Odd things are happening in Carlsbad, Calif., these days. At least at Toulon Golf headquarters where there are some odd, dare I say alien, activities going on.
Not only are they releasing a new wildly shaped zero-torque putter but they are launching their new Concept 59 sub-brand of putters as well.
Normally, just one of those things happening would be newsworthy. Having both of them at the same time is a lot to process on a cold December day.
Let’s first take a look at the new Concept 59 brand and then explore the new putter.
What is Toulon’s Concept 59 all about?
The short answer is that Concept 59 is about Sean Toulon and his contributions to the golf industry. In addition to producing three well-mannered, golf industry-employed sons, Sean Toulon has had his hand in iconic golf equipment designs for four decades.
As far as golf gear resumes go, few others have as many pages of accomplishments as Toulon.
He was involved with the development of movable weights in drivers, adjustable shaft technologies in drivers and, of course, the creation of the trendsetting high-MOI Spider mallet putter.
With the Spider, Sean Toulon did the impossible by making it cool to play a mallet putter.
The Concept 59 sub-brand honors the legacy of Sean Toulon and, since he keeps on working, it will also serve as a platform for his new creations. Toulon and his sons still have some novel designs in mind and they will release them under the Concept 59 moniker.
What about the “59” part? Well, 1959 was the year when Sean Toulon came to Earth.
Made odd putter you have
Toulon and his sons have created something pretty out there for the first Concept 59 release. Since it is a zero-torque putter, we expect it to be a little different looking, but perhaps not this different.
At address, the Toulon Concept 59 looks like a Toulon Indianapolis with shower grab bars.
(Maybe that’s where the twice-retired Toulon got the inspiration.)
Team Toulon understands that the new Roswell putter has an alien look and they embrace it. So much so that the branding and the name are alien themed. You’ll find their alien head logo on the putter, the grip and the headcover.
(I’m calling the alien Maximus Decimus Meridius since it looks like he is wearing the helmet from Gladiator.)
Though not actually shaped like the flying saucer that crashed in Roswell, N.M., the Toulon Roswell does look like a spaceship. It has a USS Constitution-class heavy cruiser vibe.
(High five to fellow sci-fi my nerds out there!)
By the way, the crash in Roswell occurred, allegedly, in 1947, so Sean Toulon was not involved in that event.
It’s odd looking but fully operational
Though alien in appearance, the Roswell is all about Earthly performance.
Like their previous zero-torque release, the Toulon Formula 90, the toe of the putter points straight up at rest. This should translate to the Roswell not opening or closing during the putting stroke.
Ideally, this means the face will return to the ball at the same angle that it left, and your ball will roll down the intended line.
We have become a more accepting golf society
Could you imagine this putter releasing a decade ago? I’m sure the Internet would be rife with derogatory comments. “Potato masher” is one that immediately popped into my mind.
Thankfully, we have moved past that shallowness. Modern golfers embrace outside-the-box putter designs because they understand these designs help them make putts.
That’s the ultimate goal of Toulon’s Roswell. Every aspect of the Roswell, alien or not, is intended to help you make your putts.
The square design boosts MOI and stability but it also provides an overt alignment tool for squaring the putter to your target line. More covertly, the square shape subliminally encourages a straight takeaway and return to the ball.
Rotating the rectangle during the stroke just seems like the wrong thing to do.
Non-alien aspects of the Toulon Concept 59 Roswell
When you ignore the unusual aspects of the Toulon Roswell, you’ll discover foundational concepts of modern putter design.
The Roswell is built from stainless steel and aluminum. This multi-material design plan allows Toulon to distribute the weight as needed to boost MOI. The Roswell features the same forward-positioned sole weights found in the more traditional Toulon designs.
The position of the weights moves the center of gravity forward and their adjustable nature allows for customer customization.
On a side note, look how the sole of the putter loops around and attaches to the top section at the top edge of the face. Such an artistic way to merge the various components.
The diamond pattern on the face serves the dual purpose of promoting roll when it interacts with the surface of the golf ball and also softening the feel at impact.
The soft feel was one of the surprising things about the Roswell. The face is not very thick which, in some designs, will lead to a firm feel at impact.
The tone at impact is pleasant. I think Toulon likely ran through a few prototypes to achieve the desired sound. The Roswell has a number of regions that could potentially produce undesirable frequencies.
Some of those extra bumps and angles inside of the putter are probably there to tune the putter appropriately.
The bottom line of the design is that it is an unusual-looking putter that has classic sound and feel.
What’s next for the Toulon Concept 59 brand?
The Roswell sets a high bar for what is to come with the Toulon Concept 59 brand. This putter not only capitalizes on the hottest trend in golf, zero-torque putters, but it does so in a way that is outside of the safety zone.
I hope we will see more risky and experimental designs under the Concept 59 name. While Sean Toulon’s sons are still in the “play nice with others” stages of their careers, Sean is entering his venerable freedom stage where he can say and do what he wants without concern for responses and repercussions.
My greatest hope is that the freedom of the Concept 59 line encourages Sean Toulon to become a combination of Hephaestus, Yoda and Dr. Emmett Brown.
If that happens, the putters we see will be otherworldly, indeed.
You can abduct your Toulon Concept 59 Roswell today for $700 at ToulonGolf.com.
The post Toulon Gets Extraterrestrial With Concept 59 Roswell Putter appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
