When it comes to the world of golf equipment, and more specifically putters, few companies have an iconic heritage like that of T.P. Mills. If you played the game six degrees of separation, almost every single putter used today could somehow be traced back to the man they call “The Father of the Milled Putter”. He is the man that took the mundane task of creating putters and turned it into an artist with a blank canvas. The “artwork” he has created is legendary and in some circles his putters hold a collectible value that is nearly priceless. The former US postal worker has become a true icon in the world of golf club design and implementation.
History
From the company
T.P. Mills’s handmade putters have been treasured by Five presidents of the United States as well as Prime ministers, national and foreign dignitaries, celebrities and nearly every tour player that has graced this great game. The T.P. Mills company has letters of gratitude from such people along with the accompaniment of personal checks, payment for the clubs. Let there be no mistake, T.P. Mills was responsible for taking a club that sold for $35 to $45 and through great craftsmanship and originality turning it into something that sold for several hundred even thousands of dollars. T.P. Mills turned putter manufacturing into putter designing and then into the art of making a putter. Many of the top putter designers of the last 20 years are collectors of T.P.’s work. Yet, T. P. and David will be the first to say that there is no magic wand. “Its still the puttee’ more than the putter,” “But if you get the putter where you like the feel of it, the weight, balance and loft are right for you, the “sweet spot” is where it should be and the shaft flex is correct, that’s as far as you can go.”
Today the T.P. Mills Co. runs under the leadership of T.P.’s son David and his talent and craftsmanship are well recognized among the top PGA tour players and amateur players around the world. And whose handmade models have won many current PGA Tour and European events ensuring the family a proud tradition of making handmade’s one at a time. The Mills family continues to design and develop new models with each one being a putter of precision craftsmanship that many believe cannot be matched.
First Impressions
When the T.P. Mills box arrived at THP HQ, I would be lying if I said I was not excited. Growing up playing this game, I played many of their original designs and at one time found myself wondering if I would ever play something else. Opening of the box was a throwback to my childhood because of those fond memories, but once the box was opened, those throwback ideas were gone. In front of me lay a gorgeous new piece of artwork that stood on its own merit and while sharing the same name and values, would look this good had it had any name stamped on it. Finished in a glossy black, the Anvil Series from T.P. Mills stood before me and just made me smile. When we took a closer look at the head, you see the larger face milling that begs to show off impact feel and subtle mill marks throughout the finish that really make this putter stand out.
This single sight line coming off the back is a nice contrasting color and really gives you the feeling of a good set up when preparing to make your stroke. The putter itself has quite a few different custom stampings on it from the Anvil Series and logo on the sole to the T.P. Mills logo featured on the face. White, orange, and a subtle green all seem to be the shades that were used on this particular prototype. By the time we were done staring at this sculpture some might call a putter, it was time to put it to good use.
View from THP
During the THP testing we were fortunate enough to have quite a few golfers be able to put the T.P. Mills Anvil Series in play. Words probably will do a poor job in describing the elation that most felt as they used this putter, but we will forge ahead and work with what we have. Most people that try out a putter talk about feel and the sensation that you get using terms like soft, crisp, etc…When describing the feel at impact, I can only use the word “full”. Is it soft? Definitely, but it’s much more than that. There is an underlying firmness about it, that is hard to put a description on. When you strike this one just right, you get a level of “pureness” that you just do not see much in other pieces of equipment. It releases an audible tone that sounds full and harmonic like a grand piano compared to a child’s toy.
The debate that lasts forever for putter purists is what matters more, how a putter feels at impact, or the alignment and forgiveness of a putter to allow for players to miss? Only individual golfers will be able to answer that question, but if feel inspires confidence in the putter stroke, then perhaps you will be able to make a better stroke and mishit less balls. Of course the other side to that is that with proper alignment and more forgiveness, you might get better feel more often and in turn make more putts. It is an ongoing debate in the minds of most golfing purists that really has no right or wrong answer.
There is nothing wrong with the forgiveness or the alignment of the T.P. Mills Anvil Series putter. In fact, we found both of those attributes to be extremely satisfactory. However, if you are a golfer that swears by feel, then the Anvil Series may be exactly what you are looking for. I used the term “full” to describe it before, and it really hits the nail on the head here. There is a certain bass tone that comes out audibly that is not expected but is both delightful and welcoming.
Technical Specs
The Anvil Series has:
Loft – 3*
Lie – 71*
Length – 35″ (the customer will have the ability to choose the length at point of purchase)
Headweight – is approximately 352g
Overall
T.P. Mills has the heritage, the quality, the performance, and the feel to be one of the best on the market today. The feel and feedback of the Anvil Series was cherished by most of our testers and left them wanting more. If there was a Mount Rushmore of putter brands, there is no doubt that it would be graced with the likes of the T.P. Mills brand for innovation and quality. For more information on the brand overall, check out their website at www.tpmills.com. The Anvil Series is coming soon and to sign up for the latest news on this model, check out www.tpmillsputters.com.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
