Why a milled face

[jimjc]

[quote name='balbowski' timestamp='1448990872' post='12667440']
[quote name='jimjc' timestamp='1448989410' post='12667310']
Well I decided to go down into my basement and check out my 41 putters some going back to the 70's. Titleists. Pings Clevelands, Yes, Taylormade, Callaways, Bettinardies to name just a few. A few are forged most are cast a few milled.

I took a drafting ruler that is extremely flat and put it on the faces of all my putters top, bottom and angled and guess what when held to a light I could see no unevenness at all. The cast were just as flat as forged or milled. So much for milled.
[/quote]

The difference for me is sound and feel. A softer but yet more responsive feel on a completely milled head, both because of the milling on the face but also the material. The metal used on a milled putter is different than the metal on a cast putter. Do you not notice any difference in feel between all those different putters you have?

I can putt fine with either, so it is not a performance issue, purely feel and preference.
[/quote]


I notice the differences in feel but it has nothing to do with it being milled, it's because it's forged, yet I do have some cast that feel very very close to as good. Frankly feel has nothing to do with the stroke, the feel comes after the ball has gone, which has little to do with my stroke, it's just to late to matter.

Feel really isn't real, because it's not consistent, it changes by day and if the truth be known by the minute.

I like feel but I never count on it, I count on watching what the ball does. I can tell exactly what I did right or what I did wrong it's 100% accurate no matter what club in my bag I'm using, from the driver down to the putter.

If you had a chance to use a method that's 100% accurate or one that's accurate once and a while which would you use.

EDIT You can take a iron and pull a shot and it will feel like you aced it until you see the flight.

[johnboy99]

I believe a milled or grooved face will change the feel / sound and that's about it.
As for roll / overspin - I believe thats the product of a good stroke + correct dynamic loft at impact, not so much the texture of the face.

[mike_dmt]

This thread is pretty informative.

I used a Ping Craz-E for a long time, and switched to an Odyssey #7 early this spring(of 2015, since we're getting close)..

Both are inserted, and I'm starting to want to get a milled face for once.

You know, classic WRX'er.. I get bored of only having 24 putts a round, and stuff.. Let's challenge ourselves once in a while.

Anyway, a friend has been gaming SC's for years, and I've tried both of his putters, and while they don't have the deep milled face, I really struggled with distance which to me, is feel. And the sound is very different from an insert, obviously.

So. I'm prowling the classifies here and the 'Bay, waiting for some 'ol beat up putter to float my way. I might strip it and do a torch finish on it, just for kicks.

[Davewn]

[quote name='johnboy99' timestamp='1449011482' post='12668970']
I believe a milled or grooved face will change the feel / sound and that's about it.
As for roll / overspin - I believe thats the product of a good stroke + correct dynamic loft at impact, not so much the texture of the face.
[/quote]

Loft, length, lie, grip size and type, head weight, head style- all play an exponentially larger role in making putts than a milled face. As has been pointed out previously, the act of rolling a round dimpled ball over an irregular surface is not an activity that requires precision to the 10,000ths. How many putts have been made with Bullseyes, 8802s, Ansers, Zebras etc over the years? Nothing exotic about the oldies in materials or manufacture in any way shape or form, yet Nicklaus, Crenshaw, Floyd, et al somehow rolled the ball pretty well back in the day...

[Ri_Redneck]

Putter faces were milled to ensure a flat surface. The mill marks were left behind to sell the angle of marketing it as a "milled face putter." When early milled putters were released, many folks complained of shoddy workmanship if the mill marks were left behind. Now, due to different mill patterns and depths, it's more branding and "feel" than anything.

 

 

Exactly, branding and feel! I remember the first milled putter I saw and thought, Why would I want to use an irregular surface to putt a ball with an irregular surface?? Thinking the milling is going to somehow match up with the dimples to give you a true roll is the epitome or idiocy. When I designed mine back in '99, I decided to use an end mill leaving a perfectly flat face. I've been perfectly happy with it ever since. Feel can be influenced in many ways, including milling grooves.

 

BT

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

[quote name='ptoulme' timestamp='1448940027' post='12665690']
[quote name='bbthorn' timestamp='1448933875' post='12665194']
Why a milled face on putters? That is just opposite of what I would think. I can't imagine the reason anyone would want to impart spin on the ball, but I could be just dumb!
[/quote]

Milled putters do have a different sound and feel. Go out and roll some with both and see for yourself. A lot of it is up to personal preference. Do you want a soft putt with the insert, or the feedback and feel of the milled?
[/quote] the Wilson 8802's and Acushnet Bulls Eye's had/have some of the best "sound" "feel" of all time. funny I never notice a final milling on the faces of those....

[Cwebb]

Wishon has some mallet putters called the "smooth series", where the design theory is that a smooth face will not "grab" the cover of a ball quite as much,....leading to tighter "dispersion" on less than perfect impacts.

Whereas as grooved putter is designed to "grab" the cover,... to impart topspin for an ideal impact with an upward AOA and very low dynamic loft.

Basically different face design options, depending on what kind of stroke and impact conditions are there

[Dustdevil]

I remember when Golfsmith had a Snake Eyes putter with a Teflon insert for zero spin. Design concepts run in circles, I guess.

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

[quote name='Dustdevil' timestamp='1450042319' post='12715634']
I remember when Golfsmith had a Snake Eyes putter with a Teflon insert for zero spin. Design concepts run in circles, I guess.
[/quote]Golfsmith also had a putter that was Star Trek's very own U.S.S. Enterprise.... design concepts run in the risible too.

[Dustdevil]

[quote name='Kenny Lee Puckett' timestamp='1450057700' post='12716670'][quote name='Dustdevil' timestamp='1450042319' post='12715634']
I remember when Golfsmith had a Snake Eyes putter with a Teflon insert for zero spin. Design concepts run in circles, I guess.
[/quote]Golfsmith also had a putter that was Star Trek's very own U.S.S. Enterprise.... design concepts run in the risible too.[/quote]
Hireko came out with a Klingon Bird of Prey one shortly thereafter.

[Ri_Redneck]

[quote name='Dustdevil' timestamp='1450058303' post='12716700']
[quote name='Kenny Lee Puckett' timestamp='1450057700' post='12716670'][quote name='Dustdevil' timestamp='1450042319' post='12715634']
I remember when Golfsmith had a Snake Eyes putter with a Teflon insert for zero spin. Design concepts run in circles, I guess.
[/quote]Golfsmith also had a putter that was Star Trek's very own U.S.S. Enterprise.... design concepts run in the risible too.[/quote]
Hireko came out with a Klingon Bird of Prey one shortly thereafter.
[/quote]

I have heard they're going to add the Kobayashi Maru to Q-School for 2016!!

BT