Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser Putter Review

Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser Key Features:

• Ai-ONE insert: developed using artificial intelligence to promote consistent ball speeds from across the face
• White Hot face: provides a soft feel at impact that has proven popular for years
• Heavy construction: a 380g head and heavy shaft are designed to complement one another for an anchored feel in hand

The Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser from Odyssey is one of the most fascinating putters we've seen released this year, and it has already been adopted by a number of PGA Tour players, including Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler. 

The original Odyssey Jailbird Versa became incredibly popular on the PGA Tour last year, which clearly prompted Odyssey to give it a modern facelift for 2024, packing it with Ai-ONE tech. 

The result is the Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser, which features a 380-gram head, 38-inch shaft, and an oversized, 17-inch long grip. 

The heavy putter has already been successful on Tour, but could it work for us? We've had it in the bag for several rounds this year, and the results have been fascinating. 

Let's get into it. 

Player Level

Thanks to the outstanding level of forgiveness offered by the Jailbird, we highly recommend this putter to those who want more stability and consistency on the greens. 

That doesn't mean one specific player level is best suited to this putter. As we've seen, some of the best players in the world use it; yet it could be a perfect fit for someone playing off 26. 

If you sometimes struggle to keep the putter head stable through your swing, this putter could be an ideal fix. 

Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser Looks and Feel: 

We think it's fair to say that the look of the Jailbird is probably an acquired one. 

The large footprint and contrasting blue and white colour palette are certainly striking, and while we are actually big fans of the design, we could understand how those who prefer a more traditional profile and colour may find this particular putter a bit odd. 

With that being said, the Jailbird has all of the finer touches you expect from a premium putter, and when you flip it around, the sole looks absolutely superb. 

The white text contrasts beautifully with the deep blue, and the small window just behind the face gives you a sneak peek at the Ai-ONE insert. 

The putter's head has a particularly large profile, which allows you to frame the ball really nicely at impact. The three dots behind the face also act as a handy visual aid when lining up to the target. 

The bridged fang design wasn't one that initially jumped out at us, but as we quickly found out when we got it on the green, it certainly serves a purpose. 

Moving higher up the club, we are met with the 17-inch white Odyssey grip. 

While we will come on to how this affects performance shortly, it's worth giving it a quick nod because the white and blue design looks absolutely lovely. 

In terms of feel, this putter benefits from the Odyssey's world-renowned white hot insert.

The insert produces a nice soft sensation at impact that is matched with a muted noise off the face. 

With regards to the in-hand feel, this putter is very heavy. The weight may take some getting used to, but as we will come on to shortly, it serves a very useful purpose that we believe could benefit a lot of golfers. 

Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser: Performance and Forgiveness

When we first held this putter in our hands, we were instantly taken aback by both the length and the weight. 

The head itself is 380 grams, and the shaft is 38 inches. For context, the standard putter length is between 34 and 35 inches. 

However, despite our initial confusion, we quickly realised that this added weight and height made putting a consistent roll on the ball very, very easy. 

By thickening the grip, lengthening the shaft and increasing the weight of the head, this putter promotes a very stable putting stroke that encourages you to use the big muscles in your body to move rather than incorporating too much wrist action. 

This, in turn, leads you to rock your shoulders naturally rather than overcomplicate the golf swing. 

It must be said that this did take a little while to get used to, but once we did, our accuracy and weight improved greatly. 

With the Jailbird in hand, our natural motion became more stable, consistent, and smooth, and as a result, we began holing a lot more putts, especially from that tricky 7-8 foot distance. 

This is obviously a very personal experience, but having discovered these findings, we also introduced the putter to a number of players, who all experienced the same improvement.

Heavy putters are not new to golf. However, Odyssey has refined the idea into a truly wonderful product. 

In terms of forgiveness, the Ai-insert also allowed us to get a very consistent roll on the ball, even from sub-optimal strikes. 

We obviously missed some putts; sadly, no brand has figured out how to eradicate missed putts for good; however, due to the construction and the confidence this putter instilled in us, we found our misses far fewer and less aggressive. 

All in all, this putter delivered first-class performance. Its unique construction and design worked wonders for our stroke, and we would encourage anyone who may suffer on the greens to give this bad boy a hit. It could save your short game. 

Should you buy the Odyssey Ai-ONE Jailbird Cruiser?

That is an interesting question. Rather than immediately heading to an online retailer, we highly recommend going to your nearest pro shop and trying this putter for yourself. 

We had fantastic results with the Jailbird, but due to its unique design and profile, it won't be a one-size-fits-all putter. 

If you do struggle with stability and putting a consistent roll on the ball, then this could be an ideal fix. However, as previously mentioned, go and try it first to see if it's right for you before parting with your hard-earned cash. 

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