Scotty Cameron Phantom 7 vs Odyssey Ai-DUAL #7 S

The short answer

Choose on your stroke, not the head. The Phantom 7 has a double-bend neck that Scotty Cameron says suits strokes that are “nearly straight-back, straight-through.” The Ai-DUAL #7 S has a short slant hosel with 35° of toe hang, which Odyssey says is “best suited for strokes with more face rotation and arc.” The Odyssey also has a much lower list price.

What actually differs

Neck and toe hang. This is the difference that matters. Scotty Cameron fits the Phantom 7 with a double-bend neck, full-shaft offset and toe flow it lists as “Minimum.” Odyssey fits the #7 S with a short slant hosel and says it “provides significant toe hang”, 35° on its spec table. The common fitting rule is that putters with little toe hang suit straighter strokes and putters with more toe hang suit stronger arcs, and both makers’ descriptions follow it. Blade or mallet? Choosing a putter explains stroke type and toe hang in more detail.

Face. The Phantom 7 has a full-face Studio Carbon Steel insert with chain-link milling. The #7 S has Odyssey’s Ai-DUAL insert, which Odyssey describes as “a soft urethane outer layer and a firm inner layer.”

Loft. Scotty Cameron lists 3.5° for the Phantom 7 and Odyssey lists 3° for the #7 S.

Price. Scotty Cameron lists the Phantom 7 at $549. Odyssey’s list price for the #7 S is $349.99.

Both are mallets, and both come in 33, 34 and 35 inches.

Who each one suits

• The Phantom 7 suits a golfer with a straight-back, straight-through stroke who wants a steel face. Scotty Cameron says its “long, sharp wings and a blade-like topline provide a sleek look with forgiving performance.”
• The Ai-DUAL #7 S suits a golfer whose stroke arcs and who wants a urethane-faced insert and a lower price. Odyssey says its angular design “makes it very easy to align.”

The trade-off

If your stroke is straight, the Phantom 7 fits it, at a higher price. If your stroke arcs, the #7 S fits it for less. Golfers who want Odyssey’s insert with a straight stroke can look at the Ai-DUAL Jailbird Mini, a mallet with a double-bend shaft that Odyssey lists as face balanced.

The Putter Finder matches putters to your stroke and budget, How to choose putter length helps you pick between 33, 34 and 35 inches, and all putters we have researched lists the rest.