TaylorMade Ghost Spider Si Putter Review Thread

[OITW]

I have had a few of the Ghost CB models (blade, mallet, Ghost S) and this happened on two of the three. Like others I keep my clubs pretty clean and hate chips/flaws in the paint. Seems to me that it is right around the insert area…maybe the paint fill does not cure right or something? It does not effect the performance but it is an aesthetic issue that bothered me at times.

I still love the dll. First taylormade putter I owened. I will be following this thread too and if thet would fix this/have fixed it ill buy another spider modle. They are solid putterd

Just curious, what kind of balls do you use (the cover on the them)? Not saying this might be the case but I have urethane and surlyn and I normally use urethane but I'll be testing both and I can see if one is tougher on the insert than the other.


Using Tapatalk

 

[ranger1989]

Just curious, what kind of balls do you use (the cover on the them)? Not saying this might be the case but I have urethane and surlyn and I normally use urethane but I'll be testing both and I can see if one is tougher on the insert than the other.


Using Tapatalk

Most of last year I was using the RBZ Urethane or Penta TP3.

 

[coers]

Something else I noticed when I was putting around with Bhilln's putter was when picking up the ball with the rear of the putter was a nice fit in it. Defiantly makes it look like some Spider legs are picking up the ball.

 

[Mmaynard11]

You took the words right out of my mouth, or should I say fingers??? :act-up: It definitely is a great addition to the putter for those that like to scoop the ball up.

Something else I noticed when I was putting around with Bhilln's putter was when picking up the ball with the rear of the putter was a nice fit in it. Defiantly makes it look like some Spider legs are picking up the ball.

 

[coers]

You took the words right out of my mouth, or should I say fingers??? :act-up: It definitely is a great addition to the putter for those that like to scoop the ball up.

I actually think Brian showed me this and I thought that was a sweet feature.

 

[drp3434]

Just caught up on this thread. You guys are doing some solid work! Gonna make it a point to give this thing a few rolls next time I'm at the golf shop.

 

[IceyShanks]

I love the ball at address photos from all angles. Really shows how the putter looks in use!

 

[Michigan Slice]

Just Finished doing a little testing:

Today I wanted to see what the TM Ghost Spider Si would act like on Gross heel misses!!

Testing conditions:
TaylorMade Ghost Spider Si 35" Counterbalanced
Indoors 67*
Surface: Birdieball putting green
Testing length of putts: 4'6"

Testing Focus- Heel Misses

As stated today I wanted to give an illustration on what would happen when we miss the center of the putter face and our miss resulted in a heel strike.

The following image is where I was trying to strike the ball.

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As you can plainly see, this is a gross miss to the heel side.
I was still aiming to the center of the hole, and making my normal putting stroke.

Findings: What today's testing session illustrates is just how stable this putter is across the face, the increased MOI can be really put to use when you miss as badly as I was striking the ball today. The ball even though struck inside of the grooves of the pure roll insert didn't give an overly harsh sound or feel. In fact, what I found was that the ball generally started on line and stayed there, with only slight deviation of speed (to my surprise I noticed speed loss). I putted 35 balls each aimed to the center of the hole, making 21. Aiming to the center of the hole, I was consistently rolling the ball to the left side of center, and my normal misses being short and left. Most strokes left the ball dying at the hole before going in, with maybe only a few revolutions left, which is my normal speed on putts I try to achieve.
The following photo illustrates my normal 3 shot pattern, again with those putts that did find the hole doing so left of center of the cup.

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Soon, I hope to get out on some outdoor greens as the Facebook post of a local course said that they covered the practice green and tee boxes of the range to allow for earlier opening!

Summary: Today's testing was solely to simulate a BAD heel miss, and what I found was that the putter face to be incredibly stable! I seen little to no twisting in my hands, the counterbalancing effect seemed consistent with those bad misses. What I noticed was a speed and distance loss even though sound and feel remained relatively pleasant.
I could not imagine anyone missing so badly on the face of the putter as I was today (even though I probably have numerous times), so that I think what I've created here is a worst case scenario. What I found is that with proper alignment this putter should be a solid performer, even when you DO happen to miss the center of the face.

As always, If I or others can offer any answers to questions you may have, please feel free to let us know!

I hope today's testing gives you a little insight on the forgiveness of the TaylorMade Ghost Spider Si putter!

 

[Michigan Slice]

Please forgive the substandard cell phone Pictures.

 

[flog2424]

Thankls for the feedback MS. Will you also be test Toe Misses??

 

[Michigan Slice]

Thankls for the feedback MS. Will you also be test Toe Misses??

I will be yes.

 

[IceyShanks]

Something else I noticed when I was putting around with Bhilln's putter was when picking up the ball with the rear of the putter was a nice fit in it. Defiantly makes it look like some Spider legs are picking up the ball.

For some reason that is always a feature I test on every putter, I don't know why!

 

[coers]

For some reason that is always a feature I test on every putter, I don't know why!

Hey that's just a added feature that some putters don't offer. Can't do it on my Seemore or Clevelands smart square putter.

