Zero torque putters are something that pretty much every major putter brand now offers. From tour players down to high handicappers, more and more golfers are looking for options that give them extra stability and a more consistent stroke.
TaylorMade are one of those very brands, and they made their first entry into the market with the Spider 5K-ZT last year. Whilst most brands are trying to find ways to keep the zero torque technology compact and more traditional-looking to appeal to more golfers, TaylorMade have gone the other way with the new Spider ZT Max.
It’s essentially a bigger, bolder version of the Spider ZT, designed to offer even higher MOI and more stability than their first zero torque putter.
Who Is It Aimed At?
First things first let me say that this putter won’t be for everyone. It’s one of the biggest footprints I’ve seen in a putter head, coupled with the centre shaft location and the offset grip positioning. As a result, I don’t think you’re going to see many traditionalists switching to this putter, and if you’re currrently using a blade then the transition to something of this style could take quite a while to get used to.
However, if zero torque putters are something that interest you, and you’re looking for ultimate stability, this is one of the most forgiving putters you can use. It’s right up there with the likes of the Odyssey Square 2 Square Max and LAB DF3 in terms of overall size.
With an RRP of £449 this is pretty expensive, especially when you consider that the standard Spider putters are down at £299. Having said that, the overall build quality and finish of the putter is excellent.
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The Tech
The Spider ZT Max comes in three distinct configurations: Standard, Counterbalance, and Long – and they’re all built around stability, thanks to four heavy steel and tungsten corner weights. These surround a low-density aerospace-grade aluminium body, pushing mass to the perimeter and maximise MOI. This year it’s taken to a more extreme level with the Spider ZT Max, which is bigger than the Spider ZT so the weight is even further spread to the corners.
The Pure Roll insert has been a mainstay in TaylorMade’s Spider putter lineup for quite some time. It’s made from a combination of surlyn and aluminium to offer a softer feel at impact, and the 45° angled grooves are engineered to give golfers optimal launch and forward roll.
On the top of the putter, there’s the True Path system with milled lines that are the exact width of a golf ball, designed to make it easier to align at address.
Behind the face, the shaft is bored directly toward the centre of gravity, producing a 2° shaft lean and 34mm of onset that delivers a toe-up design. The new sole shaping has been developed to sit flush against the ground every time, encouraging a more repeatable stroke.
The Standard head comes in 33″, 34″, and 35″ lengths with a 379g head and the KBS CT Putter 120 Stepless shaft. The Counterbalance uses a heavier 398g head with a KBS Custom Graphite shaft in 36″ and 38″, to help quieten your hands. The Long is a 46″ single-length at 472g, built to encourage a more pendulum-style stroke.
Looks
As soon as you take this putter out of the headcover, the first thing that strikes you is “wow this is big”. The overall footprint is similar in size to a LAB DF3 or an Odyssey Square 2 Square Max, although I do think the squarer head shape is a bit better looking, and a bit more traditional.
The two ‘wings’ towards the back of the putter do still give it that Spider element, with voids either side allowing more weight to be pushed right to the corners.
I really like the new Spider branding that we first saw in last year’s ZT putter and this has continued across the entire Spider putter range for 2026.
The updated Spider logo and script adds a new element, whilst the electric blue finish looks fantastic and really stands out. The headcover is excellent quality too, adding a nice premium touch.
Despite the bold shaping and blue colourway on the sole, the top of the putter head is a little more understated. You get an all-black head, unlike the black and silver from the 5K-ZT, with just a single alignment line which makes it simple to line the ball up pretty accurately.
Compared to the standard Spider putters, the ZT Max features an all-black Pure Roll face. This does look smart, but I always quite liked the white insert because I felt it made it slightly easier to align the ball properly.
Feel
Considering the size of this putter you might expect it to feel bulky and heavy, with a standard head weight of 379g. However I was surprised by how lightweight it actually felt, presumably thanks to some counterbalancing with the grip and shaft.
At first, this did make distance control a bit tricky. This is because I was conscious of not swinging too hard, but actually you can commit a bit more than you think.
TaylorMade’s Pure Roll insert has been around for quite some time now and for good reason. Not only is the quality of the roll excellent, it also feels and sounds great off the face too. There’s a nice level of feedback – not tingy or too firm, but not too soft that you can’t tell where you’ve struck it.
I think for golfers who have perhaps being using a blade or more ‘conventional’ mallet putter, it’s fair to say that there is going to be an adjustment period. Switching to something so big, which really promotes a slightly different style of putting, is going to take a bit of getting used to. If you are considering making the switch, I’d urge you to spend as much time as you’re allowed testing this out on a putting green or a mat to see if you start to see the performance benefits coming out.
Personally I would go for a full putter fitting if I was considering this too, as I think an expert’s advice on the right setup for you could help avoid any regrets down the line.
Performance
The Spider ZT Max was really great for distance control once you’ve got to grips with the weighting. Even when you don’t quite strike it right, does a really good job of helping you out which means your longer putts should be nestling closer to the hole more often.
I found it pretty easy to align too, especially with that simple white alignment. I sometimes find with bigger heads that it can be hard to get aligned properly at address, but the clean look on top and the pretty angular corners did help with this.
I also quite enjoyed that preset shaft lean that the grip gives you – it’s almost as if you’re locked in position with your hands a bit further ahead of you.
For me this helps to keep everything nice and still during the stroke, and I find that it does tend to improve my strike or stop me getting scoopy or flicky at the ball, which in turn improves my pace too.
On shorter putts, the size of the head did almost make the hole look smaller! But actually I found it was really solid, and that lack of twisting that zero torque promotes does help with any small pushes or pulls that might creep in from short range.
Verdict
The benefits of zero torque putters are there to see for both amateurs and pros, and there’s a reason that virtually every major brand now offers a zero torque model – they aren’t going away any time soon.
As I mentioned earlier, I would highly recommend you going for a proper putter fitting if you’re considering buying this putter. Some golfers might love it straight away, but for others it’s going to feel very strange to begin with. A fitting might give you the confidence that it’s the right thing for your game, and give you the motivation to go and practice with it to try and get more used to it.
It is expensive at £449, especially compared to the Spider Tour putters which are fantastic, and priced at £299. But we all know that putting can be the most frustrating part of golf at time, and has driven many a good player mad over the years.
If the Spider ZT Max can finally help you sort out those demons on the greens, it might just be worth every penny.
Would I Use It?
I did enjoy using the ZT Max, but I think the oversized head is just a little bit too much for me. I also review the new Spider Tour X recently, and if I was to switch to a mallet any time soon, that would be the one I’d go for.
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