- 4 hours ago
Joe Ferguson gets his hands on arguably one of the most innovative golf clubs ever made - the Sausage Golf Boudin Noir modular putter to test out the technology and see if it could represent the future of putter design.
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00:00Come and take a look at this. I'm a gear tester and I've never seen anything like this before
00:04in putting and I think it might just change the putting game. Let me introduce you to the
00:08Sausage Golf Boudon Noir putter. Right, so what am I talking about? What is the Sausage Golf
00:23Boudon Noir? Well, essentially what we've got here is a putter that's kind of broken social
00:28media lately. I've never had so many people contact me with DMs and renders and pictures of this putter
00:33saying, make sure you review this. We want to know what it's all about. Essentially what we've got is
00:38the first that I've seen, modular putter. We've got a putter here that's got little gaps in the head
00:44that you can unscrew and re-screw to make this putter low torque, face balanced and toe hang.
00:50Not only that, you can flip it around and do the same left-handed. This thing's absolutely
00:55incredible. Now, Sausage Golf's a bit of a strange name, I hear you say. So where's that come from?
01:00Well, the founder and the designer of Sausage Golf is a man called Dave Rolls and he came from
01:05Manchester. People in Manchester have a very good sense of humour. He was called Sausage Rolls at
01:09school, hence the name Sausage Golf. He originally designed this putter as a bit of an experiment because
01:15him and his dad wanted to share a putter and he wanted to do something nice for his dad who'd helped
01:19him out over the years. This is how all this started. He hit upon something and he's just
01:25sausage rolled with it and it's gone on and on and on to see what we've got in front of us today.
01:30I'm really impressed and I'm really excited to give this a whirl.
01:36Right, come a bit closer for this but I need to show you what I mean. What we've got on the top here,
01:40you'll notice when you look a little bit closely, there's a few little rectangular pieces and underneath
01:45we've got a little screw set up here. You unscrew these pieces, a little bit slot out and then it
01:51kind of works like a little jigsaw puzzle. You move the thing, you move the pieces to where you need
01:55them to be to create the gap for where you want this shaft to enter the head and then you've got
02:00your three different torque profiles. It really is incredibly impressive. I'm intrigued to see how that
02:06mechanism works as we go through the video because I've got my sort of, not skepticism, but I want to know
02:12how quickly and how easily it works and how tight the fit is more to the point because we don't want
02:16any gaps in these putters. Let me hit a few putts away, let's start to get some initial impressions
02:21before we start moving things about. The first impressions are really genuinely quite good.
02:28I thought I'd left that short then. It's an incredibly premium looking putter. I love what they've
02:32done here with the kind of premium all blacked out, murdered out look, which I think is really cool.
02:37So you've got a black pistol grip with sausage sort of emblazoned there and really subtly,
02:42but you can still see it. A nice matte black shaft into the all black head bar, the alignment aids.
02:48And the alignment aids are really nice, bright white, which pops really well against the black.
02:53So we've got one across the top edge, which is really helpful for those who use the sort of leading
02:57edge of the putter to line things up. We've also got one on the back here to help with those people who
03:02are used to kind of a flange line and do that aiming with that. And there's a little dot as well,
03:06which helps you center the ball in the face and also has a little benefit when we start moving
03:11into different settings, which we'll talk about in a little bit. But even just on that first putt
03:16I've hit there, the feel is it's a very familiar one to me because I use a lab putter and this is
03:20made out of the same 60-61, I think that's right, aluminium or aluminum from our US viewers there.
03:27And it really feels very similar to all the labs that my Mez Max that I've been using for the last few
03:32weeks. What I would say is there is slightly more maybe ring or ting to it at strike. There's a
03:37little bit more vibration, which isn't a bad thing at all. It actually feels really nice and I'm
03:41guessing that's probably something to do with the slots as tight as these are and as beautifully
03:46engineered and as the fit is great. Just creating any sort of air gaps might create that little bit
03:51more vibration and feedback up the shaft, but it's something that I really like the feel of.
