Toulon Formula 90 Zero Torque Putter Review
Read my honest thoughts after spending some time with this new release from Toulon.
The Toulon name is synonymous with quality and innovation in the putter market, and I’m a big fan. However, in many markets, they’ve never had the same brand cache as Scotty Cameron, but you are missing out if you don’t consider Toulon when looking for a new putter. For the last few seasons, I’ve mainly played one of two Toulon Atlanta putters that I own. A standard model with the alignment line in the flange and a custom “Garage” model with the alignment line on the leading edge. I loved the milled face and the feel from those putters. The garage model has just been displaced from the bag by the recently reviewed SeeMore Mini Giant FGP Stealth, but it will stay in the reserve bag in the garage and won’t be sold this time.
The Toulon Formula 90 is their first entrant into the zero-torque putter segment. The Formula series actually comes in three variants. The 90 is their zero torque model, and (in their words) most suits a “straight back, straight through” putting stroke. As you can see above, it has quite a lot of onset (shaft well back from the putter face). This is the putter that I am testing in this review.
The other models are the 45, which is described as “super low” torque, has a similar amount of onset but 45° of toe hang to suit a slight arc stroke, and the CS, which is a traditional centre-shafted, face-balanced design described as “low torque”. This will most suit a stroke with a slight arc. All of the models have 370g heads as standard (or 390g if you specify the heavy head), which is really heavy compared to more traditional putters in the 330-350g range.
First Impressions
This is a very nice head that reminds me a lot of the Odyssey Ai One Eight model. Despite not being part of Odyssey any more, many of the Toulon designs are similar, if not the same, as older Odyssey models. That can make the substantially higher price point a little difficult to swallow.
Other than the obvious shaft attachment, the main difference appears to be that the central section of the Toulon is rectangular rather than the tapered shape of the Odyssey model. Also, the Toulon has a traditionally milled face rather than an insert.
Comparing the face milling to my Atlanta, I noticed that while the design is very similar (not quite the same), the Formula 90 milling is shallower, which should give it a firmer feeling on impact.
Notice also the “notch” on the shaft spud of the Formula. To me, this looks a bit odd and low quality. It looks like it’s there to allow the spud to be tightened up with a spanner, but I can’t imagine that’s the case. This image from the Toulon website shows it better than my photo. Personally, I don’t like it and think it looks cheap (which this putter certainly is not).
As mentioned above, this is a particularly heavy putter, and it is immediately noticeable when you hold it. When I measured the swing weight on my old scale, it came in at F3. That won’t mean much to many readers, but “normal” putters are usually around D4. To me, this felt like trying to swing a brick on the end of a stick, and my initial impression was not positive.
The head cover is of great quality, with a secure metal closure, but I wish it weren’t white. I can imagine that getting very dirty over time, especially through a typical Scottish winter.
The grip is a typically nice pistol grip with the Toulon logo. It would appear to be the same grip that’s used on many Toulon and Odyssey putters. It’s a nice middle ground, neither being too thick nor too thin.
So, how did it perform?
Initially, I really struggled with the Formula 90. I found it difficult to align, didn’t like the amount of onset that it has and found it very heavy to swing. My pace control was abysmal, and it just felt so different to the SeeMore. Note that this is the first putter review where the SeeMore is the benchmark putter rather than the Atlanta.
I put the putter through the standard tests I’ve conducted with all my reviews, namely 6 putts repeated 3 times from 3, 6, 12, and 15 feet, followed by a lag test from 30 feet and a start line test. The SeeMore only did the test once, as given it’s my current gamer, it should be much more familiar.
The more familiar I became with the putter, the better I could make it perform, but it was definitely a bit of a struggle. In order to aim better, I used the whole of the rectangular middle section as a visual aid, rather than just the lines, which seemed to help a lot. Aim also benefited from a bit of forward press. While I like the feel/sound of the ball off the face, I didn’t like the overall feel of the putter through the swing. It was simply too heavy for me.
Pros and Cons
Price: At £649 RRP, this is a seriously expensive putter. For that price, I would find it hard to justify the Toulon over a customised L.A.B. Oz (or other model). Yes, the Toulon looks and feels nice, but that’s only to be expected. All of the 2025 model Toulon putters start at £599. They have become an expensive brand.
Resale: It’s only fair to mention that Toulon putters don’t appear to hold their value particularly well. I don’t know if this is down to a lack of familiarity with them or their historic association with Odyssey. From a putter nerd’s perspective, it can make them poor new buys, but good used buys. It’s worth checking eBay!
Customisation: Length, loft and lie only. No alternative alignment line designs are available. See the point above re price.
Performance: I know from previous testing that I struggle with onset mallet heads, and this one was no different. I was fortunate to have the putter for a few days and kept using it after gathering the performance data. Like my experience with the Spider 5K, the more I got used to the Formula 90, the better I putted with it. But, I had to change my setup and putting style to get the most out of it. That’s not natural to me and would take a long time to build confidence.
Feel: Unlike some of the other mallets I’ve tried, I much preferred the feel of the milled face on the Formula 90. I also had better pace control with it than most of the other zero-torque mallets I’ve tried, although the heavy weight made that challenging.
Conclusion
If you like zero torque mallet putters and can find a stockist, then you should definitely put this on your list of options to try. While the headline price feels expensive, a fully customised L.A.B. will cost you the same, so maybe it’s not too bad after all. If you are considering spending that much on a putter, you owe it to yourself to get properly fit and spend some time with the club first, preferably on real greens too rather than just indoor surfaces.
It was a real treat getting to test this putter, and I must thank Adam Legg at Auchterlonies for lending it to me to review. While the Formula 90 is not for me, I would be intrigued to try the Formula CS model at some point to see if it suits my stroke better and if that makes the weight more tolerable.