TaylorMade Spider Tour Series S, V, X and Z Putters Review

The five-model TaylorMade Spider Tour Series putter family brings additional forgiveness, new designs, and an extra level of personalization.

The TaylorMade Spider Tour Series putters are the culmination of almost 20 years of dedication to helping golfers hole more putts through stability. During that time TaylorMade has gone from absolutely nowhere to creating some of the best putters and most winningest flatsticks available. At times they’ve also bossed retail sales.

Over the last 20 years, the Spider franchise has played a major role in convincing Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and now Scottie Scheffler to use more stable, forgiving modern mallets, in a bid to improve their stats on the dancefloor. And it’s no secret when using his favourite Spider X Rory has gained 1.25 strokes a round versus a less forgiving blade.

DJ’s seen good gains inside 6 feet with his Spider Tour putter as well, all of which has now led world number 1 Scottie Scheffler to flirting with the franchise too.

Spiders are the best TaylorMade putters ever made, and they’ve reached a level where some models now have a legacy and genuine cult following. But the Spider X Rory McIlroy uses, launched back in 2019, and the famous Spider Tour that put TaylorMade putters on the map in 2017, are both barely available to buy.

So TaylorMade have decided now is a great time to re-introduce their most famous Spider putter models. They’re also introducing some interesting new head shapes and ideas to elevate the franchise to a brand new audience of golfers who may never have tried Spider putters before.

Welcome to the TaylorMade Spider Tour Series S, V, X and Z putters.    

Everything you need to know about the TaylorMade Spider Tour Series 2023 putters

Synonymous with stability

From day one in 2008 when Spider putters launched onto the scene the franchise has always been about upping stability. Additional stability translates to maintaining ball speed on off-center hits, so putts don’t behave like miss-hits even when they don’t impact center face.

The idea means golfers get greater distance control from long range and additional accuracy when closer to the hole. To ensure the Tour Series putters fulfil their MOI and center of gravity goals there’s a wireframe construction to position weight accurately and a new undercut thin wall concept helps boost MOI to new levels too.     

Multiple materials

Spider putters have never been simple one-piece cast constructions. That sort of basic idea would be way too inefficient to offer the ultimate levels of forgiveness that genuinely help golfers hole more putts.

Like their ancestors, the new Spider Tour models boast multiple material constructions to remove inefficient mass from every conceivable location. New for this family though is a concertina-shaped Hybrar Echo Damper (yes we saw the same material in the SIM Max and SIM Max irons) behind the face. It controls vibration and tunes sound to higher levels than previous Spider models.      

Let’s talk True Path

True Path alignment systems have been part of the Spider family since 2019 when TaylorMade unveiled the first Spider X putter. It’s so good at helping golfers aim more accurately and consistently it runs through all models within the new Tour Series line-up.

Brian Bazzel, Vice President of Product Creation at TaylorMade commented: “The contrast between the white color and green grass behind activates the retina in a golfer’s eye, to heighten the sense of alignment”.  

There’s a new finish

If there’s been a tiny chink in the armor of previous Spider putters it’s how they’ve usually come with painted finishes. On the plus side, that means TaylorMade have been able to offer several different stock colours, and through their MySpider customisation platform allow golfers to personalise their new putter to their own preference.

But painted finishes are prone to chipping and wearing. Each new Spider Tour Series model now comes with a super sleek Gunmetal PVD finish, which doubles down on durability and creates a really desirable-looking putter.

Each new Spider Tour Series putter also comes with a stepless KBS CT (Constant Taper) 120G black PVD shaft, and SuperStroke Pistol 1.0 putter grip.

Pure Roll insert

Over the years TaylorMade have done tons of research into the best feeling inserts, and face groove patterns that ensure great roll across the surface of the green. Thanks to the success of previous models, the new Spider family all come with a Pure Roll 5mm surlyn insert. Downward facing 45° grooves help impart topspin and deliver better end-over-end roll.  

Choose the CG location and MOI of your putter

Tons of golfers now get fit for drivers and irons but TyalorMade want fitters to tailor more putters to golfers too. So the five-model Spider Tour Series has been specifically designed to give fitters CG placement options, toe hang choices, and different levels of MOI.

