We Tried It: TaylorMade MySpider X Designer

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 X Custom putter interface – The online design interface that allows golfers to create customized versions of TaylorMade’s Spider X mallet.

YOUR CUSTOM BUILDER

Dave Wolfe – MyGolfSpy writer and putter fanatic. I’ve tested hundreds (maybe thousands) of flatsticks.

BUILDING A MYSPIDER X

When it comes to custom putters, some companies follow traditional human-based design channels as I documented with Bettinardi’s custom putter program. Others have online customization interfaces with myriad options. The great thing about designing putters online is that you get to see a mock-up of your design right away. While it’s cool to see the computer rendering of the putter, I always wonder how that rendering will compare to the finished putter.

Last year, I explored the expectation versus reality story using the Toulon Garage online interface. Today, I’m going to put the TaylorMade MySpider X designer to the test.

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MYSPIDER X BUILD OPTIONS

The number of options is probably the most significant aspect. Adding a couple of stamps is not the same as controlling every aspect of a putter’s design. With this in mind, let’s take a look at what you can customize with the MySpider X program:

OPTIONS: MYSPIDER X

Head: Spider X Dexterity: Right and Left Neck Options: 3 (2 for left-handed) True Path Alignment Options: 2 Alignment Options: 4 Head Colors: 16 Weight Colors: 11 Face Insert Color: 11 TaylorMade Badge Colors: 11 Sole Plate Colors: 7 Spider X Badge Color: 10 Shaft: KBS Tour CT Putter shaft Grip Models: 1 Grip Colors: 14

If my math is correct, the MySpider X designer gives you around 150 million MySpider X permutations.

HOSEL OPTIONS

You can choose from three hosel options: single bend, slant or flow neck. If you are a lefty, the flow-neck option is not available. These necks will influence how the mallet swings. The toe hang of the single-bend neck will make your MySpider X play like a traditional mallet. Both the flow-neck and the slant-neck will increase the toe hang, making the mallet swing more blade-like.

Most Tour pros playing the Spider Tour and Spider X go with the slant neck.

The alignment scheme contains two separate design fields. First, you decide if you want the True Path alignment element. Of course, the adding or omitting of this large white design is an aesthetic choice as well. After you decide on the True Path, you choose either a short sightline, a single sightline, a T-sightline or none at all.

Then come the colors. You can stick with a theme or channel the chaos. Not all colors are available on all parts, though, so monochromatic builds may be limited.

Finishing out the build, you will select a length between 32 and 36 inches in quarter-inch increments. The final choice will be selecting one of the 14 colors of SuperStroke GTR 1.0 putter grips.

DAVE’S MYSPIDER X: HELLO JOKER

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My overall impression of the MySpider X interface? Quick and easy. If you know what you want, you could probably go from the first click to purchase in five minutes or less.

For me, there were two main design questions. The first was whether to include the True Path element. While I have gamed a Spider Tour for a while, I have not spent that much time with the Spider X. It was tough to tell from the computer if the large white top would be helpful or distracting. Ultimately, I went with it since it seemed to be a key Spider X feature.

Deciding the colors also took some time. If you need things to match, you may want to start with the soleplate since that has the fewest color options.

INTERFACE ISSUES: MINOR

I have just two real criticisms of the design engine. First, under the body color options, you need to click a small arrow to see the last color option. Since none of the other color menus requires this, I can see how someone could miss the arrow and the additional lime green color option. The other part of the interface that is functional but counter to the rest of the design is the grip color selection. All of the other colors are selected by picking a colored box but grip color selection requires scrolling through a list.

You have only one grip to choose from. So if you are not a fan of the SuperStroke GTR 1.0, you will need to add a grip once you get your putter. Adjusting lie and loft will also need to be done at your local shop since these options are not part of the interface.

COMPLETING THE THEME

Once I established my Joker theme, I knew that the stock MySpider X headcover wasn’t going to get it done. Thankfully, I came across the Joker headcover from Pins and Aces Golf Co. It was the perfect capstone for my build.

SATISFACTION AND VALUE

I am very impressed with my MySpider X. The online build images were representative of the actual putter I received.

Your MySpider X will cost $420. However, if you are planning on buying a stock Spider X in a shop, you should think about the MySpider X option. The retail price of the Spider X is $349.99. If you have already set aside the $350 for a Spider X, spending that additional $70 gets you a whole lot of options.

THE TAKEAWAY

The MySpider X design interface is great. There are  millions of options, both aesthetic and functional. While $420 may be a healthy investment for a putter, the $70 upcharge from the stock offering is very reasonable. Plus, it took only 16 days from clicking “Order Now” to FedEx delivering my MySpider X.

Design your own at TaylorMadegolf.com

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