Sacks Parente Series 91 The Duke Putter
While fairly new to the scene, Sacks Parente brings extensive industry experience to their development of unique putters, putter shafts, and accessories. As this boutique putter brand has gathered momentum and drawn interest from amateurs all the way through the professional ranks, Sacks Parente offers everything from high-MOI mallets to minimalist blade putters. The New Sacks Parente Series 91 putter, otherwise known as “The Duke”, was inspired by one of Champions Tour winner Ken Duke’s favorite putter shapes and blends minimalist looks with modern design.
The Looks
The Sacks Parente Series 91 putter was my first foray into the brand’s lineup. While I can’t say I didn’t have any preconceived notions, I really didn’t know what to expect. When the putter showed up at my door, I immediately noticed a level of fanciness/detail on the shipping box that would lay the groundwork for what was inside. The 303 stainless body has a rich misted silver finish which almost takes on a slightly golden/bronzey hue. On the sole of the putter, you’ll find three cavities/ports, two of which appear to be carbon fiber inserts and the third being a plate featuring the putter’s branding. The face has a really nice, high quality light fly milling.
More specific to the Series 91 putter, it features a slanted neck that has a more round and smooth profile. The footprint is more of a “D-shaped blade” rather than what I’d consider a mini mallet. This combination of shape frames the ball nicely, especially with the sloping bumpers and “channel” cut along the flange.
How Does it Feel?
Starting with face response, the Sacks Parente Series 91 putter has a precise level of feedback. A lighter face milling and stainless steel results in a slightly firmer feel. There are 50-gram tungsten weights in the heel and toe which make the sweet spot a little more generous with the weight being drawn out to the edges. More on that shortly.
I would say the general feel of the Sacks Parente Series 91 putter is that it has the “touch and feel” of a blade putter, but a little more of the stability and smoothness typically found a in a more balanced head like a mallet. Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t play like a large mallet by any means, but you get the idea here. According to Sacks Parente, 77% of the head weight is in the heel and toe of the club making the center of gravity more forward in the head with a perimeter weighting. This gives the club a more fluid balance.
It’s important to talk about the Sacks Parente shaft in the Feel section. Honestly, it’s sort of tough to articulate my impressions of it. Sacks Parente gives me the impression that this putter shaft is the key to their “Ultra-Low Balance Point” design – or at least, it’s the “engine that drives” it. They say this putter shaft is made up of “the highest grade resins and composite fibers on the market”. What I can tell you is that the shaft has a good balance to it with what feels like a moderate torque and lively feedback. The shaft certainly adds some life to the Series 91, but also makes it feel stable and under control.
How Does it Sound?
I wouldn’t classify The Dukes’s sound as “loud” whatsoever, but I wouldn’t say it’s soft and muted. My take is that it’s fairly mild, but it’s definitely precise and direct. The Sacks Parente Series 91 putter has a pretty firm “tick” at impact. A lighter fly milling and stainless steel will generally result in firmer sounds and feels that are on the sharper side. This is pretty accurate in this putter. The face thickness plays a significant role in this as well. Having a thinner face will generally result in a sharper tone. Due to the expanded sweet spot, the sound is pretty consistent across the face. As you get to the extreme toe or heel, the sound turns a little more metallic.
On-Course Performance
There are really two things to consider in regards to the Sacks Parente Series 91 putter. First is how well and consistent it rolls the ball. What I would say here is that the ball rolls off the face without skidding very nicely and the putter is easy to control as one should expect from its higher MOI. This means that the putter is balanced in such a way that when it meets the ball at impact, the putter head doesn’t want to twist as much. In theory, this will make you a more accurate putter.
In my opinion, the real story around performance is how The Duke combines with the Sacks Parente putter shaft. I felt that this putter shaft really enhanced the feel and response so I was more dialed in with the putter head. It also has a smooth balance that was consistent on every stroke. Basically, my connection to the putter head felt more dialed in and the overall putter was more reliable. That reliability made me confident in my putting stroke and like I could put a good roll on my intended line every time I lined it up.
Final Thoughts – Sacks Parente Series 91 The Duke Putter
I mentioned a bit earlier that I had preconceived notions about what I should expect with a Sacks Parente putter. I’m ok admitting that. 1) It’s part of being a raging golf nerd, 2) that’s sort of the nature of being a “golf gear review guy” even if you intend on being unbiased. The experience I had was that the Sacks Parente Series 91 putter has a really elegant look to it, it feels good, and rolls the ball really nicely. The somewhat compact shape with a high-MOI design is a real treat. Additionally, the Sacks Parente putter shaft really does an excellent job tying everything together in one nice premium package!
