New High End Boutique Putter manufacturer: Dancing Astronaut Designs

[jonradus]

13 minutes ago, TJGolf55 said:

Black PVD with timascus insert and gloss black paint fills. 

This is stunning. Very nice piece. I have to know how the black PVD holds up with use. So, please post pics after extended use...either indoors or outdoors.

[ckay]

17 hours ago, TJGolf55 said:

Black PVD with timascus insert and gloss black paint fills. 

That’s a good looking putter!

[TJGolf55]

The putters shipped today! Should have them for this weekends rounds...

[Rory4Pres]

Both finishes look great, love the headcover too!

 

What's going on with the alignment aids?  Both appear to be about 10% closer to the heel than the toe?

[Rory4Pres]

TJ,

 

I'm a little surprised you went with the same face milling on both.  Are they the same head weights and everything else other than the color?

[TJGolf55]

1 hour ago, Rory4Pres said:

Both finishes look great, love the headcover too!

 

What's going on with the alignment aids?  Both appear to be about 10% closer to the heel than the toe?

The alignment aids are put on the balance point of the putter. Nearly 98% of putters that are made the alignment aids are just centered causing people to push or pull putts unknowingly. It’s rare to have a putter that the balance point is perfectly centered on the head. 

 

1 hour ago, Rory4Pres said:

TJ,

 

I'm a little surprised you went with the same face milling on both.  Are they the same head weights and everything else other than the color?

They are the same other than color....  The raw stainless was a prototype working of the plumbers neck. He made 2 of the same putters and asked if I wanted both. I couldn’t resist when I saw the pics. 

[TJGolf55]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMd7C-jnUil/?igshid=1bdkt4oqqiee7
 

Sean just posted a flash sale on Instagram!!! Tell him TJ sent you and I’m sure he’ll hook you up. 

Edited March 16, 2021 by TJGolf55

[Rory4Pres]

His statement is kind of insane.  Basically saying 99% of anser and anser 2 style manufacturers are providing inaccurate sweet spots with their line alignment.

[jonradus]

17 minutes ago, TJGolf55 said:

The alignment aids are put on the balance point of the putter. Nearly 98% of putters that are made the alignment aids are just centered causing people to push or pull putts unknowingly. It’s rare to have a putter that the balance point is perfectly centered on the head. 

 

They are the same other than color....  The raw stainless was a prototype working of the plumbers neck. He made 2 of the same putters and asked if I wanted both. I couldn’t resist when I saw the pics. 

Interesting. If Sean’s watching this thread, maybe he can post a pic of one of his putters similar to this one. I’d be curious to see it. I rarely ever see any makers provide photos of a balanced head. 
 

[TJGolf55]

25 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

His statement is kind of insane.  Basically saying 99% of anser and anser 2 style manufacturers are providing inaccurate sweet spots with their line alignment.

Here is a Kevin Burns putter I have laying around...  As you can see the alignment aid is off slightly towards the toe which is typical...

[Rory4Pres]

6 minutes ago, TJGolf55 said:

Here is a Kevin Burns putter I have laying around...  As you can see the alignment aid is off slightly towards the toe which is typical...

It looks like the alignment aids are slightly towards the heel to me on this KB.  I could be wrong but that's what I'm seeing.  I've gotta putter without a shaft in it yet I'll be sure to check the balance on that one before installing the shaft.

 

This KB has a wider toe flange than heel.  

[TJGolf55]

1 minute ago, Rory4Pres said:

It looks like the alignment aids are slightly towards the heel to me on this KB.  I could be wrong but that's what I'm seeing.  I've gotta putter without a shaft in it yet I'll be sure to check the balance on that one before installing the shaft.

 

This KB has a wider toe flange than heel.  

That’s what I meant..  Towards the heel...  

[MattM97]

2 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

It looks like the alignment aids are slightly towards the heel to me on this KB.  I could be wrong but that's what I'm seeing.  I've gotta putter without a shaft in it yet I'll be sure to check the balance on that one before installing the shaft.

 

This KB has a wider toe flange than heel.  

 

A lot of putter makers will either balance the putter by putting more mass in the toe either longer bumpers, more mass in the shoulder, slightly higher toe, etc. The other option is cherry bombs or drill holes in the heel to remove weight from the heel side. 

[Rory4Pres]

And all along, I thought I just sucked at putting only to find out it was my putters fault.  

[Rory4Pres]

3 minutes ago, MattM97 said:

 

A lot of putter makers will either balance the putter by putting more mass in the toe either longer bumpers, more mass in the shoulder, slightly higher toe, etc. The other option is cherry bombs or drill holes in the heel to remove weight from the heel side. 

I was thinking the same thing regarding the tour dot/cherry bombs.

[MattM97]

Just now, Rory4Pres said:

I was thinking the same thing regarding the tour dot/cherry bombs.

 

Tour Dots and Cherry Bombs allow the head to keep a symmetrical shape as some people see that extra mass in the toe and get turned off from it on a looks perspective. 

