50 Words or Less
Hand made, unique, one-of-a-kind, piece of art. Performer. Solid construction.
Recommended For
Anyone looking to invest in a high-end custom putter made to match any desire.
Introduction
The world of custom putter making has just been shaken up by a new competitor. His name is Ken Uselton (call him Lump) and his company is Xenon Putters. Ken literally takes anything from a few sentences to horrible hand drawings on a napkin and turns it into the putter of your dreams. The options are almost limitless: from head shapes to exotic metals, there’s very little that Lump can’t make for you. Oh yeah, there’s another important piece of information to note: they aren’t just putters that will look pretty hanging on your wall…
Look
I still remember exactly how I felt when I received my first pictures of this putter from Lump. I was completely blown away by what this man was able to produce with his bare hands based on a few short discussions with me about what I like to see in a putter. It doesn’t take long to realize you are looking at a beautiful handmade labor of love. The first thing that caught my eye with the putter in hand was the Aluminum Bronze insert with the tastefully milled face. Then I turned the putter around to look at the cavity and saw the same material with a hand-stamped Xenon logo. I have never seen a “window” cavity in person before, so I found this very exciting. Maybe I’m easily amused, but I found it super cool nonetheless.
When looking at this putter, there’s no question that this thing is handmade. The stove pipe neck is hand bent and welded to the putter. My favorite aesthetic features of the putter are the rough mill marks on the bumpers of the putter. Lump created a slight chatter effect that gives the finish a unique wavy texture and the handmade feeling that one would want in a Xenon putter.
Lump also includes an assortment of other small details to go the extra mile. This putter came with a custom Xenon oversized Salty grip and a custom Xenon headcover. My absolute favorite extras were the hand stamped metal shaft band and the shaft sticker with all of the putter’s details handwritten on it.
Sound and Feel
My first impressions on sound and feel were a bit mixed because I wasn’t used to the oversized Salty cork grip, however once I adapted to it I was extremely impressed with how good the putter felt. My initial thought was that it would be unforgiving with a very small sweet spot. I couldn’t have been more wrong. The sweet spot is certainly noticeable, but off-center hits were not “painful” and the punishment was minimal. The overall feel was very consistent, reliable, and solid.
The sound off the face was a very solid click. A lot of putters that have a distinct click tend to have a somewhat “thin” sound, but the Xenon putter I tested had a very solid and reassuring click that makes you feel certain you made good contact.
Performance
There’s not much to say around performance with this Xenon putter. It’s pretty simple really: the putter is extremely easy to keep a smooth putting stroke with and puts a great end-over-end roll on the ball. That, paired with the responsive feel, made speed and distance easy to judge and resulted in a lot of easy tap-ins.
Conclusion
The world of boutique and handmade putters has proven to be a tough one to succeed in. It seems that we often see new builders make a go of it but struggle to bring originality to the market. Such is not the case with Xenon. I believe that Xenon is making some of, if not the, nastiest custom putters out there. No matter what route you go with Xenon, you are going to walk away with a beautiful 1 of 1 putter that is a real performer and not a wall hanger.
Price and Specs
Specifications are completely customizable and specific to the golfer. To quote Lump, “Handmade to order. You dream it, I make it. I do not tell people what they need, I only want to make for them what they want.”
Pricing:
-CNC milled, customized putters are $259-$325 in 1018, 303SS or Cu. Includes Headcover and Super Stroke grip.
-Handmades start at $439 in 1018 Carbon or 303 SS. Included Best Grips Stitchback or equal replacement and headcover.
-Options include inlays, different necks, handmade shaft bands, special order shafts, exotic alloys.
-Discounts for returning customers and multiple putter orders.
Customization and Ordering
The ordering process is very simple. You contact Lump and exchange ideas on what you’re looking for, and then Lump puts you in touch with his ordering contact. Once you receive the order form with all of your options, you will be looking at a four to five week turnaround.
All of the work on your putter will be done 100% by Lump out of his shop with his own personal tools/machinery.
To contact Lump, you can email him at xenongolf@comcast.net. look him up on Twitter at @xenongolf, and Like him on Facebook at Xenon Golf Co.
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Bill Bush
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Love the concept behind Xenon! Although, I have a soft spot for someone taking on big manufacturers by hand-making products themselves, in the US.
kenneth has made a couple of putters for me. They are very solid and have a great feel. You will not be disappointed. Great