One of the most iconic putters in golf has had a reboot. The new and improved TaylorMade Spider Tour offers maximum forgiveness, a soft feel off the face and new alignment markings on the crown which make it very easy to line up.
For
- Premium feel and performance
- Excellent visual alignment
- Great forgiveness on off-center strikes
Against
- Only available in one stock color
The Ai-One Rossie S putter delivers on looks, performance, forgiveness and you even get a cool window underneath the head displaying the technology going on behind the brand's ground-breaking A.I. designed face insert.
For
- Very balanced and stable through impact
- Soft, responsive feel
- Produces a smooth, consistent roll
Against
- Blue finish won't appeal to everybody
When it comes to the best putters on the market, Odyssey and TaylorMade are two of the real heavyweights. Odyssey putters are the most played on Tour while you'll find TaylorMade putters in the bags of some of the game's leading players such as Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa.
The TaylorMade Spider is one of the most iconic putter designs and has been in golf bags throughout the world in its various forms since its launch in 2008. In 2023 it was given a reboot, with four new designs that included a nod to the original Spider Tour, which has been one of the most versatile putters around. It's been popular with tour players as well as being one of the best putters for beginners due to its high level of forgiveness.
Odyssey's offerings for 2024 have been spectacular. There are two ranges, the Ai-One and Ai-One Milled offer technology that we haven't seen before and Jon Rahm has wasted no time in putting the Ai-One Rossie S in his bag.
After extensively testing both the Spider Tour and Ai-One Rossie S, I have drawn up a head-to-head to find out which model is better and why. From looks to technology to performance, you can find out which one is best for your game here!
Technology
We'll start with the Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S. As mentioned above, this year Odyssey are leading the way when it comes to tech and both the Ai-One and Ai-One Milled putters.
Callaway is the industry leader in A.I. and has been using it to great effect in making some of the best drivers on the market, and Odyssey has now used those super-computing capabilities to create what it is calling “the most advanced insert in golf”.
The multi-material construction includes unique contours on the back of the face that minimize ball speed losses on off-centre hits, and greatly increase the sweet spot. On the Ai-One collection there is a window behind the face which showcases this technology. This window is made of automotive grade polymer so it’s scratch resistant and provides a nice insert into what’s going on back there. While this window won’t help you to hole more putts it’s cool being able to see what’s going on ‘behind the curtain’ and I really like this feature. This window is only on the Ai-One range and does not feature in the Ai-One Milled putters.
The back of the insert is made out of aluminum while Odyssey added a White Hot Urethane to the striking surface for their iconic White Hot feel that has proved so popular with golfers down the years.
The Spider Tour with its iconic head is the epitome of high-MOI performance and delivers stability, consistency and forgiveness. Spider Tour’s stable design is especially impactful with off-center strikes, as it helps to maintain the direction and control of the putt.
The new Spider Tour features a white TPU Pure Roll insert which is a throwback to the original model as more recent Spider putters have been fitted with the Pure Roll2 insert, which has a slightly firmer feel to it. The face features grooves angled at 45° for optimal forward roll, while the True Path Alignment is a definite upgrade on the alignment aid on some previous Spider models and makes it much easier to start putts on the correct path. Interestingly, each putter in the Spider Tour range boasts a different CG (center of gravity) location to fit a wide variety of putting styles and preferences.
Overall though, the Odyssey is a clear winner in this category due to the A.I. technology behind the face, and specifically because of the window that allows you to see everything that's going on back there.
Looks
The Odyssey Ai-One range of putters look exceptional in my view, but if you aren't a fan of the dark blue finish then that's going to be somewhat of a turn off. Personally I like it a lot, it's something a little different to what normally see and anything that stands out from the crowd appeals to me.
I love the white face insert too which really stands out against the navy, while the view underneath the putter really is something else. The window showing the back of the A.I. generated face is just a brilliant touch by Odyssey and really showcases the research and work that has gone into this line of putters.
