Hidden Gems: Odyssey ProType 4HT

How many different putters get overlooked each season?

(by Dave Wolfe)  Think about it for a second.  The number of putters that come to market each year is staggering.  I don’t even really know the ballpark figure for the number of putters produced worldwide.  One million putters? Two million?  I think that it is safe to say that a lot of putters are produced each year. How about the number of different models made each year?  That number is not as huge, but still quite large.  Small companies may roll out a new model or two, while the larger ones may make a few dozen new putter models.  It’s a lot to keep track of, even for the greatest of putter-philes.

With so many new putters coming to market, it is possible, if not probable, that some really exceptional putters will get lost and overlooked in your shop’s putter corral.  With this in mind, today I bring you the first installment of the P-Files: Discovering The Unknown Flatsticks.

Just because a putter slips by the masses doesn’t mean that it is not worth investigating.  In the words of FBI Agent pro golfer Bryce “Fox” Molder, the truth is out there¹.  With this in mind, let’s take a look at today’s P-File putter: The Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT.

How Did We Miss It?

So far, 2013 has been all about the Versa and the White Hot Pro putter lines, with the soon to be released ProType IX line making a name for itself with it’s adjustable sole weights (Included, BTW.  How about that Mr. Cameron?).  The ProType Tour line made a big splash in 2012, if for no other reason than it included the first 2-Ball with a fully-milled, insert-free face.  Odyssey later in the year expanded the line to include the ProType Black putters, whose ninja-black 2-Ball crushed many a competitor in the Most Wanted Mallet Competition.

Odyssey definitely made a statement in the milled putter arena last year, and then came the Versa.  It’s no wonder that much of the 2013 Odyssey energy went in to the Versa line.  It represented a new idea in alignment and included thirteen different models, plus some sneaky Tour-Only variants like the Versa Sabertooth.  The soon to follow White Hot Pro line jumped the putter model count up by another sixteen models.  That’s almost thirty different putters that Odyssey needed to promote over the two lines.  Some things needed to be pushed aside and not promoted as much.

But some of us out there are putter seekers.  We go looking for stuff.  We already know that Odyssey has released new cigar themed grip and headcovers.  We know that some of the Versas now come with a SuperStroke Grip option.  Even the most dedicated putter seeker may have missed the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT though.  It arrived on the Odyssey website with no fanfare, and has since disappeared from their site.  Did you see it?  Did you notice when it left?  Sightings of the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT are now viewed with the same skepticism as the Jersey Devil and the Chupacabra.

Why Is It Worth Looking For?

While a cryptozoologist may come up with numerous, nebulous answers to that question, the fact that the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT is a mighty fine putter is answer enough.  Let’s take a look at some of its alleged characteristics.  People who have allegly seen, and supposedly used the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT report the following:

Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT Specifications

• Material: 100% 1025 Milled Carbon Steel
• Weight: 350g
• Toe Hang: about 4:00
• Length Tested: 34″
• Finish: Satin
• Grip: Lamkin 3GEN Pistol

Looks

The Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT is reported to have the same rich, yet non-reflective finish that is found on the other Odyssey ProType Tour models.  Its face milling is deep and precise, with simple red and black paint accents complementing the finish and the Lamkin 3GEN grip.

Those who have only caught a quick glimpse of the 4HT have reported that it is a Zing/Laguna-style head with a pumbers neck.  Further investigation has revealed something more unique and peculiar; the 4HT features a High Toe.  This high toe feature must have been taken into account when the crypto-puttologists added the “HT” descriptor to its official name.  If we study the photos, we can see that the toe end of the putter is definitely higher than the heel.  From the side, the elevated toe region is quite pronounced.

Feel

Few golfers have ever seen the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT, and fewer still have ever rolled one.  The consensus though is that the deep milling and 1025 carbon steel combine to produce one of the softest rolling putters in the line.  Some have reported that the thicker face does produce a more muted feeling at impact than found in the ProType blade-type models that feature deeper cavities.  The sweet spot is fairly tight on the 4HT, with off-center strikes producing a dull impact.  While missing the center of the face is seldom intended, some will welcome this feedback as a pathway to improving.

Alignment

The markings on the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT are minimal, with only a single small sight line facilitating targeting.  Our reports do say that the high toe also plays a role in the targeting process.  The high toe gives the illusion of an upright lie angle, while actually staying flat to the putting surface.  As with many visual features, this will be welcomed by some, and dismissed by others.  The high toe does blend nicely into the overall body at address, only really showing its extreme geometry in profile.

Who Should Think About Bagging this Recluse?

I think that the Odyssey ProType Tour HT4 is a bit of a fitting enigma.  The plumbers neck and toe hang put it into the slight arc putting realm, what Odyssey would likely call Two Lines in their new eyeFit system.  The high toe morphology may put a wrench in this system though.  The high toe promotes a comfortable address position with the eyes more over the ball.  This takes us into one line eyeFit territory.  It’s a bit of a conundrum on the eyeFit mirror, but course experience supports the placement of the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT into the hands of the slight-arcing putter.

Have You Seen It?

By all accounts, the Odyssey ProType Tour 4HT was an excellent and unique addition to the ProType Tour line of putters.  We may never know the reasons why it vanished from the Odyssey line-up, but I am confident that the tenacious putter seeker, whose use of the powerful Google tool runs unimpeded, can still find it.  For the whole story though, we need to hear from you.  Have you seen the 4HT in the wild?  Were you lucky enough to roll it?  What did you experience?  Leave a comment below and let us know your experiences.  Remember, I want to believe!