 

[bhilln]

You took the words right out of my mouth, or should I say fingers??? :act-up: It definitely is a great addition to the putter for those that like to scoop the ball up.

I actually think Brian showed me this and I thought that was a sweet feature.

For some reason that is always a feature I test on every putter, I don't know why!

I don't know why, and probably silly but it's something that I like on my putters; I have putters that you can't... or is difficult to scoop the ball up and find myself missing it. The Spider Si is probably the easier one I've ever tried to do this.

Spent some time on the practice green tonight after a range session; the greens are far from good shape but still was able to roll some balls on real grass tonight. I have to say it's taken a little getting used to as I've used a center shafted putter for so long but am really enjoying this putter. From 8 feet and in, this thing is just money.

The feel off the face feels good even with range balls, although not as soft as with my gamer balls I roll on my putting green in the house. The face get's the ball rolling quickly and puts a good roll on it every time. As mentioned here, I am super impressed with the forgiveness of this putter. I'm able to tell when I miss hit the ball, but see little affect on the ball distance or path.

I have the 38" version and find myself gripping so I have about an inch and a half down. My gamer's 36.5 so leaves me in a similar set up position. I've found with a nice smooth backswing and just let the club flow through the ball provides great rolls. The grip size works well for me, even if I don't grip down quite a far as probably designed but the weight through the stroke works well for me. The alignment with the lines and gap in the rear of the putter really set up well to the ball and ensure you're lined up on your line. It's taken a little getting used to in paying attention to the alignment but the design is really effective in keeping you square to your line.

I remain impressed with the is putter and would highly recommend giving it a shot if your in the market for this type of putter.

 

[OITW]

TaylorMade Ghost Spider Si Putter Review Thread

I've been playing around with how I grip this, specifically how much I'm choking down on the grip as per TM's instructions.

Background:
The three hand position spots that I've focused on are 32" 33" and 34."
Putting inside on my faux putting green from between 3 and 5 ft away.
Putter is 35"

Hands choked down 3" to 32" (Grip starts at the "M" in Taylormade)

Pros:

Having my hands in this position (choking down 3") you can feel the weight and the stability in the shaft, which is good and gives added confidence.
The stroke feels more straight back and straight through and misses are due to poor alignment than poor stroke

Cons:

My posture is more rounded instead of the more upright (Pat O'Brien) that I strive for.
I can feel it more in my back which leads me to a little discomfort and fatigue
When my hands cheat inside, and especially when wearing layers (i.e. jacket/sweatshirt) the top of the shaft can get caught in the clothes or rub against the belly (yes, you read that right, I have a bit of a belly)

Hands choked down 2" to 33" (Grip starts at the "y" in Taylormade)

Pros:

You can still feel the weight and stability when you're choking down
My posture was better I was upright
Most comfortable during longer putting sessions

Cons:

Occasional lapses in posture with more rounding occurring
A few strokes have a noticeable arc (not saying this is bad I feel I have a more straight back straight through swing) with misses going left
Occasional clothing snags much less than previous example

Hands choked down 1" to 34" (Grip starts a little before the "T" in Taylormade)

Pros:

Posture feels great, nice and upright
Hands and arms move well through the stroke no catching loose clothing (more confident?)
More simplified, shorter stroke

Cons:

Too stiff and upright at times
Caught myself reaching with my arms
Lifting the heel side of the putter off the ground

Summary:
Overall I felt the most comfortable and saw the most success (least amount of misses) with Hands choked down 1" to 34" (Grip starts a little before the "T" in Taylormade). Choking down more with the other two grips caused me to get away from what I'm used to and added in what I felt were extra movements to compensate for the additional bend. Also after catching my clothes and stomach on the grip caused me to think more about the stroke instead of the target.

The Grip, a positive thought and a negative experience:
One thing that I really like about this putter is the longer grip compared to my other putter grips is the extra length on it. For those short knee knocker tap-ins you can choke down really low and knock it in and feel that extra stability, comfort and confidence.

My first negative with this putter. So I rolled a few putts with some sweaty palms (don't judge). I didn't like the feel of the grip when it was wet. It didn't feel comfortable, it wasn't too slick, the grip was still tacky, but my hands just weren't feeling comfortable and I haven't had that before in a putter. I'm going to try it with my other putters to compare, but it was something I noticed and I was spending a lot of time thinking about hands instead of making the putt.

Head comparison to Nead and Odyssey Tank #7:

 

[War Eagle]

CJ- Quick question in terms of the heel misses you were testing out. In my experience, the Pure Roll insert was designed to be quite forgiving on misses off center of the face, and by that I mean that when you strike off center the distance control was supposed to still be quite good (even though the shot was off line). Did you find that your distance control on those off center hits to be decent to the length of the putts you were attempting?

 

[Mmaynard11]

Thankls for the feedback MS. Will you also be test Toe Misses??

