Alright, let’s talk about this Taylormade Monza Spider putter. I remember seeing these things pop up everywhere a while back. Looked kinda like a spaceship on a stick, you know? My old putter, bless its heart, just wasn’t cutting it anymore. Felt like I was leaving everything short or pushing it right. Super frustrating. So, I figured, why not try something completely different?
I went down to the local golf shop. Didn’t really want to buy blind online. You gotta feel these things. Picked up the Monza Spider. First thought? It felt substantial. Heavier than my old blade, for sure, and that big head felt really stable when I took a few practice strokes on their little carpet green. The alignment lines looked helpful too, always struggled with lining up properly.
Getting it on the Green
So, I took the plunge and bought it. Got it home, unwrapped it, felt a bit weird just waggling it in the living room. Looked kinda huge behind the ball compared to what I was used to. First real test was the practice green at my local course. Spent maybe an hour just rolling putts.
- Short putts, inside 6 feet: Felt really solid. The weight seemed to keep the stroke smoother, less shaky. Started dropping a few more than usual. Confidence booster right there.
- Medium putts, 10-20 feet: This took some getting used to. Judging the speed was different with the face insert and the overall weight. Hit a few way past, left a few way short. Needed calibration.
- Long putts: Honestly, felt a bit clunky at first. Hard to get a real feel for the distance needed. The ball came off the face okay, but it wasn’t that soft feel some people love. More of a muted ‘thud’.
Out on the Course – The Real Deal
First round with it was… interesting. You know how it is, new club, you kinda expect miracles. Didn’t happen straight away. I definitely felt more stable setting up, which was good. Didn’t feel like I was going to push or pull it as easily. But distance control on longer putts was still a bit hit-or-miss. I remember one hole, maybe a 30-footer, I absolutely blasted it like 10 feet past. Embarrassing.
But then, on the back nine, I started to dial it in a bit. Made a couple of nice 8-10 footers for par that I probably would have missed before. The thing is, because it feels stable, it simplifies the stroke. Less thinking about keeping the face square, more just rocking the shoulders. Took a few rounds, maybe 5 or 6, before I really felt comfortable with it in most situations. It’s like breaking in a new pair of boots, you know? Gotta put the miles in.
Did it fix my putting overnight? No way. Putting is still hard. You still gotta read the green, pick a line, make a decent stroke. But what the Monza Spider did for me was take away some of the variables. It made my stroke feel more repeatable, especially on the shorter ones where nerves can creep in. Less fiddling, less doubt when standing over the ball.
It’s still in my bag now. Some days I love it, some days I still struggle with the long lags. But overall? It definitely helped me cut down on those stupid three-putts that ruin your score. It forces a more pendulum-like stroke, which is probably what I needed. It ain’t pretty, maybe, but it gets the job done more often than not. So yeah, that’s my experience with the spaceship putter.
