Are Odyssey’s Stroke Lab Shafts Changing the Game?
In 2019, Odyssey rolled out a new wave of technology, the Stroke Lab putter shaft. Billed as a potential game-changer at the time, there was plenty of buzz surrounding the multi-material golf shaft. As with any new technology, Stroke Lab brought with it promises of improvement. In putting, consistency is the name of the game. To that end, Odyssey says Stroke Lab putters shafts can improve consistency across several facets of putting, including backswing length, face angle, tempo, and velocity.
Of course, Odyssey wasn’t the only one modernizing the putter shaft, and it certainly wasn’t the only one promising better putting. For example, BGT offers multi-material models, and LA Golf Shafts offers a composite golf shaft. The same is true for Mitsubishi and Fujikura.
As a maker of the putter and the shaft, Odyssey has a leg up on its competitors and certainly accounts for the majority of multi-material putter shafts in the bags of average golfers. In that respect, it’s fair to call Odyssey the leader in the clubhouse, but it’s fair to ask if Stroke Lab putter shafts really produce better results.
We decided to take a look.
A Blast from the Past with a Twist
In 2021, Odyssey released a new lineup featuring the classic White Hot insert and an updated version of the Stroke Lab shaft. Notable in the updated Stroke Lab shaft is a shorter and stepless steel section. The change resulted in a 7-gram reduction in weight. Odyssey says the small tweaks further improve tempo, swing arc, and face impact consistency.