TaylorMade Spider Tour X Review (2026 model)
Is This the Hottest Putter on the Market Right Now?
Introduction
The original TaylorMade Spider Tour found its way into the bags of many professional golfers and was used to great success by Jason Day and Dustin Johnson in particular. The smaller Tour X model rose to prominence when Rory McIlroy started using it in 2019, although he had also used an original Spider Tour in 2017.
More recently, Scottie Scheffler and many others have moved over to the Spider range. In fact, eight of the world’s top 20 golfers currently use a Spider putter. Listening to some television pundits, you might be forgiven for thinking they are the cure for all putting ills.
That might be overstating things, but there is no doubt that such high-level tour validation has helped make the Spider Tour X one of the most desirable putters on the market.
So how will it perform for me?
First Impressions
The Tour X is an interesting putter. It is smaller than the original Spider, but remains a high MOI mallet that promises plenty of forgiveness on off-centre strikes. I never really liked the shape of the original head, and I much prefer this more compact version.
Historically, I have also been put off by TaylorMade’s True Path alignment system because I found the contrasting insert distracting. This model still has the outline on top of the head, but it is now the same colour as the rest of the putter. That makes it much more appealing to my eye.
The simple white alignment line allowed me to focus my attention towards the front of the putter, and I felt very comfortable standing over the ball.
I am also a big fan of the colour and finish TaylorMade has used on this new Spider range. It is described as a Torched PVD finish, and looks very similar to the finish on Rory McIlroy’s putter. Given how close it looks to one of the most recognisable putters in professional golf, I would imagine this version will be a very strong seller.
Specification (as tested)
Total weight: 562g
Head weight: undeclared
Swing weight: D6
Length: 34” (KBS CT 120 stepless shaft)
Loft: 3° (no apparent custom options)
Lie: 70° (no apparent custom options)
Toe Hang: 30°
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.
I also used AimPutt to check my setup before beginning the testing.
Pros and Cons
Looks (+ve): Personally, I love the colour TaylorMade has used on this putter, and I much prefer the head without the contrasting white True Path insert. The simple white alignment line looks excellent against the Torched PVD finish.
I have never particularly liked the Spider Tour X whenever I have picked one up in a shop, but this version really appeals to me. It looks clean and simple behind the ball, frames it nicely and inspires confidence.
The finish also appears to be a considerable improvement over some of the earlier Spider models. Those could be prone to chipping and quickly started to look untidy, particularly around the edges of the head. The newer finishes seem much more robust, and this seems to be less of an issue now, which matters on a club that will be in and out of the bag on every hole.
Grip (+ve): The SuperStroke Pistol 1.0 is a grip I know well and have used on several other putters. I like both the feel of the material and the shape of the grip in my hands.
The markings also provide useful visual references for repeatable hand placement. At 34 inches, I needed to grip down slightly when using AimPutt, so those references were particularly helpful during this test.
Headcover (+ve): The Spider headcover is excellent. Finished in a colour that matches the putter, it is well padded and has a strong magnetic closure. I would have no concerns about it falling off during a round.
The contrasting blue stitching might not be to everyone’s taste, but I like it.
Aim/Alignment (+ve): As I have already mentioned, removing the contrasting True Path insert allowed me to focus more on the face rather than having my attention drawn towards the body of the putter. I felt very confident in my aim at address.
However, I missed a lot of putts to the right. I think that was more about how the putter moved during my stroke than any problem with my initial aim. I often felt as though I had pushed the putt and left the face open through impact.
The Tour X did not appear to work as naturally with my stroke as the Tour V had.
Feel and Sound (+ve): The Tour X feels similar to the Tour V, but not identical. Presumably, that comes down to the different head shape and the amount of mass positioned behind the face. It will be interesting to test the Tour F at some point and see whether that feels different again.
As with the Tour V, I was surprised by how much I liked the feel of the Pure Roll insert. I generally prefer milled faces, but TaylorMade has done an excellent job with both the acoustics and the feedback from the face.
Pace Control (+ve): Pace control was again excellent.
Despite being longer and slightly heavier than the Tour V I tested, the Tour X gave me very good control of distance. Testing these two putters has definitely made me reconsider some of my assumptions about insert faces.
Performance Overall (neutral): The longer I used the Tour X, the more comfortable I became and the better it performed. However, it never felt as natural to swing as the Tour V.
I often felt as though I was fighting the head slightly and trying to force the face to close. Adjusting my stance appeared to help, but I never found quite the same instinctive comfort that I had with the Tour V.
Price (neutral): At £299, the Tour X in this Rory-inspired finish is likely to fly off the shelves.
As with the other models in the range, you get the benefit of TaylorMade’s considerable research and development, extensive tour validation, a KBS shaft, a SuperStroke grip, a high-quality finish and an excellent headcover.
Taken together, I think it represents good value compared with many similarly priced alternatives.
What does Vertex say?
I completed the Vertex testing indoors on my putting mat. The results were interesting and supported some of what I had seen and felt during the outdoor testing.
Face change with the Tour X was not particularly good. Although I had a two-way miss on the practice green, the dominant miss was to the right and generally felt like a push.
Vertex confirmed what I had been feeling through the stroke. The head appeared to resist my natural movement and did not want to rotate or close in the way I needed it to. As a high MOI putter with a rear-biased centre of gravity, perhaps that should not have come as a surprise.
Against that, my tempo was very good. I enjoyed swinging both Spider putters because they had a lovely balance through the stroke. The Vertex data supported that impression, and my tempo numbers with the Tour X were even better than those I achieved with the Tour V.
The rest of the Vertex data suggested that I might benefit from a slightly more upright lie angle than the stock 70 degrees. My shaft lean and delivered loft at impact were both incredibly consistent, scoring 97 per cent.
The Tour X is included in TaylorMade’s MySpider custom programme, so you can build one to your exact specifications. There is a £50 premium for the MySpider, and it appears that you can’t specify it without a True Path alignment insert, which seems a bit strange.
I am due to attend a TaylorMade fitting day later in August, where it will be interesting to see what their product experts recommend. I will ask them more about the MySpider custom program too and find out if that might come to any of the other heads rather than just being limited to the Tour and Tour X.
Conclusion
The TaylorMade Spider Tour X deserves much of the attention it receives. It is a great-looking putter that sounds and feels better than I expected, while offering the stability and forgiveness that have made the Spider range so popular.
I was genuinely surprised by how much I liked it. The head frames the ball well, and removing the contrasting True Path insert made it far more appealing to my eye. The Pure Roll insert was probably the biggest surprise because it challenged some of my prejudices about insert putters.
The Tour X did not significantly outperform my Lajosi during this test, but it gave it a good fight as the session continued and I became more comfortable with the head. I can certainly see the appeal, and I now understand why it has become such a popular choice.
It just was not quite the right Spider for me.
The TaylorMade fitting day later this month is going to be very interesting. Between the Tour X and the previously reviewed Tour V, I can feel the Spider slowly spinning its web around me.
Fit verdict (for me)
Would I game it tomorrow? No
What would I change? I would explore a slightly more upright lie angle, although the bigger issue is that the head does not naturally suit my stroke.
What have I learned? This putter is popular on tour for good reason, but tour validation does not remove the need for a proper fitting.
You can find all my other putter reviews, including the previous Spider Tour V, by following the link below.
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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
Good and interesting review Keith. Will be VERY interesting to see how your Taylormade fitting goes!!