TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Bandon 3 Putter Review
Our verdict on the new TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Bandon 3 putter
Forgiveness levels weren’t quite up there with the Spider EX but this putter certainly performs on all lengths of putt while also providing a more refined look and solid feel. It’s no wonder TaylorMade’s Tour players have immediately started to put these putters in play.
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Classy, premium looks
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Solid, stable feel
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Squares up naturally
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Will suit a variety of strokes.
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Produces sun glare from certain directions.
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TaylorMade TP Hydro Blast Bandon 3 Putter Review
Forgiving mallets have long been the backbone of TaylorMade’s putter offerings but the new TP Hydro Blast, which made our best putters (opens in new tab) guide recently, looks to offer golfers more choice both visually and in terms of head shapes.
There are seven in all and while there’s only one classic blade (the Soto), there are a number of mid mallet putters (opens in new tab) for golfers that want something more refined and compact than the options within the Spider franchise.
One of which is the Bandon 3 that we tested recently. It has a short neck hosel, which provides a little more toe hang than the plumbers neck found on the Bandon 1, which we certainly preferred as a blade user.
The sandstone finish on the head is absolutely stunning. For something that looks so raw, it still manages to be elegant and premium, although it does reflect the sun more than we’d have liked when putting in a certain direction.
It sits completely flush to the ground and while the alignment assistance on offer from the short black sightline is limited, the winged shape helped us present it squarely to the ball.
Off the face, it feels solid and offers up a surprisingly firm and loud sound at impact given the deep grooves on the face insert. This remained consistent across its length, though, and the speed was enough to impart a short, controlled stroke and still get the ball to the hole.
The Bandon 3 provides a feel close to that of a blade (opens in new tab) in terms of how it releases but with the forgiveness of a mallet, which is a combination we really enjoyed. As a result, we were particularly prolific from short range but also holed a surprising number of 10-15 footers.
The stock Lamkin Sink Fit Skinny grip fitted our hands comfortably and provides a firm but tacky feel, which enhanced our control of pace and the face. A SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 is available as a custom option for golfers that want a thicker size.
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