A major focus in recent years when it comes to design strategy has been to make putters more forgiving by increasing MOI (moment of inertia). And with its new OS series, TaylorMade is taking forgiveness to all new heights.
The company has taken several of its classic and most popular putter designs and expanded the size of the heads slightly to improve forgiveness without sacrificing look. Accomplishing that objective was done in a unique manner.
“We’ve done that by actually making them hollow,” said Clay Long, TaylorMade’s Director of Product Creation For Putters And Wedges.“They’re constructed much like a fairway wood is. They have a sole plate that’s welded on, they’re hollow inside, they’re filled with a vibration dampening foam. That’s allowed us to increase the size of the putter slightly but still maintain a nice, aesthetic look.”
Additionally, the OS series offers options in both standard and counterbalanced models. The counterbalanced choices are slightly larger than the already oversized standard models and feature even greater MOI, as well as a heavier overall feel thanks to a 130-gram grip.
The counterbalance technology is ideal for players who are looking for assistance in stabilizing their putting stroke.
TaylorMade Putters Fitting Guide
TaylorMade might not get as much press as some of the other manufacturers on this list when it comes to putters, but it’s ramping up its game with the addition of industry veteran Clay Long, who early in his career designed putters for MacGregor, including the model Jack Nicklaus used to with the 1986 Masters.
In terms of its putter offerings, TaylorMade has made forgiveness a priority, creating high MOI models in its OS Series to help golfers achieve better results when they miss the center of the face.
That has been done by taking some of the company’s classic designs through the years and making them slightly larger. Additionally, counterbalance models exist in the OS lineup as well. They’re even slightly larger and designed to help players who need additional help in making a smoother stroke.
That said, the lineup also features three distinct models that will work well with different styles of putting strokes, something TaylorMade makes readily apparent for its players by featuring the degree of toe hang for each model as one of its specs.
More specifically, the Daytona model is a classic blade design that features 36 degrees of toe hang, meaning it will work well for players who putt using a fairly significant arc.
Players with a smaller arc, however, might benefit from using the Monte Carlo, a mid-mallet design that has 20 degrees of toe hang, while the face-balanced Spider will be a great option for players who putt using a straight back, straight through stroke.
TaylorMade also includes toe hang numbers for all of its other putter lines, including the face-balanced Spider Limited Red putter that helped propel Jason Day to No. 1 in the world.
All said, if you’re in the market for a new TaylorMade putter, make sure you pick a model that will suit your putting stroke.
