50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade Spider GTX putter continues Spider’s reign as the king of stability. Super forgiving. Numerous configurations and tremendous customization options through the MySpider program.
Introduction
Last year’s entries into the Spider family – the GT [review HERE] and GT Rollback – steered away from the famous Spider silhouette. For 2023, TaylorMade is getting back to that modern classic with the Spider GTX. Armed with a prominent alignment aid and huge stability, the GTX is poised to be one of most popular Spiders in years.
Looks
Tidy. That’s my favorite word for describing the address look of the TaylorMade Spider GTX putter. While it’s obviously a large, modern mallet, it’s compact from heel to toe (significantly shorter than an Anser) and lacking in alien appendages. It looks even smaller because the black elements at the rear disappear in contrast with the silver and white.
If silver and black aren’t your thing, TaylorMade is giving you plenty of other options. The Spider GTX is offered in black, white, silver, red, pink, and ice blue. All of the stock colors have a white True Path alignment aid and a black stability bar.
If you want to get truly wild, TaylorMade offers the GTX in their MySpider customization program. There you can choose from 13 head covers, 14 True Path colors, and much more.
Finally, TaylorMade continues to do a great job with their Spider headcovers. The magnetic closure is very strong, and the design is well-executed. There’s a lot of visual interest but it doesn’t scream out for attention in the bag.
Sound & Feel
At impact, the TaylorMade Spider GTX putter produces a quiet, dull “tock.” Interestingly, mishits are actually quieter than pure strikes. This feedback is clear, but it won’t slap you across the face. You need to pay good attention to hear the difference between good and bad strikes.
The story of the feel is similar. Impact produces a sensation that’s fairly middle of the road – not soft, not hard, not thin, not solid. Just like the sound, the feedback through the hands can be quite precise, but you will need to focus.
Performance
Spider putters have always been synonymous with one thing: stability. Nothing about that has changed with the new Spider GTX. The GTX has the classic Spider silhouette with “wings” at the rear to maximize MOI. It further boosts forgiveness with multi-material construction. Much of the putter is made of aluminum, and the center is hollowed out. This allows more mass to reside in the steel bar at the rear so that the putter resists twisting.
All these elements work together to help the Spider GTX post very impressive numbers on the launch monitor. Where other putters dump ball speed on mishits, the Spider GTX keeps it high. Similarly, it holds the ball on line even when you strike the heel or toe. And you don’t need a launch monitor to appreciate the benefits – you can simply feel how the putter refuses to twist, even on big misses.
While I’m normally not a big alignment aid person, I found myself enjoying the True Path feature. It’s big enough that it’s more like aiming the putter than trying to aim a line, which, for me, feels more natural. There is a line for players who prefer that, but I focused on the white segment. Additionally, while the True Path isn’t wide enough to completely frame the ball, it gives plenty of guidance for centering it without making you feel the need to be perfect.
Finally, TaylorMade is offering the Spider GTX in a variety of neck configurations. I tested the slant neck, which produces a moderate, 3:30 toe hang. There are also single bend and center shafted options. If you use the MySpider program, an L-Neck (plumbers neck) is available, too. Different grips are offered in MySpider, but I like the stock SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0. It feels like a seamless match for this putter – modern, but not screamingly so.
Conclusion
If you want forgiveness on the greens, there’s still no putter family that does it better than TaylorMade’s Spiders. The new TaylorMade Spider GTX putter blends high stability with a more compact size and tidy shape. Customize it to fit your stroke and personality, and you’ll have a flat stick you’ll love for years.
Visit TaylorMade HERE
Matt Saternus
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How did Jack Nicklaus win anything with a George Lowe blade putter? Talent, that’s how.
But Daniel, what does your comment have to do with the review? I might point out that Jack’s 1986 putter was a very oversized MacGregor that was stable and forgiving for its time. Some of us, Daniel, want the stability that modern science brings. Jack is not using the same clubs now that he used 40 yrs ago. He even updates. As to the Spyder, it is everything the review says – stable, great feel, not too large for a mallet, comes with a choice of hosels. You can even customize various colors of the putter and sightline. Good luck, whether you are using a putter from 1983 or 2023.
Yes Daniel, but we must all still remember that, in his day Jack was competing with other golfers who were equipped with the same kind of equipment, ie blade putters etc.
with the sort of technology available today, I’m sure even Jack will struggle to keep up with modern golfers if he used his beloved old putter.
Just an important point we need to think 🤔 about.
I had a long putting lesson a month ago. I was on SAM with my gamer and a few other “experiments.”We worked on everything. Towards the end of the lesson, I spied a GTX pre-release that my instructor had picked up – slant neck, short sightline, white with back at the back.
Started rolling it. He says,”You are rolling that better than your gamer, much better. I suggest you pick one up. Waited a month and the MySpiderGTX is on order.
For being aluminum, the feel was surprising, it did not twist, roll was superb. SAM said – “buy it.”
I’d like to note that I hit a putt off the extreme toe and did not lose line or distance – 30 feet and in the cup. These putters are stable.