I tested toe misses yesterday on the putting green. I experienced the same effects that CJ noticed with heel misses. The ball seemed to hold the line, with maybe minor deviation. What was noticed the most was the distance and speed loss, which would be expected. My misses weren't by much, at most a few inches or so. Note that the above explanation was on putts within 5'. For putts greater than 5' the distance and speed loss was greater, which again was expected. What I found most interesting was that if I wasn't paying attention to my toe miss, I would have never noticed based upon sound, or feel of the putter within the hand.

 

[Mmaynard11]

I don't know why, and probably silly but it's something that I like on my putters; I have putters that you can't... or is difficult to scoop the ball up and find myself missing it. The Spider Si is probably the easier one I've ever tried to do this.

Spent some time on the practice green tonight after a range session; the greens are far from good shape but still was able to roll some balls on real grass tonight. I have to say it's taken a little getting used to as I've used a center shafted putter for so long but am really enjoying this putter. From 8 feet and in, this thing is just money.

The feel off the face feels good even with range balls, although not as soft as with my gamer balls I roll on my putting green in the house. The face get's the ball rolling quickly and puts a good roll on it every time. As mentioned here, I am super impressed with the forgiveness of this putter. I'm able to tell when I miss hit the ball, but see little affect on the ball distance or path.

I have the 38" version and find myself gripping so I have about an inch and a half down. My gamer's 36.5 so leaves me in a similar set up position. I've found with a nice smooth backswing and just let the club flow through the ball provides great rolls. The grip size works well for me, even if I don't grip down quite a far as probably designed but the weight through the stroke works well for me. The alignment with the lines and gap in the rear of the putter really set up well to the ball and ensure you're lined up on your line. It's taken a little getting used to in paying attention to the alignment but the design is really effective in keeping you square to your line.

I remain impressed with the is putter and would highly recommend giving it a shot if your in the market for this type of putter.

So basically you are gripping down to simulate where you normally grip your previous putter? Is there a standard of how far one should grip down on CB putters?

 

[War Eagle]

So basically you are gripping down to simulate where you normally grip your previous putter? Is there a standard of how far one should grip down on CB putters?

I do not believe there is a standard, but try and take your normal "comfortable" grip and roll it that way. Dont base where you grip the putter based on where the shaft ends. take your normal grip, and give it a go.

 

[bhilln]

This is what taylormade has on their site:

The idea is to grip the club as you would a normal-length putter, with two or three inches of the butt-end of the grip extended above your hands, which gives you the maximum benefit of counterbalancing. Thus, if you normally play a 35” putter you should opt for the 38”; if you play a 33” putter should use the 35”; if you play a 34” putter you can experiment with both the 35 and 38” to find which you prefer

 

[Mmaynard11]

I do not believe there is a standard, but try and take your normal "comfortable" grip and roll it that way. Dont base where you grip the putter based on where the shaft ends. take your normal grip, and give it a go.

I definitely have been adjusting my grip the last several days. I think today was by far my most consistent day putting with the Spider Si, minus the (2) three jacks. One was based on the size of the green and the second was just being lazy from within 5'.

I plan on looking at my alignment and posture in a mirror to see if I may be standing either too close or too far away.

 

[Mmaynard11]

Just was reading that myself. Thanks for posting.

This is what taylormade has on their site:

The idea is to grip the club as you would a normal-length putter, with two or three inches of the butt-end of the grip extended above your hands, which gives you the maximum benefit of counterbalancing. Thus, if you normally play a 35” putter you should opt for the 38”; if you play a 33” putter should use the 35”; if you play a 34” putter you can experiment with both the 35 and 38” to find which you prefer

 

[Michigan Slice]

CJ- Quick question in terms of the heel misses you were testing out. In my experience, the Pure Roll insert was designed to be quite forgiving on misses off center of the face, and by that I mean that when you strike off center the distance control was supposed to still be quite good (even though the shot was off line). Did you find that your distance control on those off center hits to be decent to the length of the putts you were attempting?

I really did, The putts that did not find the cup still here for the most part rolling with enough speed to make it to the hole had they been on line.
I will reiterate that while I was purposely exaggerating my misses the ball still started on and maintained the line.

Actually I was pretty surprised how stable the face was striking the ball so far to the heel side, I now wonder if I will find the same level of stability on a longer putt, say 10'.

Maybe a job for tomorrow.....

 

[Michigan Slice]

Matt,
I am also curious, did you find the face to remain stable (resist twisting sensation) on your longer length toe misses?

I would say indoors, on my Birdieball green 10-12' would be my maximum length putt I could try.

(really looking forward to outdoor testing)

 

[bhilln]

Matt,
I am also curious, did you find the face to remain stable (resist twisting sensation) on your longer length toe misses?

I would say indoors, on my Birdieball green 10-12' would be my maximum length putt I could try.

(really looking forward to outdoor testing)

I'm sure Matt will give his feedback as well, but I can say for me that I saw very little if any twisting on mishits when I was testing out hitting balls on the toe and heel. I still get feedback that I mis hit it, although minimal... but puts stayed online and distance seemed to be affected very little. From what I've seen so far, both from indoor and my couple times on real greens the head is super stable on mishits and will remain square through impact even on miss hits.