Jman's Journeys in Putterdom - Spreading the Knowledge!

Been wanting to start this for a good while, talked to JB about it a LONG LONG time ago...the seed was laid and with football season coming to an end I've got the time to start it now.

This will be a journey, some may consider it an epic one at that. You all know what a putter ho I am (not JB's realm, but getting there lol). Every one of the putters I buy is played, period. I may have to rotate like heck but they all get course or practice green time whenever I can. Every one is also unique and special to me in some way and alot of them come from the lesser known makers. I have strong feelings about people and brands I support but I'll never push someone to them, golf equipment is a journey of finding what fits your eye and style, not someone elses. I'll never let this become an advertisement but rest assured I'll go on and on about many of the little gems I have and the contact I have had with their makers.

I plan on going through and giving pics and info as well as reviews about all of my current collection and all and the future ones as well. If anyone reads, awesome, feel free to comment and question, I've built a large mass of knowledge over my time in the game, much of it useless, some not so much lol.

Anyways...here we go...

Its hard for me to pick a place to start...so...we'll start with the most recent to come home from short trip away.



My TP Mills Tradition 2 Midshaft custom.



This gem came to me for a great deal, only issue was loft and lie. So, I contacted Jay with TP Mills (he's on forum here now!) and set up a spa treatment to get the loft and lie changed as well as reshafting it with one of their PVD black puttershafts. Along the way I nabbed a couple closeout covers as well (I'm a headcover ho too!) and a silicone cloth to keep the head's finish nice.

Pics? OK.








So, the story of why this one is so special? This is one of a very, very, very, VERY, limited number of heads that David Mills has produced with an all carbon head (sooooft) with a stainless steel neck. Most unique is the fact that the head has been finished in Mills exquisite black ox and the neck left stainless. This gives a stark contrast that only got better when Jay added the PVD black shaft. From there I added a midsized Red Gripmaster Stitchback (got a little wet on install, hence the spot in the pics) and wowza, sweetness.

I rolled this when I first got it and knew it had a great little audible 'click' to it and very soft feel, despite being 351g and much lighter than my preferred range, it still felt good and actually still fits my stroke well even with the offset I'm not accustomed to with all my center-shafts I use. However, with a mid-size grip as well as being shortened to my 33.5" preferred length as well as lie and loft adjustments, its not just a looker anymore.

The feel is great, the look is unreal, the craftsmanship TP Mills puts into the putters is astounding. This one will NEVER leave the collection and will get course time for sure. The sweetspot with the trademark Mills crosshair on the face truly is sweet and the feel and sound are different than any of my other carbon putters.

The company? History lesson time form the history teacher. If you have not heard of TP Mills putters you'd almost have to have been under a rock. Many link them to their classic Spalding line from the early days but Mills handmades have been around a long time. T.P. Mills started it and his son David runs it today, all putters are hand stamped and hosels shaped that way as well, truly magnificent.

Some interesting facts about them...

• He is seen as the father of the milled putter.
• He was the first to make the putter head black, thus offering a greater contrast between the ball and the putter.
• He helped design the "famous flanged bulls eye putter for the Acushnet Co.
• He was the first to mark to true "sweet spot " with his famous trademarked "crossed dots and "oval sighting mark" on the face and top of the putter respectively.
• The first to mark his name on the face of the putter.
• The first to sweep the weight towards the toe of the putter to counter balance the hosel and help keep the sweet spot closer to the center of the face for better balance.

The first to design the modern "slant heel" located behind the hosel.

For more on this, go to TPMills.com and click the history tab, pretty darn cool.


As I said before, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to sell putters to people. I just strongly believe in most of the companies I have equipment from and enjoy showing or telling someone something they may have never known. T.P. Mills putters are gem in the putter world and its awesome that Jay is on THP now and has even sent a putter in.

In all, that will do it for this first edition. All comments are welcome, good or bad, just trying to spread a little knowledge while showing off my little collection that I'm quite proud of.

Cool thread. I will read more when I get to a PC that doesn't block PB.

"the head has been finished in Mills exquisite black ox"

Wow, that is exquisite!! :thinking: Maybe you meant onyx??

Looking forward to more of this thread and seeing more of your collection!

Beautiful putter Jman! I'm curious how TP Mills' black ox head wears after years of use. Do you know if it'll fade like black pearl finishes on the Cleveland irons and wedges, etc.?

tdinbr said:

"the head has been finished in Mills exquisite black ox"

Wow, that is exquisite!! :thinking: Maybe you meant onyx??

Looking forward to more of this thread and seeing more of your collection!

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I apologize. Its black oxide, I simply shortened it for typing in a hurry's purposes. An actual black ox would be a pretty unique, and hairy, finish though LOL!

