When Vikash Sanyal, some two years ago, decided to re-enter the golf equipment world of putters, he thought back on lessons learned as a 20-something salesman from 1980s/90s equipment titans Gary Adams – founder of TaylorMade Golf – and Ely Callaway – founder of Callaway Golf.
“One of the things that Mr. Callaway and Mr. Adams each taught me – this was when Odyssey was first starting – is that, if you’re going to be a little guy and go against the big guys, don’t think you can the same thing – or maybe a little better – and succeed, ’’said Sanyal, who in 1991 co-founded the Odyssey Golf putter brand (with Gary Adams, Brad) and in 1997 co-founded the Never Compromise putter brand. “You either have to do something completely different, or if you do what they are doing, you have to demonstrably better.’’
Sound familiar, Callaway Golf aficionados?
After a hiatus from golf of more than 20 years – much of that time spent dealing with his wife, Julie’s health concerns – Sanyal is back with The Chamber Putter Chamber Justice Mallet putter and its A-LOC (Alignment Laser Optic Confirmed) System.
Designed to help golfers and their putters see eye-to-eye, Sanyal said the A-LOC System combines laser-confirmed alignment, interchangeable visual guides, and extreme heel-toe weighting into a single, integrated putting solution.
The Chamber Putter Justice Mallet putter ($700) is available through the company’s website at thechamberputter.com.
Sanyal co-founded The Chamber Putter with a pair of highly respected golf industry veterans – retired First Tee CEO Joe Louis Barrow and former LPGA Commissioner and PGA Tour senior executive Ty Votaw.
Sanyal serves as the Valley Center, CA., company’s managing director, while Barrow comes on as executive director, and Votaw as senior advisor.
Basically, Barrow, the son of legendary heavyweight champion Joe Louis, brought in the funds for the fledgling company; Sanyal, who has one of the golf industry’s sharpest marketing minds, leaned on his years in the ‘90s of growing Odyssey and Never Compromise into major players in the world of putters; Votaw, meanwhile, drew on his LPGA days to bring in Hall of Famers Beth Daniel, Laura Davies, Inkster, Meg Mallon, Judie Rankin and Karrie Webb each as investors.
Talk about getting the band back together.
“I think the LPGA has always been undervalued,’’ Sanyal said. “I’m a big believer in the LPGA Tour. It was a big factor in the successes of Odyssey and Never Compromise.’’
Indeed. Inkster won the 1999 U.S. Women’s Open with a Never Compromise putter. Se Ri Pak won the 2002 McDonald’s LPGA Championship using a Never Compromise putter. Never Compromise putters recorded 38 total victories across the LPGA, PGA, and Senior PGA tours by August 2000.
Annika Sorenstam, perhaps the best female player in history, used an Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II to win multiple majors.
Odyssey Golf in 1997 was acquired by Callaway Golf for $130 million. It remains one of the more successful putter franchises in the marketplace.
Never Compromise was bought by Cleveland Golf in 2003 for a price believed to be in the $30 million range. Cleveland in 2024 sold the brand to Dunlop Sports for an undisclosed sum.
Odyssey Golf was built on its White Hot insert technology, while Never Compromise gained success with three-piece CNC-milled designs and black and grey color schemes.
The Chamber Putter’s technology and story lies with this simple motto: “See Better, Putt Better.’’
The A-LOC System includes 10 interchangeable alignment guides, allowing golfers to experiment and identify the visual configuration that best supports their natural tendencies. Once dialed in, according to Sanyal, golfers can commit confidently, knowing what they see is what they’ll putt. Hence the “See Better, Putter Better’’ moniker.
Sanyal developed a similar, but more complicated system as a Tour rep for Odyssey and Never Compromise.
“I realized pretty quickly that each player lines up differently,’’ Sanyal said. ”Some players see lines better; some players see shapes better; some see color better. So, it just kind of evolved over the years.
“My original test was very rudimentary. I would bring out putters and say, ‘Aim toward that hole.’ Once I knew what they were lined towards, I would literally get on my hands and knees and put a tee against the face of their putter. Then we would back up and look at where they were aligned.’’
For the Chamber Putter, Sanyal replaced the tees with a compact laser that attaches directly to the putter behind the face, delivering instant, precise feedback on whether you’re aligned correctly.
“Our laser is a magnet that just snaps on to the back of the head in three seconds,’’ Sanyal said. “There is an outdoor laser and an indoors laser. It’s literally ‘muscle memory’’ for your eyes.’’
The laser, Sanyal said, reveals what research confirms: fewer than one percent of golfers align accurately at address. Until alignment is correct, nothing else matters.
“The laser,’’ Sanyal said, “never lies.’’
The design of the Chamber Justice Mallet distributes nearly 90 percent of the clubhead’s weight into the heel and toe, using extensive tungsten weighting. The result, Sanyal said, is exceptional stability and a sweet spot that effectively spans the entire face.
“We have the best MOI (Moment of Inertia) out there,’’ Sanyal said. “Our tungsten weights weigh 90 grams each compared to in the 20- to-30-gram range of the competition. It makes the putter more forgiving.
“You need to think about it as a computer game. If the product is simple, fun and innovative… we win. But if it’s complex, we lose because people won’t value the technology.’’
The Chamber Putter looks like a winner.
Feature Photo Courtesy of The Chamber Putter
