The people who make putters must have gotten jealous, tired of hearing the engineers down the hall—the ones designing drivers, fiddling with fairway woods, hewing hybrids, and inventing irons—shout “Eureka!” every few days as they came up with new models.

Now it’s the flat-stick fashioners’ turn, at least at Odyssey, a division of Callaway Golf, where two innovations in putters are just rolling out.

Metal-X is a new line of putters featuring a lightweight aluminum face backed by a layer of urethane. Combining metal and a softer, lighter plastic resin allowed the engineers to move weight around the head for optimal performance, producing a crisp and distinctive feel at impact marked by a pleasingly solid sound.

But materials are only part of the story. There’s power in the pattern, oval depressions cut into the face that, according to the designers, form a “mechanical lock” with a ball’s dimples at impact. Contact has a little more friction so the ball launches lower, with more topspin and less skidding, resulting in a smooth, consistent roll.

Having tested Metal-X I can confirm that the ball rolls true, great feel married to controlled distance. And I’m not the only one impressed: When the new putters—all with a sleek black finish—were introduced on the European Tour, 13 pros switched the first week. Here at home, a number of PGA Tour pros have become X-Men, as well.

A variety of head shapes are available—heel-toe, blade, two-ball, mallet, etc.—plus belly and long versions, too. Prices range from $149 to $189.

If you’re not ready to commit to Metal-X, Odyssey offers an ingenious compromise, a putter with two different hitting surfaces. Called “Flip Face,” it’s the latest manifestation of the industry’s love affair with adjustability.

The technology is cool and simple, one screw holding the head together: Unscrew it (the screwdriver doubles as a divot tool) and rotate the insert 180 degrees: One side is Metal-X, the other is the slightly firmer White Ice, the multi-layer material that’s been a big hit for Odyssey the last few years. Stuart Appleby, who has Flip Face in his bag, compares it to the rotating license plates on James Bond’s car.

Alternate inserts day to day, round to round, it’s up to you: But note that when playing according to USGA/R&A Rules, face-flipping during a round is not permitted. (We won’t tell.)

One more thing about Flip Face: The folks at Odyssey said they came up with it for Phil Mickelson, who is constantly tinkering with his clubs, including putters, and they wanted to make his experimenting easier. He was given a Flip Face a few months ago but then he won at Pebble Beach and has been putting very well ever since so he’s not messing with what’s in his bag.

Flip Face is available in three head shapes—a rounded, heel-toe-weighted blade (#1), a rounded mallet (#5), and a toe-weighted, heel-shafted, flanged blade (#9). Just note that such technology and tight manufacturing tolerances don’t come cheap: Retail price is $349.

odysseygolf.com