Odyssey Jailbird 380 Quick Review : aka the Rickie/Wyndham Putter

The 30 Second Summary

The short of it is this putter gets everyones interested, but not everyones love. It's extremely polarizing in terms of its look and feel when actually rolling putts. I find it to be extremely stable, easy to align and the solid but soft feel suits my liking. It's def a bit heavy and my speed control was a little off at first ( more off than my usual anyway). But after one day testing it on course, a few putts drained that I normally wouldnt, and some new found confidence on those 4-5 footers, The Jailbird 380 earned a spot in my bag.

The bummer is that since it's a limited edition club, it's hard to find one to test. Luckily it does sell decently well after market, but who wants that hassle.

I would hope that odyssey comes out with an in-line model in 2024 thats more available at retail and green grass and gives more players the opportunity to experience this unique and stable feel.

The Buzz

Hands down the most buzzworthy model of 2023 is a model that first came out in 2013. The Odyssey Jailbird with its distinct Odyssey Versa striped appearance made a resurgence this year on the wings of Rickie Fowler and Wyndham Clark. Rickie got his first win in 4 years using this putter and Wyndham had 2 wins including the 2023 US Open after switching to this putter. Then the Odyssey Tour department was flooded with orders to the point that there was a waiting list for tour professionals.

Odyssey capitalized on this hype train by releasing a limited edition version built to the original Rickie/Wyndham spec. I was skeptical of the hype at first, but I haven't felt quite comfortable with my putting for the last few years and was ready to try a dramatic change on the flat stick.

The theory of counter-balancing

Counter-balanced/long putters work on the principal that you can make a heavier/higher moi putter feel lighter by moving more weight to the handle end, for some golfers it gives them the benefit of using a putter thats actually heavier.

Which in theory makes the putter more stable, more forgiving, able to smoothen out tempo, but while simultaneously keeping the feel lighter in the hands for control.

Feel is highly subjective though, as they say, you're milage may vary.

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What I love

• This extra long counter balance putter style really promotes stability , especially in that 3-5 foot range. I've got a new found confidence on short putts.
• Looks are so subjective when it comes to putters, if you appreciate something striking and with great visual tech like I do, then this is a winner in your book, as it is mine.
• Though the putter is striking and different, and on the bigger side as putters go, it's not offensively large compared to other putters on the market, so it doesn't look goofy or gimmicky.
• Speaking of visual tech, the contrast really does promote square to path alignment when addressing the golf ball.

What could be better

• The stock length of 39'' feels a bit long for me at 5'10''' with an average amount of hip hinge in my putting stroke. When they first came out they were orderable with custom length, but now if youre buying aftermarket factor another $40+ of putter grip into your cost if youre going to shorten it.
• The inability to try before you buy, since this is so limited, unless you have a friend that owns one, you're buying this on blind faith with a chance that you'll hate it and have a $400+ alignment stick. Luckly they sell decently well on the aftermarket, but who wants the hassle.
• Price, this is going to be a whole post on its own, but prices for hard goods in golf have been getting out of hand for a few years now, though I'm calling it out here, this is probably gonna be more the norm than the edge case of prices feeling out of line.

Who is it for

• Those who like a loud look in their putters
• Those who want a heavier more stable feel in their putter
• Golfers struggling with their putting, especially short putts or alignment
• Rickie and Wyndham fans
• If you like a slightly firmer feel off the face than the popular white hot insert

Who is it NOT for

• Those who like a traditional putter look
• Those who like an ultra soft impact feeling off the putter face
• Those who like to feel a lot of hands/wristy-ness in their putting, or a lot of face rotation through the putting stroke
• Those who don't like a heavy putter

Alternatives

Today there aren't many, but rest assured there are copy cats coming as this counter balanced extra long trend continues to make a dent in golfers bags. One notable recent release is the Spider Tour Counter Balance by Taylormade. If you're a fan of the spider shape but want similar stability and feel to the Jailbird, this would be one to consider, and they're available at many golf retailers for trial in their putting corrals.

Final Thoughts

In some of my other equipment reviews, I'll talk about parody, or difficulty in providing meaningful differentiation from the competition. But not with this product.

This is one of the most polarizing pieces of equipment in the game. This product is demonstrably different than a lot of whats out there.

Will it work for you? That's for you to decide. But if you're someone who struggles with alignment, short putts, or simply need a big change to get you out of a funk. This is worth a try.

I gave it a spin, and it easily earned a spot in my bag by providing me more confidence with the flat stick.

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