Equipment
Scottie Scheffler switches to a TaylorMade Spider “Tour X SS Proto” putter in Memphis
Scottie Scheffler has mostly been a blade-style putter user throughout his career (aside from a brief switch to a custom mallet at the 2022 CJ Cup). Although Scheffler does switch his putter model up on occasion, he typically opts for one of his custom Scotty Cameron Special Select Timeless TourType GSS prototypes.
On Tuesday at the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship, however, Scheffler was spotted testing multiple TaylorMade Spider mallet putters.
A mallet-style putter is certainly a departure from Scheffler’s norm, so it was an uncommon sight to see already, but that’s far from where this story ends.
A closer look at one of the putter faces reveals these aren’t standard Spiders with Pure Roll face inserts that Scheffler was testing. Instead, the faces appeared to have milled-face constructions, made of metal, with visible black screws on the heel and toe. They were also designed with plumbers’ necks, which is a plenty familiar hosel style for Scheffler.
Assuredly, one of the TaylorMade Spider “Tour X SS Proto” putters passed Scheffler’s early week testing and experimentation, because he gave one of the Spider Tour X SS Proto putters a starting spot in the bag on Thursday.
In a Wednesday press conference at TPC Southwind, Scheffler provided further insight into the never-before-seen TaylorMade prototype heads, and he explained what he likes about the new design.
“So the guys at TaylorMade have done a lot of work for me with the putter,” Scheffler explained. “I’ve always liked the visual of that Spider putter, but I really just did not like the feel. That’s something we discussed, kind of the feel and – I’ve always struggled with putters that have a lot of weight in the back side of it, and this one is a bit different than a lot of the Spiders that they’ve made, and the weight is more in the front so it has the feel of a blade putter that I like but it also has a lot of that visual on the top where it’s easier for me to line up. It feels like at times this year I’ve hit a lot of good putts that have gone right up to the edge and not gone in.
“Maybe it could be my alignment. If your alignment is a half-inch off, the ball lips out instead of going in the middle or lips out instead of lips in. The margins in this game are so close, so it’s something that I feel really comfortable with where the balance point is on this putter, and I’m excited to try it out this week.”
As Scheffler discussed in his Wednesday press conference, the weight of the putter “is more in the front” compared to standard Spiders. Since the Scheffler-approved design appears to have a solid-face construction, it makes sense that the CG (center of gravity) would be more toward the face than a stock Spider with a light Surlyn insert, and thus feel and release more like a blade than a weight-back mallet construction.
TaylorMade has yet to comment on the designs, and while it remains unconfirmed exactly which of the heads Scheffler chose to play on Thursday, or what the differences between the prototypes may be, we did get a close look at one of the TaylorMade Spider Tour X SS Proto putters this week.
Check out more photos below, and see what GolfWRX members are saying about the Spider prototype putter in our forums.
See all of our photos from the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship here
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
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T
Aug 10, 2023 at 3:33 pm
What was wrong with the Cleveland??? lmao
all the tech and equipment that Titleist and Scotty Cameron have, and he has to go to TM. So sad. lol