Introduction
TaylorMade describes the Spider Tour V as the putter for blade users who are looking to experiment with a mallet. With the most forward centre of gravity location in the Spider range and 33° of toe hang, it has been designed to “complement a natural arc and deliver exceptional stability and forgiveness through impact”.
The mid-mallet, “plays like a blade” part of the market is a fascinating one. While I currently use a blade, I have had success with mid-mallets in the past. When I started this blog, my gamer was a Toulon Atlanta that had been in my bag for a couple of years.
It is a category that appeals to me, but much depends on the precise head shape and the alignment system being used. Could the Tour V provide the blade-like feel I prefer while adding some of the stability and forgiveness of a mallet?
First Impressions
I think this is a really good-looking putter. I wish TaylorMade offered alternative neck options beyond the L-neck, but otherwise I have very little to criticise.
In my opinion, Scotty Cameron spoiled the look of the Phantom 3.2 by using three alignment lines running across the full head. The Tour V is similar in shape and concept, but I think TaylorMade have executed the design better. The short, single alignment line is both simple and effective.
The first thing that struck me when I picked up the putter was its weight. At 548g, with a swing weight of C4, it sits at the lighter end of the putters I have tested for The Club House. I liked the way it felt.
In fact, I liked it a lot.
I also had a Spider Tour X to test at the same time. It is only modestly heavier at 562g, and a D6 swing weight, but the different COG locations make the two putters feel completely different in motion. The Tour V immediately felt easier for me to swing freely, and I was excited to see whether that first impression would carry across to the practice green.
Specification (as tested)
Total weight: 548g
Head weight: undeclared
Swing weight: C4
Length: 33” (KBS CT 120 stepless shaft)
Loft: 3° (no apparent custom options)
Lie: 70° (no apparent custom options)
Toe Hang: 33°
Grip: TaylorMade SuperStroke Pistol 1.0
It’s slightly disappointing that I can see no reference to customisation of loft and lie anywhere on the TaylorMade site or from online retailers.
Protocol Snapshot (How I Tested It)
Surface: Practice green at Craigtoun Course
Conditions: A lovely July day with a firm green that was running well.
Make Test: 6 putts x 3 reps from 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 ft
Lag Test: 40 ft to 3 ft - uphill and downhill - run once
Start Line: Gate drill (two tees at 18 inches ahead, gate only just wider than a ball)
Benchmark: Lajosi custom blade
Full testing framework: HERE
How Did It Perform?
Notes
The practice green at Craigtoun Course was in excellent condition and rolling nicely after a period of very good weather.
Following my recent testing and review of the AimPutt training system, I have been using my custom Lajosi blade as my gamer. It felt more comfortable at address with the AimPutt than my SeeMore putters did, so it provided the benchmark for this test.
Pros and Cons
Looks (+ve): TaylorMade have really nailed the design here, and I think this is the best-looking head in the new Spider range. The shape is compact enough not to feel like a conventional mallet, while the short alignment line keeps the appearance clean and uncluttered.
If you compare it with the Scotty Cameron Phantom 3.2 that I reviewed recently, both putters share a similar design language. Both are trying to attract players away from blades, but the Tour V is the more attractive design to my eye.
Grip (+ve): The SuperStroke Pistol 1.0 is a grip that I am very familiar with and have used on other putters. I like both the feel of the material and the shape of the grip in my hands.
The writing on the grip provides useful visual references for where to place my hands for a repeatable setup.
Headcover (+ve): The Spider headcover is excellent. Finished in a colour that matches the head, it is well padded and features a strong magnetic closure. I would have no concerns about it falling off during use.
Aim/Alignment (+ve): I much prefer the single line on this head over the triple line used on the similarly shaped Scotty Phantom 3.2. It’s simple and uncomplicated and helps me focus on the face of the club.
At address, I found the Tour V very easy to set square to my target line. I never felt like I was negotiating with it as I have with some other heads. That let me settle quickly and focus on getting my pace right, knowing that I was aimed where I wanted.
Feel and Sound (+ve): I have been very open in these reviews about generally preferring the feel of a milled face to an insert. However, I genuinely liked the TaylorMade Pure Roll insert.
It produced a reassuring “tock” at impact and felt responsive without being harsh. Sound and feel are always difficult to describe and very personal, but having expected the insert to be one of the weaker parts of the putter, I was pleasantly surprised.
Pace Control (+ve): Pace control was simply excellent.
