A few months back, TaylorMade refreshed their mySpider Tour custom putter interface. The new mySpider program allows golfers to customize either a Spider Tour or Spider Tour X putter.
Since the TaylorMade Spider is one of the hottest putters in golf, I had to take the new interface through the paces.
Today, I’ll give you a quick rundown of the mySpider build process and also dive a little deeper into the new face options.
Expanded build options
For a few years now, the TaylorMade mySpider program has been the gold standard in online putter building. The mySpider program represents much more than just custom painting a stock Spider Tour putter.
Naturally, the cosmetic options are expansive but now you also have quite a few physical build options as well.
First, you will need to choose between the Spider Tour and Spider Tour X head shapes. This is an important choice. The physical and weighting profiles for the two Spider models are quite different.
Before you pick one, I would recommend going to the shop to roll both.
Select your neck
Your next big decision will be choosing the correct hosel. This is where you can really fit the mySpider to your stroke needs. Your stroke should fit one of the following necks.
- L Neck (moderate toe hang, slight arc stroke)
- Double Bend (minimal toe hang, straight/minimal arc stroke)
- Short Slant (increased toe hang, slight/strong arc stroke)
- Center-shaft (minimal toe hang, straight/minimal arc stroke)
As with picking the correct body style, picking the correct neck is an important step. If you are not sure which neck will fit your stroke profile, head to your local shop for help.
The shop can also help you determine if you need loft or lie adjustments. Thankfully, these adjustments are available in the mySpider program. With all of these options, you should be able to dial in your putter’s build to match your stroke.
I do strongly suggest you figure out all of the physical aspects before you look at the pretty colors. You don’t want to order a custom putter that doesn’t fit your stroke.
Once you get the body build established, you can then let loose your personal palette.
There are so many cosmetic choices. I’m not going to do the math but there are easily thousands of different ways you can paint your mySpider. Let your inner artist shine!
When you are finished with the interface, you should have a putter that suits your eye and fits your stroke.
Chef’s kiss to the TaylorMade mySpider interface
Even if you are not going to buy a mySpider, you should spend some time tinkering with the build interface. It’s fantastic, fun and free.
Other companies offer online building tools but so far no one else has come up with a digital tool to rival TaylorMade.
The selected options update in the putter rendering with minimal lag. Should you change your mind, a quick click on the right-hand menu allows you to access menu items previously selected. When you make a change, the putter changes.
By far, the best feature of the mySpider interface is the ability to rotate the generated image of your putter in all directions. This feature gives you a great preview for the putter that will be arriving at your door in about four weeks.
Using the interface is free but don’t be surprised if you end up ordering a putter. After running all of the combinations and seeing your creation from all angles, you’ll want one.
Should you get bored at work a few months later, you may end up building and buying another one. I say this from experience …
Regardless, here are the two mySpider builds that I created.
Dave’s mySpider Tour
This mySpider Tour was a direct reflection of another mySpider putter I was playing at the time of ordering. As I said, be careful when playing around with the interface. I may lead to a new putter in your garage.
On a dark April day, I built this purple mySpider Tour with the previous mySpider interface.
Today’s mySpider Tour is very similar in build to that purple mySpider. I wanted to compare the previous model’s PureRoll insert head to head with the new milled aluminum insert.
Once I had the build specs established, I played around with the colors. Splashes of purple here and there but nothing too gaudy.
This putter was built for the business of making putts.
Dave’s mySpider Tour X
The mySpider Tour X build was driven by whimsy more than work. On the green, I get better results from the Spider Tour shape than the Spider Tour X.
The Spider Tour’s slightly larger and boxier profile looks better to me at address and the more rearward weighting feels better during the stroke.
As such, I built the Spider Tour X with a theme coinciding with the movie that I enjoyed quite a bit this past summer. Can you guess which movie?
Like a true fanboy, I set out to build Spiderman’s mySpider Tour X. I figured if nobody remembered who he was, then Peter Parker should have had plenty of time to practice his putting.
Naturally, the build needed lots of red and blue to match his classic suit. This build opens up the door to future costume-themed mySpider creations. After Secret Wars, it will be time to build a black-and-white version.
(Hopefully that’s not a spoiler for you.)
It wasn’t a totally aesthetic exercise. I built the mySpider Tour X with the same L-neck and specs as the mySpider Tour to see how the non-milled aluminum insert compared to the other two inserts.
Since the body shape and weighting are different, the comparison is less valid but I figured I should be able to gather some feel and roll information nonetheless.
A tale of three faces
The availability of the new milled aluminum face was the thing that excited me the most about the new mySpider program. I’m a fan of the PureRoll Surlyn insert but sometimes I want just a little more pop.
In my previous experiences, the PureRoll2 insert with its aluminum interior produced a slightly hotter roll than the original PureRoll but I wasn’t as fond of the feel.
My hope was that the feel and pop of the milled aluminum insert would check all of my boxes.
After some loosely controlled testing, I can confirm TaylorMade’s feel scale is accurate. The PureRoll feels the softest, the PureRoll2 with the aluminum is slightly firmer and the milled aluminum face has the firmest feel.
The feel of the milled aluminum is firm but not without richness. It is not a dead metal face. It gives you impact feedback and delivers a crisp roll.
The roll ranking for me from hot to cold was: milled aluminum, PureRoll Syrlyn, PureRoll2 aluminum.
For some reason, I have trouble calibrating stroke and roll with the PureRoll2. Distances were much more inconsistent than with the other two. It is also due to the insert being in the Spider Tour X rather than the Spider Tour body. There are too many variables to blame just the insert but it was the wonkiest of the three for me.
As for the other two, the milled aluminum insert just edged out the PureRoll. It was the more consistent of the two for me.
I also believe the addition of a Lamkin Deep Etch grip to the new mySpider Tour played into the final decision. I think that I am over big round putter grips. I like the repeatable way my hands interface with the contours of the Lamkin.
Trust your Peter tingle and build your mySpider
If you are in the market for a new Spider, go with the mySpider rather than a stock model sitting in your local golf shop. You’ll spend about $70 more for the full custom experience.
Yes, you will need to wait about a month for it to arrive but it will be worth it. For just a bit more than the price of a dozen premium balls, you can get the exact Spider you want.
Pick your options and press the Buy Now button. After a few weeks, you will have your Spider.
“That’s all it is, Miles. A leap of faith.”
If you are a zero-torque player, don’t forget TaylorMade also has the mySpider ZT customizer.
With the extensive options and top-tier computer interface, TaylorMade’s mySpider Tour program is a no-brainer decision for someone shopping for a new Spider.
You’ve even got time to build one as a gift for the upcoming holidays. It will be the one time when finding a spider under the Christmas tree is a good thing. If the box has your name on it, all the better.
Build your mySpider Tour at TaylorMadeGolf.com.
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