Martin Hopley
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Sometimes in life you get told that bigger is better. Usually in golf club design, bigger means more forgiving and that is the philosophy behind the TaylorMade OS range of putters.

TaylorMade OS Putter

By making the head larger they can increase the stability at impact which means that if you hit your putt away from the centre of the clubface, it will not lose as much speed or deviate as much from the intended line and therefore you are more likely to hole it.

This of course works in tandem with the larger head moving more weight to the perimeter of the club and to this end the OS putters feature a cavity that is filled with lightweight thermoplastic foam and sealed with the red bar you can see at the back of the head.

TaylorMade OS Putter

TaylorMade has applied this principle to three of their most popular heads and for example, the Daytona is 7% or 0.3 inches longer than the standard model.

Without having the standard model around, when you put it down at address you hardly notice the extra size as it just looks like a normal heel/toe putter.

TaylorMade OS Putter

You will notice the distinctive red and white alignment line on the rear of the head that not only ties in with the colour scheme but is raised up from the sole to stand out more and I think it does this very well.

The other two models are the Monte Carlo and the Spider, both of which have had a facelift and look a lot bulkier than before. This is because the foam enables TaylorMade to make the head larger to increase the MOI to help with mis-hits.

TaylorMade OS Putter

If the Monte Carlo head was solid metal it would weigh 649g, but the foam allows it to stay the same shape and weigh just 350g, which is the same weight for all the OS heads.

Whilst the Monte Carlo looks quite chunky, I do quite like the styling of the OS Spider as it looks like a retro design from a 1960s sci-fi series.

TaylorMade OS Putter

Thankfully TaylorMade has opted for the 6061 aluminium face insert used in the Ghost Tour Black putters as this gives much better feel and sound than the surlyn based insert they have also used in the past.

It features a vertical rather than horizontal milling pattern to roughen up the face and grip the ball and TaylorMade say that the change in orientation reduces backspin by 10% at impact.

TaylorMade OS Putter

Certainly the TaylorMade OS putters were very easy to roll. The larger head size was not really that noticeable and they were very easy to align thanks to the red and white alignment line.

Being larger and filled with a foam that will dampen down vibrations gives the OS a little bit of a hollow sound at impact, but the feel was still pretty good.

Usually whenever I play against someone with a TaylorMade Spider, they hardly ever miss from short range as the head is very stable and with the OS version you felt it was harder to miss than make on those twitchy ones.

TaylorMade OS Putter

At the launch I was talking to designer Clay Long and he was saying that from 15 feet, if you missed the sweet spot by half an inch (1.25cm) then you would gain an extra 3 to 4 inches of roll than you would normally expect. That's a lot of roll, but it is also quite a big miss, so if you are someone who struggles getting a consistent strike point on the face your putter then the OS could be a good option.

The MOI of the OS heads is high and varies according to the shape with the Monte Carlo at 4396 g/cm², the Daytona at 4961 g/cm² and the Spider at 5632g/cm².

If you are pretty accurate with your strikes then deciding on the TaylorMade OS is more likely to come down to a look and feel decision. However if you do need assistance then with a TaylorMade branded SuperStroke grip as standard, you should have everything you need to go large on the putter and small on the putts.

TaylorMade OS Putter

TaylorMade OS CB Putter Review

If you need to give yourself even more margin for error then the CB versions of the same three OS heads could fit the bill. The OS CB heads are around another 0.3 inches larger than the OS making them just over 13% bigger than the standard models.

TaylorMade OS CB Daytona Putter

They come in a darker black finish to emphasise their bigger footprint and the heads are slightly heavier at 395g each.

If the Monte Carlo OS CB was made of solid steel it would weigh 710g, so you can see the gain in size over the standard version.

TaylorMade OS CB Putter

Compared to the OS versions the OS CB versions did look big behind the ball and the Spider and the Daytona were the ones that carried it off the best.

TaylorMade OS CB Daytona Putter

The feel and sound of the OS CB was a little more hollow than the OS models as you might expect from the larger heads, so as with all putters it is going to come down to personal preference on both fronts and maybe for some, bigger will be better.

Golfalot Rating: 4 stars
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TaylorMade OS CB Putter - Product Details

UK Launch18 March 2016
UK Launch RRP£199
USA Launch18 March 2016
Handicap Range
Low
High
GolferMens
Hand AvailabilityLeft, Right
Right Handed Lofts3.5°
MaterialSteel
Lie70°
Weight350 grams
Club Lengths33, 34, 35 inches
GripSuperStroke 2.0 XL-R 130g Counter Balance
Putter ShapesBlade, Mallet
ModelsDaytona (Blade), Monte Carlo (Mallet), Spider (Mallet)
Putter InsertYes
Putter Face GroovesYes
Manufacturer's WebsiteTaylorMade Website

User Reviews

Logan Pemberton
February 2018

Agree, putting is a lot about being confident standing over the flat stick. As soon as I picked up this putter I loved the feel. Much heavier, which for me settled my swing tremendously. I never feel like I have to "get after a putt". My putting has increased from practicing more and having a flat stick I feel comfortable with. Can't beat the value from this putter.

Not a Taylor man, but this one is the best putter for the money IMHO.
June 2017

To me it is all about feel, the insert makes this putter feel "expensive" soft yet crisp! I have been using the Daytona OS chromed for 90 days, I did not think I would like it as much as I do. The red raised alignment aid, works extremely well. I don't know if the fact that is red adds contrast on the green or it is so different to my other putters that just has more visual impact to me. All I know is that my putting is the best it has been in years. I usually like Mallets for short putts, this putter is as easy a reliable to align like larger putters. Again, the red raised aid works wonders. The quality of the putter and finish are very good. If there is something I don't like is the putter cover, I wish it had a magnet and not Velcro. I would prefer it in black and not red. If I lost it, I would buy another one immediately.

February 2017

I couldn't agree more with the previous poster. It too allowed me to start looking at the hole while putting and adopt upright position that doesn't strain my back. Distance control which I've always struggled with has improved significantly and my handicap went down by three strokes which I largely attribute to the putter.

January 2017

Really transformed my putting. It's high MOI no matter where on face you hit it, it still goes in the right direction and rought the right distance. Allows me to look at the hole while putting and my distance control has improved dramatically.

February 2016

Tried various putters to buy and from 10 feet in the shop sank 5 of 5 balls in the cup, the only putter to do so. Opted for the OS Daytona CB. Can't wait to try it on the course.

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