TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter Review: The return of the King

TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter Key Features

• High MOI head: aids in maintaining distance and control on off-centre strikes
• True Path alignment: helps you better visualise the line to the hole
• TPU Pure Roll insert: optimal forward roll and better overall roll characteristics
• Precision weighting: enhances stability and forgiveness
• Gunmetal PVD Finish: enhances the aesthetics of your putter while providing protection against the rigours of the game

The Spider Tour is back, and it's got a shiny new silver finish, too. One of golf's most iconic putters, the Spider Tour, first broke onto the scene 15 years ago and, since then, has gone on to win countless majors, PGA Tour and DP World Tour events. 

The highly recognisable shape is most closely linked to none other than Jason Day, and when he was using it at the peak of his powers in 2015, his putting was otherworldly. 

Since then, the Spider has taken on many different forms with many different colourways, but as the old saying goes, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', so that's kind of what TaylorMade has done. 

You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to notice the new Spider Tour has a fresh new paint job, but the shape of the head will be very familiar to fans of the original Spider that was so popular all those years ago.

Excited to see how the new model stacked up against its predecessors, we took it down to Manning Heath to hit some putts.

let's get into it.

Check out our full review of the TaylorMade Spider Tour below

TaylorMade Spider Tour Looks and Feel

First things first, when you place the Spider Tour behind the ball, you can't help but feel confident you're going to put a good roll on the ball.

The large head and clear alignment aid make centring the ball to target incredibly easy, and the wide face instantly gives you that reassuring sensation that even if you don't make perfect contact, the ball will still end up at least near the hole. 

Aside from the confidence we felt with this putter in hand, the new Gunmetal PVD finish is also lovely to look at. The original Spider Tour had quite an aggressive red finish, and we think bringing the putter up to date with a more toned-down colour palette was a really smart move. 

The grey works nicely with the white and black alignment aid, and all in all, the putter looks great at address. 

Flip the putter over, and the designers have opted for a blue sole plate that features subtle Spider detailing and white TaylorMade branding with a small splash of yellow.

The relatively safe design is certainly not offensive, but it also lacks the wow factor we have become accustomed to from TaylorMade.

The TPU Pure Roll insert produces a very soft feel at impact. Is it as enjoyable as a milled putter? Probably not, but it's still very pleasant and gives a good amount of feedback, so you're aware when you've not quite caught one out of the centre. 

Having tested previous iterations of the Spider range, they can sometimes feel a little too hot off the face, almost as if the ball springs at impact. While some players enjoy that sensation, we prefer the slightly less active interaction we received from the Spider Tour. 

The more muted sensation at impact allowed us to feel like we had greater control over the distance we were hitting putts.

Overall, in terms of both looks and feel, the Spider Tour came up trumps.

TaylorMade Performance and Forgiveness

When gauging a putter's performance, it can sometimes be quite difficult, purely because putting is such a personal skill. 

Much like aesthetics, what works for some people might not work at all for others. Unlike drivers and irons, we can't quantify carry distance and spin rates, but what we can say is that when we were using the Spider Tour, we felt very confident that we were going to be able to deliver a consistent stroke.

We tested the putter on a variety of different-length putts, and from distance we were really impressed by how easy we found controlling both line and length. 

The high MOI head also performed admirably, and even from some of our worst strokes, we still found the ball would make its way to the hole without losing a great deal of accuracy or distance. 

Moving closer to the hole, the alignment aid really comes into its own. Squaring the ball up to the target was very easy, and the large head design allowed us to be confident that a gentle rock of the shoulders would be all that was needed to see the ball drop into the hole. 

Overall, we were delighted with how we putted with the Spider Tour, and especially on tricky little four-footers, we felt like we couldn't miss (despite what the video evidence would suggest).

Should you buy the TaylorMade Spider Tour?

If you're a fan of high MOI putters and want something that is going to inspire you with confidence when sitting behind the ball, then look no further. 

The Spider Tour is an iconic putter for a reason. Its shape and design have been popular for over a decade, with players of all skill levels using it to improve their putting. 

We really enjoyed using the Spider Tour, and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to those looking to update their bag in the putter department. 

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