03:56Super easy to line up. Like I said, those alignment aids really pop and the lines and curves are really
04:03soft. A lot of the time when you get on even some of the better mallet putters on the market, you see
04:07very sharp angles between the top edge and the sides. They've rolled and softened these edges really
04:14nicely and it gives you a beautifully rounded and soft feel even from the top edge here into the face.
04:20Quite often that's just a sharp straight right angle. They've softened that nicely and it really looks
04:25good. So let me get a couple more. I've got it in the, what they call the low torque setting. It's not
04:30zero torque, but it's low torque. It does feel incredibly stable. Like I said, off the face,
04:37it just, it does feel familiar, but it's got that, just that little bit of pop at strike and the roll
04:44seems to be really good. We've got some grooves on the face here to really help with that roll. So yeah,
04:49initial impressions feels premium, looks great, easy to line up. Let's get into moving it about and
04:55see what this modular stuff's all about. Just as a quick reference point for those who may not know.
04:59So I mentioned this is in the low torque or zero torque setting. And if you've seen lab putters,
05:04you'll be familiar with that technology where you're controlling with weights in the head and the shaft
05:09entry point of the torque profile or toe hang or lack of toe hang of this putter. So if I just hold this
05:15putter unaided in that low torque setting, you see how the toe kind of points up to the sky. Now that
05:20gives us, makes the putter in essence, want to orientate very square to your path. So there's
05:26not going to be much opening and closing on that. It doesn't require any manipulation to square the
05:30face. You're better off leaving the face alone in that setting. So what I'm going to do now is I'm
05:35going to take it out of that lie angle balanced or low torque setting, if you like, and I'm going to move
05:40it into what we call a more face balance. It's going to be more traditional center shafted putter.
05:45So let's see how easy this is. I'm going to kneel down because I know these screws come out. So
05:50I'm going to take, initially going to take the shaft out. So we've got two screws to do that.
05:56Get the bulk of it done with the wrench. One comes out. I've got a few screws to work with.
06:01I'm going to have to lay them on the ground.
06:04Second screw out. I can already feel the shaft loosening, which is kind of weird and cool.
06:10That should be nearly there now.
06:14So there we go. That's the shaft that comes out of the hair. We've got little screw holes in the
06:18bottom. And then we've just got our little sausage head where the screws just fallen out,
06:22where I just unscrewed it. And we've got some gaps to fill here. So what I need to do now
06:26is take this centerpiece out, pop it in where that shaft was and swap the shaft over.
06:32So, I mean, it's not the quickest job in the world, but it's not, you know, it's not exactly,
06:37let's be patient. We're all things in the modern world. We want them straight away,
06:40but let's just be a little patient and see what we get. Two screws again.
06:49I just think it's really cool. I just think it's so cool to be able to just
06:52create three separate putters. Well, actually six, when we talk about left-handed in a minute,
06:57from one putter. So there goes the centerpiece out. So then we've got a head now that's got two gaps.
07:04We need to refill them. So we're going to move the shaft one into the front. I'm just going to
07:08clean a little bit of sand off that because I don't want that getting in there. I'm going to move
07:12the shaft into the front. Just a perfect tight fit. There's no wobble at all. That's beautifully
07:16engineered. That's incredibly well done. That would be my concern that there'd be sort of significant
07:20gaps and wobbling, et cetera. That's brilliantly well done. Let's get those screws back in there.
07:31So what do you reckon? We've got about a minute for that so far, I reckon. Not too bad.
07:40That's the second screw done up. Slot our little modular piece back in. So we've just got our little
07:45gap to fill there. Slot that modular piece back in. A couple of screws again and we're away.
