Takomo 301 CB Iron Review

Every now and then while trawling through hours of nonsense on social media platforms, you come across something that makes you shift in your seat a little. That is exactly what happened to me with Takomo Golf. 

A few months ago while scrolling Instagram, I stumbled across a very sleek image of a player's cavity iron that piqued my interest. I delved a little further into the details and found out I was looking the Takomo Golf 301 CB iron so I headed over to the website to find out more. What I found was a direct-to-consumer equipment manufacturer based in Finland, producing some great looking products at eyebrow-raising prices. Since then, I have been itching to get my hands on them and the time has finally come...

VIDEO: Joe Ferguson tests and compares the leading low handicap irons in 2024

Sometimes you can be fooled by great lighting and photography when making online purchases, but the Takomo 301 CB is as pretty in real life as it is on Instagram. From the back, the minimalist, clean looks really appealed to my eye and were comparable to any of the best golf irons. Normally here I would allude to their great shelf appeal, but as they are a direct-to-consumer product, they won’t actually ever sit on a retail shelf! Rest assured however, they will look extremely good sat in any golf bag.

There is a sophistication about their appearance which gives the impression that Takomo isn’t trying too hard to impress with fussy graphics and colors, the quality craftsmanship is simply being allowed to shine through without distraction. 

Down behind the ball, quite a short blade length is apparent, notably more compact than in some of the other best irons for low handicappers which may intimidate some. I personally enjoyed this look and found it particularly helpful when trying to manipulate ball flights. I was fortunate enough to be sent the 301 MB also, and the differences between the two models are subtle but still apparent. 

The head profiles and shaping are extremely similar which provides a nice cohesion for anyone looking to create a combo set (which is something Takomo offers), however the top line of the MB is a bit slimmer and the sole a touch narrower.

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That said, the top line of the 301 CB is far from thick and the sole far from wide. In fact I think Takomo has done a brilliant job with the overall geometry of the 301 CB. Whilst always subjective, these are pretty close to my ideal dimensions in terms of blade length, top line, toe shaping and the transition from hosel-to-head.

The slightly wider sole of the CB is mitigated cleverly by some neat contouring, in particular a nice softening of the leading edge makes turf interaction helps with turf interaction.

The feel of both the CB and MB really is excellent. The precision forged S20C steel gives an exceptionally soft impact sensation that rivals some of the best blade irons on the market such as the Mizuno Pro 221 or the Titleist 620 MB iron. 

As you would imagine from a compact, player’s style head, the feedback from mis-hits is apparent but far from unpleasant, retaining much of the buttery sensation of the sweet spot. It is little wonder that these irons have already made their way onto the PGA Tour in the bag of former winner Wesley Bryan.

From a performance perspective the 301 CB holds its own against any of the best irons I have tested in pretty much all categories.

Spin rates and launch angles were very consistent and ball speeds were very competitive with any irons I have tested at a similar base loft such as the TaylorMade P7MC or the Srixon ZX7 MK II irons.

Ball flights were stable with both the MB and CB models, with no apparent fade or draw bias. The ball flight came out of a good window and peak height was pretty much what I would expect from a set thats base 7-iron loft is 34 degrees.

The sets I tested were both fitted with X-Stiff KBS Tour shafts and Lamkin crossline grips. Both of these are high quality components that compliment the heads well. 

Customisation is available on the website with different shafts, lengths, lie angles and grips all options, albeit at slight additional costs. 

With the basic 4-PW set starting at $649.00, the value for such a high quality iron is astonishing. The direct-to-consumer route allows Takomo to avoid some of the additional margin needing to be built in when distributing to retail stores, and with the marketing strategy being nearly 100% social media based, that saving is happily passed onto the consumer!

Takomo is adding more and more models to their range seemingly by the week, with wedges, driving irons and hollow-body construction distance irons also on the Takomo menu. I recently even noted the website teasing an upcoming fairway wood release, which I will be interested to explore.

I genuinely couldn’t be more impressed with what Takomo has produced here with the two models I tested. Exceptional aesthetics, premium feel and rock solid performance at a quite incredible price.