Brian Harman’s Valero win came after switch to new prototype putter
Brian Harman's win was his first with TaylorMade's prototype zero torque Spider.
Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images and Kris McCormack/GOLF
Brian Harman was dialed on the greens this past week in San Antonio — and his performance is only going to add fuel to the zero torque putter hype train on the PGA Tour.
For Thursday’s opening round of the Valero Texas Open, Harman added TaylorMade’s unreleased Spider 5K-ZT (zero torque) prototype to the bag, switching from his nearly decade-old TaylorMade Spider CB OS.
The putter is TaylorMade’s first entry into the zero torque space with loads of other OEMs racing similar putters to market after L.A.B. Golf has taken off over the past few years with their “Lie Angle Balance” technology.
Zero Torque putters
ALSO AVAILABLE ON: PGA Tour Superstore, PXG
Zero torque putters are typically center shafted putters with onset; that is a shaft that enters the head behind the club face. When the putter is balanced, the toe sticks up instead of down or with the face pointed up like typical putters.
While TaylorMade is staying fairly tight-lipped about the new design, Harman went to the new model in part because of a more upright lie angle.
TaylorMade reps told GOLF.com: “Harman’s bias is a slight right aim with a push back online, and the ZT was ‘point and shoot’ for him. Easier to line up and aim. His previous putter was at 67°, so ZT being more upright helped him get his eye line more over the ball.”
Harman entered the week 145th in Strokes Gained: Putting with his old gamer, a putter that was originally released in 2016. Harman said Sunday the new putter helped free up his stroke.
“I looked at my stats from last year and I probably had the best iron game of my career, approach to the green, and probably my worst year from 10 to 20 feet putting,” he said. “So still really good inside 10 feet, but that section there is where I was getting all my looks and I wasn’t making any of them. I had toyed with the idea of switching putters for a while. Picked that one up on Tuesday this week, it felt really good and it rolls nice, just kind of freed me up a little bit.”
With the new wand, Harman was sixth in the field in SG: Putting, picking up more than 5.3 strokes on the field on his way to his fourth PGA Tour win. While it’s tough to expect changes next week at a major, it wouldn’t be surprising to see players flocking to try TaylorMade’s newest Spider in the weeks to come.
While the TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT isn’t available at retail yet, you still have plenty of options if you want to try and capture the same juice Harman found this week.
TaylorMade Spider Tour Putters
ALSO AVAILABLE AT: PGA Tour Superstore, TaylorMade
Harman’s prototype builds off TaylorMade’s popular Spider line of putters, which was the winningest putter on the PGA Tour last season and has been a hot choice for pros and amateurs for years. There are also several zero torque putters already on the market from brands like Bettinardi, L.A.B., PXG and Odyssey.
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