07:56So I would say if you're, it's a bit moist and dewy out here today and these greens have had a
08:00little bit of top dressing, I think. So I've got a few grains of sand. So I think if you're doing this,
08:04if you do get one of these putters, I'll just be a little bit cautious about popping the modular
08:09piece in with any grains of sand in. You don't want any scratching or anything going on there. So just
08:13give it a little white before you do so. And that is that. I've now got a face-balanced,
08:18centre-shafted putter to have a little whirl with. Probably, I don't know, a minute and a half. So when
08:23I hold this unaided on my hand there, finger, face points perfectly up to the sky. So it's a perfectly
08:29face-balanced putter. So if you're a tinkerer who wants to try these things, fantastic. You can do that
08:35in two minutes, but you eliminate all the variables. We've got the same swing weight. We've got the same
08:39head weight. We've got the same alignment aids, the same grip, the same length. All variables are
08:43eliminated. We've just got two completely different torque profiles. Let's hit a couple of putts and see
08:47how we get on. One thing I should have mentioned that cameraman Dan pointed out very well there is
08:55when it's in that previous low torque or nearly zero torque profile, you do require a two degree
09:01forward press. And that's why they put this little white mark on the grip and the leading edge line
09:07there on the face. You've got to get those lined up for it to play its true loft. If you played that
09:11with a straight up shaft, you'd have an awful lot of loft. So you've got to factor that in if you're
09:14in that zero torque or low torque setting as sausage golf call it. Something that is worth noting,
09:19this is something I've absolutely loved about this putter from a field point of view. It's quite
09:22heavy in the head. So all these extra screws and bits that are required to make it modular brings
09:27this head weight up to 365 grams. And most modern day putters come in around the 350 mark. So
09:34that kind of 365 number, if you prefer a heavy feel and a bit of stability in your putter,
09:39you're going to really like this like I do. We're in the face balance one now. So let's
09:42hit a couple of these longer putts just down the slope here. I have to say it sits brilliantly.
09:47There's no, quite often with putters you get some doming or some raised spots. This is just like a
09:51perfectly flat head and it just sit, looks like it's sort of glued to the ground. It sits beautifully.
09:57And the sole, quite often you get a little bit of wobble and a bit of twisting when it hits the ground.
10:02I'm seeing nothing of that where I put this down and aim it. And then I can build my stance. There's
10:08no twisting or wobbling, which is really, really nice to see. Again, just that little bit of a pop,
10:14that little bit of a ting off the face. That's nicely red. That's a good start. That looks really good
10:20in that setting. I wouldn't say maybe I'm not precise enough with my feels. I wouldn't say I'm mass
10:28feeling even over this length. I've put a massive difference in torque profiles here. There's not
10:33too much between a low torque and a face balance putter. They're both, the principles are to try
10:38and keep that face relatively square and they're for strokes that don't have an awful lot of arc or
10:43opening and closing to them. So there's not masses in between them, but it has dramatically changed the
10:47look. And I would have to say, I think I much prefer it in this pure face balance setting with the,
10:52with the shaft looking straight up and down. And those are three pretty solid putts. It'd be nice
10:58to hold one. There you go. So that's a good finish. So that's it in the face balance setting. Let's see
11:03what we can do in the tow hang setting. And then I want to give you some thoughts about where I think
11:08we're heading with this and the type of people that could help. Right. Sorry to interrupt the sausage
11:13party on Saunton's putting green. If you are enjoying this video, please subscribe to the channel,
11:18hit the like button. It really helps us and comment down below. What do you think about this whole
11:22sausage golf revolution? So we're going to try it in that third setting now, which is going to be
11:27heel shafted. You've seen, it took me a couple of minutes to do from the low torque to the sensor
11:31shaft. I won't put you through watching me screw and unscrew these things again, but how that's going
11:35to work is I'm going to use the two screws in the center here, holding the shaft in place.
11:40At the moment, take the shaft out. We've got this little tiny little block there, which I think you
11:45can probably see because the cameraman's brilliant. And then we're going to nudge that across.
11:49That's going to sit over here, which creates more space for the shaft to go in on the heel here.
