50 Words or Less
ODIN Golf balls aim to deliver high performance with a lower price. X1 is a Tour ball aimed at the low handicap player. ODIN X is a very affordable, lower compression ball.
Introduction
ODIN Golf sits at the intersection of two of the game’s biggest trends. One is the move to online, direct-to-consumer retail. Like many other new golf ball brands, ODIN wants to give players a quality ball at a price that doesn’t make them weep when they lose one. The other trend is the movement away from golf’s traditional image. From their motto “Go balls out. Always” to their embrace of NFTs, ODIN is miles from polished wingtips and starched collars.
Can that combination propel this relative newcomer to sustained success? Time will tell. For now, let’s find out if they make a quality golf ball.
Feel
Both the ODIN X and ODIN X1 are 3-piece golf balls, but they use different cover materials. The tour-style X1 has a urethane cover; the X has an ionomer cover. This is one of the major drivers of the difference in feel.
On the greens, the ODIN X1 has the premium, Tour ball feel. With a milled putter, it produces a dull “thud” and a soft feel. The ODIN X provides a mixed sensation. It’s a low compression ball, so you’ll feel that squishiness, but the cover is quite firm. Because of the cover, the sound is crisper than you would expect from a low compression ball.
With irons and wedges, the difference between the balls becomes much smaller. The X feels firm and solid. The ODIN X1 feels similar, but there’s a softness on pure strikes that is missing in the X.
Short Game
In my wedge testing, the biggest thing that stood out was the amount of spin in the ODIN X. For a ball that costs well under $20/dozen, it has very respectable wedge spin. With a full wedge, it’s nearly the equal of the X1. That does drop off as you get into half shots and pitches, but not as dramatically as you might expect. The ODIN X is not going to be a drop-and-stop ball around the greens, but it’s more than serviceable for the mid-handicap player.
The ODIN X1 is a strong performer in all aspects of the short game. This is a 3-piece, urethane-covered ball, and it does exactly what it should. The spin rates are right in line with Tour-ball averages for full wedges, half wedges, and pitch shots.
Long Game
In testing the ODIN X and X1 with irons, I found two important things. First, the X1 spins more. This is fairly predictable as ODIN promotes the X as being a lower spinning ball. As usual, the gap in spin that I saw – several hundred RPM – is likely to be smaller than what others see because I’m a fairly low spin player. The other notable difference was in ball speed. Both balls had very solid top end speed, but the X1 was more consistent for my swing speed. The ODIN X is billed as a low compression ball, and it seems that created a few shots with “missing” ball speed for me. My swing speed is a bit above average, so for the mid-high handicap player that the X is aimed at, this should not be an issue.
With the driver, that ball speed consistency was better with the ODIN X1. The difference was not monumental, but there were shots with the X that I felt should have had a couple more MPH. In terms of spin, the gap was quite small for me. On average, the X was slightly lower spin, but I’d be comfortable with either one off the tee.
Conclusion
The ODIN X1 golf ball is a solid Tour-caliber ball at a good price, but the X really stands out for me. At $17/dozen ($15/dozen if you buy in bulk), it’s a really strong performer. If you’re looking to game a different ball this year, and save a few dollars, consider an ODIN golf ball.
Visit ODIN Golf HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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2 Comments
How durable was the cover on both?
Tim,
Neither one showed any unusual wear during my testing.
-Matt