There is a lot of cool gear in the golf equipment world that doesn’t always fit neatly into Most Wanted Tests or Buyer’s Guides. You still want to know how it performs. In our We Tried It series, we put gear to the test and let you know if it works as advertised.
What We Tried
TaylorMade MySpider GTX Custom putter interface– The online design interface that allows golfers to create customized versions of TaylorMade’s new Spider GTX putter.
Your Custom Builder
Dave Wolfe – MyGolfSpy writer and putter fanatic. I’ve tested hundreds (maybe thousands) of flatsticks.
TaylorMade MySpider GTX Designer
Golf is big on traditions. We can use The Masters as the prime example. That tournament is steeped in tradition. Its mere existence is a tradition we celebrate. How many of us started Days Until The Masters countdowns with a number over 50? Some folk start the countdown to the next Masters as soon as the current green jacket is presented.
Like I said, traditions are a part of this game we love.
While admittedly not on the same scale, TaylorMade has its own (putter-building) tradition. For the past few years, the newest TaylorMade Spider putter release has been accompanied by a custom MySpider build option. OK, so one time it was MyTP instead. Not a Spider but still a cool custom program for building non-off-the-rack putters.
This year, TaylorMade released the new Spider GTX mallet putter, an evolution of the 2022 Spider GT mallet. Keeping with tradition, the MySpider GTX program soon followed. Once again, golfers are able to take the newest TaylorMade Spider model and create a version that is uniquely personal.
As expected, the design options are extensive. Here are possible build parameters for your MySpider GTX mallet.
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Build Options: TaylorMade MySpider GTX Custom Designer
- Head shape: Spider GTX
- Dexterity: Right or left (short-slant and single-bend hosels only for LH)
- Head finish: 13 paint options RH; 10 options LH
- Hosel: Single-bend, center-shaft, short-slant or L-neck (plumber’s)
- Hosel color: Black or silver
- True Path Alignment: Optional
- Alignment scheme: Five alignment options: no alignment, sight dot, triple dot, short sight line or long sight line
- Face insert: 22 paint options for the Pure Roll2 insert with co-molded grooves
- True Path color options: 14, including golf ball yellow
- Rear bar colors: Silver or black
- Rear badge colors: Silver or black
- GT side logo: 15 color options
- Shaft: Black or chrome
- Shaft band color: Eight options
- Length: 32-37 inches
- Grip: Various SuperStroke, Golf Pride and Lamkin models. Most color options in SuperStroke 1.0 GTR and 1.0 Pistol.
- Headcover: Multi-colored MySpider
Evolving Options with the MySpider GTX
It’s interesting to see how the MySpider options vary with head design. For example, the MySpider GT didn’t have rear-bar options since the putter didn’t have a rear bar. The change in putter head shape influences the options.
Initially, I was surprised that custom engraving was not a MySpider GTX option. As it turns out, the area on the MySpider GT putter that had the engraving is missing from the MySpider GTX. The aforementioned rear weight bar sits in the engraving space. Like I said, change the putter, change the options.
As to why you couldn’t engrave the bar instead, that we may never know.
Left-Handed Options
TaylorMade didn’t forget lefties. You, too, can build a MySpider GT mallet putter. This will be welcome news but it’s tempered a bit as the options are fewer for left-handed builds. Maybe it’s a machinery issue but only two neck options are available in LH. Oddly, color options decrease for left-handed models. Who would have thought that a pink finish could only be applied to right-handed putters?
Dave’s MySpider GTX
Brace yourself. For the second cycle in a row, my custom Spider contains not a drop of purple. I know. I find the lack of purple surprising as well. Maybe the MyStealth 2 Plus driver’s purple satisfied my grape compulsion.
As you can tell, I took the putter in a totally different direction. This time, the palette played predominantly pink. Why pink? I’m not sure. Perhaps the color just caught my eye when I was in the interface. Ultimately, I wanted to see what it would look like when finished.
The Pink Putter Pops
Every time I open the MySpider box for the first time, I can’t help but smile. Even though I know what is coming, seeing the putter in person produces a bit of glee. This time, the pink finish was a surprise. Yes, I knew it would be pink but I did not expect it to be so metallic and shiny. I suppose I should have, since the stock Spider GTX models are glossy, especially the blue one.
Still, the finish was the real over-deliver feature for the MySpider GTX program. I am also glad I went with the black sight line. That, too, was pink in the initial build but I changed it to increase the contrast at address. So far, it seems to be working well on the greens.
My only knock on the colors would be with the shaft band. That pink color doesn’t match the putter’s shade of pink or the grip’s pink. Obviously, I can just take it off if it irritates me too much. Seeing that pink shaft band not match was the only design-to-delivery downer but not a large one.
TaylorMade MySpider GT Interface Issues: Alignment Selection Glitch?
As per usual, the TaylorMade MySpider GTX build interface is very user-friendly. Like I said about the MySpider GT designer, it’s really a click-click-done process. Outside of a bit of loading time as the photos are updated with design changes, everything is smooth sailing.
This time, there was one bit of a buggy situation. When I was scrolling down for the alignment options, the visuals were off. Sometimes I couldn’t see any options and other times the background of the drop-down menu was missing. See the photo above.
It does seem like this glitch has been repaired. I believe I built the putter on the first or second day the interface was live. This was probably just an early bug that was quickly patched. One other thing I noticed is, if you switch back and forth between left- and right-handed heads, the color options get stuck. Just refresh the page and the colors will reset.
Satisfaction and Value
It’s $70 to go from stock Spider GTX to a custom MySpider GTX. Unlike yours truly, most of you are sane when it comes to putters. You buy a putter and then use it for years or even decades. If this is you, and you are going to pay $350 for a new Spider GTX, why not spend that extra $70 for a putter made just how you want it?
Maybe you are more of a Last Season’s Gear shopper. Good news on that front. TaylorMade has lowered the price of the MySpider GT program to $299. If that putter works for you, now you can get it customized for less.
The Takeaway
TaylorMade has delivered a blissfully repetitive product with the MySpider GTX custom designer. Year after year, the program produces amazing custom Spider putters, delivered in about four weeks. There was one interface glitch this time around that now seems to be fixed. Sure, it would be great to see equal numbers of options in left-handed models. Typically, the options for left-handed players sits around zero, though.
Naturally, not all of you are going to gravitate to the colors and potential boldness opportunities. That’s fine. The beauty of golf is that while it is steeped in tradition, it is also a sport that welcomes individuality. We all have different swings and like different things about the game. That’s OK.
Perhaps that “diverse unity” is golf’s greatest tradition.
Design your own MySpider GTX at TaylorMadegolf.com.
Don Pearson
1 year ago
The one downside to this option is that TaylorMade does not allow you to order anything but their standard logt and lie. This seems to almost be a fatal flaw.