[TJGolf55]

19 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

And all along, I thought I just sucked at putting only to find out it was my putters fault.  

Believe it or not...  It just might be! Especially something mass produced.
 

Tolerances from what I understand is 8 grams from a  quality control standard on mass produced putter. 8 grams can throw the balance point way off!!!

Edited March 16, 2021 by TJGolf55

[Rory4Pres]

Seems like a little lead tape on the toe could fix the problem.

[jonradus]

22 hours ago, TJGolf55 said:

The putters shipped today! Should have them for this weekends rounds...

Make sure you post some more pics when you get it. I’d love to see one at address framing the ball. I’d also like to see pics of the front and back...basically more angles and in some different lighting (maybe in the sun!).

[Circaflex]

7 hours ago, Rory4Pres said:

His statement is kind of insane.  Basically saying 99% of anser and anser 2 style manufacturers are providing inaccurate sweet spots with their line alignment.

 

Like most of these boutique, copy-cats, they will try and reinvent the wheel to sell. I find it hard to believe this small operation, has discovered something companies with millions put into R&D havent found in regards to the anser shape. Why these guys/gals charge upwards of $2k for a putter is beyond me, but obviously people buy them. I understand the prices with Scotty's and even Betti's, but some of the smaller unknown brands it just doesnt make sense to me. Each to their own.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Circaflex

[cforselius]

For 2250$ I would expect him to do a better job with the COG then just moving the sight line.

Edited March 17, 2021 by cforselius

[Ms307nm]

7 hours ago, Circaflex said:

 

Like most of these boutique, copy-cats, they will try and reinvent the wheel to sell. I find it hard to believe this small operation, has discovered something companies with millions put into R&D havent found in regards to the anser shape. Why these guys/gals charge upwards of $2k for a putter is beyond me, but obviously people buy them. I understand the prices with Scotty's and even Betti's, but some of the smaller unknown brands it just doesnt make sense to me. Each to their own.

It seems like we have beaten this horse to death and how you guys wouldn’t spend the money on a new brand. Have you ever stopped to think 2500 doesn’t matter to the individual but having a piece that represents them perfectly does. 
 

I Personally have spent over 5500 with Sean and had a wonderful experience from top to bottom ordering putters. The turn around times, communication, adaptation, suggestions, options, and quality of work. Now if you value buying a putter that’s off the rack by all means go ahead. Some people just value the experience of buying something this custom and seeing the process through. What I spent on my first flat stick from him beats the quality of a base circle t or mass produced bettinardi any day. Plus the amount of compliments I get is astonishing.

 
If you ever spend this kind of coin on a putter,  customer service is extremely important to me. All of those services and attention to detail come at a price and Sean’s prices are what I’m willing to pay for that service. 
 

 

 

[jonradus]

3 hours ago, Ms307nm said:

It seems like we have beaten this horse to death and how you guys wouldn’t spend the money on a new brand. Have you ever stopped to think 2500 doesn’t matter to the individual but having a piece that represents them perfectly does. 
 

I Personally have spent over 5500 with Sean and had a wonderful experience from top to bottom ordering putters. The turn around times, communication, adaptation, suggestions, options, and quality of work. Now if you value buying a putter that’s off the rack by all means go ahead. Some people just value the experience of buying something this custom and seeing the process through. What I spent on my first flat stick from him beats the quality of a base circle t or mass produced bettinardi any day. Plus the amount of compliments I get is astonishing.

 
If you ever spend this kind of coin on a putter,  customer service is extremely important to me. All of those services and attention to detail come at a price and Sean’s prices are what I’m willing to pay for that service. 
 

 

 

This is a good point. Two other people in the last day just posted threads about how they’re having bad customer service experiences with The Putting Engineer and Low Tide. I’ve also read read quite a few threads about bad customer service experiences with other well-known boutique makers. While these may be relatively isolated events for these boutique makers, they’re bad experiences all the same. Low Tide and The Putting Engineer aren’t super expensive by any means, but they’re also not considered that cheap. Ask those two guys if they would have paid even a little more for a much, much better customer experience (those kinds of boutique makers are definitely out there), or perhaps more likely, much less for an OTR experience. The customer experience is probably mainly what you’re paying for in the upper tier boutique putter range (not to mention you get something else unique in the putter you own). I would bet that Sean spends more time communicating and is more responsive with his customers than most of the other boutique makers. Is this because his prices are higher and he has less customers to communicate with?...yes...that’s his whole business model.

[Rory4Pres]

4 hours ago, Ms307nm said:

It seems like we have beaten this horse to death and how you guys wouldn’t spend the money on a new brand. Have you ever stopped to think 2500 doesn’t matter to the individual but having a piece that represents them perfectly does. 
 

I Personally have spent over 5500 with Sean and had a wonderful experience from top to bottom ordering putters. The turn around times, communication, adaptation, suggestions, options, and quality of work. Now if you value buying a putter that’s off the rack by all means go ahead. Some people just value the experience of buying something this custom and seeing the process through. What I spent on my first flat stick from him beats the quality of a base circle t or mass produced bettinardi any day. Plus the amount of compliments I get is astonishing.

