Following the momentum of what has been the hottest putter trend globally, TaylorMade has released its version of a zero torque putter option with the new Spider ZT putter line.
Since the original Spider debuted in 2008, TaylorMade has built a reputation for delivering mallets that help players control speed and direction through forgiveness and more importantly stability. With the new Spider ZT, that proven formula gets a serious update. Rather than simply pushing MOI even higher, TaylorMade shifts the focus to how the entire head is constructed, weighted, and ultimately balanced to work with your putting stroke rather than against it.
The ZT features a 100 percent milled chassis combining aerospace-grade 7075 aluminum in the rear with denser 304 stainless steel up front. This multi-material build enabled engineers to shift weight low and deep while also pushing it toward the perimeter, all key elements in creating the high-MOI characteristics Spider putters are renowned for.
As with each company’s version of a zero torque or toe-up putter, which involves placing the shaft axis of the putter directly through the center of gravity, balancing it so the toe points up, TaylorMade has its own spin on the technology.
And here is the secret sauce….. three internal TSS (Tungsten Stability System) weights have been strategically placed to the sole of Spider ZT triangulate the center of gravity (CG), allowing the ZT to maintain a toe-up balance that helps the putter resist twisting throughout the stroke.
That balance configuration known as face-forward or toe-up is one of the defining features of the Spider ZT. Unlike most mallets that have hosel or neck configurations that produce face balance or toe hang, this setup is designed to keep the face oriented toward the stroke path, so it helps golfers deliver the putter with more stability and less need for subtle compensations using their hands.
“We could see a trend with some of the players on Tour searching for something to help them putt with,” said Andrew Oldknow, TaylorMade’s director of product creation for woods and putters. “Just over 12 months ago, as we were starting down this path, we were starting to see a trend, especially in a retail environment. When consumers get excited about stuff, we need to pay attention.” added Oldknow.
TaylorMade engineers quickly realised they couldn’t simply place the shaft of a typical Spider right behind the face to make it zero torque; they would need to redesign it from the ground up. Oldknow said they also wanted to get the product to the marketplace quickly and that the initial reaction to the Spider ZT has been positive, leaving the door open for potential expansion of their ZT line into other shapes.
“We are going to use our tour [feedback], the research and find out what are consumers looking for,” he said. “Do they want bigger ones? Do they want smaller ones? Do they want more rectangular ones? So we’re doing that right now. We’re just sort of researching the market and what could be next.”
Below are four key things to know about the new TaylorMade Spider ZT putters.
1. The sole was key
When Spider ZT first went on TaylorMade’s Tour truck earlier this year during the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing, initial reactions were that the putter sat square at address. With some other putters in this category, they can tend to look a little left to address and that doesnt fit some players eye.. including mine. So i was very happy looking down at address that the ZT soled really square.
Oldknow said that was a key design point in creating the new putter’s sole, which is cambered from heel to toe and has a specific draft angle, allowing it to sit square and players to play it from a variety of set-ups without changing the measured lie of the club. “If you put one on the ground and it doesn’t seem to want to sit square, that, to me, is a red flag for this type of putting,” he said.
To get the putter to appear more square at address, the draft of the putter, where the sole begins to taper toward the back of the head, was positioned behind the CG and shaft axis. This makes it flatter toward the front of the putter. The Spider Tour and Tour X putters have soles that aren’t perpendicular to the ground because their hosels have a slight draft to help them sit more square. Without a traditional hosel on the Spider ZT, the putter needs a flatter sole to sit square on the ground.
2. Individually balanced
To achieve the zero torque design and specifically place the CG on the shaft axis, the Spider ZT putters are 100 percent milled from 303 stainless steel for the face and 6061 aluminum for the back. Three strategically placed weight ports are used to balance the putter and are individually adjusted to each head out of the factory. Oldknow stressed these weights cannot be adjusted by the consumer without taking the putter out of balance.
3. Milling a true path
One of the identifying characteristics of most Spider putters is the white True Path alignment aid on the top of the putter that is designed to frame the golf ball. On the Spider ZT, the top of the face has marks milled into it that are the exact width of the ball and are intended to accomplish the same effect more subtly. Oldknow said the micro milling started as an idea that came from working with Logan Olson, the putter designer with whom TaylorMade partnered last year, as they were trying to help Scottie Scheffler line up more centered over the ball.
“We didn’t want to put like big white marks intersecting with the shaft,” Oldknow said. “So we weren’t going to go the traditional True Path route, but we wanted to make sure that the form itself works like True Path, and so it gives everything focused onto your alignment.”
Most people either align themselves using perpendicular lines and the face of the putter, a sight line going toward the target or both a sight line and a line on the golf ball. With the milled True Path and two-tone body construction, Oldknow said the Spider ZT has alignment options for all types of players.
4. Slight shaft lean
As opposed to other zero torque putters on the market, Spider ZT putters have just 1˚ of shaft lean to help players get their hands back ahead of the face. Other zero torque putters on the market have anywhere from 1.5˚ to 3˚ of forward shaft lean. This not only allows Spider ZT putters to use regular grips but also keeps the putter feeling more familiar to players.
Players often play zero torque putters further up in their stance and hit up on the ball due to the onset, but the absence of the extreme shaft lean and TaylorMade’s pure roll insert, which has 45-degree grooves, helps players produce consistent launch and get the ball rolling end over end.
In my own testing, I found that the absence of more extreme shaft lean really helped me avoid a left miss that I have seen with other zero torque putters. Looking down at address it sat more natural than any other zero torque model I have tried to date too.
Spec and Pricing
Available in standard, counterbalance and long lengths, Spider ZT putters will be available for preorder in store from May 29th and will be in store and online on the June 19th
The Spider ZT standard length putter (€599)comes in lengths of 33”, 34” and 35”. The stock shaft is the KBS CT Putter 120 Stepless Black, and the stock grip is the SuperStroke Pistol 1.0 set 1° off axis. Loft is 2.5°, lie angle is 70° and head weight is 370g.
The Spider ZT counterbalance putter (€659)comes in lengths of 36” and 38”. The stock shaft is the KBS GPS Custom Graphite 155g, and the stock grip is the SuperStroke 2.0XL 13.75” Round. Loft is 2.5°, lie angle is 70° and head weight is 395.
The Spider ZT long putter (€729) is available in a length of 46”. The stock shaft is the KBS GPS Custom Graphite 155g, and the stock grip is the SuperStroke 3.0 17” Round. Loft is 2.5°, lie angle is 79°, and head weight is 470g.
The standard and counterbalance are available in both right and left handed. The long is available in right hand only.
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