Realizing not everyone has the time to consume every piece of content on club launch days, we’re trying something different and offering a fresh version of our detailed tech write-ups that hits the high points. Here’s what you need to know about TaylorMade’s Spider Tour Series putters.
Successful return
The return of Spider Tour will no doubt get gearheads talking. As one of the most successful putter franchises ever produced, it’s easy to assume TaylorMade is simply running it back with a tried and true design. Yes, the original Spider Tour shape is making a comeback, but there’s more to the updated offering than a fresh paint job.
“There’s this built-up demand for us to come back and rebirth some of these shapes,” said Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s vice president of product creation. “We’re not going to [just bring back those shapes], but we’re also going to come with a few others that are going to fit a few more golfers.”
With TaylorMade’s True Path alignment system featured prominently on all five heads, designers set out to create distinctive shapes and weight setups for all swing types.
It begins with the OG: Spider Tour. Built around the iconic shape, the head has a center of gravity (CG) location of 35mm from the face, 5,700 MOI — roughly 700 MOI than the previous version — and 29 degrees of toe hang on a small slant hosel. In addition to standard lengths, Spider Tour also comes in a 38-inch counterbalance model with a 17-inch SuperStroke 3.0 grip.
Made popular by Rory McIlroy, Spider Tour X was originally made to get blade users into a mallet. The compact shape offers a blade-like feel with TSS weights that are placed forward for more rotation during the stroke. A CG placement of 33mm from the face is 2mm closer than Spider Tour. This model also has MOI of 5,000 and 30 degrees of toe hang on the small slant hosel.
Spider Tour Z is a new addition to the lineup and features a perimeter that sits low to the ground to help frame the golf ball for easy alignment. The TSS weights are located well forward to encourage more face rotation and a blade-like feel. It has a CG location of 29mm from the face, 5,050 MOI and 29 degrees of toe hang with a small slant hosel.
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With Spider Tour V, designers removed the wings to give it a “streamlined look” at address. With the smallest head in the lineup, golfers can expect an abundance of face rotation through impact. Spider Tour V has a CG location of 27mm from the face, MOI of 4,900 and 32 degrees of toe hang with a small slant hosel.
While the Spider Tour S (available Spring of 2024) has an identical Spider Tour shape, it’s actually slightly larger than the original. By comparison, the Spider Tour S head is 3mm longer and 8mm wider. It’s also constructed at a heavier head weight and only offered in 35- and 38-inch lengths with a counterbalance grip. Spider Tour S has a CG location of 38mm from the face, 6,063 MOI and is face-balanced.
Under the hood
Take a peek at the face and you’ll find something familiar — with a twist. The molded Pure Roll insert, made from a combination of Surlyn and Aluminum, has been a staple since it was first introduced on the original Spider X.
The Surlyn delivers a soft feel at impact, but with the grooves angled 45 degrees downward, it is able to impart a consistent end-over-end roll at impact.
But here’s where the insert starts to deviate from the original recipe. Situated directly behind the molded Surlyn is a piece of Hybrar that was most recently used on the Stealth and Stealth HD irons to dampen vibrations — particularly on mishits — at impact.
The end result is an improved sound and feel across the entire face.
Weight watcher
The lightweight steel wireframe construction allowed engineers to open up the playbook and move the TSS (TaylorMade Swingweight System) weights around to dial in the center of gravity location for each head and putting style.
For example, the weights are situated in the back wings on Spider Tour to increase stability; with Spider X, the weight was positioned further forward — just behind the face — for more face rotation.
The TSS weights also serve another valuable purpose by optimizing performance at each putter length with specified masses.
Specifics
Spider Tour (Gunmetal PVD finish) retails for $349.99 and comes standard with a KBS CT Putter Black PVD Stepless shaft and Super Stroke Pistol GT 1.0 White grip. The entire line will be available for pre-order on Fairway Jockey and at TaylorMade’s official site starting Sept. 19 and at retail on Oct. 27.
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