Gear: TaylorMade Reserve Milled Putter Price: $399 with KBS 120 chrome stepless shaft and Lakin Deep Etched grip
Specifications: 303 stainless milled steel. Versions in right- and left hand, 33-inch-, 34-inch- and 35-inch-lengths. 3 degrees loft and 70 degree lie angle.
Available: June 23
For Whom? For golfers who want classic looks, but also value sound and feel.
The Skinny – TaylorMade’s TP Reserve milled putter line features three blades, three mallets and a focus on attention to detail.
TaylorMade’s Deep Dive putter has been a huge success. It combines multiple materials, such as aluminum, stainless steel and tungsten. The design is also high-tech. The Spider family of mallets has been popular among tour pros and amateur golfers for the last 15 years because its perimeter-weighed design increases forgiveness. Their unique face inserts also encourage the ball roll rather than skid. Spider putters have been used by Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, and Dustin Johnson to win majors.
TaylorMade has attempted to fill a gap in its putter line-up over the years, but with mixed results: the premium milled categories. Many elite golfers, as well as traditionalists and amateurs who love tradition and craftsmanship still prefer steel putters. They are golfers who understand the science behind putting but also consider it an art. They want a putter that will help them create masterpieces on greens.
TaylorMade has designed a new TP Signature golf line for these players, which includes three blades and 2 mid-size mallets.
TaylorMade TP Reserve B11 (David Dusek/Golfweek)
The TaylorMade Logo is on the heel of the club face. However, the golfers will also notice a new logo, a green “R”, which represents the new line. The new logo represents TaylorMade’s desire to differentiate this line from its cast putters. The Reserve family is meant to be aspirational and rare, and golfers should see it as the pinnacle of TaylorMade’s quality and craftsmanship.
The B1, B2, M1, and M2 heads have been precision-milled with 303 stainless steel. This soft material amplifies the feel, and gives golfers a better idea of where the ball is hitting on the face. Golfers can still see tiny milling grooves on other parts of the head, even though they have been polished. Milling has the advantage that the tolerances of the manufacturing process are tighter. This means the edges are sharper, and the intended design is produced more accurately.
The TaylorMade TP Reserve B11’s grooved face. (David Dusek/Golfweek)
TaylorMade designed grooves to be found in the area of contact. The grooves in Reserve putters help improve acoustics, while the grooves on Spider putters enhance roll. TaylorMade used urethane balls with higher compression to test 15 different grooves. The depths of the grooves were varied, as was the pattern tightness.
Fitters can adjust weights on the toe and heel of the sole to suit the golfer or their preferences. All TP Reserve putters feature a black alignment line.
The TP Reserve B1 blade is a classic, heel-toe weighted blade. It has a thin topline with straight rear bumpers. The B3 blade features an extended back flange to give it a solid appearance.
The TP Reserve M2 has a fang style mallet, with extensions at the toe and heel. The M3 is a half-circular mallet. The TP Reserve M5, which is the compactest mallet, combines the B3 with the M2 and has a curved section at the back that ends in a straightened part.
TaylorMade assigns a second number after each putter name to indicate the neck or hosel configuration. The name of a putter with an L neck (or plumber’sneck) is followed by a 1, while clubs with small slant or slant-necks are given a 3 and single-bend hosels are given a 7.
Below, you can see the TP Reserve putters up close.
