That hourly putter got me the right flatstick

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That hourly putter got me the right flatstick

Welcome to Full Fit 2026the new GOLF platform to give you real-golfer insight into which 2026 gears might best suit your game. So far, we've brought together six GOLF content creators of varying abilities and sent them through a six-pack full-size golf bag (driver to putter!) at six major club manufacturers in Phoenix and Carlsbad, Calif. We hope that you may see the shadows of your game in one of our editors and learn something and inspiration from their relevant experience. In this installment (below), Sean Zak details the one club he can't live without from Fully Fit 2026, his TaylorMade Spider Tour X. You can browse our full 2026 dream bags for each of our panelists here:

I arrived in Carlsbad ready for a week full of supplies, ripped through my entire golf bag and they gave me a new equipment rental. I knew my favorite part of the entire week would come in the first few minutes.

Before I did a full test, I spent my first hour in the TaylorMade studio, spending a full 60 minutes analyzing my stroke, my former player's putter and working on a TaylorMade flatstick. I quickly learned how much can be overlooked in the average putter decision. People go to Dick's Sporting Goods and roll a few putts with different putters and make a choice on the spot. Everything is heard. TaylorMade – like all manufacturers – doesn't want you to do that. But not everyone gets the full putter treatment.

After rolling a few 10 feet with my front putter under super slo-motion cameras, it became clear that I tend to make a very smooth, neutral path to the ball, but I have a tendency to leave the putter face open every so often. Sometimes, up to 3° open, which, with a 7 iron, isn't a big deal. From eight feet and a match on the line, a 3° open might give you a 10 percent make rate.

How I ended up on the TaylorMade Spider Tour X

I've been playing the wider version of the blade putter, mostly because I enjoy the look and feel of what it offers. But when it came down to working with my stroke, the blade was difficult. On long putts, I had a habit of occasionally puttingts – again, slowly – which would result in starting my strokes to the left of the target. For really long putts, that means the ball is moving farther from the target the longer the putt.

But that's where the fitter comes in. TaylorMade's professional putting staff put a lot of shots in my hands that day, and the size of the square and the size of the putterhead covered the face a lot in my stroke. Suddenly, most of my “open” lashes are 1.5° open. The execution rate for those who missed out will definitely increase. But the important point was that most of the putts were now less than 1 ° open.

Sean Zak

The added benefit of a larger head has, in recent weeks, proven itself more than ever in the home studio. Those 30- and 40-footers, where I used to force the face off (and make smaller putts) – I would carefully step into the toe end of the putter head. That causes all kinds of lag-putt problems, leaving many six-footers for par. Nobody wants that grind.

Thankfully, the larger head and weight of the mallet made setting the ball much easier and allowed me to feel my putter is a pendulum – the little white ball at the bottom of the stroke just gets in the way, and the putter does all the work. That kind of simplicity is something my short game has been looking for – and my scores have undoubtedly been appreciated this season.

Details
TaylorMade Spider Tour X
Length: 34″
The Loft: 3°
Lies: 70°
Hosel: Neck L
Holding: SuperStroke Flatso 2.0

TaylorMade 2025 Spider Tour X Black L-Neck Custom Putter

SPIDER TOUR X L-NECK For nearly two decades Spider putters have delivered the stability and performance of championship success to pros and novices alike. Scottie Scheffler recently joined the group by entering the winner's circle for his third of four starts with the Spider Tour X L-Neck in the bag. TRUE PATH ALIGNMENT ™ Navigate the greens with clarity using the intuitively designed True Path™ alignment system. This legacy technology from TaylorMade helps you better see the line to the hole while making it easier to point the putter toward your target. WHITE TPU PURE ROLL™ INSERT Experience soft softness with our White TPU Pure Roll™ insert. Designed with a combination of Surlyn and aluminum, it features 45° angle grooves for optimal forward roll and optimal roll characteristics. PRECISION WEIGHTING AND DESIGN The thin underwall and steel frame allow for precise CG placement, creating a superstructure with improved stiffness and forgiveness.