TaylorMade swear a deep center of gravity is essential for upping forgiveness (something Cleveland and their Frontline Elite putters would argue against), but between them, the five new Spider models have CG locations ranging from 27 to 38mm deep. There’s also a choice of either a small slant hosel or double bend set-up so golfers get the opportunity to choose which best suits their straight or arcing stroke.

Here’s the center of gravity location, MOI, and toe hang for each model in the family.  

	CG Location	MOI	Toe Hang
Spider Tour	35MM	5700	29°
Spider Tour S	38MM	6063	28°
Spider Tour X	33MM	5000	30°
Spider Tour Z	29MM	5050	29°
Spider Tour V	27MM	4900	32°

Counter-Balanced putters are bang on trend

Golfers who’ve watched any tour golf this year will know counterbalanced putters have exploded back onto the scene. Two majors were won with counterbalanced putters in 2023. Wyndham Clark used one during his US Open win, and Brian Harman snaffled the Open Championship using a previous TaylorMade counter-weighted Spider OS CB. The resurgent Rickie Fowler and perennial tour winner Keegan Bradley also both use counterbalanced putters too.

So with Counter Balanced putters (where mass is positioned above the hands inside the grip) trending up, TaylorMade have taken the opportunity to introduce a bigger, heavier and counterweighted Spider S. The model will likely satisfy the increased demand from golfers looking to emulate Brian Harman and the performance of his Spider OS CB putter at The Open in July 2023.  

Weights = options

Weights have been a common theme running through tons of TaylorMade products since the company revealed the first adjustable R7 driver in 2004. The original Spider Tour famously housed two TSS weights within its jet engine-style rear ports, and for this new generation, the TSS weights have once again made the cut.

Where the company look to create deeper CGs within the Tour and Tour S heads, the weights remain in the rear position. But, on the X head they move to the rear sole, where for the Z and V models to help create a more forward CG, the weights are positioned behind the face.  

Video: How do the TaylorMade Spider Tour putters compare to other leading 2024 models?

Meet the TaylorMade Spider Tour Series 2023 models

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series putter

The original Spider Tour burst onto the scene back in 2017, when Jason Day shot the lights out and rose to world number 1 using his famous red-colored model. Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm were also massive fans. It’s no surprise then that this famous model, which racked up dozens of worldwide tour wins, has been selected for re-introduction.

Thanks to a refined weight set-up, the model offers 700 more MOI points than its predecessor. The small slant hosel gives 29° of toe hang, making this set-up good for slight arc strokes, where the double bend set-up is face balanced and better for straighter strokes. A new longer 38” counterbalanced set-up is also available in the USA.

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series X putter   

Thanks to Rory McIlroy’s success this has been one of the biggest selling models ever in the Spider franchise. Designed initially to convert blade putter users into mallet fans, golfers can expect a compact shape, and thanks to the slightly more forward CG a more blade-like feel.

The short slant hosel gives 30° of toe hang, which will suit golfers with a degree of rotation in their putting stroke, or those that prefer the feeling of the putter releasing through impact. The double bend shaft set-up is face-balanced and a better choice for straighter stroke players.

Verdict: TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter

Spider putters have played a huge role in convincing many tour pros to ditch their blade putters for more forgiving MOI and mallet-style models over the last decade. This and the previous X models alone can lay claim to helping Rory McIlroy have his best putting season ever and breaking many a scoring record.  

TaylorMade relaunched the Tour X at the back end of 2023, and this beautifully put-together model is an excellent option within the MOI arena. Thanks to not having the deepest center of gravity location, so expect quite a bit of toe hang, the model is often a really good fit for golfers looking to transition from toe hang blades into more forgiving MOI style putters.

This head shape is a proven winner, and from my experience while testing it’s a reliable and consistent performer on the dancefloor. I really like the flowing body lines whereas some of the competition adopts much sharper-edged more angular approaches. If there’s such a thing as a classic MOI putter the Spider Tour X is it.

In previous generations, the X has been an award winner here at TG, and I reckon the new black shaft, refined sound and feel, which is more muted than the original, and more durable gunmetal PVD finish which won’t chip like the previous painted models, elevate the X onto the MOI putter podium once again.   

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series Z putter

The Z is one of two new models within the family. Its shape has been designed to pay homage to the wing shape of the original Tour, but thanks to sole weighting behind the face golfers get plenty of toe hang and a blade-like feel.

