50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade TP Reserve putter line exudes premium and is the one missing link from the brand’s repertoire. With nine shapes and customizable sole weights, TaylorMade has a putter to fit any type of putting stroke.
Introduction
For a long time, TaylorMade has built its brand around its exceptional line of woods. In the last two decades, they moved to creating irons, wedges, and putters. However, even in 2023, there was one piece missing from their repertoire – a premium putter line. That is now changing with the TaylorMade TP Reserve putter lineup. We got our hands on a few models within the new lineup to test and review.
Looks
TaylorMade designed the TP Reserve line of putters to appeal to golfers who prefer the more classic putter shapes. The entire line of putters are modeled after familiar shapes we have seen across the putter landscape.
Every one of the TaylorMade TP Reserve putters is made of 303 stainless steel. The matte steel covers the entire body while TaylorMade created a new logo specifically for this line. The “R” – which stands for “reserve” – brings a high end subtlety to each putter. There is a hint of forest green that accents the sole, face, and rear parts of each putter and gives it that premium appearance. The sole of each putter also has removable weights that sit on the toe and heel.
Sound & Feel
The engineers at TaylorMade created a very different sound and feel for this unique TP Reserve line of putters. As we have seen from TaylorMade over the past several years, almost all of their putters have face inserts, including the popular Spider line [check out the Spider GT MAX HERE]. The TP Reserve has machined-in grooves which creates a soft feel across the entire face. The 303 steel heads are made for more surface contact which leads to that soft feel that I would expect from a high-end milled putter.
The sound of the TaylorMade TP Reserve putter is a quiet “tap” that only slightly changes outside of the groove pattern. Strikes low on the face or on the toe or heel yield a higher pitched sound. The feedback on these strikes is obvious and generates subtle vibrations through the grip and hands. Putts that found the center of the face were incredible, eliciting a feel like the ball melted into the putter head.
Performance
While TaylorMade has been a top tier brand for a long time, I was curious to see if they could nail premium putters on their first try. As soon as these arrived, I got them on my indoor mat and was immediately impressed. The consistent roll and balanced head was so easy to get comfortable with that I was intrigued to get these out on the course.
TaylorMade’s unique linear milling pattern quickly proved how consistent it can be with getting the ball rolling on line. As soon as I got to the course, I could feel accuracy and distance control was naturally calibrated. Weighing between 345 and 365 grams (depending on length and sole weights), these are standard for similar profiles in this category of putters which made it easy to dial in distance.
If you have read any of my other reviews, you’ll know I much prefer minimal toe hang putters which is why I gravitated towards the lesser toe hang M47 (15 degrees). However, the L neck B31 with 34 degrees of toe hang surprised me with its forgiveness.
Mishits were not nearly as bad as I expected as every ball rolled with similar feel and ultimately ended up close to my target. The more I played with these, the more I found the TP Reserve putters to be a “feel” putter. What I mean by this is that it doesn’t have a hot face that jumps on impact nor is it so soft that the ball falls short of your target. It is truly point and shoot.
After I finished putting these through some testing, the results were good enough to swap out my current milled putter for a real test for 18 holes. The TaylorMade TP Reserve putter did not disappoint. I saw the same consistencies on the course as I did on the putting green. Long range or short three footers, I felt confident over the ball and never needed a calibration period. It was natural to get used to the feel, and the balanced head made it easy to line up a putt and start them on line.
TaylorMade is releasing nine different heads under the TP Reserve line with five mallets and four blades so any player can find one that will match their game. The TaylorMade TP Reserve putters retail at $399 which is right on par with other similar clubs in this category.
Conclusion
The 2023 TaylorMade TP Reserve putter line is beautifully crafted and performs just as well, if not better, than its direct competitors. It fills the one void that TaylorMade had in its expansive collection of offerings. Using all premium materials and machined milling, the TP Reserve line has a style that is made for the “feel” golfer.
Buy a TaylorMade TP Reserve Putter HERE
Zack Buechner
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Zach: Nice review. Subjective opinion/minor comment = your observation that “curious to see if they could nail premium putters ~on their first try~” = elicited a raised eyebrow (given that Taylormade has previously had a “TP” line with a prominent putter designer “Kia Ma” headlining some premium TM TP putters with his name. (i think Kia Ma and Scotty ‘Don’ Cameron worked together, perhaps at Ray Cook, alongside Byron Morgan). Nevertheless, kudos to you & Matt Saternus / the PluggedInGolf team for your effort to review these!