Odyssey Ai One Square to Square Jailbird Putter Review

Odyssey Ai One Square to Square Jailbird Putter Key Features:

• Centre shafted, low torque design promoting a square face throughout the stroke
• Ai-ONE Insert for consistent roll across the face
• Built-in forward press for correct hand position
• Premium Navy PVD finish

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Odyssey has entered the low/zero torque market with its new Square 2 Square product range.

Currently featuring three models (Jailbird, Number 7 and Double Wide), the Square 2 Square line is said to promote a square face throughout the stroke, leading to a more consistent stroke and fewer putts per round.

These Odyssey putters don’t have completely zero torque. However, Odyssey has claimed none of the competitors feature true zero torque either.

I have been using a zero or low-torque putter for quite some time now, so I was excited to take the Odyssey Square 2 Square Jailbird Putter to various golf courses across Europe to try it out.

Let’s get into the review.

Player Level

A mallet by name, the jailbird is large and will promote high MOI even before we delve into the torque. The Square 2 Square aspect may push this putter to someone with less of an arc in their stroke, however this isn’t set in stone. This is more of a try it out and see how it feels for your individual putting stroke.

Odyssey Ai One Square to Square Jailbird Looks and Feel

The Odyssey Square 2 Square Jailbird is, in essence, exactly the same as the original jailbird from a looks and feel perspective with the added benefit of having low torque. The look is somewhat unusual for this design, with the putter shaft placed in the middle of the face with 3.3° of shaft lean, so your hands are properly positioned at address. 

I would say the centre shafted design may take a while to get used to for those more used to a more classic look where the shaft enters the heel of the face.

The feel is top draw, coming from the ever-popular Ai-ONE insert which will allow consistent roll across the face and less three putts.

I found this insert to be incredibly soft and positive across the face, and was able to roll the ball very well once I became used to the design of the club. The Navy Blue PVD Finish is a big positive of the putter too, which gives the product a very premium look for a club that isn’t actually that expensive when comparing it to rival options on the market.

Odyssey Ai One Square to Square Jailbird Performance and Forgiveness

I can say, hand on heart, this putter is very good. The Jailbird is already one of our best putters of 2024, as it is remarkably stable and inspires a lot of confidence around the greens, especially on short putts. The additional Square 2 Square features give the putter an extra edge, making it very difficult to actually push or pull putts, if the putter is the correct specification for you.

I found the head to be slightly light in comparison to other models, so did experiment with weights and lead tape during testing to find out what worked for me - an at home custom fitting some could say.

As mentioned already, this will feel unorthodox to some. I’ve used these types of putters for several years now, yet it still took a good round or two to get used to. Once I did though, missing a short putt was only due to a poor read, not a poor stroke. The putter wasn't doing all the work for me, but it definitely eliminated those horror putts that we all know too well.

Comparing this model to other low torque options, I feel like one thing that this product is missing is a real push towards custom fitting. The concept of a low torque, square putter face is only truly applicable if the putter in your hands is working with you. A putter that is the wrong lie angle, length, or sight line, can actually work against you, so you actually won’t have the putter square.

That is on the consumer to get custom fitted, but It is incredibly important with these types of putters.

Should you buy an Odyssey Ai One Square to Square Jailbird?

The big plus with the Odyssey Square 2 Square range is that it is an incredibly fair price, at £249. This is substantially cheaper than other low torque offerings on the market, allowing a broader audience of golfers to try out this new era of putters without truly breaking the bank.

If you are wanting to try out something the pushes a square face throughout the stroke, I would think that Odysseys’s new range is a great place to start. The modern design coupled up with previous successful technology will undoubtedly help a lot of golfers.