest time I could not think of a putter that was more appealing than the Odyssey White Hot 2 Ball, which was later replaced by the White Ice 2 Putter. What made this putter a perfect fit for me was its design that, with its soft insert, gave it an excellent combination of feel and distance control.

In fact, despite all of my best efforts, I was unable to find a putter that would compel me to ditch my antique until just recently. What is initially appealing about the Odyssey Metal-X D.A.R.T is the oval depression face that has been designed to coincide perfectly with the dimples of the golf ball.

I never realized prior to giving the D.A.R.T. a test run that this would make much of a difference. However, with the increased friction generated by the Metal-x insert, the roll and feel of this putter has greatly exceeded all of my expectations. This feel was especially evident in lag puts as I was able to gauge accurately before even looking at the ball whether my putt was short, long or dead on. This boost in confidence alone was worth the $170, however, there is so much more!

I Can Finally Relax on Those Dreaded Knee Shakers

In more instances than I would like to admit, I have failed miserably on those dreaded 2-3 footers, especially when they mattered most. In my case, after going to the practice green to figure it out, I realized that I was gripping my club way too tight, probably a mixture of my nerves and lack of formal training. What shocked me right away with the D.A.R.T. was how easy it was to relax my hands with its synthetic rubber grip, a grip that is softer than any I have felt before.

My hands have never felt more comfortable, which in turn resulted in me having more confidence in releasing pressure on the shaft. This feature has made a huge difference in maintaining a consistent stroke despite my blood pressure and has probably saved me a few hundred dollars in skins payments over my last few rounds.

Odyssey Has Struck Gold with the Alignment Assistance

One thing that always bothered me with the White Hot was the alignment tool. I never had confidence that the two ball system was going to produce consistent results when it comes to setting up for my putts. It did not take long for me to realize that Odyssey had finally gotten it right with the straight line alignment assistance it designed for the D.A.R.T.

What makes this tool so easy to use is that it allows you to stand behind the ball with the club still at address and be able to easily tell whether the putter is in its proper position. This may seem like a simple concept, but believe me, you will not fully appreciate it until you give this putter a try.

Are There Any Weaknesses?

Now before you go thinking I was paid handsomely by Odyssey to write this review (I have no affiliation with Odyssey whatsoever), there is a significant drawback that is worth mentioning. With its Metal-X insert, there is sometimes an issue with the face being too soft, which results in more effort being exerted in getting the ball to the hole. I did have problems with this at first as it seemed that I had to increase the take back of my stroke to make up for the receptive face. This was something that took a good deal of practice on the putting green to figure out.
Overall I could not be happier with the Odyssey Metal-X D.A.R.T. that comes in both standard and belly sizes. With a little work, this putter can instill a sense of confidence on the green that will make a huge difference in any golfer’s game.

Want to see what we have to think? Check out our Golf Club Reviews page to see if we’ve take the club you’re interested in for a test drive.