Black Lab BL-8 Putter
These days, it seems every time you turnaround there’s a new boutique custom putter company popping up and making a go of it. One of my favorites though is Black Lab Golf out of Savannah, Georgia. Black Lab is the brainchild of Chip Usher of Usher Golf, well known for his years of dealing Miura and his previous putter company, C&L. Ever the champion for classic designs, Chip Usher created the Black Lab BL-8 as his modern interpretation of the 8802 style putter.
The Looks
Though a big golf nerd, I can’t claim to be a sucker for the classics and all the legendary clubs of the golden years. That said, there’s just something special about a classic 8802 style blade putter. Black Lab‘s BL-8 putter has every bit of that classic charm you’d want in this style of putter. The BL-8 is a small, thin, heel-shafted blade you can tell demands precise striking just by looking at it.
So far Chip has only made the BL-8 in carbon steel and is available in oil can, black ox, and blue torch finishes. As always with Black Lab Golf, you can have pretty much anything you want hand stamped. In the case of the putter pictured here, Chip actually worked with an engraver in addition to stamping. Point is, there’s an extensive range of custom options available for the BL-8 putter just the same as all of Black Lab’s other models.
How Does it Feel?
As cool as the Black Lab BL-8 putter is, no one is going to mistake it for the most forgiving or softest putter in the world. The feel is extremely responsive and has a lot of click to it. Players looking for a perfect example of what classic old school blades felt like will need to look no further. There’s certainly something to be said for this head design though. The BL-8 forces the issue of a good stroke. Minimal forgiveness and lack of modern technology puts the responsibility of the stroke 100% in the golfer’s hands.
Additionally, the balance of the Black Lab BL-8 is perfect. In my experience, this style of putter can very easily start feeling sloppy during the stroke. Black Lab’s is perfectly done and swings nicely. One of the reasons being is that Chip makes these putters in the 350-360 gram range. That’s significantly heavier than you’ll historically find in an 8802 style. Again, I’ll reiterate that this putter is not for everyone. That said, if you’re a big fan of the 8802 style, this feels as good as any being made today, if not better.
How Does it Sound?
At this point you can probably deduce the Black Lab BL-8 has a sound more on the clicky side. The smaller head size, thinner topline, and lighter face milling lend itself to that click. A nice roll off the sweet spot sounds absolutely perfect. Miss a putt the least bit toward the toe or heel and you’ll notice a big difference. As stated multiple times before, a good putting stroke dead on the screws is imperative with the BL-8.
On-Course Performance
How well a putter performs for you is often very subjective. If you can’t get past the looks, feel, and sound then you’re going to struggle. The Black Lab BL-8 is a prime example. 8802 style blades take a lot of control and precision from the player to perform well. In my case, it took me a lot longer than usual to get dialed in. Once I did get dialed in, I thought the BL-8 was a lot of fun to putt with. Every putt is a 100% representation of how well you draw the club back and strike the ball on your line. Distance control and aim are only as good as your own personal feel and execution which is something I love in a putter. Being successful on the greens with the BL-8 is all about touch and I love that.
Final Thoughts
Working with Chip is always a reminder of what I love most about the golf world. The special attention and friendly persona you get from Chip almost make the putter secondary to the experience. This is exactly what Chip wants his customers to feel when working with him. He wants you to feel involved and personally invested in your new flat stick. Chip’s well aware of the personal relationship between a player and their putter and tries to cater to it. If you’re in the custom putter market, Chip of Black Lab Golf is one of the best and I can’t recommend his work enough. If his work isn’t enough for you, he’s one of the best people you’ll ever meet in the golf industry.
