Alright, let’s talk about this Spider Tour Black putter. My journey with it wasn’t exactly planned, but my old putter was just driving me nuts. Missing short ones, leaving long ones way off. You know how it goes. I kept seeing guys on TV rolling this Spider thing, and a few buddies had similar mallet putters. So, I figured, maybe it’s time for a change.
Getting My Hands on It
I started looking around. Didn’t want to drop a fortune right away, so I kept an eye out for a decent used one. Found one online that looked pretty good, price wasn’t too bad either. Pulled the trigger. When it arrived, I took it out of the box. First impression? It felt different. Heavier than my old blade putter, more substantial in my hands. The black finish looked sharp, pretty sleek I thought.
Took it straight to the practice green. Spent a good hour just rolling putts. Short ones, long ones, breaking ones. Here’s what I noticed right off:
- Stability: This thing felt solid through the stroke. Much less twisting if I didn’t hit it perfectly square.
- Alignment: That white line on top really helped me get lined up. Seemed easier to point it where I wanted to go.
- Feel: The feel off the face was okay, maybe a bit duller than my old putter, but the ball seemed to roll really smoothly.
Taking It to the Course
Okay, practice is one thing, the course is another. First round out, I was honestly a bit nervous. Would it actually help my score? First few holes, putting felt tentative. Still getting used to the weight and the speed. But then, something clicked.
I started trusting that alignment line more. On the short putts, inside 6 feet, it felt almost automatic. Just line it up, smooth stroke, and the ball seemed to find the hole more often. My lag putting improved too. Because it felt so stable, I felt like I could put a more confident stroke on the long ones without worrying about wobbling offline. The distance control took a bit to dial in, but it got better as the round went on.
There was this one putt, maybe 15 feet, slight break left-to-right. Usually, I’d be sweating over those. But I just lined it up, focused on the speed, and gave it a roll. Watched it track right on line and drop in the side door. Felt pretty good, I gotta say.
Final Thoughts Now
So, I’ve kept the Spider Tour Black in my bag for quite a while now. It definitely helped my consistency on the greens. It’s not magic, you still gotta read the green and put a good stroke on it. But for me, it simplified things. Made alignment easier, gave me more confidence over the ball, especially on those shorter, must-make putts.
It just feels reliable. It’s not the fanciest thing out there anymore, but it does the job. If your putting feels shaky, especially with alignment or stability, trying a mallet like this one might be worth a shot. It worked for me, anyway. Took some getting used to, but sticking with it paid off on the scorecard.
