TaylorMade's Spider line of putters has become one of the most popular in the world, not only with amateur golfers but with the professionals too. Every week on your TV you'll see the likes of Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy navigating the greens with a version of a Spider putter.
TaylorMade know that they are popular and so it's no surprise to see a new model added to the collection this summer - it comes in the form of the Spider FCG.
FCG stands for 'Forward Centre of Gravity' and signifies a bit of a shift from previous models as it retains the look and forgiveness of a mallet, but provides the feel and performance of a blade putter so that golfers with an arced putting stroke can also enjoy the benefits of this range of putters.
The Spider FCG features a new T-Sightline True Path, and is said to resemble more of a traditional mallet shape than other larger Spider designs. The new alignment feature is said to be perpendicular as golfers can aim with either the front edge or the vertical line, which should make it easier to start the ball on the correct line.
In order to get that combination of a mallet head with blade-like performance, TaylorMade had to look at the CG (centre of gravity) placement. Most mallets have lots of weight moved to the perimeter and rear of the head to raise MOI and improve consistency in distance control.
With the Spider FCG, two-thirds of the total head weight is located at the front of the head to allow for easier toe rotation in the same manner as a blade putter.
This is achieved thanks to an adjustable weight port positioned right behind the putter face. Tungsten weights in the heel and toe add another 100g, and the rear section is lightweight to ensure the forward centre of gravity.
On the face, the FCG features a new CU29 Pure Roll insert which is made from copper, and is the heaviest that TaylorMade has constructed at 25g. Like other Pure Roll inserts, it has 45° grooves which are engineered to increase topspin so that the ball stays fixed to the ground and improves the roll.
This metal insert also generates a firmer feel, adding to the blade-like performance of the putter.
Bill Brice, Product Creation for Putters and Wedges at Taylormade, commented:
"In developing Spider FCG, we sought insights from many of the top players on Tour. We compiled that information to construct a clean and traditional mallet shape that performs in a non-traditional way. The result is an intelligently designed high-MOI mallet that's built for golfers who have an arced putting stroke. Forward CG placement lets the toe release freely like a blade, while the mallet shape and perimeter weighting help maintain the signature Spider family forgiveness."
Of course this is a Spider mallet, and so there's still plenty of engineering in there to generate the expected forgiveness including perimeter weighting and large head size.
The design encourages the toe to release fully through the putting stroke, meaning that those golfers with more of an arc to their stroke can now use a mallet putter with more confidence knowing that they are going to receive a little more help with forgiveness and alignment.
This suitability is improved by the fact that the Spider FCG is available in three different hosel types, each of which are geared towards a different style of putting stroke.
The Short Slant hosel offers 46° of toe hang more golfers with most face rotation, the L-Neck has 25° for moderate face rotation, and the Single Bend is the most face-balanced option, for golfers with minimal rotation in their stroke.
The Spider FCG is available from 4th September and is priced at £299/€349. It comes with a KBS Stepless Black CT Putter Grip and Super stroke Pistol 1.0 PT Grip, and is available in lengths of 33, 34 or 35 inches.
What do you think of TaylorMade's new addition to their Spider range? Are you a blade user who is looking for a little more forgiveness from your putter? Let us know your thoughts below!
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