I particularly liked the overall weight and balance of the putter. It was easy to maintain control throughout the stroke, and I never felt as though the head was working against me. I could allow it to swing naturally without needing to guide or manipulate it.
The Tour V performed well across all of the tested distances. It was similarly impressive when I played a par-2 game around the green, consistently leaving the ball within comfortable two-putt range.
Performance Overall (+ve): I rarely feel this comfortable with a putter so quickly. Despite my reservations about the appearance of the plumber’s neck, there was very little I could criticise from a performance perspective.
The more I used it, the more I wanted to continue using it. I even asked Adam whether I could extend the test and take the putter onto the course under competitive conditions. Unfortunately, the demo was required for a fitting the following day.
It did not perform significantly better than my Lajosi, but it inspired slightly more confidence when I stood over a putt. Everything felt natural, from setup through the stroke and into impact.
That is unusual in one of my putter reviews.
Price (neutral): At £299, I can hardly believe I am writing this, but the Tour V now sits somewhere around the middle of the premium putter market.
For that price, you are getting TaylorMade’s research and development, considerable tour validation, a KBS shaft, a SuperStroke grip, a high-quality finish and an excellent headcover. Taken together, I think the package represents good value compared with many similarly priced alternatives.
While much of the attention appears to be focused on the Spider Tour X associated with Rory McIlroy, I think the Tour V could be an excellent seller if more golfers give it a chance.
What does Vertex say?
I completed the Vertex testing indoors on my putting mat, and, like the Scotty Phantom 3.2, the results were very encouraging. It would appear that this style of putter suits my swing.
The average face change was just 0.08° open, again astonishingly good. This time it was also very consistent. This is one of the only putters where I’ve seen such similarity between my back stroke and forward stroke rotation. It’s more common for me to leave the face open, or hold off the rotation on the forward stroke. I’m not fighting the putter in any way, and it appears to work well with my natural stroke arc.
My tempo was also very good. I had already noticed how comfortable the lighter overall weight felt outdoors, and the Vertex data supported that impression. I was able to maintain a smooth, consistent stroke and, in some respects, found the Tour V even easier to swing than my gamer.
The results were not perfect. Vertex suggested that I might benefit from a lie angle more upright than the standard 70°. I also appeared to be manipulating the loft slightly, with a modest amount of backward shaft lean at impact.
Given the similarity between these results and those from the Phantom 3.2, I do wonder whether I had miscalibrated the sensor when measuring lie angle. That is something I need to check before drawing too firm a conclusion.
Somewhat disappointingly, TaylorMade do not appear to offer a visible customisation service through their website or the retailers I checked. However, I am sure Adam at Auchterlonies, or another competent club fitter, would be able to make any required adjustments.
I am also planning to attend a TaylorMade fitting day later in August, where it will be interesting to see what their product experts recommend. They offer a fully fitted putter that can be taken away on the day, so my Auchterlonies store credit may yet take a hit.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade Spider Tour V is an excellent putter for me, and I would happily put it in the bag tomorrow.
I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. The compact head sat beautifully behind the ball, the short alignment line suited my eye, the lighter weight allowed me to swing it freely, and the Pure Roll insert challenged some of my assumptions about insert putters.
The Tour V did not significantly outperform my Lajosi during this test, but it gave me a little more confidence over the ball. That may be difficult to quantify, but it matters. Putting is not only about producing good numbers in a controlled test. It is also about whether a putter makes you want to stand over the next one.
This one did.
The TaylorMade fitting day will provide another opportunity to test that enthusiasm. I have already tried the Tour X, with that review coming soon, while the new Tour F and its similarly forward centre of gravity could also be a contender.
For now, though, the Tour V has done enough to make me seriously consider getting caught in the Spider web.
Fit verdict (for me)
Would I game it tomorrow? Yes
What would I change? Potentially the lie angle, subject to confirming the Vertex result through a proper fitting.
What have I learned? Challenge your prejudices. I have historically been wary of both inserts and plumber’s necks, but that does not mean I should immediately rule out every putter that uses them. The Tour V performed extremely well, felt natural in my hands and was one of the most enjoyable putters I have tested recently.
You can find all my other putter reviews by following the link below. Look out too for my next review, covering the TaylorMade Spider Tour X.
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Special thanks to Adam Legg and Auchterlonies for lending me the review putter.
Links:
Full testing framework: here
All my other putter reviews: here