Over the ball it looks nice and compact and the ball is framed very nicely between the two alignment lines, giving it a really inviting feel when you're at address. The grip looks terrific too, while the headcover is also premium quality and aesthetically pleasing.
Onto the Spider Tour now. Compared to the Rossie it has a bigger footprint and a lot more going on at the back of the putter, which gives the impression it will be more forgiving on heel and toe strikes. That doesn't mean it is more forgiving, but when you stand over the ball you have plenty of reassurance which is massively important. The mind is a huge factor in golf so even if it is just a placebo effect, anything that boosts confidence has to be a good thing.
It’s always important to have a putter that suits your eye and for many golfers the Spider Tour will do just that. The head shape makes it look balanced and visually there's reassurance that if you miss on the heel or toe you've got plenty of weight back there to compensate. In terms of the aesthetics, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and not everyone will appreciate the shape or look, but if you're a fan of the original Spider this is going to definitely float your boat. Additionally, through the MySpider programme you can choose from more finish options and really customise the design of the putter, which comes with a £50 upcharge but is well worth considering.
When it comes to looks, it's incredibly difficult to split these two putters as it's a subjective issue but for me as a big fan of the original Spider I'd have to go with the TaylorMade on this one, but only just.
Feel
Starting with the TaylorMade this time. Spiders are some of the nicest feeling putters on the market and the reintroduction of the TPU Pure Roll insert has boosted that further. I really like the stability of the Spider Tour as the balance of the head makes it easy to take the putter away on the right path, which is half the battle really.
The feel and sound from the Spider Tour putter is just what I look for personally and even mishit putts don't feel too bad, although the feedback is still good so you know if you've missed the center of the face even if the putt still rolls like it's been struck well.
Onto the Odyssey, and I really loved the feel off the face, particularly when used with a softer golf ball. I did find it to be a little too firm for my taste when putting with a Callaway Chrome Soft golf ball but with slightly lower compression soft golf balls I couldn’t get enough of that buttery contact and how responsive the feel is. You get a smooth, true roll and I found that my distance control was very consistent, even on off center hits.
The Rossie S has a strong toe hang (46 degrees) and although it felt a little lighter in my hands than what I’m used to, it was not because of the head. This is no doubt down to the lightweight SL 90 steel shaft which counterbalances weight in the butt end and really allows you to feel the putter head during the stroke. You also have interchangeable front weights in the head so you can choose from 5, 10, 15 and 20 gram weights to lock in the feel you want.
In terms of feel off the face I'd give it to the Spider, but that is cancelled out by how perfectly balanced the Rossie felt in my hands so overall this one is a tie.
Performance
First the Spider Tour. I had a good point of reference for this putter as I carried a TaylorMade Spider EX putter in the bag for a year or two so I am very familiar with the family. I didn't see a massive difference between my Spider EX and the new Spider Tour but the newer model was ever so slightly more forgiving on off center strikes, while I also managed to find the sweet spot more frequently. This could be due to the tech advancements made in the new Spider Tour putter or it could just be that I was stroking it better than I was with my Spider EX. It’s difficult to know for sure but either way I suppose it’s a win for the new models.
In comparison with the Rossie S, I felt more comfortable over the ball with the Spider Tour and generally had a more confident feeling, but that didn't translate to better results and is probably more about familiarity than anything else. I've used Spider putters before, they suit my eye and I'm comfortable with them. Despite this, the results with the Odyssey Rossie S matched it.
Both putters performed brilliantly and are as good as anything on the market this year. There's nothing to choose between them here. I would put the Spider Tour in my bag over the Rossie but that is down to personal preference rather than performance.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose the Odyssey Ai-One Rossie S iron if…
- You prefer a more compact head shape
- You like a simplistic but premium look
- You like a good tech story
Choose the TaylorMade Spider Tour if…
- You like a larger sized head
- You need a strong visual alignment aid
- You were a fan of the original Spider Tour design
