Quick Summary: The primary difference between the Taylormade Spider X Single Bend vs Slant is this:
- The Spider X Single Bend is a face-balanced putter designed for players who prefer a straight back, straight through stroke
- The Spider X Slant Neck has a 30 degree toe hang. It is designed for players who have a more arced stroke (ie more inside on the way back and the way through).
- Most PGA players (Rory Mcllroy, Matthew Wolf, Jon Rahm to name a few) use the Slant Neck version.
- However, there are some (like Daniel Berger) who prefer the single bend version.
We will now dive deeper into the details and provide a bit more guidance on how to choose the best version for your particular putting stroke.
Key Points
Key Differences - Spider X Single Bend vs Slant
| Product Version | Single Bend | Slant Neck |
| Balance | 0° – Face-Balanced | 30° – Toe Hang |
| Offset | Full Shaft | 3/4 Shaft |
Key Similarities - Spider X Single Bend vs Slant
| Product Version | Single Bend | Slant Neck |
| Length Options | 33″,34″,35″ | 33″,34″,35″ |
| Head Weight | 355 grams | 355 grams |
| Loft | 3° | 3° |
| Lie Angle | 70° | 70° |
| Pure Roll Insert | 5 mm | 5 mm |
| Insert Feel | Medium | Medium |
| Stock Grip | SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 | SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 |
Who Should Choose The Single Bend Version?
As you can see from the image above, the Single Bend Version is clearly designed for people who have a straight-back, straight-through putting stroke. This is true of all face-balanced putters, and the Taylormade Spider X Single Bend is no exception.
The image above clearly shows that the Taylormade Spider X Slant Neck is designed for players who have more arc in their stroke. If you take the putter inside on the way back and the way through, the Slant Neck version is definitely the one for you.
It is also worth mentioning that the slant neck version is definitely more popular than the S-bend version. It is used by more pros, and generally preferred by most amatuers.
What If You're Not Sure Which Putting Stroke You Have?
This question could spark hours of debate. Here’s my rule of thumb.
If your tendency is miss putts on the right – You have an issue returning the putter to a square position at impact. In this case, the toe-hang version will probably be better suited to your stroke. Instead of leaving the face open at impact, the weight in the toe will help you close/square the putter face during the follow through.
If your tendency is to miss putts on the left – Your putter face is probably closed at impact. In this case, the face-balanced single bend version might help neutralize your stroke. This would mean starting the ball on a straighter line, rather than watching them dart off to the left.
Keen To Debate
Side note – From a scientific perspective, you would need to hold putter perfectly perpendicular to the ground to have a chance of achieving a consistent straight-back straight-through stroke. This is why guys like Steve Stricker point the toe of the putter toward the ground (with the heel of the putter pointing up). This drastically alters the lie angle of the putter, and gets the shaft of the putter closer to perpendicular throughout the stroke (and yes Stricker does employ the straight-back, straight-through style)
Most people hold the putter at a lie angle ranging from 65-75 degrees. In this case, the most natural path for the putter is to move slightly inside on the way back, and slightly inside on the way through. In my opinion, this is why more PGA tour players use the toe-hang (slant neck) version. They aren’t really altering the 70 degree lie angle of the club, which means the weight of the putter head will feel more natural when it moves slightly inside on the way back and the way through.
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Which one does Jason day and dj use
Hi Monte,
At the moment, DJ and Jason Day are both using the Taylormade Spider Tour (all black version with no alignment aids). Here’s a link to another article which outlines the differences between the Spider Tour the Spider X.