Why TaylorMade's Spider X Putter is a Game Changer

Tipping points can have the most unlikely origins.

Back in 2008, TaylorMade debuted a supersized putter, coined Spider, on the PGA Tour. The fifth week it was out, a player who’d been struggling on the greens tried Spider at the FBR Open in Phoenix and went on to win the event. “From that moment, Spider’s popularity went crazy,” recalls Bill Price, senior director, putters and wedges at TaylorMade. “Everyone saw how this golfer instantly improved. Other Tour pros started using it. No one had ever seen a putter head that large, so it was really visible on TV.” Thus, everyday golfers also began gravitating to it.

Today, Spider is consistently the No. 1 putter model at PGA Tour events*. It helped Jason Day become the world’s best putter in 2018, and has been used by more than 100 other PGA Tour pros en route to victory. The latest is Rory McIlroy, who relied on the new Spider X model to capture the 2019 Players Championship, and most recently the RBC Canadian Open in June. Spider X is the 10th iteration of the now-iconic mallet that features distinct design advantages over every other putter in golf––a configuration designed to make your misses roll much closer to the hole. It has a high resistance to twisting at impact, thus making it more forgiving––something that’s especially handy on longer putts.

To make it visually appealing to even more golfers, TaylorMade streamlined the head. Its 320-gram steel frame complements a composite core that weighs just 15 grams. This combination stabilizes the head so much that it has the same extremely high moment of inertia as the original Spider but in a more compact package. Plus, the center of gravity is three times deeper than with a traditional TaylorMade blade putter. That leads to stability through impact, so putts find the cup more often.

Spider X also incorporates a new True Path alignment system. The company hired eye specialists who figured out the ideal shape and width of the crown lines and band, to guide you into visualizing the ball’s path for better putting accuracy. “The True Path alignment is a huge help,” says McIlroy. “If you can get it rolling closer to the right starting line, it will make putting so much easier.”

The modified, white surlyn Pure Roll face insert is thicker, which enhances sound and feel. The insert includes 12 45-degree grooves that make direct contact with the ball at impact, promoting an optimal combination of smooth roll, accuracy, and distance control.

Spider X comes standard in copper or navy. Through TaylorMade’s website, you can also customize the colors, hosel, sightlines, shaft length and grip color. Personalization is particularly important because you use the putter more than any other club in the bag––you want to feel comfortable standing over the ball. See for yourself how Spider X is engineered to help you sink more putts, save you strokes, and improve your game.

*Claim based on model use at PGA TOUR events during the 2018-2019 PGA Tour season.