Last time we built them, in this video I take my new Takomo 201 irons to the course and test them out. See the full review here. Follow me: Instagram @MobileClubmaker
I particularly liked how you compared them visually to more common irons. That’s the problem with DTC clubs - you can only look at pictures which lack perspective. Thank you!
Thanks for the review, I can confirm the quality of the 201. I ordered them last October (heads only) and installed my shaft (NSpro Zelos 6) and since then I played around 25 rounds with. never disappointed, still in perfect condition.
You ordered the .370 tip versions of the Zelos 6, right? Takomo says its irons are .370. Zelos 6 are ultra light weight at just 68.5 grams. I have been testing Nippon NS Pro 77.5 gram Zelos 7 stiff and 87.5 gram Zelos 8 stiff shafts in my forged blades to replace my current 120 gram Rifle LIte shafts and am very impressed with the Zelos shafts. I have also tested a KBS Tour Lite regular shaft at 95 grams. Takomo only offers KBS steel shafts. I think I prefer the feel of the Zelos shafts. KBS has its shafts made in Taiwan by Femco Steel Technology Industries. Nippon Steel makes the Nippon shafts. They make all kinds of spring steel, which is highly specialized. That gives me confidence in the technological and engineering skill behind their shafts.
I am a year late but had seen so many good reviews on the Takomo irons and after learning more about it I decided on the 201. It's on its way supposed to get it this Wednesday and l can't wait.
One reason I've gone exclusively to forged besides feel....even though they are more expensive, is adjustability. As your swing changes, you have lots more flexibility with forged vs cast.
Well reviewed AJ I have 5 rounds under my belt now with mine. I love the feel and performance. You can flight and shape them well enough. I was a little put off at the thickness of the topline st first but honestly can get used to that easily. The offset was a little more than my Mizuno mp18s but again. Not that noticeable. I'm keeping them in my bag for the foreseeable future for sure. Thanks again for making them for me, super happy with the results. Enjoy your set.
Great review. Would love to see a similar build/on course review of the Maltby TS-1 irons. One of the best set of clubs that doesn’t get much attention on RU-vid.
I just received my order of Takoma 201 clubs and have enjoyed them alot for two rounds and some range sessions. I played Bridgestone J36 pocket cavity irons for years and thought they look and feel similar to them. Made it feel comfortable to me to switch. I hit the 201 irons about 10 yards further for each club compared to the old loft Bridgestone J36 irons. Thanks for the thorough review.
How do they setup compared to your J36? Funny I have the cavity backed J36 set and they are getting a little worn but I love them to death. More concerned about switching shafts cause I do love the flighted project x shafts as well. But I was looking at the 201 as a replacement. Might bite the bullet but still on the fence.
I got the KBS tour lite stiff shafts and I had the 5.0 regular in the project X flighted before with the J36s. The setup was completely different, but I don’t have a problem hitting them. They feel lighter overall and probably a lighter swing weight as well, but it seems fine. The Takomo irons already show ball marks and dings that allow minor amounts of rust on the face. I have only played them a couple months. I thought the j36 finish looked better after 10 years and I never had any face dings on them. That’s my only concern. Seems like they won’t last years like the Bridgestone.
I bought the 101 being 18hcp but since there strong got the gw too fill the gap very impressed for the money 8 clubs $460 delivered Performance is good very forgiving shot 8 over yesterday second round of the season very happy
AJ, another fantastic video. I have become an avid watcher off all your content. I think your work is probably the most informative and impartial content of any on youtube. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with everyone. As a club builder, do you think you could share the best places (or where you like) to get the different components? ferrules, shims, etc. Thank you again
I appreciate the support for the channel. As for components, I buy a lot of parts from Golfworks. Shop tools, bits and pieces etc. Ferrules I also have started buying more BB&F stuff as more people want a personal touch on their irons.
@@EFGMC Thank you AJ. This is super helpful. I am excited to check them out. I hope golfworks and BB&F partner with you to make some videos. It would be cool to see you build with some of their top of the line or custom items. Also, I think it would be cool to see the process you go through with your clients when building their set. Like, how much guidance you give them, the cost v performance on components, etc. Kind of like a start to finish test case. Thanks again! Your work is great!