Thanks for reading, even if I type craziness form time to time!

awfully nice looking putter
thanks for the pics and accompaning post

bonknhead said:

Beautiful putter Jman! I'm curious how TP Mills' black ox head wears after years of use. Do you know if it'll fade like black pearl finishes on the Cleveland irons and wedges, etc.?

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If left unprotected, it will indeed wear, especially if left wet or in contact with fertilized form the course etc. BUT, silicone provides a barrier against this and will keep the finishe preserved. Many get gun cleaner sprays with silicone (like Eezox and MANY others) and just coat the putter now and again and keep a bit in the actual headcover so it re-coats when you put it in. I actually nabbed a silicone cloth (pictured) from Jay that they have had made for them. A wipe every now and again and after rounds and it will stay a pretty as ever!

Hope that helps!

jefffann said:

awfully nice looking putter
thanks for the pics and accompaning post

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Many thanks!

I use a old duck hunting trick on my black ozide putter.I put a coating of turtle wax on it.

Jman215 said:

If left unprotected, it will indeed wear, especially if left wet or in contact with fertilized form the course etc. BUT, silicone provides a barrier against this and will keep the finishe preserved. Many get gun cleaner sprays with silicone (like Eezox and MANY others) and just coat the putter now and again and keep a bit in the actual headcover so it re-coats when you put it in. I actually nabbed a silicone cloth (pictured) from Jay that they have had made for them. A wipe every now and again and after rounds and it will stay a pretty as ever!

Hope that helps!

Click to expand...

Actually, I was wondering how the finish on the face would wear after years of use. I've seen pics of the Cleveland BPs and how they wear after repeated ball strikes. Granted, no one swings a putter 90mph, but I would think that eventually there will be wear on the face.

Of course since your putter is new you won't see that wear for quite a while but I was wondering if you knew how the black ox on a putter face fares versus how black pearl does on an iron.

jefffann said:

I use a old duck hunting trick on my black ozide putter.I put a coating of turtle wax on it.

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Thats a heckuva idea, really. Thats pretty dang awesome, thank you for that!

bonknhead said:

Actually, I was wondering how the finish on the face would wear after years of use. I've seen pics of the Cleveland BPs and how they wear after repeated ball strikes. Granted, no one swings a putter 90mph, but I would think that eventually there will be wear on the face.

Of course since your putter is new you won't see that wear for quite a while but I was wondering if you knew how the black ox on a putter face fares versus how black pearl does on an iron.

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From previous putters I've had with this finish, and a TON of use. I'd say slight to moderate wear but I never did anythign to that stick as far as some sort of silicone or anything. You cuold def tell where I hit the majority of my putts, but it wasn't like my wedges have done with the finish, thats 1000% for sure.

so far so good.
Sometimes I forget to get it out of the bag after a wet day on the course that's why I waxed it.
No rust yet.

jefffann said:

so far so good.
Sometimes I forget to get it out of the bag after a wet day on the course that's why I waxed it.
No rust yet.

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I'll have to remember that. I try to dry the heads everytime before putting the HC's on but sometimes after a crappy hole I just don't care lol

Very nice!

Very nice!

Jman, that's one fine looking putter. :drool: Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your future installments.

NevoGamer said:

Jman, that's one fine looking putter. :drool: Thanks for sharing and I look forward to your future installments.

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Many thanks. I'm thinking I'll do another one here in a day or so, choices are tough though of which to do first! lol

On a side note, my SSB Ocracoke Longboat and Slighter should be home by Monday, and my Maching M2A AlBz shoed up yesterday and WOW. They all need shafts thlugh and I think I'm going to give Vibrant a whirl, I love me some matte black shafts. Not gonna get too crazy though.

Jman215 said:

Not gonna get too crazy though.

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kinda all ready past that aren't ya? :wink:

jefffann said:

kinda all ready past that aren't ya? :wink:

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Nah, not even close. I just have something I like to collect, and that is due mainly to the fortune I've had with buying clubs low and selling them high throughout the last couple years. Only reason my wife has no issues with my hobby is that, for the most part, its self funding.

my mistake I thought I recognized the symtoms

I'm addicted too

jefffann said:

my mistake I thought I recognized the symtoms

I'm addicted too

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Oh no, I'm addicted...100% LOL, I just have a great cover that also funds it.

Great looking putter. I am looking forward to more installments.

That is just a beautiful putter! It makes my Odyssey look rather damn ghetto. I'll be checking back in on your putter threads for sure.

MORE!!

Great Thread...

Your adventures in several other putter threads have started me down the path of getting a custom putter. I am still a little ways off but the seed has been very well planted. It will happen in the foreseeable future (gift to myself for passing a tough professional exam? I sure hope so!)

Jman, well done son! Lol. Mills did a great job, what a beautiful putter. Your not helping the rest of us with our addictions.

Someone please start a PA club, putters anonymous, haha.

Well done and I'm seeing on my phone. I can't wait to get to the laptop.

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