Classic Collection HB 1 Black Pearl
A solid putter that will appeal to the mass market. It looks great, has a decent feel and offers consistent performance across a range of short and long putts. Worth taking a look at.
Cleveland HB 1 Black Pearl has a plumber’s neck hosel, in contrast to the other cavity-back blades in the line, the slant-neck HB 4.5 model and flare-neck HB 7. Other models in the line include a half-mallet HB 2, the HB 6, which is a more traditional mallet with a double-bend shaft, an HB 3 and the HB 10, a mallet with a plumber’s neck.
The black finish looks nice and has the added benefit of reduced glare when the sun's out. Apart from the finish, the putter has a classic appearance and the simple alignment aid is effective. It's a design that has been popular for years and brands aren't going to dump it anytime soon.
In the feel stakes, the Cleveland is Mr Consistency in terms of distance control with a soft feel off the face. There are better sounding putters out there, so keep that in mind if this bothers you.
I really enjoyed the confidence I had standing over the ball from 6-feet and in, and there is a consistent role on offer, particularly from 15-feet. The offset face largely appealed and I found that it helped to get a good roll on the ball, eliminating bounces and skids.
Verdict
A solid putter that will appeal to the mass market. It looks great, has a decent feel and offers consistent performance across a range of short and long putts. Worth taking a look at.
