 PrimeTimeGolf member Dennis Brumley, aka “Black Blade,” is a left-handed golfer who felt that he could give himself more options - compared what a lot of club manufacturers offer - by making his own putter. Dennis has over 30 years of experience in the HVAC business, which includes a lot of day-to-day applications with sheet metal, so he is accustomed to being around and working with steel. After some of his friends saw what he made for himself, they asked Dennis to make some putters for them as well – and at the exact specifications they provided - including right-handed models. Dennis recently gave me the opportunity to review one of his prototypes, and below are my thoughts.
 LOOKS
Dennis is a traditionalist when it comes to a putter’s looks, which is why he chooses the flange blade shape in his work. This style, commonly referred to as “8802” or “Napa,” is really based on the post turn-of-the-century Spalding HB putter – or “hollow back.” In Dennis’s case, his blade has a more rounded, fuller look at address. The head and neck undergo a gun blue process that’s the same one sees in old English double-barrel shotguns, but results in a less “black” color compared to what may find in a TP Mills putter, for example. In addition, instead of having a straight neck, he “goose necks” it using heat, and then welds it to the head (both of which, by the way, are made of soft 1018 carbon steel). The gooseneck in this prototype is set at about 3/4 shaft offset. The offset and curved neck, along with the head having slightly more weight at the heel, helps reduce the putter’s toe hang (in this case, the toe drops to between the 5:00 and 5:30 position). These traits also bring the sweet spot closer to the geometric center of the face, rather than having the sweet spot almost right at the heel as is commonly found in straight-neck flange blade putters. More about the benefits of these characteristics will be discussed in the “Performance” section. Overall, the head and neck are very attractive. In my opinion, the lines flow into one another very smoothly with no visible trace of welding. At address, the curved neck doesn’t provide any visual distraction during the stroke. In fact, one would be hard pressed at all to figure out that this prototype has a gooseneck when one views the head at address. It should be noted that Dennis uses a hand mill, meaning that there is no computer assistance involved, so one can really appreciate the time and effort involved in the grinding and shaping of this putter. I have only a minor point to criticize with regard to the prototype’s looks: with this classic shape, I would prefer to see it as plain as possible without any alignment aid or face milling. As it stands, the milling on Dennis’s prototype doesn’t cover the whole face, resulting in a somewhat “incomplete” feeling one gets when looking at the putter from the front. However, this is a very subjective opinion and one that will likely differ from person to person. PERFORMANCE AND FEEL
As noted above, the toe hang on Dennis’s prototype is significantly reduced compared to what typically finds in a flange blade putter. This is specifically beneficial to the golfer whose stroke is more “straight back, straight through” - as opposed to “swinging gate” - because the face doesn’t open and close as dramatically as what one would see with a straight-neck blade. Also, because the sweet spot is not so heel-biased, the golfer won’t lose too much in direction and distance control when ball contact is made at the center of the face. With this particular prototype, I have two main concerns, both of which are easily remediable: - This putter came with a stepless shaft, which actually gives the head a harder feel with a louder “click,” especially during lag putts. Otherwise, the head does in fact feel soft, yet substantial, during shorter putts. A stepped shaft may give this putter more consistent feel and be a better match for this head
- At 358 grams, the head is possibly a little bit too heavy. I myself am accustomed to a lighter head, and more of than not found myself holding back as opposed to doing my “normal” stroke.
Of course, these are also subjective preferences, since those who prefer heavier heads with firmer feel may enjoy this putter very much. The bottom line is that this putter works! It was designed for the golfer with a straighter stroke, and theory is successfully transformed into reality. The rest is up to the golfer himself. CONCLUSION
Not only does Dennis make a putter that looks good, feels good and plays good, he can also do all kinds of adjustments when it comes to head shape, neck style, offset, head weight, balance, and even type of steel used. He is a very easy person to have a conversation with and is willing to work on almost any type of project within reason. I will be posting a “Black Blade Q&A” topic in the member forums in the “Flatsticks” section, so please feel free to ask any questions you may have for him there. You may also send him a private message or email him directly at BBputters@sbcglobal.net |
