Taylormade Itsy Bitsy vs Spider?

Hello all!

Long time reader, first time poster. I am looking to trade for a Taylormade Spider putter and have a few offers of some different variants. I was wondering if you all could clarify some of the differences between them?

First is the basic Taylormade Spider Tour (red and black). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the only difference between the two is the feel of the insert? Red = softer, Black = firm?

Someone also offered two separate Taylormade Itsy Bitsy putters. One was black, which, save the sole plate, I can't tell a difference between this and the Spider tour. What is the difference between the Black Itsy Bitsy and the Dustin Johnson Spider?

Another was a Itsy Bitsy Limited, which was red with a sight line. Again, looks very similar to the Jason Day model except for a sight line. Is that the only difference?

I would prefer a slight toe hang since I have an ARC swing, and the softer the feel the better. I can't find any information on the itsy bitsy's regarding balance or insert differences so I was hoping to have you all chime in.

TIA!

Softer feel and toe hang would put you in the spider tour red.

Softer feel and toe hang would put you in the spider tour red.

I would agree, but I have an option for the Itsy Bitsy Limited at the moment, which is also red, and has a sight line. My question is, are these the only two differences between the Itsy Bitsy Limited and the Spider Tour red?

The limited doesn’t have toe hang I believe it is face balanced.

The limited doesn’t have toe hang I believe it is face balanced.

Is the black Itsy Bitsy also face balanced? Or does it have a slight toe hang?

It also has hang but with a firmer insert.

It also has hang but with a firmer insert.

So, (last question and I'll stop bugging you), what is the difference between the Spider Tour and the Itsy Bitsy?

Thank you so much for all of the information!

The tour is s slant neck with toe hang the itsy is face balanced with a double bend shaft.

You're getting great info here but I'll make it crystal clear for you.

There are 2 Itsy Bitsy Spider putters. Both are face-balanced. One is red with a sightline and the other is black with red wings and with a white sightline. An all black Itsy Bitsy was not released although there are a few black prototypes knocking about.

There are 3 Spider Tour putters. The red with no sightline, the black with no sightline and the Spider Tour Platinum.

The Red's insert is fractionally softer than the black but both are on the soft side IMHO opinion. The Spider Platinum is platinum, with red wings and a white sightline and it is face-balanced.

By the sounds of it, if you want a soft feel for an arc, go with the Tour red but I would roll the black as well if you could.

Some make out that the difference between the red and black insert is night and day but they're actually quite similar feeling from my experience.

An all black Itsy Bitsy was not released although there are a few black prototypes knocking about.

Such a great post. Thank you for all of the information. I was told the all Black Itsy Bitsy was a "vault" release, whatever that means. He claims there is a toe hang. Trying to receive pictures now. However, this one DOES have a slant neck as opposed to the others having a double bend shaft. Is that specific shaft as easy to receive a lie adjustment as a double bend would be?

The toe hang is a function of the way the shaft is attached to the head.

There are four styles of Spider shaft-to-head attachments that I am aware of:

1. Double bend shaft attached directly to the head (found in many of the original Itsy Bitsy putters, the Spider Limited putters, and the Spider Tour Platinum putter - these are all face balanced

2. Slant neck on head, with straight shaft (found on some of the earlier Itsy Bitsy putters, the Spider Tour Red and Spider Tour Black, and the Vault Release Spiders that preceded the Spider Tour series - these all have some toe hang

3. Plumbers neck on head with straight shaft (found on some of the earlier Itsy Bitsy putters) - these all have some toe hang

4. Straight shaft attached directly to the center of the head's topline (found on some of the original Itsy Bitsy putters) - these are all face balanced

Face insert - wise, the original Itsy Bitsy putters mostly came with AGSI+ face inserts, which were aluminum with some polymer filling in the grooves. Some of the original Itsy Bitsies also came with plastic inserts.

The Spider Limited's face inserts were also aluminum with polymer filling in the grooves.

The Spider Tour face inserts have plastic faces, with the Tour Black being somewhat firmer.

Sounds like you want the red Tour Spider then. Softest insert, and a slight toe hang.

An all black Itsy Bitsy was not released although there are a few black prototypes knocking about.

 

Such a great post. Thank you for all of the information. I was told the all Black Itsy Bitsy was a "vault" release, whatever that means. He claims there is a toe hang. Trying to receive pictures now. However, this one DOES have a slant neck as opposed to the others having a double bend shaft. Is that specific shaft as easy to receive a lie adjustment as a double bend would be?

For any putter with a slant neck, plumbers neck, or a stub to which the shaft is attached, the process for lie adjustment is the same. Clamp the head in a putter machine, measure the lie, bend the neck or stub (not the shaft) with a bending bar, remeasure etc until desired lie is achieved. Lie adjustment may affect the toe hang a bit. Lie adjustment only becomes more difficult when the shaft goes into a drilled hole in the head, because then the shaft itself needs to be bent. This requires different tools and training.

Thank you all very much for the information! It definitely answers the question I have.