TaylorMade Spider EX Putter Review
The goal with the Spider EX putter was to create something a little more refined than the popular Spider X model with better feel and while maintaining high levels of forgiveness.
The overall shape of the the Spider EX is certainly more pleasing with its softer lines and more rounded rear section, although it comes in a fraction larger than Spider X. It comes in three color options – we tested the silver and the blue.
At address, the new dual line system that frames three reflective dots certainly helps set the putter squarely to your intended target line and encourages you to strike the ball centrally.
Whether it’s more effective than the single, thicker sightline on the Spider X will be player dependent, but the fact we holed more than our fair share from short range suggested it works just as well. The all-white head certainly stands out – it’s arguably a little overpowering in bright sunlight, but the system of lines and dots allows you to subconsciously monitor your stroke path.
TaylorMade has implemented a new co-molded insert on the Spider EX with fewer grooves made of aluminum beams but frankly, we struggled to tell the difference versus the old version found on Spider X or the Spider SR (opens in new tab). We could make a case for the Spider EX to feel fractionally softer while providing a touch more speed, but in reality the differences were negligible.
That said, we liked how well the ball hugged the ground and the consistency of the roll out, even from long range, genuinely impressed us. This putter is super stable, so even if you make a poor stroke, the stability of the head will get you out of trouble – we made a few ten footers we thought we destined to miss based on strike. It arguably felt more solid than Spider X, which is no mean feat.
The shape and size of the SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 grip certainly aided feel as well as control of the face, while the short slant hosel we tested matched up well with our slightly arced stroke (flow neck and single bend options are available).
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