TaylorMade Spider X vs Spider Tour putters: A complete comparison

For many golfers, the TaylorMade Spider putter needs no introduction. With countless tournaments won, this putter is the favorite of many of the top pros including Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, and Rory McIlroy. An instant classic, the TaylorMade Spider Tour broke the mold of many mallet putters when it came out in 2017. The successor of the Spider Tour, the Spider X, is becoming a new favorite as well. But in a matchup of the TaylorMade Spider X vs Spider Tour, which one comes out on top?

TaylorMade Spider X vs Spider Tour: Which one is best?

As a newer model, the Spider X putter has a handful of noticeable design improvements over the Spider Tour. It also has a higher price, as the Spider x putter costs $50 more than the tour, with a current MSRP of $250 compared to $200.

After testing both putters, we believe that the Spider X has a small but noticeable edge over the Spider Tour, even when accounting for the difference in price. Although both of the Taylormade Spider putters play admirably, the Spider X is our favorite in this matchup.

Design and looks

While the Spider x putter and the Spider Tour have many similarities, there are four key ways that they differ:

1. Head size
2. Shaft design
3. Alignment design
4. Paint finish

Head size

The first thing that you’ll notice when comparing these two golf clubs is that putter head of the Spider X is about 10% smaller than the head of the Spider Tour. This change was made due to popular request, as many players that enjoyed the stability and feel of the Spider Tour also wanted a smaller and more maneuverable putter head.

The results is that the Spider X putter looks more compact and streamlined, while keeping the same feel of the original Spider.

Shaft design

The Spider tour putter has two models, each with a different shaft design:

• The Spider Tour Black: straight shaft design
• The Spider Tour Double Bend: double bend shaft design

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The Spider X putter also has two models, each with its own shaft design:

• The Spider X Hydro Blast Flow Neck: flow neck design
• The Spider X Hydro Blast Single Bend: single bend design

The flow neck design is the most “modern looking” out of these choices, but any one of these designs might appeal to the right person.

Alignment Design

The Spider X features a new “White True Path” alignment system. This alignment system uses a black line with a white background. The reasoning behind this coloring is that white is very reflective, and therefore helps the eye see the golf ball alignment more clearly.

The Spider Tour, on the other hand, has a straight white line with a black background. While we might agree that the white design is more visible, overall we think that the alignments on both Taylormade Spider putters work well.

Some players though may prefer the heightened visibility of the White True Path alignment system.

Paint Finish

Many new Spider putters, including the Spider X, have a “Hydro Blast” finish. This style of finish has no paint coating, but instead looks similar to stainless steel.

To create the Hydro Blast, Taylormade sprays their putters with a high pressure water stream to create a smooth and durable surface.

Aside from looking good, Taylormade claims that this finish increases durability because there is no paint to chip.

The Spider Tour, on the other hand, comes primarily in a painted black finish.

Feel and sound

The feel and sound of both putters is quite good. Based on our testing, we’re happy to report that both Spider putters have a very soft feel on impact with the golf ball, and make a quiet “thud” on well struck putts. The feedback when hitting is excellent as well. This is due to two main features included on both putters:

1. The “TPU Pure Roll” insert
2. PU foam

The pure roll insert combines 45° grooves with a softer polymer to increase topspin and improve forward roll across varying surfaces. Overall, we found that this insert does a nice job of imparting top spin while keeping a very soft feel on the ball. This soft, forgiving feel is what makes this putter a favorite for our best putters for seniors.

The head of both Spider putters is also injected with PU foam. This foam helps dampen vibrations to enhance the sound and feel of the putter. We felt this did a great job of keeping the sound and feel soft on hit, despite the heavy steel frame of the putter head.

Playability

While it comes as no surprise that both Spider putters are highly playable, we did notice some small differences between these two clubs.

The biggest difference is due to the size of the club head. Both of these putters use a high MOI design that is both very forgiving and consistent even on mishits. IN fact, this club is one of our favorites for best putter for high handicappers.

However, the Spider X putter’s condensed head design feels a bit less cumbersome than its Spider Tour counterpart. This streamlined club head feels a bit more nimble and maneuverable the the original Spider Tour.

There is also small difference in the toe flow of these putters. While both clubs offer a face balanced version, both lines also have a toe hang version as well. The new Spider X has slightly less toe hang than the Tour version. This results in a smaller arc stroke on the new Spider X putter.

