TaylorMade’s new Spider X putters feature a slightly smaller and sleeker frame than its previous Spider Tour model while maintaining the high stability available in the original mid-size mallets.
Five per cent smaller than Spider Tour, Spider X is made with a 15g carbon-composite centre section that is framed by a 320g aluminum body. This pushes more of the putter’s overall weight to the perimeter and boosts the moment of inertia, making it more stable on off-centre hits.
Updated weights were designed into the back of the toe and heel in place of the wing-like extensions of the original Spider. Previously, TaylorMade had used weights that were designed for metalwoods, but the Spider X’s weights are smaller and more refined. They come in 2g, 6g and 12g versions, with shorter putters getting heavier weights and longer putters receiving lighter weights to keep the swing weight consistent.
The True Roll insert in Spider X is thicker than in previous models to help create a deeper, richer sound at impact, but the grooves in the Surlyn material still point down at a 45-degree angle to help grab the ball at impact, reduce skidding and get the ball rolling more quickly.
TaylorMade worked with researchers from Indiana University who specialise in visual acuity in sports to develop the white alignment guide on the top of each club. The company calls it the ‘True Path Alignment System’, and it is half the width of a golf ball and designed to help golfers focus more on the path established at address.
“When we first introduced the original Spider putter in 2008, we never could have anticipated the global phenomenon it has become,” said Bill Price, TaylorMade’s Senior Director of Putters & Wedges. “With widespread adoption on tours around the world, not only has it become one of the company’s top-selling putters of all time, it has truly shifted the paradigm of putter design toward high-MOI mallets.”
Available at retail on February 15 at an RRP of £299, Spider X putters will be offered in copper/white or navy/white. The copper/white model will be available in a short slant or single bend (RH only) hosel option, while the navy /white model will be available exclusively in a short slant offering. Each is available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch lengths and comes with SuperStroke’s Pistol GTR 1.0 grip.