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CAD / CAM / Machining - 02 / 06

Custom Golf Putter

I designed and built a blade-style putter head using a Haas Mini Mill and an HA-5C 4th axis fitted with a custom tailstock.

Location
Middlebury College
Date
Spring 2024
Material
303 Stainless Steel

This project started as a piece of 1 × 3/8" round steel stock. My goal was to design and manufacture a piece of equipment I could put into play on the course.

Putter design relies heavily on geometry, feel, and perimeter weighting. For my first build, I selected a classic blade profile.

Machining

While commercial putters are typically cast or produced on 5-axis CNC mills, I adapted this design for a 4-axis setup, machining the hosel as a separate component and joining it post-milling. The finished putter turned out excellent and has become a staple in my golf bag.

Putter CAM toolpaths
4th-axis CAM toolpaths

The finished head, from every angle it needs to be judged from:

Side profile
Putter face, milled finish
Milled face
Putter back
Back of head
Putter CAD model
Next up: a blade design

Next Steps

This project provided valuable feedback on CAM setup and toolpath generation. I have since designed a second-generation concept featuring a thinner top line inspired by classic heel-toe weighted blades (such as the Scotty Cameron Newport 2 and Ping Anser). Future plans include milling the revised geometry and applying a chemical stain to give the 303 stainless steel a blue finish.

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