Ray Cook SR500 vs TaylorMade Spider X: A Complete Comparison

There is a lot of hype online surrounding the Ray Cook brand, and it’s easy to see why people in the golf world would be excited. Ray Cook specializes in building putters that look like premium putters, but that cost a fraction of the price. That means that Ray Cook putters will look like brands such as TaylorMade or Scotty Cameron, but retail for only $60. The Ray Cook Silver Ray 500 is designed to look like the much better known TaylorMade Spider X. However, in a comparison of the Ray Cook SR500 vs TaylorMade Spider X, how closely do they match up?

Ray Cook SR500 vs TaylorMade Spider X – Which one is best?

Comparing the Ray Cook Silver Ray to the TaylorMade Spider X, it becomes clear quite quickly that the Spider X is the superior putter. While the Ray Cook putter may look may look like the Taylormade Spider from a distance, that is where the similarities end.

Although many of the online Ray Cook putter reviews praise the putter for its great price and reasonable playability, the Spider X is by far the better putter in all of our comparison categories: looks, feel, sound, quality, and performance.

We understand that Ray Cook golf putters are meant to be a bargain option for players looking for a reasonable price above all else. We also understand that many players just want something cheap that they can use to putt. However, based on our testing, we think players should have reasonable expectations for what they will be getting.

Who do we recommend a Ray Cook SR 500 for?

The Ray cook putter succeeds at being an entry level mallet style putter that’s available at a bargain price. While its performance may not be satisfactory for many golfers, it might be good enough for players that just want to play cheaply.

We would recommend this putter for players that are on a budget, or who really love the look of the TaylorMade Spider but find it out of their price range.

Who do we recommend a TaylorMade Spider X for?

The Spider X is a very good putter. In fact, the TaylorMade Spider series has earned the number one spot on several of our best-of lists. We highly recommend this putter, especially for players that like high MOI mallet putters.

Full Features Comparison

Design and Looks

As shown by the photo above, the Silver Ray has a very similar putter head design to the Spider X. The Silver Ray even mimics the straight line alignment found on the head of the putter.

As far as the finish goes, the Spider X uses the “Hydro Blast” finish, which is an attractive stainless steel finish that they claim increases the putter durability (due to there being no paint to chip).

Ray cook putters come in a variety of colorful finishes including black, blue, green, and navy.

Feel and Sound

This category is where the Spider X really starts to pull away from the Ray cook putter. The Spider X not only has great feedback and weighing, but it also hits the ball with a very satisfying sound. It’s clear that the Spider X has a premium construction using a combination of steel and aluminum, with an expert design build to maximize the club head’s MOI.

The Ray Cook putter, by way of contrast, have a much thinner feel on impact. The construction is made of a much lighter feeling metal, giving it a bit of a tin can feel. Additionally, the sound on impact also sounds a bit “tinny”. This may matter for some players more than others.

The Ray Cook putter has a midsize grip, so players that want an oversized grip can purchase one separately for relatively cheap.

Performance

During our testing, we found the Ray Cook putter to be somewhat forgiving on impact. The overall MOI weighing was also average. A player that likes mallet putters for their straight-back straight-forward swing style could certainly make this putter work. However, we feel that this putter did not do as well on longer putts.

The Spider X has excellent forgiveness, and also does a superior job of imparting top spin on the ball for long distance putts. This is in part to their pure roll insert, which uses aluminum beams set at a 45 degree angle to grip the ball and impart topspin.

Overall Specs

Here is a short comparison table for the listed Ray Cook specs:

Putter	Length	Loft	Lie
TaylorMade Spider	33″, 34″, 35″	3 degrees	70 degrees
Ray Cook SR 500	34″,35″	3 degrees	70 degrees

Ray Cook SR500 Analysis – Full Review

The Ray Cook putter line has managed to draw a lot of hype for their look alike copies of famous putter brands. What some people may not know, is that back in the 60s and 70s the Ray Cook putter line was very dominant on tour, and used to win many different majors. The company even invented the first popular mallet putter back in 1963.

More Recently, however, Ray Cook has become a bargain line of putters. While these putters may retain some of their original commitment to quality, they have clearly found a niche for reasonable yet low cost putters.

These putters are a reasonable choice for any bargain hunters out there, although more seasoned players would be better advised to find a more premium product.

Pros – Why we like it

• Retailing for around $60, the price for these Ray Cook putters cannot be beat
• The mallet construction provides a playable putter for the money
• The look is very similar to a Taylormade Spider putter

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• The putter has a thin feel on impact, with limited feedback
• The putter sound on impact of very “tinny”
• The putter does not do well with longer putts
• Longevity may be an issue for this putter due to material quality
• The putter isn’t very forgiving on hit

TaylorMade Spider X Analysis – Full Review

Over the past few years, TaylorMade made has become one of the biggest brands in putters. A big reason for this is its flagship putter, the Spider series. These large and forgiving mallet putters are showing up in the bags of many golf pros, such as Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. The Spider X is not only a great putter, but a top recommendation for any golfer out there.

Spider X comes in both a face balanced and a toe hang model, so make sure to pick the model that best suits your swing style.

Pros – Why we like it

• This putter’s stability and consistency are unmatched. Its lightweight aluminum and steel construction allows you to strike a putt from any angle with almost no pushback.
• The Pure Roll face insert uses aluminum beams set at a 45 degree angle, significantly improving top spin. This gives your balls a consistent roll, keeping your putts on their target line.
• The lightweight aluminum and steel build means that the putter feels comfortable in your hand while still maintaining a high MOI.
• The Spider X boasts a streamlined, compact style. It combines the performance of a modern putter with a more traditional look.
• The spider X maintains its sleek look with a simple and unobtrusive alignment.
• The club is available in both a toe hang and face balanced model.

Cons – Drawbacks to consider

• The design is a high MOI mallet style putter. Some players may prefer a smaller putter such as a mid-mallet or blade putter.

Final Verdict

If you want top quality in your new putter and can afford it, go with the Spider X. If you’re bargain hunting, the Ray Cook SR500 may be for you.

Our selection criteria – what we look for in a mallet putter

Feel

Higher quality putters will have a strong, weighted feel to their clubhead. They will hit through the ball without much resistance on impact.

Lower quality putters will tend to feel “thin” on impact with the ball, and have poor swing control.

Consistency

High quality putters should give a consistent feel and stroke throughout the golf course.

Lower quality putters may change their feel depending on external factors such as terrain, balls used, and player style.

Style

High quality putters are usually well designed with high quality accessories such as head covers. The craftsmanship is apparent in the materials used and attention to detail.

Lower quality putters will tend to have a more generic look with mediocre materials and less attention to detail.

Forgiveness

Higher quality putters tend to have bigger “sweet spots”, and can hit the ball regardless of where on the club it’s struck.

Lower quality putters tend to be very sensitive where they’re struck on the face, with a higher chance of mishitting.

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