When it comes to buying a putter, there is a line you’re likely to hear over and over again, “Putters are very personal.” To quote Frank Costanza from Seinfeld, “what the hell does that mean?”
Putters are personal, once they’ve become yours, but until that point there are a number of factors to consider. And for those of you that like modern design, forgiving, and technical, the TaylorMade Spider GT might just be your baby.
WHAT WE LIKE
+ Modern look is very appealing
+ Technology to deliver the results
+ Customisation via MySpider GT
WHAT WE DON’T LIKE
× Smaller sightline as standard
× MySpider hosel options should be available
× One less excuse for missed putts
Technology
What Remains?
Like all TaylorMade putters, the Spider GT features the PureRoll2 face, a series of grooves angled down at 45o to help propel the ball on its way with forward spin. These are co-moulded with urethan to ensure a nice feel at impact, firmer than the original PureRoll.
What’s new
To deliver on maximum forgiveness across the face, the Spider GT is focused on stability and MOI. The better the stability the more consistent putts will be for both length and line. To achieve this, the putter has two steel ‘teeth’, each weighing 90grams, and accounting for over 80% of the putter head’s weight on the perimeter. The Aluminium crown completes the clean yet technical look.
The Spider GT also features a fluted shaft (5″ above the hosel) to add extra feel, according to TaylorMade.
Looks
The compact head size of the Spider GT is very appealing, and the look is clean. The wings frame the ball nicely and in conjunction with the short sightline make lining up a breeze, for most (see notes on My Spider GT).
When it comes to looks, we also loved the fact you could choose a hosel to match your stroke, or eye. This is where putters are personal.
The Short Slant (top) has a slight toe-hang and suits players with a slight arc putting stroke, or left-eye dominant putters who find that other hosels obscure the ball (like Single bend or L-Neck).
The Single Bend (bottom) is face-balanced and will suit players who like to have the feeling of being square-to-square in their putting stroke (as possible as that is) or right eye-dominant players who want clear line of site on the ball (yep, we just opened a can of worms).
MySpider GT
This is our favourite part of the Spider GT Putter; the ability to make it yours and yours only.
Prefer a green crown? No problem. Full length white sightline, short slant hosel, green paint-fill, traditional grip, 36″? Done, done, done , done and done. Personalise it and love it for years to come.
Feel
One of the issues with a lot of ‘insert’ putters is that they feel a little squishy off the face. TaylorMade have addressed this with the new PureRoll insert, making it firmer without losing the feel aspect. For those who struggle to consistently get the ball out of the middle, especially on long putts, you may notice when you miss the middle by a bit. It’s not a bad thing but smaller head = smaller insert.
Performance
Focus as much as you want on the nature of your stroke, but there is one fundamental rule when it comes to putters; where the face is pointing at impact. If you can line it up, and return it to square, it’s a winner. For some that will mean longer sightline, or face-balanced. For others it will mean no sightline, and short slant hosel. But you know putters, it’s personal…
conclusion
The TaylorMade Spider GT is a ripper. Our advice is to hit putts with both hosels, even with colour options if available to you. Little changes can make big differences, but one things for sure, missed putts won’t be the fault of the tools.
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