TaylorMade 2023 Spider Tour Putters Review

When a putter design works it will stick around for a long time. For example, the Ping Anser design is still popular on Tour even now, several decades after it first appeared on the scene. The TaylorMade Spider is a mere youngster in comparison but it too is an iconic design that will no doubt be found in golf bags for many years to come. 

Spiders always feature prominently in any list of the best putters but when a design is as popular as this it can sometimes be difficult for a brand to come up with new selling points and improvements year on year. 

Over the years TaylorMade has made lots of little tweaks and added plenty of wrinkles to its ever expanding range of Spider putters, and its latest offering includes a reboot of the original classic design - the Spider Tour. For fans of the original - and there are many - this is an exciting development. Spider putters are among the most versatile putters out there and are popular with Tour Pros as well as being one of the best putters for high handicappers.

The original Spider Tour is one of the most recognisable putters in golf. There have been different variations over the years but the mission statement remained constant - to deliver high-MOI performance as well as great stability, consistency and forgiveness. The Spider Tour putter comes into its own on off-center strikes, as it helps maintain the direction and control of the putt. This makes it one of the most forgiving putters on the market.

The new Spider Tour Series features two classic head shapes as well as two new models. In addition to the Tour and Tour X, there is also a Tour V and Tour Z. There will be a fifth model too, as the Spider Tour Series S arrives next spring. 

The Spider Tour with its iconic head is the epitome of high-MOI performance and delivers stability, consistency and forgiveness. Spider Tour’s stable design is especially impactful with off-center strikes, as it helps to maintain the direction and control of the putt. 

The Spider Tour X design is one of the best TaylorMade putters and has been made famous by Rory McIlroy, who uses a Spider X Hydro Blast with a flow neck. The Tour X combines the performance of a blade with the benefits of a mallet design. With TSS weights positioned farther forward, it delivers increased face rotation while maintaining 5,000 MOI for enhanced stability compared to blade putters.

Spider Tour Z is one of two new shapes in the Spider Tour Series. It features a wing-shaped back and low-profile design for a comfortable setup that precisely frames the ball. This mallet putter is strategically weighted to promote face rotation and a blade-like feel with maintained stability.

Finally the Spider Tour V. Another new design which features a modern streamlined construction with a compact shape that makes it ideal for golfers seeking enhanced control.

Each model is available in two hosel options; double bend and short slant. The double bend is face balanced while the short slant gives a slight toe hang (29° on the Tour and Tour Z, 30° on the Tour X and 32° on the Tour V). If that’s confusing to you, then you can read our handy guide about whether you need a face balanced or toe hang putter.

The two things that always stand out to me with Spider putters are the soft feel and the forgiveness and these new putters deliver on both counts. 

The soft feel comes from the white TPU Pure Roll insert. This is a throwback to the original model as more recent Spider putters have been fitted with the Pure Roll2 insert, which has a slightly firmer feel to it. The face features grooves angled at 45° for optimal forward roll, while the white insert provides a nice symmetry with the white True Path Alignment aid on the top of the crown. 

I particularly like the True Path Alignment as it’s a definite upgrade on the alignment aid on some previous Spider models and makes it much easier to start putts on the correct path.

Interestingly, each putter in the Spider Tour range boasts a different CG (center of gravity) location to fit a wide variety of putting styles and preferences. 

I tested both the Spider Tour and the Spider Tour V putters and put them up against my TaylorMade Spider EX putter which I have had in the bag for a couple of years. I was interested to see how the newer models compared and on initial testing on my artificial turf putting surface at home I found both newer models to be ever so slightly more forgiving on off center strikes than my Spider EX, while I also managed to find the sweet spot more frequently. 

This could be due to the tech advancements made in the new Spider Tour putters or it could just be that - for whatever reason - I made better strokes than I did with my Spider EX. It’s difficult to know for sure but either way I suppose it’s a win for the new models.

While I love the look and feel of both the Spider Tour and the Tour V, I definitely prefer the Tour based on how it looks behind the ball. It has a slightly bigger footprint and a little bit more going on at the back of the putter, which gives the impression it will be more forgiving on heel and toe strikes than the other models in the range. Even if that it is not the case and it is just a placebo effect, anything that boosts confidence has to be a good thing. It’s always important to have a putter that suits your eye.

I used the Spider Tour for nine holes at Effingham Golf Club and it certainly lived up to expectations. I hit virtually every putt out of the center of the putter which is unusual for me as I have a tendency to hit a good percentage of putts off the toe. 

My lag putting was pretty good (by my mediocre standards anyway!) while I felt confident on the short ones due to how stable the putter felt on takeaway and through the ball. The alignment aid definitely helped me start the ball on the right line on putts inside six feet, which are often a big problem for me. I’ve since practiced quite a bit with both the Tour and the Tour V and both performed impressively, although as mentioned above the slightly larger footprint of the Tour suits my eye better and will probably be very popular with golfers who lack confidence on the greens.

All four putters in the range offer something a little bit different so which one you choose is entirely a matter of personal preference. Try them all, see which feels best suited to your stroke. It isn’t a case of one being better than the other as these are all premium putters with enough variety to cater for most golfers, but I expect the Tour will have the most shelf appeal due to its iconic design and the nostalgia aspect it carries with golfers of a certain age. 

I love the look the gunmetal PVD finish which TaylorMade claim adds durability and will help prevent the scratching and general wear and tear that putters tend to suffer from. The original Spider Tour did tend to scuff up quite a bit so this will be a welcome improvement.

The gunmetal is the only color option available in shops but if you want something different then for an extra cost TaylorMade do offer a number of customisation options on its website, with silver, black and rose gold alternatives available along with lots of other custom choices on face inserts, back badge, sole plate, shaft, grip and head cover.

The new TaylorMade Spider Tour models will be in shops from October 27, priced $349.99 in the US and £299.99 in the UK.