This story was not something I wanted to write. The Odyssey Versa Jailbird was mentioned so many times during the coverage of the U.S. Open 2023 at LACC that I assumed most golfers had grown tired of it and wanted to move forward.
Hands up, I’m wrong. The Odyssey Versa Jailbird putter has moved from hype to trend.
At least four players were testing the Versa Jailbird at The Travelers today after Wyndham and Rickie gave it a great show. @odysseygolf
This is fun. pic.twitter.com/Vprhc59Id7
— Andrew Tursky (@AndrewTursky) June 20, 2023
At least five PGA Tour players tried one on Tuesday and Wednesday of the 2023 Travelers’ Championship. Kramer Hickok was on the list, along with Carl Yuan. Jimmy Walker, Ryan Moore, and Joel Dahmen. That’s all I saw myself. Rickie fowler, Wyndham clark, Keegan bradley (who is currently at the top of the Travelers leaderboard following round one) have all used the putter.
Joe Toulon is the Tour Manager for Callaway Golf. When I asked him how many Jailbird requests he had in the past week, his answer was “a lot.”
In the world of third-party golf equipment, market prices for listed prices have also officially reached quadruple figures.
Has the golfing world gone mad over this putter? Is the hype real?
Before I begin my conversation with Stephen Sweeney , PGA Tour putting expert who works with a TON PGA Tour players to improve their putting techniques, I would like to share a personal story.
You don’t need to worry. I’ll be there quickly.
In 2018, I changed from playing left-handed golf to right-handed golf. The switch was partly due to a bet I made with my two Guys Talking Golf co-host Brian Knudson and partially due to a back injury. I’m a lefty and during my first 18-hole round as such, an Odyssey Versa Jailbird was the putter that helped me break 100…and win the bet.
You could say that I’m a little biased in my opinion of the Jailbird Mallet Head. I’ve personally seen the benefits.
I haven’t yet tried the latest golf setup, which is a counterbalanced Versa Jailbird with an elongated SuperStroke putter grip and lead tape on its sole.
I wanted to know what was going on before every amateur golfer out there spent a lot of money on a used Odyssey Versa Jailbird and re-configured it to the Rickie/Wyndham specifications.
Sweeney was the only person I would recommend. He is one of the leading authorities in golf on the putting technique. He works with Shane Lowry and Aaron Wise as well as Collin Morikawa and other top players around the world.
What’s the deal with Jailbird, Stephen Sweeney? What is counterbalancing? What is counterbalancing? Why does it work? What do you think?
What he said about the subject…
Andrew Tursky, GolfWRX.com : I’m sure you’ve worked on at least one Jailbird this week. Does it really improve the stroke? Should amateurs use a counterbalanced putting putter? Is it a good idea to try the Jailbird or is this just hype?
Stephen Sweeney is a PGA Tour putting instructor: It’s not hype. The Versa feature of the putter, the black-white/black-white color scheme is what I find most confusing. It helps to align the putter at the beginning.
Once you start it, the Versa and the counterbalanced putter almost swing themselves. It is very easy to swing in the right direction. No, this is not a hype. The technology inside it actually helps it perform better.
Can someone explain to you what “counterbalancing”, you know, for amateurs who don’t really know what it means?
SS Okay, so a simple way to visualize it is that the last gram on the putter is at the end. So, 90 percent of weight is located below the hands. This makes the putter heavy and activates the wrists. It also makes the hands very active. With a counterbalanced, the weight is positioned higher than the hand. This quietens down the hands and reduces wrist movement. It also makes the stroke more body-driven, rather than wrist-driven.
Rickie Fowler’s 17-inch SuperStroke Tour 3.0 putter grip
How would you rate the number of amateurs who should switch from a standard to a counterbalanced putting putter?
I’d say that somewhere between 30 and 50 percent of golfers would benefit from a head like this, which has a counterbalance but also resembles a mallet with softer forgiveness.
Overall, I believe it will help people to get rid of their wristy, hand-manipulated strokes and move them into a body-controlled, pendulum stroke style.
There might be some people who don’t want to get their putter reconstructed, buy a grip or a putter, but there is something they can do. Is there any quick way to counterbalance the putter? Is there a way to counterbalance a putter quickly?
SS The easiest DIY trick is to grip the putter down a bit and wrap some lead tape around top of grip.
You can counterbalance your putter by simply going to the local club pro and asking them to extend the handle, or to put on a new grip. This will do most of the work.
