This Odyssey White Hot OG 5 Putter is a modern take on a classic. Offering up easy alignment, simple looks and a strong roll, it lives up to the premium performance that we see in the company's range.
For
- Classic-looking putter with a modern upgrade
- Fantastic feel and performance
- Stable and forgiving from a wide area
Against
- Some may say that the looks are similar to the older model
- Long profile from heel to toe
TaylorMade has done an excellent job with the Spider GT putter. For its size, it felt very stable through impact with a good solid feel. There's also a wide choice of colours and hosel options that should suit mid to low handicap golfers.
For
- High MOI in compact head
- Excellent insert sound and feel
- Stylish design
- Good choice of hosels
Against
- Alignment line could be longer
- Acoustics on impact are slightly hollow
White Hot OG Putter 5 v Spider GT Putter: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict
Having a reliable putter in your bag is worth its weight in gold. Three-putting is one of the leading causes of high scores on the golf course and can easily be eliminated if you spend a little more time focusing on your putting game.
One thing you can do to up your performance on the greens is to ensure that you have the right equipment for your putting stroke and that’s why you should invest in a top-quality putter.
In this head-to-head guide, we compare two of the best putters on the market right now; the Odyssey White Hot OG 5 and the TaylorMade Spider GT. Both are designed and built with Tour professionals in mind, with former World No.1, Jon Rahm, previously using the Odyssey White Hot OG 5 putter and 2017 Masters champion, Sergio Garcia, currently using a TaylorMade Spider GT.
While both have positives and negatives, they are both equally top-quality flatsticks that can help reduce shots out on the course. Even from looking at the range of putters that TaylorMade and Odyssey both produce, we can see each club is jam-packed full of the latest golf technology.
However, which one is best for your game? Well, we tested each club side-by-side to understand the features and benefits they provide, which could help you perform better on the greens.
Looks
Both putters come in a mallet design that inspires confidence when you address the putt, but it is the Odyssey White Hot OG 5 that is slightly smaller than the Spider GT, as well as offering a more traditional profile than the Taylormade.
Paying homage to the original White Hot range of putters released nearly 20 years ago, Odyssey’s latest release is a refresh on a classic. The club head comes in a silver PVD finish with a half-moon shape that features a clean black alignment line giving users a handy visual guide to the hole. The white clubface pocket stands out on the club head too, as does the shiny red Stroke Lab shaft, which adds a pop of bright color to your putting game.
The TaylorMade Spider GT also features flashes of red throughout its design and is an upgrade on the Taylormade Spider X, a favorite among many Tour Pros, including former World No.1 Dustin Johnson.
TaylorMade's Spider GT is a little denser than its predecessor, with the winged-mallet putter featuring a distinctive crown that boasts an 6061 aluminum top plate and a great alignment tool for visual assistance. On the base, the putter has two gray steel bars that cut out a gap in the middle of the flat stick, which features TaylorMade’s striking red and yellow Spider GT logo.
While the Odyssey may be a refreshed blast from the past, the Spider GT is an insight into the future, with this putter boasting a cool sci-fi look.
Feel/Sound
One of the most important factors to consider when purchasing a new putter is the feel and sound of the ball against the clubface, and that is something these two premium mallet putters excel at.
Akin to the original White Hot putters, the new White Hot OG offers a firm feel through impact. This feel comes from a clubface that is made from a two-part urethane insert that is the same material as many of the best premium golf balls on the market today. That means this club delivers a dead sound on impact, but one that many golfers will enjoy on the greens.
Meanwhile, the TaylorMade features what the brand calls a Pureroll 2 insert. This is made of TPU and aluminum beams that provide an excellent sound and solid feel through the golf ball. We found it did sound a little hollow, which might be down to the aluminum beams on the 45º face, but they do help to improve the roll of the ball following your putt.
Roll
While we’re on the subject of the clubface, let’s also talk about the stability and roll each putter delivers. Beginning with the Odyssey, which is very stable through impact and, having also tested it against other models on our Perfect Practice Putting Mat, we were impressed by the roll it offered. This putter is more face balanced, so it is best for players with a slight arc or straight putting stroke, but it is perfectly weighted to help you get the best contact with the golf ball and produce confident, solid putts towards your target.
The Odyssey White Hot OG 5 at address
The 45º face on the Spider GT also delivers excellent contact on the ball that rolls the shot to your desired speed along the green. The great thing about this putter is that, depending on your swing type, you can customize the Spider's hosel. This means you can alter it to make its balance either towards the face or toe of the clubhead. We tested the bent hosel and center hosel designs and both offered excellent stability over the ball, delivering strong putts that rolled true and didn’t bobble when struck.
Forgiveness
As these putters are both mallet designs, they are a little weightier and bigger than the best blade putters on the market. That means they both deliver excellent forgiveness, but its the Spider’s wing-backed design that just edges the Odyssey in this category.
The White Hot OG’s head is a little smaller and more compact in design than the Spider, meaning that its center of gravity is slightly closer to the clubface. That means it may not be as forgiving as the Spider, but it does offer a little more control, akin to a blade putter. For that reason, the Odyssey might strike the perfect balance for you if you’re on the fence about using a blade putter or a mallet.
The Spider GT is designed to increase the putter's Moment of Inertia (MOI) and distribute its weight better to ensure that the putter pushes through the ball more consistently. Its winged-mallet design is the first thing to talk about here, as well as the steel bars on the base of the putter, which weigh 90 grams each and disperses the overall weight of the putter away from the face, increase the MOI and stability of the club through impact.
The TaylorMade Spider GT features a futuristic look and design
Grip
The grip on the Odyssey is one of its major selling points. We loved the grey Odyssey DFX rubber, which contrasts nicely against the ‘candy apple red’ club shaft. We found it very comfortable to putt with and loved the firm feeling the grip offered. What's more, the great thing is if you are looking for something more adhesive, you can customize it and go for one of Odyssey's SuperStroke grips.
The Spider GT has an excellent SuperStroke Pistol GTR 1.0 grip in black and red which matches up well with the base of the putter and completes the futuristic design of this premium offering. Our hands felt well supported on this putting grip, which was firm and delivered great feedback on our shots.
Overall Appeal
Both putters are exceptional products that offer low handicappers excellent stability and control on the putting greens. While it is hard to pick between the two, our preference lies towards the TaylorMade Spider GT; simply for the forgiveness and consistency it offers around the greens.
That being said, the Spider GT is the more expensive model, with the White Hot OG 5 coming in at the value end of the price spectrum and that is certainly something to consider if you’re looking for a flat stick that isn’t going to break the bank.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Odyssey White Hot OG 5 if…
- You were a fan of the original Odyssey White Hot putters
- You like a firm feel off the clubface
- You’re looking for a value-for-money putter that can offer premium performance
Choose the TaylorMade Spider GT if…
- You’re looking for a modern, stylish putter
- You’re after a little more forgiveness in your flatstick
- You want a high-performance putter that delivers an excellent feel through impact
If you decide to buy from this range, take a look at our handpicked TaylorMade discount codes.
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