TaylorMade Spider GTX putter review
What’s new? How much does it cost? And how does it perform? Jack Backhouse brings you the low down on the new TaylorMade Spider GTX Putter
How does the latest edition of TaylorMade’s legendary Spider putter range perform? Find out in our TaylorMade Spider GTX putter review.
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TaylorMade Spider GTX Putter review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
This putter feels fantastic. You can really notice the difference in weighting compared to previous Spider models, and when you make a stroke, the putter feels like it is on rails.
Face balance putter fans are going to love the Spider GTX. TaylorMade have moved the weight to the outside of the head to make the putter more stable than ever.
PROS
- Hugely forgiving
- Easy to line up
- Contact feels soft
CONS
- No thin grip standard options
First Impressions
It’s hard to find fault in the aesthetics of the Spider GTX putter. It sits extremely square, and the contrasting colours make it super easy to line up. It won’t help you make more putts, but I love how the grip colour matches the head colour too.
NCG Review
I think I am one of the few golfers left on the planet that haven’t at any time used or owned one of TaylorMade’s Spider Putters, so I was excited to give this a go. I wondered if all the tech that the GTX features could convince me to give up my blade putter addiction.
Straight off the bat, I really like how the GTX putter looks. It has fairly soft edges, but the sharply contrasting colours make it really easy to point the putter at your desired start line. I certainly felt that inside 10ft, I could aim the putter much more accurately.
The big change from last season is the stability bar that TaylorMade has put on the back of the GTX. The 154-gram steel bar adds a ton of weight to the back of the putter, moving CoG backwards and making the putter much more forgiving.
This backwards weight position felt very different to me, almost like it made me add loft or hit up on the ball more. I did, however, notice how little the face rotates on misstrikes and how well the ball rolls out, which is a big win for golfers.
It’s also worth mentioning how well the ball pops off of the face of the GTX putter. TaylorMade’s Pure Roll2 insert is firm, delivers a great transfer of energy into the ball, and sends the ball rolling at your target with little bounce and a pure roll.
This year, there are six different head colours, which gives all golfers something to choose from. There are also three different shaft options, which all change how much face-balance there is and how the putter feels in the stroke. I would have liked to have seen more grip options, as the only standard grip is the SuperStrole GT 1.0. You can however get numerous grip options for free through the custom programme.
This is a great putter, and I had loads of fun testing it. After 5 minutes of using it, you almost relax as the sweet spot is so big you don’t have to worry about the strike and instead can focus more on line or speed. If you are a face-balanced fan, you should definitely have a go with one!
For me, the GTX putter has made it past the first hurdle in the quest to become the permanent putter in my bag, which is rare for a face-balanced model. I will now go on to use it for a few rounds to get a feel of making different putts in different situations out on the course.
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TaylorMade Spider GTX Putter Review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £349 / $349
Lofts: 2.5°
Featured shaft: KBS 120 Chrome Speed Stepped Shaft
Grip: Superstroke GT 1.0
More information: Taylormade Website
Jack Backhouse
Jack is a PGA Golf Professional who specialises in coaching, teaching golf to beginners and top-level amateurs for 10+ years. He also loves his golf equipment and analysing the data of the latest clubs on the market using launch monitors, specialising in blade irons and low-spinning drivers despite having a chronically low ball flight.
Although Jack has no formal journalism training, He has been reading What's In The Bag articles since he started playing at 12 and studying golf swings since his dad first filmed his swing to reveal one of the worst over-the-top slice swings he reckons has ever been recorded, which set him off on the path to be a coach. His favourite club ever owned was a Ping G10 driver bought from a local top amateur with the hope that some of the quality golf shots would come with it (they didn't), and worst was a Nike SQ driver he only bought because Tiger was using it.
Jack is a member of Sand Moor Golf Club and regularly gets out on the golf course to prepare for tournaments. Jack uses a TaylorMade BRNR Mini driver, a half set of TaylorMade P7MB irons, MG4 wedges and a TaylorMade TP Reserve putter.