11:54And then I've got a heel shafted putter with, I'm going to say, I reckon about 45 degrees of toe
11:59hang. So let's have a look at that. Right. So that is it in the toe hang position or the heel shafted
12:06position, whatever you want to call that. So when we again, do that same test, we're going to hold it
12:10unaided there. You can probably see down the lens, I'd say it's around that 45 degree toe hang. So this
12:16should in theory, suit people who have a little bit more arc and rotation to their stroke. It
12:21would just want to move with you a little bit more. So let's hit a few putts and see how it feels
12:25in that orientation.
12:29It is really strange having what is essentially the same putter. I know it's the same putter
12:34because it's not left my hands and just seeing it in a completely different orientation there,
12:39looking down, whilst the head looks the same, obviously that shaft's going in, in a very different
12:44place. And even on that first putt and that one in particular, I can feel, I can actually genuinely
12:51feel some torque profile there of some opening and closing of the face. That's something
12:56probably wouldn't suit me. I'm somebody who likes to feel that square to square
13:01ish style stroke. I know it's never square to square, but I like to feel sort of minimal rotation
13:06stability. And that is just really, really cool. Left it in the jaws there. I can hear a couple of
13:15people at home and I know some of my putting coach friends who will be screaming at the TV going,
13:19what's the point? That's frivolous. All these golfers have got a torque profile. If you go to a custom
13:25fitting, they will suit either toe hang, either zero torque or face balance. But I'm of a different set
13:31of beliefs. So they'll be thinking, what is the point of having a putter? You can move into three
13:35different orientations when you should, in theory, just have one torque profile that suits your stroke.
13:40I'm of a completely different set of beliefs. I don't believe someone's torque profile or their
13:44putting stroke necessarily is like their DNA or their fingerprints. These things are malleable. They
13:49move a little bit over time with humans and strokes change and people change. So I think having the
13:54ability to create, like I said, eliminate those variables and create essentially three different
13:59putters, but with the same basic specifications of length, of lie angle, of swing weight, all that
14:05stuff is an incredibly valuable tool. Just look at people like Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose. Fleetwood's
14:11been through a number of different putter head styles and torque profiles over the last couple of years,
14:17but specifically this year before landing in the spider that he's just used at the Ryder Cup to hold
14:22putts all over the place. And I doubt that'll be the end of his putting journey. Rose is trying a different
14:27torque profile almost every week. These people want to change these things. And this is a brilliantly,
14:32potentially cost effective way of doing that. So you're not having to buy different torque
14:36profiles. You can create what you want out of this putter. And let's be honest, who of us out there
14:42haven't had one of those putting days where you just think, oh, I need to change something. I need to
14:47freshen it up, but you don't have another putter. Some people even change grips overnight, do all sorts of
14:53things. What you've got here is the opportunity to stay in the putter you've been using, maintain that
14:57sort of feel, all the swing weights, all those variables I've spoken about, but just freshen
15:01up the feel and the look slightly. What a brilliant way of being able to do that without doing anything
15:07too radical. So I've gone into this toe hang here. If I'm struggling on that, which I have been over the
15:15last couple of days, I've been playing a tournament here on the greens, you know, just get the wrench out the
15:20night before this round that I've got coming up today, go into a slightly different torque profile
15:27and who knows, there might be a bit of success around the corner. And let's be honest, who of
15:32you out there, now don't lie to me here, haven't thought after a round of golf, I could do better
15:37left-handed. Well, with the Sausage Golf, you've even got that option. I hope you've enjoyed that look
15:42at the Sausage Golf Boudon Noir. I've had loads of fun testing this out. As a gear tester, as I said,
15:47we see a lot of samey products from time to time. So to get something this different and this
15:52innovative is really exciting. I was just starting to think, looking around the putting green at this
15:57event I'm playing here, I'm still looking at Ping Anser style shapes that have been around for 50,
16:0260 years. We've been through a big driver revolution with adjustable weights, loft sleeves, face angles.
16:08Have we exhausted that? And is it time, is it the putter's time to get in that space of serious
16:14innovation and tech and adjustability? I certainly think so. I think this could be the start of
16:18something big. Let me know what you think in the comments down below.
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