Specs comparison

For the readers who want the full specs, here is a comparison of these four putters:

Feature	Spider Tour Black	Spider Tour Black Double Bend	Spider X Hydro Blast Flow Neck	Spider X Hydro Blast Single Bend
Hosel	Small Slant	Double Bend	Flow Neck	Single Bend
Finish	Tour Black	Tour Black	Hydro Blast	Hydro Blast
Hand	RH/LH	RH/LH	RH/LH	RH/LH
Toe Hang	30°	Face Balanced	21°	Face Balanced
Length	34″,35″	34″, 35″	33″, 34″, 35″	33″, 34″, 35″
Head Weight	355g	350g	355g	355g
Loft	3°	3°	3°	3°
Lie	70°	70°	70°	70°

Who is a TaylorMade spider X best for?

With it’s streamlined club head and stainless steel finish, the TaylorMade Spider X putter is best for players who like a modern design to their club. Players who want a compact mallet head or reduced toe hang will also prefer the Spider X.

If a player specifically wants a single bend or flow neck putter, then they will need to use the Spider X.

Finally, players that want better visibility on their alignment system will prefer the Spider X.

Who is a TaylorMade Spider Tour best for?

The TaylorMade Spider Tour is best for players who are on a tighter budget and are looking for a good deal. With this putter, you can save $50 and still get most of the features of a Spider X.

Also, there may be some players there prefer the larger club head and classic look of the Spider Tour.

Finally, any player that specifically wants a straight or double bend putter should get the Spider Tour.

TaylorMade Spider X review: A full analysis

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 Taylormade Spider putter series. These large and forgiving mallet putters are showing up in the bags of many golf pros, such as Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. Although many pros use it, the Spider X is a great choice for golfers of all skill levels and abilities.

The Spider X putters is one of our favorite putters that we’ve reviewed. In our opinion is even beats out premium putters, for example, Scotty Cameron in our TaylorMade Spider vs Scotty Cameron comparison. This putter’s consistency, stability, and high MOI design also make it a favorite for our best putters for mid handicappers.

Pros

• This putter’s high MOI 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 and light in your hand.

• 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.
• There are both face balanced and toe hang versions of this model available, which means play with either a straight or arc stroke can be accommodated.

Cons

• The spider X putter is a high end putter. This makes it more expensive than some budgets can accommodate.
• Its default putter grip may be a bit smaller than some players would like. Some players may prefer larger putter grip that is easier on their hands.

TaylorMade Spider Putters: other options

TaylorMade Spider EX putter

This putter is the next step up from the Spider X. Its new features include a redesigned 3-dot alignment system, a new pure roll insert, new premium material construction, and a “fluted feel” shaft for enhanced feel and stability.

TaylorMade Spider SR putter

The Spider SR putter is different from the Spider X because it has a “two fang” design that is popular with many mallet putters. It also boasts the “fluted feel” shaft which is an upgrade over the Spider X.

TaylorMade Spider GT putter

The TaylorMade Spider GT putter is a step up from the Spider SR. It has a “two fang design” similar to the Spider SR, but is perimeter weighted with a lightweight aluminum top plate. It has an attractive design with good MOI and stability, combined with a premium pure roll insert.

Final Verdict

While we like both TaylorMade Spider putters, we prefer the modern and streamlined look and feel of the Spider X. However, for a more budget conscious shopper, the Spider Tour will perform admirably.

Our selection criteria – what we look for in a blade 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.

How to choose the best putter for you

While we can bring our research and our favorite picks to you, ultimately you’re the one that needs to decide what putter suits you best. The truth is that there are many good putters out there. Ultimately, you have to make your own decision based on your own personal needs and preferences.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on your putter:

Identify your play style

First, take an inventory of how you approach your putting game. How exactly do you like to play your putts? Do you use a straight forward putt, or do you use an arc stroke? What is your level of experience with golfing? These are the types of questions that you need to ask yourself as you research your putter choices.

Decide what features are most important

Once you’ve considered how you play, next decide what features in a golf club would best compliment your play. Do you like an alignment system that can help you hit head-on? Do you want a soft feel or firm feel when you hit the ball? How much MOI do you want in a putter? Make sure you prioritize your favorite features first.

Determine your budget

Next, determine what budget constraints and preferences you have. Are you interested in investing in high end equipment, or would you like to save more money? Do you need a golf club that will last a year or two, or do you want something that will serve you for a long time?

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