Scottie Scheffler has been using a new putter this week at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he's been dominating the field at Bay Hill Club and Lodge en route to his first win of 2024.
Scheffler made a putter change at Bay Hill, moving from the Logan Olson Golf putter he started using at the 2023 Hero World Challenge and going to a TaylorMade Golf Spider Tour mallet-style putter. The change just happened to coincide with Rory McIlroy suggesting Scheffler go to a mallet putter when he was commentating for CBS Sports during the final round of The Genesis Invitational in February at Riviera near Los Angeles.
“I’ve certainly been through my fair share of putting woes over the years, and I finally feel like I’ve broken through and become a pretty consistent putter. For me, going to a mallet was a big change,” McIlroy said on international TV. Ultimately, he reached the conclusion that Scheffler would be better with a new putter: "So I’d love to see Scottie try a mallet."
The Olson putter Scheffler was using is an Anser-style blade which has characteristics specific to Scheffler's game. The mallet-style putter, which he started experimenting with at home after The Genesis, is more forgiving and allows Scheffler to make a more consistent stroke. The Spider Tour X that Scheffler is using is also a half-inch longer than the putter he had been using, allowing him to address the ball more comfortably.
Scheffler has used mallet putters in certain runs of golf, including a Spider model for part of the 2023 FedEx Cup playoffs. However, the Spider Tour X is more meant to feel like a blade with the benefits of a mallet, which might make it the perfect combination for Scheffler.
Scheffler has been a dominating tee-to-green player on the PGA Tour, and if he can just putt reasonably well, then he's going to win a lot of times on the PGA Tour this season.
The 2022 Masters winner ranks sixth in the field this week in strokes gained putting, and that will translate into a whole lot of trophies and novelty checks.
