After 23 years with the same putter, Brandt Snedeker finally made a change. Prompted by trends on the PGA Tour, the data-driven golfer switched to a new model, and the early results are already showing on the leaderboard.

Many winners this season have relied on mallet putters, with several choosing the TaylorMade Spider.

“If you're not paying attention to that, you're doing yourself a disservice. There has to be something to it.” Snedeker said during the first round of the Valspar Championship.

That's why he decided to test it for himself. After using an Odyssey Rossie 2 since his college days, Snedeker had a Spider built and began working with it at home. Over time, the results pointed in one direction: he was putting better with the new model. And that was enough to consider a change.

So, he reached a decision he had avoided for years.

At the Puerto Rico Open, Snedeker switched to a TaylorMade Spider Tour X. It marked the first time in 23 years that he used a different putter in competition. Although the result that week did not change, the feel did.

Snedeker hadn't made the cut in four events but that was about to change. At the Valspar Championship, the change began to show in numbers. Through three rounds, Snedeker led the field in strokes gained putting. A round of 67 without a bogey placed him at nine under, tied for second with David Lipsky and two shots behind Sungjae Im.

At that point, the shift was no longer just a decision; it was part of his performance.

Brandt Snedeker’s Putter Change Begins to Reflect in Results at Valspar Championship

With the results now visible on the leaderboard, Brandt Snedeker pointed to the immediate impact of the switch, “It really kind of kick-started my game. Really started putting the ball really, really well this week and giving myself chances, hitting my lines.” 

Through three rounds at the Innisbrook Copperhead Course, Snedeker’s putting has shaped his position on the leaderboard. In the opening round, he led the field in strokes gained putting, gaining 5.092 strokes on the greens.

And he continued in the same direction. Across 54 holes, he has gained a total of 8.6 strokes with the putter. That consistency also reflects in his scores. He opened with a 6-under 65, his lowest round at this course in 49 attempts. Then, in the third round, he carded a 5-under 67 without a bogey.

That moved him to nine under and into a tie for second place, two shots behind Sungjae Im heading into the final round.

Do you think this bold putter switch could lead Brandt Snedeker back to winning form?

Read more at Daily Club Golf!

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar