TaylorMade’s Spider putters are one of the most popular and successful mallet lines in golf. Since their first introduction in 2008 with the Monza Spider, the company has continued to improve and evolve the Spider line, racking up tour wins, major championship victories and global success in the marketplace along the way.
Justin Rose (2013 U.S. Open), Jason Day (2015 PGA Championship), Dustin Johnson (2016 U.S. Open, 2020 Masters) and Sergio Garcia (2017 Masters) each used versions of the Spider putters to capture major titles. Each is also responsible, in part, to the current popularity of the Spider name.
In 2019, TaylorMade released the Spider X model to celebrate the Spider’s 10th anniversary. The Spider X came with a white True Path alignment aid on the crown, and a surlyn PureRoll face insert that had 45-degree, downward-facing grooves to improve roll. The 2019 model came in a Copper and Navy colorway.
Most recently, in March 2021, TaylorMade released a new Spider X Hydro Blast putter that has a unique finish. Its silver body color is the result of water pressure, rather than paint, to help improve durability. Along with the Spider X Hydro Blast, TaylorMade also released three new Spider mallet options for 2021, including the Spider S, Spider SR and Spider EX. Each of the new models provides a different look than in year’s past to help increase performance. Click here for more information on the entire 2021 Spider lineup.
As you’ll see in the video at the top of this article, I recently tested TaylorMade’s new Spider X Hydro Blast putter against the all-new Spider EX model. While you watch the video, keep in mind there are five main differences between the Spider X and Spider EX:
1. Their face inserts. The Spider X model boasts a surlyn PureRoll insert with 45-degree-angled face grooves to help impart more topspin. The Spider EX, on the other hand, comes with a PureRoll2 insert made from co-molded TPU and eight silver aluminum beams (each of the beams also sit at a 45-degree, downward-facing angle).
2. Their size. The Spider EX putter, compared to the Spider X, measures 3.5mm larger from heel-to-toe, and 2.7mm larger from front-to-back. The EX also has a slightly more rounded back shape.
3. Their weight construction. Compared to the steel-bodied build of the Spider X putter, the Spider EX has an aluminum frame with two 28-gram steel weights, and one Tungsten weight, that sit in the back portion of the head. The additional back weighting helps boost forgiveness in the EX head.
4. Their alignment lines. The Spider X putter has a Y-shaped True Path white section, while the Spider EX has more of a T-shape, to go along with three dots and two parallel lines. Neither is necessarily better, it just depends on your personal preference.
5. Their price. The Spider X Hydro Blast putter comes with a $280 price tag, while the Spider EX sells for $350. The Spider EX comes with a fluted shaft, which was engineered along with KBS, to provide more feel in the head. The Spider EX also comes with three different hosel options (short slant, long slant, and single bend) for different stroke styles, and three colorways (Platinum, Navy and Ghost White).
