TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT Putter Review

The TaylorMade Spider Tour putter has seen resounding success across all professional tours and is widely regarded as one of the best putters on the market, but how will the new Spider 5K-ZT putter stack up against other zero torque putter models? I took it out onto the golf course to analyse its performance.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Spider 5K-ZT is the electric blue premium headcover and, while it may sound odd, I think that sets the tone for the rest of the putter. Peel this headcover off and you’re left with one of the most eye-catching putters I have tested this year. The reimagined Spider logo and scripting look superb on the sole of this cleverly-designed putter and the blue contrasts perfectly against the silver and black body of the putter. The name of the putter stands for 5K MOI, making it one of the most forgiving putters money can buy, and the 'ZT' indicates that it is a zero torque putter.

The toe-up design of this putter has been crafted through 303 stainless steel in the front and a low-density 6061 aluminum in the back. By moving the CG and weight forward, it allowed the TaylorMade R&D team to actually place the shaft closer to the face (only 25mm behind), reducing the on-set and therefore the putter only needs 1° of shaft lean, compared to some competitors that have up to 3°. I think this will be a big factor when it comes to golfers who have used traditional putters and want to move into the zero torque market, as it looks far more familiar than the likes of the L.A.B. DF3 or Odyssey Square 2 Square Max 1.

With how successful the Spider Tour putter has been over the past couple of years in the hands of Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Nelly Korda it would have been nonsensical for TaylorMade to have made drastic changes when introducing the 5K-ZT model to the family. As a result, many of the same features remain. The 5K-ZT boasts the Pure Roll insert as well as a milled version of the True Path alignment aid. The milling, which is the exact width of a golf ball, alongside a top sightline, particularly impressed me, framing the ball well at address and had me holing my fair share of putts from inside 15ft.

The Pure Roll insert gets the ball hugging the surface much quicker than standard milled putters, which, for the most part, is a great thing but if you’re not used to this, then it will take a couple of practice sessions or rounds for you to gauge your pace on the greens. I struggled with the distance control on my first nine holes using this putter, however, it improved significantly as the round progressed.

As someone who has traditionally played a putter with a lot of toe-flow, I found I missed a lot of putts to the right, purely due to the fact I was naturally opening the face up throughout the stroke and not able to close it back down through impact, so I do think this putter would lend itself better to those who already use either a mallet of face balanced putter.

While some of the tech has remained the same, the new and improved sole camber has made a huge difference. The putter seemed to rest in a far more neutral position behind the ball and feels as though it lies flat against the ground, regardless of your set-up style. This helped to address the ball consistently and is one of the main reasons why I had a lot of confidence when using this putter.

The TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT is certainly one of the best-looking putters on the market and I think will gain a lot of traction from players on tour who currently play a Spider, but may want to delve into the zero torque putter space. The soft yet spring-like feeling from the face will take some getting used to, but I think this, combined with the large, confidence-inspiring head, will appeal to all golfers, from high-handicappers and beginners to better players looking to improve their performance on the greens.

The regular Spider 5K-ZT (£449) will be available in lengths of 33”, 34” and 35” but will also be offered in counterbalance options as well as a long-design option. The TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT putters will be available to pre-order from May 29th and for purchase in stores and online from June 19th.