Equipment

Rose breaks through with a counter-balanced putter

Published

11 years ago

Jun 17, 2013

To the untrained eye, the putter Justin Rose used to win the 2013 U.S. Open looked much like the black-and-white blade putters he’s used in the past. But even though it looked almost the same, it was the most distinct putter he has ever used.

Rose used a TaylorMade Spider Blade putter to win his first major championship at Merion Golf Club, TaylorMade’s newest putter that has a heavier head and heavier grip to give the putter more stability than the company’s standard putters.

According to Brian Bazzel, TaylorMade’s product creation manager, Rose loves the look and the feel of the Spider Blade. But what he likes more is the ease with which he can “release,” or square up the putter at impact.

To fine tune the release, Rose had the putter made to 37 5/8 inches. But Rose doesn’t play the putter at that length. He does what he likely did the first time he ever picked up a putter as a child; he chokes up.

According to Bazzel, choking up on a counter-balanced putter gives the putter more stability, as the added weight of the grip and shaft above the hands raises the putter’s balance point. Since Rose prefers standard putters that measure 34.5 inches, he chokes down about three inches, which makes the putter feel normal to him.

The last thing Rose needed to do before putting the Spider Blade in play was deciding on a neck for the putter. TaylorMade offers two different necks for the Spider Blade — an “L,” or “plumber’s neck,” which is better for straighter strokes, and a “short slant” neck that is better for strokes with more face rotation. Rose’s putting coach, David Orr, said that Rose needs the added rotation that the short slant neck provides because it improves the consistency of his release.

Rose feels more confident with the Spider Blade than his other putters, Orr said, because instead of trying to release the toe of the putter during the stroke, he feels like he can “release the entire putter.”

“We’re really pleased with the putter,” Orr said. “It made his posture better, so he can see his line better. And it lets his stroke flow a little better.”

According to Bazzel, Rose’s U.S. Open-winning Spider Blade is the most off-the-rack putter that Rose has used in his career. It features the same PureRoll Suryln insert available on the retail Spider Blade, and aside from a slightly different graphics scheme, the same 15-inch, 130-gram grip.

For golfers seeking even more stability than the Spider Blade can provide, TaylorMade offers its Daddy Long Legs putter (Click here for our full review). The Daddy Long Legs is larger, and has a heavier head than the Spider Blade. It is not available with a short slant neck, however, meaning it is best for straighter strokes. Both putters cost $199, and are available in 35- and 38-inch lengths.

Rose’s Spider Blade Putter Specs:

Loft: 3.5 degrees
Lie: 70.5 degrees
Head weight: 358 grams (3 grams heavier than retail)
Shaft: 122 grams (TaylorMade tour-only matte black shaft finish)
Grip: 130 grams
Total Weight: 610 grams

Click here to see the specs of all the clubs in Rose’s bag.

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Related Topics:putters TaylorMade

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22 Comments

PuttingDoctor

Jun 20, 2013 at 3:41 pm

Glad to see so many now jumping on what I’ve been doing for the past six years. I use a 32.5″ putter but due to a need to let folks putt with my stick I left it at 34″. I have had a 75G counterweight in it for about five years.

As great as the putter is in and of itself Justin made some stroke changes to accommodate the David Orr tells me.

We’ll look for more success from Justin as he and David tweak this setup for even better results as they test and train on their SAM PuttLabs.

It really is about the #1 club in the bag….the putter!

Reply Report comment
- Dolph Lundgrenade
  
  Jun 28, 2013 at 11:08 pm
  
  @Gulpeg and PuttingDoctor
  
  Not only did I invent counter-balancing in the 20’s, I invented the first version of golf to the native Americans before vacationing in Scotland and explaining it to them. Of course, before all of this I created energy and then made it blow up causing all the matter in the universe to randomly configure itself into the world you all enjoy today. So, I guess you are all very very welcome and no thanks is needed. The journey was the reward.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Ric Flair
    
    Mar 19, 2014 at 4:29 pm
    
    That is absolutely hilarious. A+
    
    Reply Report comment
Hootiecrash

Jun 20, 2013 at 3:18 pm

it appears in the article that the putter grip itself and his gripping down is what causes the counterbalance. is Rose using a backweighted putter grip? if so, how much weight is being added in the grip?

Reply Report comment
gulpeg

Jun 19, 2013 at 9:02 pm

oh, the new revelation of a counter weighted grip. sorry, been doin’it for almost 8 years already. i guess some of the personal custom fitters are way ahead of the big boys. but it works

Reply Report comment
Juan

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:16 pm

So how is this different from the Heavy-putter series?

Reply Report comment
- Dolph Lundgrenade
  
  Jun 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm
  
  Oh, didn’t you get the memo? It’s got DragonBall-Z graphics that your kid will enjoy! AND its fortified with Vitamins A,B and C! Yay!
  
  …that was sarcasm. Its not different. It just won the US Open though so maybe the only good clubs are those that win majors.
  
  Reply Report comment
Dave

Jun 19, 2013 at 1:23 pm

How much is TM paying all of these golf blogs/websites?! Every single one has an article about this new putter. It’s as if Justin Rose, the #5 ranked player in the world, just came out of no where to win the US Open b/c he switched putters. He also hit a ton of fairways (4th in FIW) and his ballstriking was suburb (9th). His putting was actually only ranked 16th so you could argue it was the least important of these stats (esp at Merion where a missed FW accounted for approx .6 of a stroke lost (the highest of the last 5 US Opens). But for some reason (hmmm) we’re all talking about this putter… the TM PR machine is running at full steam apparenently…

Reply Report comment
Blanco

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:34 am

what makes this works is despite the counterbalancing, neither side of the club is overly heavy… plus the stepped shaft is extremely soft to flex for a putter shaft.

