TaylorMade Spider Tour X Black Proto putter

Gear: TaylorMade Spider Tour X Black Proto putter
Price: $500, equipped with a KBS CT Black PVD Stepless shaft and a SuperStroke Pistol GT 1.0 Black grip
Specs: Steel-body mallet putter with a milled face insert and black PVD finish. Available in lengths ranging from 33 to 35 inches.
Who it’s for: Golfers seeking improved distance control, forgiveness, and a putter with an anti-glare finish. 

What you should know: The Spider Tour X Black Proto retains the shape of the popular Spider Tour X putters, favored by both tour professionals and recreational golfers. Its milled face offers a firmer feel at impact while the black PVD finish minimizes glare and delivers a distinct aesthetic. 

The deep dive: TaylorMade introduced the Spider Tour family in August 2023. Toward the end of the season, Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked golfer, used a TaylorMade Spider Tour prototype with a milled face at several PGA Tour events. While the milled-face Spider Tour X Proto has been available since September 2023, TaylorMade has now released the Spider Tour X Proto Black, featuring an all-black design. 

The Black version mirrors the previously released Spider Tour Proto putter in having 3 degrees of loft and a 70-degree lie angle. It also includes both an L-Neck hosel and a short slant neck hosel, like Scheffler’s prototype. 

The True Path Alignment system is blacked-out in the Spider Tour X Black Proto putters. (TaylorMade)

Unlike earlier Spider Tour Proto models with a silver-toned aluminum chassis and a white True Path alignment system featuring a single black line for aiming, the Black version incorporates a subtler design. The True Path alignment shape remains but is finished in black PVD, blending with the chassis. The alignment line from the topline to the back of the head also persists, but its black-on-black appearance is understated, requiring golfers to look closely to discern it at address. 

From a performance perspective, the Spider Tour X Black Proto shifts more weight to the front of the head. The milled stainless-steel insert is heavier than the Hybrar Echo Damper material used in standard Spider Tour X putters. This forward center of gravity encourages a putter face rotation resembling that of a blade-style putter, ideal for golfers with an arced putting stroke. 

Below are several close-up images of the TaylorMade Spider Tour X Black Proto putters.