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

My take

The TaylorMade Spider GT Red Single Bend Putter is great for players with a straight back and through stroke and looking for more forgiveness with a larger head shape.

About the club I own

• Model: 2022 TaylorMade Spider GT Red Single Bend
• Shape: Mallet
• Hosel Neck: Single Bend
• Balance Point: Face Balanced
• Shaft Length: 35 inches
• Grip Type: Super Stroke 1.0
• Finish: Red and Black

About me

• Average Score: 70
• Handicap: +2
• Experience: 5 years of playing golf
• Right/Left-Handed: Right-Handed
• Stroke Type: Moderate Arc
• Golf Ball Used: TaylorMade TP5x
• Height: 6’0”

Test conditions

• When I bought the putter: June 2022
• Days tested: 100+
• Where I’ve used it: Various golf courses and putting greens ranging from high to slow speeds
• Weather and Wind Conditions: Rain, wind, warm, and cold
• Green Speed: 8-14 on the stimpmeter
• Grass Type : Bent, bermuda, poa annua mainly

How it performs

What I was looking for

I was looking for a putter that was face balanced to see if that would help make my putting better. I also wanted added forgiveness for every putt and a soft-feeling face.

Why I chose this club

I chose this club because it fit all of my requirements. The putter is face balanced with the single bend hosel to promote a straight putting stroke. Additionally, this putter has perimeter weighting to provide added forgiveness with the added benefit of a mallet head shape to help me with my alignment.

What I love about it

• Face Feel: The face feels amazing due to the pure roll face insert. This new insert from TaylorMade still provides the same great soft feeling off the face every time. Additionally, TaylorMade added a firmer response from this insert to promote a smoother, more consistent roll on every putt.
• Forgiveness: The perimeter weighting adds increased stability to the putter while also helping with mishits. Moving the weighting away from the face moves the center of gravity (CG) back to help make the face stay square on toe and heel strikes.
• Weight: This Spider GT putter has a great feel due to its heavier weight. I personally like a heavier putter because it helps me release the putter head at impact for the best possible stroke.
• Balance: This is a face-balanced putter with a single bend hosel. The face balance is perfect for golfers with a straight back and through putting stroke. This helps me a lot with short putts because it keeps the face square to the target the whole time, helping me make more putts.
• Alignment: The mallet head is very helpful with alignment. The putter has a short white line on the top of the head to help line up putts and a wider rectangle alignment built into the body lines of the club.
• Customization: The TaylorMade Spider GT can be customized with a number of various colors and a few different options for alignment, such as a line, dot, or no markings. Furthermore, players can choose the length and grip when customizing this putter.

Issues I’ve encountered

• Length: As a taller golfer, a longer putter shaft would make sense. However, I personally love a shorter shaft to feel even more in control of the putter head and my putting stroke. I wish I had got the 34in length instead, but the 35in has been fine, and I just grip down a little bit.
• Aesthetic Appeal: I have grown to like the look of this putter. Although I grew up using a blade-style putter head, and still prefer the look and design of a Newport 2 or Anser to the look of this putter. However, the TaylorMade Spider line is my favorite collection of mallet putter head designs.
• Grip Feel: The Super Stroke 1.0 is a very common grip among most golfers and works great. However, I switched the grip to a midsize ping grip to have a more tapered feel, allowing me to control the putter face better.

Best Round with this Putter

The best round I have had with my TaylorMade Spider GT Single Bend was when I shot 68 on very firm and fast greens. I had a total of 21 putts which is tied for the lowest amount of putts in a round. I did not hit the ball great, so I was scrambling on many of the holes, but this putter was lights out. I felt like the hole size was three times larger, and I could not miss it.

Value for the money vs. other options

The Spider GT is comparable to the Scotty Cameron Phantom X 12, Mizuno OMOI Type III, and Odyssey 2-Ball Ten. The Spider GT is at least $50 cheaper than its competitors while providing the same performance and forgiveness. All of the mentioned putters are top-of-the-line quality putters that will help players shoot lower scores. Therefore, the Spider GT is the best value putter; but the decision will ultimately come down to which design a player likes most.

Final verdict

The TaylorMade Spider GT Single Bend is a great putter for golfers who have a traditional straight back and through putting stroke. This putter also provides better alignment and more forgiveness than a face-balanced blade putter head.