Reply Report comment
Joe Golfer

Jun 19, 2013 at 2:08 am

Sounds like a great putter. Thanks, GolfWRX for the new info on this little beauty.
I like that it is counterbalanced.
I’ve tried a counterbalanced driver shaft and a slightly heavier grip, and I like the results. Makes it easier to control the head.
I think this idea will catch on with a lot of other companies also.

Reply Report comment
Sean

Jun 18, 2013 at 10:46 pm

I’ve been using one for five weeks. Great balance, weight, and feel. It almost putts itself. Nothing is forced.

Reply Report comment
Harrison

Jun 18, 2013 at 8:25 pm

I just got the putter – switched from a custom shop scotty – I took most of the loft off and made it more upright. It sets up extremely flat, however, all in all sweet putter!

Reply Report comment
Tate

Jun 18, 2013 at 11:43 am

Bet those 3 extra grams of headweight made all the difference.

Reply Report comment
DenverB

Jun 18, 2013 at 11:38 am

Please tell me TM is going to release a “JR” version of this putter, with the black shaft and red/yellow grip!

Reply Report comment
Chuck

Jun 18, 2013 at 11:37 am

He is not anchoring this putter.

Reply Report comment
Liz | Breaking Eighty

Jun 18, 2013 at 11:12 am

Was curious about this myself, if the counter weighted putter is something that will be deemed illegal down the road.

Reply Report comment
Brockohol

Jun 18, 2013 at 10:31 am

Yes he was…at least to my interpretation of the new stupid rules.

This thing will fly off the shelves this summer just like the 2 Ball, Ghost, etc…Its a weird feel but I have tried the longer ones and they do feel great choked down like Rose does. Almost impossible not to have a smooth pendulum motion. Now we just need a putter that reads the break and how hard to hit it.

Reply Report comment
- cnitty
  
  Jun 18, 2013 at 11:18 am
  
  Wait… how was he “anchoring” it?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Brockohol
    
    Jun 19, 2013 at 11:16 am
    
    I meant yes, he was using in accordance to new rules.
    
    Reply Report comment
Mat

Jun 17, 2013 at 11:59 pm

Just for clarity, was he using it in a 2016-legal way?

Reply Report comment
- G
  
  Jun 18, 2013 at 2:54 am
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Jun 18, 2013 at 4:52 am
  
  Why not? He wasn’t anchoring it I don’t see.
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Michael Block spotted with full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons at Valhalla

Published

1 hour ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.

On Monday at the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, Block had a full set of TaylorMade “Proto” irons in the bag.

Block is the first player of many on the PGA TOUR to bag a set of the mysterious “Proto” irons. Rory McIlroy first switched into a “Proto” 4-iron at the Valero Texas Open, and Collin Morikawa followed suit at the 2024 RBC Heritage. Block isn’t using just the 4-iron, though, he’s using a full set to go along with a TaylorMade Stealth UDI driving iron.

Speaking with GolfWRX.com on Monday at the PGA Championship, Block revealed the full backstory.

“I hit a couple super “Proto” irons when I was at the Kingdom (TaylorMade’s fitting facility in Southern California) a couple months ago, and it was a 9-iron that didn’t have any badges or anything on it,” Block said. “I had no idea what it was … It was very similar to what I was using back then, you know, my old MCs, and very similar from the top. I hit it and absolutely loved it. For me to even think about switching irons from the last 11-12 years is crazy.

“I got this set about two weeks ago, and I’m working my way into them. I hit them more solid; it comes off the face more solid. Much higher. I think they’re still slightly too upright for me, so they’re being bent a degree flatter, because they’re going a little too high for me and drawing a little too much. When that starts to happen, I start to drop the club under and compensate too much, so I’m getting them flattened slightly, and I’m going to test them on the range again, and hopefully have them in play on Thursday…

“They go further, and they go higher … that combination is kind of a no-brainer. If I can take a 5-iron from 204 rather than a 4-iron, it’s good on me. It’s going to help me out for sure, especially at a major with the pin locations. Having that height coming in, that descent angle is going to be huge.”

With such new irons in the bag, after using the same irons for over a decade, surely you’d think there will be a bit of a learning curve. Block, however, is finding immediate comfort with the new “Proto” irons.

Head over to PGATour.com for the full article.

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Whats in the Bag

WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship

Published

3 hours ago

May 14, 2024

GolfWRX Staff

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s even harder to believe McIlroy hasn’t hoisted a major trophy since his 2014 victory at Valhalla.

After a slow start to his final round, McIlroy tallied an eagle and two birdies on the back nine and his fourth major championship. Take a look at the clubs he played a decade ago in Kentucky.

Driver: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (8.5 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Mitsubishi Kuro Kage XTS 70X

3-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (15 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

5-wood: Nike VR_S Covert 2.0 Tour (19 degrees) Buy here.
Shaft: Fujikura Rombax Pro 95 X

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

Irons: Nike VR Pro Blade (4-9) Buy here.
Shaft: Project X 7.0

Wedges: Nike VR Forged (46, 52, 56, 60 degrees) Buy here.
Shafts: Project X 6.5

Putter: Nike Method 006 Buy here.

Grips: Golf Pride MCC

Ball: Nike RZN Black

Check out more in-hand photos of Rory McIlroy’s clubs from 2014 here.

WITB Time Machine is presented by 2nd Swing Golf. 2nd Swing has more than 100,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.

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