My Time with the TaylorMade Monza Spider Putter
Alright, let’s talk about this TaylorMade Monza Spider putter. I’d been struggling on the greens for a bit, you know how it goes. My old blade putter just wasn’t feeling right anymore, lots of pushes and pulls. I kept seeing these bigger mallet putters around, especially the Spider types. Saw a buddy using the Monza model, the older one, and he seemed pretty steady with it. So, I decided I needed to give one a try myself.
Found a used one in decent shape online, wasn’t looking to spend a fortune right away. When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was obviously the size and shape. It’s definitely different from a classic putter. Felt a bit strange in my hands initially, heavier maybe, more substantial than my old Anser style putter. Took it out to the practice green the next day.
My first few rolls were interesting. Here’s what I did:
- Set up about 5-10 feet from the hole.
- Focused on the alignment lines. That was a big selling point for me, the visual aid on top.
- Tried to make a smooth, pendulum-like stroke, letting the weight of the putter head do the work.
- Paid attention to the feel off the face insert. It’s got that AGSI+ insert, I think they called it.
Honestly, the alignment part felt easier almost immediately. Looking down, the shape and the lines just seemed to help point me towards the hole better than my old blade. It felt very stable through the stroke. Less twisting, you know? The head just seemed to want to stay square.
Took it out for a few rounds. The first round was a mixed bag. Short putts, inside 6 feet, felt almost automatic. The stability really helped there. I wasn’t yipping it as much. Lag putting took some getting used to, though. The feel off the face was different, a bit muted compared to my old steel-faced putter. Took me a while to get the distance control right on longer putts. I left a few way short and blew a couple past.
I spent more time on the practice green just hitting 20, 30, 40-foot putts with it. Really focused on feeling the speed. It started to click after a few sessions. The forgiveness was noticeable too. Even when I didn’t hit it dead center, the ball still seemed to roll out pretty well and stay relatively online. That was a huge plus compared to my old putter, where off-center hits were punished badly.
Didn’t make any changes to it, kept the stock grip and everything. Just kept practicing. Over time, it definitely helped my confidence on the greens. Knowing that the putter itself was stable let me focus more on reading the green and starting the ball on the right line.
It stayed in my bag for a good long while, maybe a couple of seasons. It wasn’t magic, I still had bad putting days, but overall, it brought more consistency. Eventually, I moved on to try something else, as golfers often do, always chasing that perfect feel. But my time with the Monza Spider was definitely a positive one. It showed me the benefits of a high-MOI mallet putter and absolutely helped straighten out my stroke for a period. Solid putter, especially if you struggle with stability and alignment.