Ian Fraser the master fitter at TXG in Toronto tested the Takomo 201s on You Tube and was very favorably impressed. That video may help those considering buying them in addition to yours. They are indeed high quality clubs equivalent to those by, for example, Mizuno. My only issue is that they only offer KBS shafts and in .370 (which the fitter I go to also does not like). I am in the process of finding a lighter shaft for my forged blades (Chicago Classics by Evans Design) than the present Royal Precision Rifle Lite 120 gram stiff shafts. I will be 82 in June, have been playing for 60 years, have a 16-17 handicap I hope to improve, and have a 74-75 mph swing speed with my 7 iron with the heavy shafts. I have been studying and debating different ones,.(FYI Bob Evans was the director of Tour Operations and then Product Design for MacGregor Golf. From 1987-95 he and a partner had a small company that produced irons forged in Taiwan, where MacGregor had its forgings done. The blades I have are almost identical to Mizuno MP-33s, which were my previous irons. Boxes of the heads have been sitting for some years in the workshop of the fitter at my range, and I discovered them by accident when he made a set for a customer who became too picky so he got fed up and put them out behind the counter for sale. I got brand new unhit heads 3 through SW for just $100 total. I love the heads, so am trying to keep them, but I really do need something lighter than the 120 gram stiff Rifle Lites. I bought single Nippon NS Pro Zelos 7 stiff 77.5 gram and Zelos 8 stiff 87.5 gram shafts and had the fitter at my range put them into Chicago Classic 7 iron heads. After hitting all of them, I think the Zelos 8 seems to be a good fit. I looked at the True Temper web site and found Elevate shafts, but not Elevate Tour. Am I missing something? They have the Elevate 85 and 95, in R300 and S200,300 and 400. The 85 Regular is 84 grams, 85 Stiff 85 grams. The 95 R and S are both 90 grams. TT describes them as deliberate tempo, high trajectory, high spin. In terms of weight, they are both pretty much in the same ballpark as the Zelos 8 stiff. Did you consider Nippon shafts? What do you think of Nippon shafts, and the Zelos group in particular? I considered the Modus 3 105 regular that weighs 95 grams, but it is designed for mid height trajectory and low spin, so it did not seem ideal for me. Same with the KBS $-Taper Lite. One thing that interested me about the Nippon shafts is that they are made by Nippon Steel which specializes in spring steels so their technology and expertise lends itself to things like golf shafts and the way they must move and behave. KBS has its shafts made in Taiwan by Femco Steel Technology which does do many types of pipes, but apparently not spring steel. Just wondered if you would consider Nippon's Zelos shafts equal to the TT Elevate shafts in terms of what I am after. Oops, sorry, I just found by digging more on the True Temper web site that the Elevate Tour shafts you mention are "retired" models and no longer in production. They were considerably heavier than the Elevate MPH line, being 112 to 122 grams. Says moderate tempo, medium trajectory, medium spin. So totally different than the ones I am considering. Sorry.
True Temper and Nippon are the 2 best steel shaft manufacturers in my opinion. The Elevate and the Zelos would be comparable. Don't think anyone makes better ultralight steel than Nippon.
You just swung the needle closer to the 201 for me. I have been wanting to pull the trigger on Takomo for a while now but have hesitated since I can't demo them before buying. I really enjoyed your video.
@@vernhaynes1544 Understandable, I tested my friends Ben Hogan PTX pros and I also liked those maybe give them a shot. I know youtubers are giving praise to these Takomo irons, but at the same time I've seen people who have ordered theirs months ago and still have not received them. I'm just a bit weary about them idk
On kyllä ihan helvetin hyvän näköiset mailat👍🏻. ! Great rewiev..i live in finland so thats another plus for me. Price is so low that i got to get them anyway..then decide am i gonna play them everytime or just sometimes.
First, you have a very good swing!! I wonder what your handicap is? I'm torn between the 201 and the 101. I'm 75 and used to be a single digit handicap. Not anymore. Which club would be best for me? I've hit the Taylormade P790s and LOVED them...
Thanks for the content. As a hobbyist, love the material. I recently purchased the New Level 902-PD's and absolutely love them. The DTC market is growing and producing some really good stuff with very attractive pricing. I got tired of waiting for a set of Titleist T100-S so pulled the trigger on the 902-PD and don't regret it one bit.
Quick question. You said you shouldn’t leave your clubs in the car @ around 12 minute mark. Why? I basically live out of a hotel most of the year and get too lazy to take them up to the room. If leaving them in the car is going to degrade my blinds over time, then I will take them out after each game. Thanks for your time & the reviews. Keep them coming.
Been playing the 101s for the past year. I don’t get out as often as I’d like and I am scheduled for a knee replacement so my swing has been suffering quite a bit so take this with a grain of salt lol. When I do my part the 101s are amazing. They feel fantastic, sound great and give me all of the distance I could want. When I’m unable to swing properly due to the pain in my right knee these irons still amaze me. Very forgiving and mis-hits don’t hurt my hands and the ball still flys well but not as accurately as with a proper swing. Well worth the money and I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. Looking forward to more consistent swings once the new knee is in place and I get through the rehab process.
