TaylorMade Spider Tour X 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 Tour X putter
The TaylorMade Spider putter series is one of the most recognisable putter lines golf has ever seen, and that’s because they work. In 2023, they have been reimagined and improved, but how did we find them? Read our TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter review to find out.
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TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
The best players in the world trust the TaylorMade Spider X putter, so why wouldn’t it work for you? Golfers like Jason Day and Rory McIlroy put this wand to good use week in and week out.
With this putter, you get incredible stability and sound, as well as all of TaylorMade’s alignment aids that will help you make more putts on the golf course.
If you are looking for a putter change-up or are simply a Spider Tour putter fan, you should get out and roll a few with the new Spider Tour X. You will not be disappointed.
PROS
- Used by loads of top players
- Very forgiving
- Great sound
- Soft feel off the face
CONS
- Stock models only available with SuperStroke grip (other grips available in customs)
First Impressions
As a blade putter user, at first glance, most mallet putters look pretty big and chunky to me, but the longer I hold the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter in my hand, the more attractive it becomes to me. The gun-metal PVD finish gives it a space travel feel, and I absolutely love the optically engineered alignment aids. The white True Path alignment system on the top of the head makes it basically impossible to aim the putter badly, which gives you loads of confidence on the greens.
The Spider Tour X head is available in two different neck styles, a double bend and a short slant option. These both give you different looks behind the ball, and it’s nice to choose your head shape and then fit the neck style that suits your stroke and your eye.
Also knowing that Rory McIlroy gains 1.5 strokes around when using his Spider Tour X putter vs. when he uses a blade putter automatically makes me want to like the putter more and probably provides some kind of placebo effect putting improvement. I don’t care how it goes in, so that’s fine by me!
NCG Review
Having not used a Spider design since I tested the GTX putter last December, I was quite looking forward to getting out and giving it a roll. Immediately putting the head down behind the ball, I feel like I can make any 5-foot putt out on the course. The lines are so clear, and there are so many square lines it seems impossible to aim the putter badly.
The new tech in the Spider series is the steel wire frame construction, which has allowed the engineers to precisely locate the centre of gravity in places to give the golfer the best roll. It also has a new Hybrar echo dampner behind the face to improve feel. This is the same material used in the Stealth and Stealth HD irons that removes unwanted vibrations on poor hits.
It is nice when brands keep in technology that works, and that’s what they’ve done with the Pure Roll insert that rose to fame with the original Spider X putter. Moulded from a Surlyn material, it delivers the Spider feel we all recognise, with grooves that are angled 45° downward to help impart better topspin and an end-over-end roll.
I really enjoyed the feel of the putter on impact, it is a lot softer than the TP reserve putter I am using that doesn’t have a face insert, and it also has a good sound too. In testing I was quickly able to get used to the softer launch speed and control distance nicely. The Spider Tour X is so stable on misstrikes tso you do generally get good distance regardless of contact point, which is the help we all need.
It would take something special to get a blade putter out of my hands, and the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter might just be the one. I love the feeling that it gives me on short to mid-range putts and the forgiveness it offers on longer shots. If it is good enough for McIlroy then it probably should be good enough for me!
Spider Tour X Putter Review: The Details
Available: Now
RRP: £299
Shaft lengths: 33″, 34″ & 35″ (Right & Left Handed)
Shaft: KBS CT PVD stepless shaft
Grip: SuperStroke Pistol GT 1.0
More information: TaylorMade website
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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.