A model that frames the ball beautifully at address. Thanks to how low its body sits to the putting surface, this is a very simple and comfortable putter to set up at address.

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series V putter

A new shape for the Spider family. Thanks to removing the rear wing structure golfers get a more streamlined look. This is the smallest head in the family, so golfers get the least amount of MOI and in the small slant hosel the most amount of toe hang. A set-up that will require golfers to have a good degree of rotation in their stroke.

The double bend hosel option like the rest of the family is face balanced. It’s a good option for straighter-stroke golfers who don’t want the complexity of wing or back weight structures distracting the eye from their beautiful new modern MOI mallet.

Verdict: TaylorMade Spider Tour V putter

We’ve gone all out on the TaylorMade Spider franchise being a huge hit in 2024, and it was our test pro who insisted this new Tour V deserved to feature among our favorite putters this year. His thinking boiled down to the Tour V being a very streamlined and pared-back MOI model, as many competitors create bigger shapes which can be much more difficult to stomach. If you’ve been put off the MOI category for this reason before this is definitely a model to search out and try.

Where the Spider Tour’s siblings all have protruding weights around the back perimeter this model is super clean and easy to look at. There are no angles or additional shapes to draw or distract the eye to the back of the putter head at address, which yes ok means a slightly lower MOI, but this is also a really important factor when many decent golfers decide whether to put a new putter in play or not.

With a center of gravity location just 27mm from the face (the smallest of the Spider Tour family), expect a substantial 32° toe hang, and the Spider putter that will feel and behave most like a blade. This should definitely be a consideration if you’re transitioning into MOI putters for the first time.

If you’re really sensitive to the feel of putters the Spiders surlyn and aluminum combination works great with different golf ball compressions and cover materials, as some insert putters can feel very spongy if you also play very soft golf balls.

With a Spider model to cover off all wants and desires in the MOI market in 2024 I believe the franchise is very difficult to shun this year.

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series S putter

The Tour Series S is TaylorMade’s response to the resurgence on tour for counter-weighted putters. On the surface, the model may look very similar to the standard Spider Tour putter, but the head is 3mm longer from toe and heel and 8mm wider from face to back. The extra size allows TaylorMade to up head weight and create a counter-balanced model.

Thanks to its additional size and weight the S is only available at 35” and 38” lengths, both come with counter-balanced grips. If you’re looking to buy into Rickie Fowler or Wyndham Clark levels of performance by moving to a counter-balanced putter it’s well worth remembering both employ an Odyssey Versa Jailbird putter at 38”.

TaylorMade VP of Product Creation Brain Bazzel on the Spider Tour Series putters

“Spider putters have long been synonymous with stability, which directly translates to high MOI performance. The unconventional shape creates a more stable platform that protects speed on mishits and delivers a more consistent roll across the face.”

“Our new Spider Tour Series maintains iconic technological features, including True Path and Pure Roll, while also delivering a range of shapes and CG locations to match a variety of putting styles.”

Create your very own personalized Spider Tour Series putter

As brilliant as the Spider Tour Series putters are, TaylorMade understand modern golfers love creating their own personalised flatsticks nowadays. So, through the brand’s MySpider personalization platform, both the Spider Tour and Spider Tour X are available for additional customization.

Expect four finish choices (Hydro Blast, Black, Gunmetal and Rose Gold), plus options of face insert material and color (surlyn three colours or a slightly firmer aluminium in 10 colors). Further customization comes through sightline design, sightline color, true path color, sole plate, back badge, weight color and two headcover options.

All in we reckon the MySpider options are a brilliant proposition as they’re available for just £50 more (£349) than the non-customized models (£299).

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TaylorMade Spider Tour Series Putters

RRP: £299

Stock shaft: KBS CT 120g Black PVD

Stock grip: Super Stroke Pistol GT 1.0

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series putter

CG Location: 35 MM    MOI: 5700    Toe Hang: 29°  

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series S putter  

CG Location: 38 MM    MOI: 6063    Toe Hang: 28°

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series X putter

CG Location: 33 MM    MOI: 5000    Toe Hang: 30°

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series Z putter

CG Location: 29 MM    MOI: 5050     Toe Hang: 29°

TaylorMade Spider Tour Series V putter

CG Location: 27 MM    MOI: 4900    Toe Hang: 32°

For further information visist the TaylorMade website here