Nice detailed review and comparison from someone in the know. I've got a friend waiting for a set of 101 to be delivered soon. Looking forward to seeing what they're like. What kind of handicap range do you think the 201 irons would be suitable for?
Waiting for the heads to arrive from Takomo. Already have Project X LZ shafts. Wondering why you use those expensive ferrules. I don't most of them attractive and Golfworks has what I need at reasonable prices.
I like your review including your build of the Takomo 201 irons. You didn't say much about the shafts. Are the stock shafts decent? As a senior with probably less than 90mph club head speed what stock shaft from Takomo would be best for me?
DTC keep getting better. Sub 70, New Level, Takomo, even Stix. PS - As far as the water is concerned after I wash and towel dry my clubs I take a can of compressed air and spray the cavity back to dry out those nooks and crannies
Great review AJ. I have been considering these irons but am concerned about how much ' Lie angle ' can be altered from standard. I am 6'3" and currently play 4 degree upright on my Callaway 7 iron (67*) whereas the std loft on Takomo 7 iron is 62*. In your opinion do you think they will adjust by 5 degree?
Good looking brand, and very affordable. As said, would be interesting to get fitted or even test them them before ordering like other boutique brands New Level, Sub70, Caley, or pure customs fitting brands like Wishon, KZG. Definitely the way to go, Lynx and Ben Hogan are curenlty i the same page of retailing online only
Thanks for a very good review on the Takomo! Thinking of buying a set myself. But as you say, DTC is hard to know witch model fit you! Im leaning aginst 201. How do you think 201 is compared against Ping i (E1), my current club? Boyh in size and forgivness? Keep up the good work!
I've heard great things about them. I do wonder why or why not other DTC brands would stack up in your opinion. Such as Golfworks clubs.....in my experience the least expensive forged club lineup. I have the TE forged, and they are amazingly affordable. I really like them. Ben Hogans. I have the combo....ptx pro and Icon. Not as affordable as the TE, but still considerably less than the big boys. Love them too. I have my eyes on some Haywood forged. They look classically beautiful. Sub 70, and New Level are ones I'm very curious about. I've bought from Hireko, and while I've never tried their occasional forged clubs, if you want to get very inexpensive clubs, especially beginners can't go wrong. I have a set I still go to from time to time. I just ordered some club heads from Diamond Tour.....they are even less expensive. I'm betting they will be very serviceable clubs. Golf clubs definitely don't have to be expensive. Any thoughts. I've been an amateur clubmaker for 20 years, and I will happily admit that you are more detail oriented than I....your clubs will be more tuned in than mine, so I admire that. For the casual golfer, however, I think that if you get close with the build, it's the archer....not the arrow. I won't spam....don't wanted to take attention away from Tacomo, because they are very highly reviewed. Interested in your thoughts.
I do like the Maltby TE heads. I used them in my SST Pure video. Everyone who hit them liked the look and feel. I do think these Takomo have a more premium look however.
I love the looks of these clubs, I would love to see a tour pro try them or even a Korn Ferry Tour player. The wedges look super ugly to me. Wish I could afford to buy and build a set :(. Sadly no 3 iron. I love my 3 iron and they don't make one in the 101 or 201 :@. Might have to bend a 4 iron to a 3 iron.
I have a set of Edges, 4 - PW, wedges, 18 degree hybrid,4 wood, and a putter and really like them but I noticed that their prices have creeped up enough to make you look at other brands.
@@kevinwood1722 you are right. They have gone up a bit but so has everything(let's go Brandon!). I bought a used set of Icons(barely used at that) with S300 shafts. Seem to fit me perfect. $460 :)
A bit late, but would these be clubs that I would be able to improve with? Started about 4 months ago and got my average from about 120 down to low-mid 90s. I don’t want the 101s bc I feel I would outgrow them, so would these suit me?
I looked at the loft specs. 3deg. between long, 4deg between mid. then 5deg. between short. Currently playing irons with consistent 4deg gapping. I think there would inconsistent yardage gapping like 10 yard between long irons and 15-20 for the short irons?
I didn't notice any big gaps given I haven't done a formal gapping session with them. They are really soft so you could bend without issue. I might weaken the long irons on this set as the longs are pretty strong lofted.
@EFGMC thank you very much for the reply. Because I'm cutting off the end of the shaft should I worry about the length and put the 3 iron shaft in the 4 iron and so on?
