As innovative as the golf industry is, it also remains quite reactionary. Any time something takes hold and catches attention, play, and of course sales, we see shifts that occur as brands try to jump on board and navigate the volatile jungle of product consumption by consumers.
Such has been the story of zero torque thus far. No, it is not a new concept no matter what the sky-fisters might try to tell you. Historically, it is a concept that never truly took hold in its previous iterations. However, in recent years that has drastically changed as we have seen the concept disrupt the entire putter segment.
Naturally, when your brand is headed by the legend that is Sean Toulon, specifically with his track record of putter innovation, the question for Toulon Golf has been if they would ever wade into the deep end of the pool as it concerns zero-torque.
That is where the new Formula Series comes in.
All about the Angles
Toulon isn’t oblivious to the trends and buzz, and as a company full of avid golfers, they too have seen the ZT models out on the courses which they frequent, so of course curiosity would inevitably take hold.
They began working with the concept quite some time ago, but as Toulon does, if it was something worth doing, it had to be done right. For the brand, that means understanding it is becoming a very crowded segment as of late, and if they enter, then it needed to be in true Toulon style in order to differentiate themselves from the pack.
While zero torque is the big trend, Toulon Golf has a unique understanding of the concept as it pertains to a golfer and their needs. Given that putters with toe-hang are so ingrained in this game on the spectrum from 0 to 90 degrees, jumping right to a toe-up (-90 degrees) isn’t always the silver bullet. Toulon brought forth a simple question, what about the space between 0 and -90 degrees?
Think about it. If traditional putters offer a multitude of toe hang/flow options to better fit each person’s putting stroke, then why is the assumption suddenly that -90 is the only way to go. You see, as with life, putter fit isn’t lived in black and white, it is within the grey.
That is the area which the new Formula Series putter family looks to open minds.
Toulon Golf Formula Series
Each one of us, as golfers, has a unique torque profile to our putting strokes. This is determined by the amount of natural twist you are generating throughout the motion. The catch there is, your putter also has a torque profile via the toe hang of the instrument. The goal should always be to match up the two, that means a better potential for increased success and consistency on the greens.
It is for that reason that Toulon Golf has designed not one putter, but three which account for the extremes (0 and -90 degrees) as well as the in-between (-45 degrees). According to the brand, this is the key differentiator for them in this burgeoning segment. Most of us miss right (for RH) via an open face, the reason for this is torque. Even on Tour, as players move to mallets, they have a CG which is back and actually can lead to a putter face that opens in the backswing. If you have a lot of arc, you can live with that, but if you don’t, issues can arise. The same thing can happen with the new no-to-low torque designs.
That is where the Formula Series comes in with each model still driven by the “stay square to path” nature of the popular zero torque designs. However, rather than a simple on/off switch, there are now three levels which can help a golfer dial in for their natural tendencies within the putting stroke but still reap the benefits of these putter types. After all, as Toulon Golf acknowledges, the concept and the science behind this new torque-race is very real.
However, looks matter to golfers, and being Toulon Golf, they were not going to simply release some crazy spaceship on a stick and call it a day. It is no surprise that Toulon Golf put an incredible amount of time into creating a shape and visual that not only looks good but lives up to the expectations people have when their name is attached to something.
Each putter uses a multi-material construction of 304SS and 6061 aircraft grade aluminum sole plate combined with dual adjustable weights that are moved to the front of the heads to create the proper balance. Attention to every single radius has been given to produce an appealing mallet shape rather than only a functional one. With a deep black finish accented by tasteful engraving and splashes of color, there isn’t another ZT design with this much thought into the aesthetic. If that isn’t enough, they also brought back the Deep Diamond Mill on the face to improve roll, and create a Toulon approved sound (feel).
Toulon Formula CS
Rather than jumping right into the -90 degree option, we begin on the other side of the spectrum with the CS. This model is designed with zero toe-hang and a center shaft orientation that, although more forward than the other options, is still a bit backset.
The CS is aimed at the golfer with a small amount of rotation in their putting stroke as it has a very small torque profile itself. It should appeal most to those with a more straight-back, straight-through style of putting. If the natural miss for you is slightly to the right of the cup, then Toulon recommends looking at this model closely.
The CS has a standard head weight of 370g (10g weights installed), 0 degrees toe-hang, 8mm of onset, and zero shaft lean.
Toulon Formula 45
Smack in the middle of the family, the 45 is the answer to the earlier questions about the golfers in-between. The hosel has moved further back into a more traditional torque driven putter style appearance. The interesting thing here is that Toulon asserts that this model can aid those who have an increased right miss tendency, but more interestingly, if you have tried a zero-torque putter and ended up getting the lefts, then this might just be your answer.
The 45 has a standard head weight of 370g (10g weights installed), 45 degrees toe-up, 12mm of onset, and 0.4 degrees of forward shaft lean.
Toulon Formula 90
Finally, the 90. You guessed it, this is officially Toulon’s answer to the ZT trend and it sits at precisely -90 degrees (toe up). By moving the hosel a bit more rearward than with the 45, it not only becomes balanced at zero-torque, but it aims to stay square to your path, no matter what your path is. If you have more significant or notable miss bias to the right, then the Formula 90 would be an excellent starting point for those needs.
The 90 has a standard head weight of 370g (10g weights installed), 90 degrees toe-up, 14mm of onset, and 0.7 degrees of forward shaft lean.
The Details
After diving into all this design information, the logo that Toulon Golf has been teasing recently on their social media should make much more sense. Not only is it fun looking, but it is practical while differentiating the three models locations in the spectrum and leaving room for the in-between.
Part of that comes from the decision to use a visible hosel which can be bent +/- 1 degree of loft and 2 degrees of lie angle, which does alter the hang position, but also brings a level of fitting to this style of putters which other brands cannot.
Pricing starts at $650 for the Toulon Formula putters with each also available in a heavy spec counterbalance build for additional upcharge.
For more information visit their website at toulongolf.com.
