50 Words or Less
The TaylorMade Truss putters are not for the purists. Bizarre hosel design seems to make sense but doesn’t have a significant effect on performance. Very firm feel.
Introduction
As I noted in my recent review of the Spider S putter (check it out HERE), TaylorMade is a company that is not afraid to take chances with their putters. When you swing for the fences, you will hit some home runs, as they did with the original Spider. However, you also strike out a lot, which is what they’ve done with the new Truss putters.
Looks
Photographs of the TaylorMade Truss putters would have you believe that the unorthodox hosel design is not noticeable at address. Don’t trust them. In person, the address view is dominated by the hosel. The hosel is even more noticeable from rear or face-on views, where it will turn a lot of heads much in the same way a car crash does.
The TaylorMade Truss is available in both blade and mallet shapes with two hosel designs each. The Truss TB1 and TB2 are boxy, Anser 2-style putters. Outside of the hosel, there’s nothing particularly good or bad about this take on the classic design. The Truss TM1 and TM2 is a fang-style mallet. There’s more space between the prongs than normal, and the flange is a bit longer. Again, ignoring the hosel, it’s neither the best nor the worst of this style putter.
Sound & Feel
Many seasoned golfers like to say that “sound is feel,” but the TaylorMade Truss putters don’t follow that adage. The feel of impact, even with a soft, urethane-covered golf ball, is very firm, bordering on hard. What is incongruous is that the sound of impact is rather quiet. Typically a putter that feels this firm would be much louder.
Thanks to the firm feel, there is plenty of feedback on strike quality through the hands. However, because impact is so quiet, there is virtually no audio feedback.
Performance
Per TaylorMade, Truss was developed “for players who desire the stability and forgiveness of a mallet but prefer a more traditional look at address.” As I stated earlier, they failed at maintaining a traditional look, at least to my eyes. Based on my testing, they also failed to make these putters more stable and forgiving than their competitors.
In testing the Truss TB1, I did not feel any difference in twisting compared to typical Anser-style putters. More importantly, I did not see a difference in the results. Small mishits ended up in or near the cup with the Truss and standard Ansers. Large mishits resulted in off-line putts that stopped short of the cup. The same was true in comparing the TM2 to other fang-style putters.
As I mentioned earlier, both the blade and mallet heads each have two different hosel designs. TaylorMade refers to them as “heel and center shafted,” but that should be taken with a grain of salt. The TB1, which is “heel shafted,” is face-balanced just like a center-shafted putter.
Finally, as you can see above, the TaylorMade Truss putters have adjustable sole weights. To offset the weight of the hosel, there is more weight in the toe of the TB1 and TM1 models. The TM2 and TB2 models use the same weight in the heel and toe. At the time of this writing, it is unclear if consumers can purchase weight kits from TaylorMade or not.
Conclusion
In my eyes, the TaylorMade Truss putters are a swing and a miss. I don’t mind an unusual look if there’s a performance benefit, but I did not see one in either the blade or mallet designs. Also, with a $300 price tag, I’d expect more in terms of aesthetics and feel.
Matt Saternus
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I feel like one could have a field day of one liners poking fun at the TM truss putters:
-Middle school cheerleaders say it best, U-G-L-Y you ain’t got no alibi! You ugly, hey hey you ugly!
-Initial product development meeting at TM, someone speaks up, “You know how amazing those Bettinardi putters look? Yea….let’s do the opposite….”
-Truss putters: the golf club equivalent of having to wear head gear braces.
I kid, I kid. I’m sure there’s someone out there who will buy them.
I always enjoy your honest assessments Matt. Keep up the great work.
These putters will be featured in many spam emails by the end of the year at deep discounts from the bargain sites.
The putter just doesn’t look right and the engineering concept of the truss design for a putter is a nonsense?
It’s visually unappealing
Yuck. That’s it. Nothing else is necessary.
Truss … No Bueno … cough. cough $$$
Thanks for clarifying everything I wanted to know about them.
I almost bought one! When you putt like I do, you’ll try anything! 1 handed putting, super short putter, left handed (I’m right handed, of course.) side saddle, claw grip, cross handed, belly-throat-chin-forehead anchoring, armlock, double armlock, double armlock w/ single leglock, double leglock w/single armlock, reverse double armlock, arch, no arch, sway stroke, toe hang, face balanced, negative lofted overspin….to name a few. Thankfully, I did my research, and this, my go-to club review site & reviewer, saved me from making this $300 blunder, so my finances are in good shape for the next big thing in putting. I have a feeling the next one will be THE ONE!
As always, Thanks for another excellent, honest review!
Doesn’t look right ? Neither do half the putters I own . But for me it seems to work better than most .distance control is predictable and it hits my intended line more often
Every bit as ugly as the name. Not even a new concept – Ryder and Diawa had the very same hosel design back in the late 70s/early 80s. Future bargain bin fodder. Even so, I wouldn’t buy one for $20 let alone $300.
Best putter i have ever bagged.
For people who aren’t afraid of a change, the putter at first takes some getting used too. The first couple of rounds, yes it is for sure firm. However, it keeps the ball rolling correctly and has movable weights for some that think is maybe a little light. In person the putter is not ugly by any means. You can see the Truss from address, but I swear it helps with hitting more center strikes. Will it be for everyone, hell no.
I have bagged the TM1 for three months, and my putts per round have come down from 32 to 28. Its a great putter imo.
Bought a TM2 a year ago despite its odd look hoping it would help me stay square at impact. I had a 50% off code that made it worth the risk. It was much lighter than anticipated so I switched to 20 gram weights. After a month or so I became use to the firmness, actually liking the feel/feedback. My lag putting and accuracy on 4’ and 6’ putts have increased. For me, the modest improvements are worth the looks at a $150 investment. $300? Maybe not. I also get some enjoyment out of not carrying a spider like everyone else on the course.
I’m going to buy one because this guy usually gets it wrong in his reviews. I’ll bank my money on Martin Kaymer, a PLAYING TOUR PRO who has one in his bag, and DJ who won with one (although not in his bag now). Actions speak LOUDER than words….even 50.
Bernard,
Thanks for reading despite the fact that I usually get it wrong.
-Matt
Matt
Your welcome. You’ve become my antithesis barometer, you don’t like , I buy. Peace brother , you do a good job, just should do a bit more comprehensive testing of the clubs. It takes awhile , sometimes, to learn how a club will truly perform.