@@jasontaylor7215 Those shafts will already be long because of the bore thru design. Should give you about the same final length when installed into a standard hosel. But double check that before you start glueing.
I've got several questions to ask about a club I've assembled for myself that is along the concept of the Square Strike clubs. Are you OK with my asking questions here, or is an email or other forum better? Thanks.
The PURE Pro grips I used here have a very similar texture pattern to a tour velvet. They are just softer and tackier to the touch. My shop is in Atlanta, GA.
@@donomar619lv Come on by. I use the Pure grips as my fitting studio grips because i can take them on and off so quickly it allows for size changes on the fly.
hi AJ, I'm very interested in the Srixon ZX Utility 2 Iron, what do you think will be the best shaft for it just to name a few best selection out there? Would steel or graphite suit a driving iron better?
It's really going to be based on what you have leading in and out of that club. What weight shafts do you have in your irons? What weight shaft is in the next longer club after the 2i spot. That will be the biggest factor in picking something. Steel or graphite can work but again the decision will be framed in the context of weight. If you need a 80-90g shaft, I would be in graphite, if heavier then it could go either way. Also would need budget because I can give you $250 or $35 recommendations.
@@EFGMC my Iron is Elevate ETS 115 VSS Pro. However I would like a bit ligher graphite shaft for my Srixon ZX Utility 2 iron. What are your best 3 options for shafts that are designed specifically for long irons? I am looking at Aerotech HLS Graphite Hybrid shaft at the moment.
Will you please ,when you want to show small detail Get the camera much closer to the small objects ( ferrules ,shimmy) . It is difficult to see small details . Thanks .
AJ I’m looking for new irons. I have a law ball flight and low spin. What irons do you recommend and what shafts? I’m thinking of getting the heads and have you build them. What is the name of you business store, I forgot.
It's Elite Fit Golf but we aren't up and running as far as a website goes yet. I am doing custom builds through. Low launch and spin means more loft is needed. Shaft can make a small impact but it's really all about loft. Depending on what type of irons you prefer (players, players distance, game improvement) we can adjust lofts a little to give more height. Shaft usually going a little lighter can help with height a bit.
@@EFGMC I’m going to search for the iron brand I heard of that say they were made to hit the ball higher by having a lower COG and some jell inside the head. I’ll let you know when I find it
This was from a PXG fitting I don’t know anything about PXG other than they are out of my price range. Gen4 Player irons 4-GW with the Elevate 95 Regular shaft everything standard loft lie and length
@@pebblebeach65 Every major brand will have an iron like this. The one issue is they are very strong lofted so it can be counter productive for some golfers trying to get more height.
I've got the forged TE, and I'm very happy with them, and they are the most affordable of the Maltby forged lineup especially if you purchase a Pak. Maltby does charge sales tax, so that bumps up the cost, but I haven't found any forged irons that are less expensive. I also have the Hogan Ptx pro/Icon combo set. Love those too.
I would put my $ on the TS1's for category and comparison. Would be great to see a solid review on any Maltby clubs though. IMO they are THE most underrated DTC because they don't push for video reviews so they don't get the notoriety that the deserve outside of their cult followers.
@@AZstu324 Just curious, I went with the TE forged mainly for a classic forged iron at a hard to believe price, so that if I didn't like them, I wasn't out too much money. Have you tried both the TE and the TS1? I know the TS1's have some newer technology, so I'm curious about them. I'm very happy with my TE's. Any thoughts?
@@biggregg5 so my previous set before the TS1's we're the DBM's which is basically the TE's with a sun tan. I absolutely loved them and you're correct that they are outstanding clubs. They were my introduction to Maltby and I've been hooked ever since. The TS1's however are a whole other level of club and I don't have any regrets on my transition from the DBM's to the TS1's. I would definitely consider them as a "next set" as the TE forged could easily handle all of your golf needs. If money is no object and you're looking for another set already, order the TS1'S tomorrow! They're THAT good!
@@tms299 Compact shape, less offset, thinner lines, higher lofts. In general a club that you can move the ball flight around easier than a game improvement iron.
Hello, I live in California, US. If I want to new set, how do you know what kind of shaft. I'm 65 years old, 12 handy. Let me know what's cost of that. Thanks.
Open models from ??? Kyoei. DTC is becoming a race to the cheap. Tell me who designed them and why the design and materials were chosen. It is still the fit that matters.
Guys don't get these lol. Callaway sells pre owned "like new" apex 19 forged irons for around the same price. Or get Ben Hogan ptx pro those are nice too
