Equipment
Watch how Jason Day’s TaylorMade prototype putter was made
Jason Day’s custom-built TaylorMade Itsy Bitsy Spider putter is undoubtedly the hottest putter in golf. He’s won three out of his past four tournaments with the putter, including the 2015 PGA Championship and The Barclays — where he fired a final-round 62 thanks to holing more than 148 feet worth of putts.
Due to the putter’s high demand, TaylorMade released 20 exact replicas in The Vault on Aug. 20 for $750. Sorry, but they’re already sold out. But as a consolation, you can marvel at TaylorMade’s awesome video on how the prototype putters are built.
According to TaylorMade, Day’s putter is an Itsy Bitsy Spider Japan model, but the stock hosel is cut off, then welded with a #3 short slant neck hosel. It’s coated with a custom acrylic to achieve the dark grey finish, and has a face insert made of 80/20 insert — the same one used in TaylorMade’s Ghost Tour putters.
Related
GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore was at Riviera Country Club this last week in Los Angeles for the U.S. Women’s Open. While browsing the photos, I spotted a recent major trend in headcovers. That is, the Titleist GTS headcover line expands the majors theme.
Seen on the bag of Natalia Guseva were the red, white, and blue Titleist GTS covers. This is the third time we have seen limited-edition Titleist major covers, the others being at the Masters and the PGA Championship. But with the launch of the GTS line back at the Texas Children’s Houston Open in March, this is the first time we have seen Titleist come out with major themed head covers for the season (driver headcovers through hybrids).
Check out some photos below.
At the Masters, we saw the familiar Masters green, white, and yellow. While the PGA Championship design was colors synonymous with the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team. This shows the season major drops continue full steam ahead for major OEMs. New opportunities for each major for designs and themes, and who knows, maybe a lucky spark for a player and a major championship for their resume. It gets the wheels turning for what major theme headcover you would keep on your bag for the whole season!
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 5 S
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 6 S
Hybrids: TaylorMade Qi4D (19 degrees, 22 degrees)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF Hybrid 85 S 
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5-PW)
Shafts: Nippon Modus 3 Tour 105
Wedges: TaylorMade MG5 (50-SB 09, 54-SB 12, 60-SB 10)
Shafts: Nippon Modus 3 Tour 105
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour V
Grip: SuperStroke Flatso 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride MCC
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
Check out more in-hand photos of Melanie Green’s clubs here.
In our forums, one user has announced himself as a believer in the powers of Titleist’s GT280 Mini Driver, and is sharing the good news with other members.
User @dgarland chronicled:
“As the title states I have played 3 rounds with a Titleist GT280 mini driver and here are the results… If you have been contemplating trying one, definitely do. Stock Tensei Blue and set at standard loft and it’s legitimately hard to not put the ball in play with this. It is incredibly straight and even bad swings result in a usable shot. You will give up some distance but you will be in play. I have not attempted to hit it off the fairway yet but I rarely hit my 3 wood off the fairway either. At my home course there are two holes on the front 9 that are a really uncomfortable shot with the driver. One is a slight dogleg right where a draw (my normal shot) can run out of room fast and the other is a dogleg left with trees about 250ish straight off the tee, where a driver that doesn’t draw will get me into trouble. The mini driver has been perfect for both of them. I always step onto those tee boxes uncomfortable about the shot I need to play, but with this it makes it far easier to get the ball in play.
“Update: 2 for 2 again this morning in a 9 hole round.”
Members in the forum shared their thoughts on mini drivers, offering up their favorite models and whether or not they’re a proper fit for their home course/style of play. Here are a few posts from the thread, but make sure to check out the entire discussion and have your say at the link below.
- NorthMNgolfer: “I’m curious between this and the new TEC mini that was just released. But I’m waiting a mini that can be used from the fairway as well from time to time. Both look like great options.”
- jLMN: “I played the GT280 last year and it’s a great club. My problem this year is I couldn’t justify keeping it in the bag when I would only use it 2-3 times per round. Perfect club for short par 4 tee shots. I didn’t trust it as well off the deck compared to the tee box.”
- GolferPerson1: “I can only speak to the 280 but I’ve had no issues with it from the fairway. ”
Entire Thread: “Titleist GT280 mini driver after 3 rounds”
If you aren’t a member, join us in the GolfWRX forums today!
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gunmetal
Sep 7, 2015 at 2:44 pm
1) As a clubmaker, there’s a lot of cool information scribbled on that napkin.
2) Some guys are more particular than others on tour. I don’t think every tour pro has every club tweaked like this. The putter is pretty touchy feely. I don’t see Justin Rose having his iron heads deconstructed to this degree. Shaft them up to his specs (throw a little lead tape here and there), get the right grips on how he likes and make sure loft and lies are tight and he’s probably set. Shouldn’t most of us be doing that anyway?
3) To the China bashers, Ping’s most exquisite putters to come out in a long time the Anser Milled lineup was all made in China. It’s all about quality control. Geography is irrelevant.
Fifler
Sep 5, 2015 at 3:42 pm
I miss the part where they tjeck and adjust loft, lie and sw.
Christopher
Sep 5, 2015 at 11:09 am
Isn’t the title of this article slightly misleading? This is how TaylorMade’s Jason Day prototype putter was made not how Jason Day’s TaylorMade prototype putter was made, I doubt craftsmen and women in the video made his putter!
Stu
Sep 4, 2015 at 8:33 am
The correlation between your off the shelf TM clubs and most PGA Tour players clubs is about
the same as my (and most peoples”) golf game and the game they play. LOL
christian
Sep 4, 2015 at 7:59 pm
Exactly. How can anybody remotely believe that TM (in this case) sell the same clubs at your local Golf Galaxy as their tour pros use? Especially after seeing this video?
Josh
Sep 3, 2015 at 7:02 pm
I’m a Titleist guy – this is the only non Titleist gamer in my bag the last 10-15 years. It just works for me. I wish they would release the black version.
Golfraven
Sep 3, 2015 at 6:50 am
Not impressed, too much glueing going on there.
James
Sep 2, 2015 at 10:01 pm
Why is the woman standing on her tip toes?
rymail00
Sep 2, 2015 at 6:51 pm
I’ve never been a fan of the spider putters, but the no alignment aid, matte black is nice.
Robert
Sep 2, 2015 at 5:28 pm
That is awesome. That finish is really cool. I’ve seen it on the tour issue DLL putter (It’s used instead of the black). When I first saw it I said, “Wow, why don’t they make all of then with that??”.
Very cool putter. I hope to see more slant hosel mallets as having the toe hang can bring a new element into mallet putting.
Retail
Sep 2, 2015 at 5:18 pm
Now also please explain to the world this is why it will never come to retail!
How it was made
Sep 2, 2015 at 3:30 pm
In China with cheap plastic