Okay, so I’ve been messing around with golf clubs lately, and I got this idea to try and make a putter head out of persimmon wood. I’ve seen some old-school putters made of it, and they look pretty sweet. Plus, I figured it would be a fun little project.
Finding the Wood
First things first, I needed some persimmon wood. I looked around at a few lumber yards, but no luck. Then, I remembered my grandpa had some old persimmon blanks he used for making duck calls. I gave him a call, and sure enough, he had a few pieces he was willing to let go of. Score!
Shaping the Head
Next, I sketched out a basic putter head shape on the wood. I’m no artist, so it was pretty rough. I clamped the wood down to my workbench and started shaping it with a bandsaw. I took my time, trying to get the curves and angles just right. It was slow going, and I definitely made a few mistakes. But hey, that’s part of the process, right?
After the bandsaw, I used a rasp and some sandpaper to refine the shape. This was the really time-consuming part. I spent hours just sanding and smoothing, trying to get rid of any rough edges or imperfections. My hands were killing me by the end, but it was starting to look like a real putter head!
Adding Weight and Hosel
- I drilled a hole in the bottom of the head to add some weight. I melted down some lead fishing weights and poured it into the hole. I had to be careful not to burn the wood.
- Then, I drilled another hole for the hosel, which is the part that connects the shaft to the head. I found an old steel shaft from a broken club and epoxied it into the hole.
Finishing Touches
Once the epoxy dried, I applied a few coats of polyurethane to protect the wood and give it a nice shine.
I added a putter grip,
and put it together.
The Result
It’s not perfect, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s got a nice, classic look, and it feels good in my hands. I took it out to the putting green the other day, and it actually worked pretty well! It definitely has a different feel than my regular putter, but I think I could get used to it. It’s cool to think that I made something with my own two hands that I can actually use on the golf course.