 
If you ever spend this kind of coin on a putter,  customer service is extremely important to me. All of those services and attention to detail come at a price and Sean’s prices are what I’m willing to pay for that service. 
 

 

 

I think there have been so many price comments simply because of the shell shock of a new company coming to the market at 3 to 5 times the price of other boutique companies.  That being said, like I previously mentioned, he's focused on small numbers (which greatly helps customer service!) and his price is in line to match that small production.  

 

My thought is simply, why not make that heel of the face astronaut logo more deep in the face to help shed a couple 3-6 grams and bring the center of balance more to the middle of the head.  Or increase the toe flange/bumper in the overall design slightly to achieve the same goal.  

 

Obviously you love your DAD putters (and TJ will soon share his input I hope) so that's the most important detail.  I've seen  A LOT of Olson putters within shouting distance of the same price point being resold almost immediately after people get them.  That was one of the factors that steered me away from considering an Olson.

 

I would think overall a custom Betti would be the most direct competitor to DAD price-wise and would compare quality based on that.  I haven't seen hardly any custom betti's since they announced they were doing custom putters though.

[luke1333]

1 hour ago, jonradus said:

This is a good point. Two other people in the last day just posted threads about how they’re having bad customer service experiences with The Putting Engineer and Low Tide. I’ve also read read quite a few threads about bad customer service experiences with other well-known boutique makers. While these may be relatively isolated events for these boutique makers, they’re bad experiences all the same. Low Tide and The Putting Engineer aren’t super expensive by any means, but they’re also not considered that cheap. Ask those two guys if they would have paid even a little more for a much, much better customer experience (those kinds of boutique makers are definitely out there), or perhaps more likely, much less for an OTR experience. The customer experience is probably mainly what you’re paying for in the upper tier boutique putter range (not to mention you get something else unique in the putter you own). I would bet that Sean spends more time communicating and is more responsive with his customers than most of the other boutique makers. Is this because his prices are higher and he has less customers to communicate with?...yes...that’s his whole business model.

 

Who said they had bad customer service experiences with the Putting Engineer?? He has sent me IG messages and emails every step of the way. Should be shipping soon. Covid hurt some of the components but they have been transparent about it. I have no problems with them, they have been great! 

[luke1333]

10 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

I think there have been so many price comments simply because of the shell shock of a new company coming to the market at 3 to 5 times the price of other boutique companies.  That being said, like I previously mentioned, he's focused on small numbers (which greatly helps customer service!) and his price is in line to match that small production.  

 

My thought is simply, why not make that heel of the face astronaut logo more deep in the face to help shed a couple 3-6 grams and bring the center of balance more to the middle of the head.  Or increase the toe flange/bumper in the overall design slightly to achieve the same goal.  

 

Obviously you love your DAD putters (and TJ will soon share his input I hope) so that's the most important detail.  I've seen  A LOT of Olson putters within shouting distance of the same price point being resold almost immediately after people get them.  That was one of the factors that steered me away from considering an Olson.

 

I would think overall a custom Betti would be the most direct competitor to DAD price-wise and would compare quality based on that.  I haven't seen hardly any custom betti's since they announced they were doing custom putters though.

Olson putters are mostly bought on flash sales and flipped. I know that is what I did. I have email into him for custom quote on a plain putter. Some of the best quality I have ever seen though on a putter and would not let that steer you away from Olson. Give them a chance, great feeling and extraordinary attention to detail!

[jonradus]

10 minutes ago, luke1333 said:

 

Who said they had bad customer service experiences with the Putting Engineer?? He has sent me IG messages and emails every step of the way. Should be shipping soon. Covid hurt some of the components but they have been transparent about it. I have no problems with them, they have been great! 

 

 

[Rory4Pres]

8 minutes ago, luke1333 said:

Olson putters are mostly bought on flash sales and flipped. I know that is what I did. I have email into him for custom quote on a plain putter. Some of the best quality I have ever seen though on a putter and would not let that steer you away from Olson. Give them a chance, great feeling and extraordinary attention to detail!

I think you are the first one I've heard with a positive experience from Olson so that's nice to hear.

 

I just picked up 8 putters being customized/adjusted from the golf shop yesterday.  I have a lot of trial and error before considering another custom putter.  

 

[luke1333]

1 minute ago, Rory4Pres said:

I think you are the first one I've heard with a positive experience from Olson so that's nice to hear.

 

I just picked up 8 putters being customized/adjusted from the golf shop yesterday.  I have a lot of trial and error before considering another custom putter.  

 

Yeah I know he is backed up right now so might be a bit before I hear from him but everybody is like that right now. And what 8 putters you got!?!?

[Rory4Pres]

13 minutes ago, luke1333 said:

Yeah I know he is backed up right now so might be a bit before I hear from him but everybody is like that right now. And what 8 putters you got!?!?

dm'd.