improved – Ultra Golfing https://ultragolfing.com Golf news & updates Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:14:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 https://ultragolfing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cropped-UG_Favicon-32x32.png improved – Ultra Golfing https://ultragolfing.com 32 32 I accidentally improved my lie while identifying my ball. What now? https://ultragolfing.com/i-accidentally-improved-my-lie-while-identifying-my-ball-what-now/ https://ultragolfing.com/i-accidentally-improved-my-lie-while-identifying-my-ball-what-now/#respond Tue, 31 Mar 2026 13:14:14 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/i-accidentally-improved-my-lie-while-identifying-my-ball-what-now/

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’ve got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

I hit my ball into a no-mow area with various native grasses and weeds, swirling and growing in all directions. After a short search, I located a ball several inches down in the deep stuff and moved the grass over top of the ball to identify it. I was careful not to move the ball, but the grass I parted stayed where I moved it, leaving me a clean look at the ball — it probably improved my ability to swing the club through it all. My opponent said I shouldn’t move any more grass because I can’t improve my lie but left it at that. Should I have incurred a penalty? – Peter Reiter, via email

You sound like a reasonable guy, Peter, and that’s the crux of the matter. So long as the moving or bending of the grass was reasonable to try to find and identify the ball, there’s no penalty even if you did improve the conditions affecting the stroke — most impacted here, the lie and area of intended swing.

While Rule 8.1 protects those areas from moving, bending and breaking growing stuff out of the way, the Rule also provides an exception to allow you to search fairly by taking reasonable actions to find and ID your ball. See Rules 8.1b and 7.1a for details; offer not valid in Alaska or Hawaii (kidding!).

For more lie-related guidance from our guru, read on …

A golf ball in a divot on the sixteenth fairway during the Second Round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship at Yas Links Golf Course on January 21, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Rules Guy: What do you do when it’s impossible to recreate your original lie?


By:

Rules Guy



If the local rule in effect says you can place 6 inches on the fairway and my shot lands 1 inch in the fairway, can I place that ball within 5 inches on the first cut if I prefer? Technically, that wouldn’t be improving my lie as I’ve gone onto a supposedly worse surface. – Wayne Mudgway, via email

Presumably, you are referring to the Preferred Lies Local Rule—Model Local Rule E-3. If so, yes, you may place the ball anywhere in the general area within the specified distance.

If you were inclined to place the ball into the rough (“first cut”? Are you playing Augusta National?), that is indeed your prerogative. Rules Guy himself will admit to sometimes being spooked by tight turf, preferring the forgiveness of a launchpad lie.

Want to find the right gear for your bag in 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

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]]> https://ultragolfing.com/i-accidentally-improved-my-lie-while-identifying-my-ball-what-now/feed/ 0 Odyssey Ai-Dual putters pair improved roll with new alignment options https://ultragolfing.com/odyssey-ai-dual-putters-pair-improved-roll-with-new-alignment-options/ https://ultragolfing.com/odyssey-ai-dual-putters-pair-improved-roll-with-new-alignment-options/#respond Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:56:32 +0000 https://ultragolfing.com/odyssey-ai-dual-putters-pair-improved-roll-with-new-alignment-options/

Odyssey’s Ai-Dual putters focus on more consistent roll and clearer aim, introducing a new insert design and the Half-Ball alignment option.

Gear: Odyssey Ai-Dual, Ai-Dual Half-Ball putters

Price: $349.99 (Ai-Dual), $399.99 (Ai-Dual Cruiser), $399.99 (Ai-Dual S2S), $449.99 (Ai-Dual S2S Cruiser)

Specs: Multi-material putters featuring a dual-layer, grooved urethane insert with multiple head shapes, shaft configurations, and alignment options.

Who it’s for: Golfers looking for improved distance control, more consistent roll, and clearer alignment cues, particularly players who struggle with face aim or ball position at address.

What you should know: Odyssey’s new Ai-Dual lineup builds on the success of its previous AI-designed inserts by pairing ball-speed consistency with improved roll characteristics, while the new Half-Ball alignment system is designed to help golfers aim the putter face more accurately and center the ball more consistently.

The Deep Dive: Wine makers often blend different varieties of grapes together to create something unique and special. For instance, that high-priced French Bordeaux that goes great with a steak is really a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Individually, they’re good, but together they can become great. Putter often makers do the same, routinely taking elements and technologies that have been successful in the past and blend them with new concepts and ideas.

For Oddysey, its engineers took deliberate steps to enhance speed control, roll quality and feel in the just released Ai-Dual family without abandoning shapes that have defined the brand for decades.

At the heart of the new lineup is the Ai-Dual insert, a two-layer urethane construction that combines a softer outer layer on top of a firmer inner core. Odyssey debuted this insert in the Square 2 Square Tri-Hot putters that were released in October. To develop it, engineers used artificial intelligence to refine the topology behind the insert, so it does a better job of maintaining consistent ball speed across the face. At the same time, downward-facing grooves in the hitting area promote forward roll and reduce skidding, particularly on slight mishits.

At the same time, the sound and feel produced by the Ai-Dual putters remains familiar. Odyssey leaned heavily on feedback from both Tour players and everyday golfers to keep the acoustics in line with what players have long associated with the White Hot family.

In addition to many familiar shapes and alignment features, Odyssey is introducing a sub-family within the Ai-Dual lineup, the Ai-Dual Half-Ball putters. The concept is simple and easy to see — by adding a half-ball design behind the topline, it is easier for golfers to see when the actual ball is centered and the face is square. When the ball is misaligned, it is immediately obvious.

It works so well that Odyssey’s third-party testing showed that Half-Ball helped golfers hole 11 percent more 6-foot putts compared to their performance with their gamer putters.

The Ai-Dual lineup also expands Odyssey’s presence in the zero-torque category. Square-to-Square models return with familiar shapes such as the No. 7 and Jailbird, with both now updated with the Ai-Dual insert. These putters feature a heavier, stiffer black shaft designed specifically for zero-torque builds, along with a reverse-taper grip meant to complement the built-in shaft lean and promote a more comfortable setup.

Half-Ball models are available across a wide range of configurations, including standard, Cruiser, and longer-length options, allowing golfers to match the alignment system with their preferred stroke style and posture. For players who prefer a more traditional look, Odyssey is also offering Ai-Dual models without Half-Ball alignment in classic head shapes.

Taken together, the Ai-Dual and Ai-Dual Half-Ball putters reflect Odyssey’s focus on refining familiar ideas, improving roll, clarifying alignment, and giving golfers more ways to find a setup that helps them putt with confidence.

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