About this Review: This review is my honest opinion of the putter, which I purchased with my own money in January of 2022.

My take

The TaylorMade Spider SR Platinum #9 Putter nicely blends the weight assistance of a High MOI mallet head like the other Spiders with a bit more feel control of a blade. The head feels much more under my control, and the added weight through both prongs adds stability to the stroke, making lag putts easy to knock close.

About the club I own

• Model: 2022 TaylorMade Spider SR Platinum #9
• Shape: Mallet
• Hosel Neck: Fluted and Single Bend
• Balance Point: Face-Balanced and Toe Hang
• Shaft Length: 35”
• Grip Type: Pistol
• Finish: Platinum

About me

• Average Score: 78
• Handicap: 6.5
• Experience: 18 years of playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-handed
• Stroke Type: Tinkered with many but divert back to arc
• Golf Ball Used: TP5x
• Height: 6’4”

Test conditions

• When I bought the putter: January 2022
• Days tested: 45
• Where I’ve used it: Practice Green, Bermuda Greens, Bent Grass Greens
• Weather and Wind Conditions: Sunny, cloudy, temp ranges from 55-85 degrees.
• Green Speed: 8-11
• Grass Type: Bermuda Greens, Bent Grass Greens

How it performs

What I was looking for

I wanted a putter with a bit firmer of a feel off the clubface than my Odyssey Triple Track Ten putter. This putter gave me the receptive feel I was looking for while not being too firm. I was looking for a nice blend of control over the knee-knockers while giving me better performance on lag putts, as I have been playing less consistently since finishing my college golf career.

Why I chose this club

After testing many different clubs, I settled on this one for the overall performance and feel at a price that was not exorbitant. While putters from Bettinardi and Scotty Cameron may have higher performance and better feel, this club ticked off all of the marks necessary to pull the trigger at my budgetary range. I also have never been a true blade-style putter, but I have loved the feel of the smaller blade/mallet fusion heads. I tried out the High MOI (Moment of Inertia) putter, and although I am sure I would get used to it, the inconsistency in my ability to get out and play has made adjusting to the large club head more difficult than I imagined. Therefore, this club gave me what I was looking for while aiding in my inability to practice consistently.

What I love about it

• Face Feel: I love the sound and feel coming off the club. It has a nice click, but it doesn’t feel like I'm hitting the club against a rock. A little dull on badly hit off-center putts, but nothing too detracting.
• Forgiveness: The perimeter weighting helps keep the clubhead in line, even if I miss the middle of the head.
• Weight: I like the medium weight that this putter feels like it has.
• Alignment: The alignment is super easy with the lines and the shape of the putter head.
• Length: 35”. It's just a touch small for how I line up, but it does the job. I prefer a 35.5” putter to allow me to stand straighter and ease the tension on my back, but I didn’t custom order this one.
• Grip Feel: Pretty average grip feel, standard tackiness, good texture, but definitely not the level of feeling I get from some of the grips I can replace it with. I love the Slim Super Stroke grips, so one may want to splurge to add one.
• Balance: The club was well-balanced, giving me the confidence to rock my shoulders and get the clubhead through the strike zone. It was nice to feel the club easily move back and forth rather than feeling like I had to work to hit good putts.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Aesthetic Appeal: While it looks clean, the lack of color options from the standard silver and black may detract purchasers. It looks nice, especially for a nerd like me, with the spaceship shape to the clubhead, and the finish is not too shiny on bright days out on the course. If one dislikes the crossbar in the back, simply opt for a head option without it. They will have the same feel.

Best Putt or Round with this Putter

In my second round playing with this putter, I had an eagle putt on a driveable par 4 that I poured in off a foot or so of break. I had so much confidence in the putt from my alignment.

Value for the money vs. other options

This putter is well worth the money and is right on par with other putters of similar cost. If someone is on a budget, opting for a Wilson/Cleveland/TourEdge model with a similar design is always a good choice. If one wants to splurge, the Scotty Cameron Phantom and Bettinardi models are stellar choices.

Final verdict

This putter will have one standing confidently over all of their putts, making their next round their best round ever. Adding this putter to their bag will unlock confidence and have them use it less and less, meaning they are scoring lower and lower.