I Ordered Takomo Irons Online… Was It a Mistake?

I Ordered Takomo Irons Online… Was It a Mistake?

Takomo 301 CB Unboxing, Online Fitting & First Hits at Leisure Pod (My Honest First Impressions)

If you’ve been seeing Takomo everywhere lately, you’re not alone. I’m Andy — Golf Mad Dad — and this is only the second time in my entire golfing life that I’ve bought a brand new set of irons.

I’d been seeing the online buzz, watching loads of reviews, and I’ve got a couple of mates using Takomo out on the course too. Add in the fact I’m tired of snapping clubs and constantly getting irons repaired, and I finally did it…

I hit the button and ordered the Takomo 301 CB set (4 iron to pitching wedge).

In this post, I’ll break down:

  • What arrived in the box (and the little extras)
  • The Takomo online fitting process I used
  • The specs I chose (and why)
  • What Takomo claim the 301 CBs are designed to do
  • My first hits and early performance numbers at Leisure Pod

And most importantly… whether ordering irons online felt like a gamble or a smart move.

Watch the Full Video on YouTube:

Why I Bought Takomo Irons (And Why Now)

I’ve been playing golf a long time, and I normally don’t rush into brand new gear. But this purchase made sense for a few reasons:

  • Direct-to-consumer pricing is hard to ignore
  • I wanted something in the “players” category… but not harsh
  • I like a clean look: minimal offset, classic shape
  • I’m not chasing “max distance” — I care more about distance control and predictable gapping
  • I still swing it fast (I’m 46 and hovering around scratch, doing my Holding Scratch at 46 series)

So the question became: can Takomo deliver proper players-iron performance at that price point?

Takomo 301 CB Unboxing: Packaging & First Look

Right — let’s get into the fun bit.

When I opened the box, everything was packaged properly:

  • Protective wrap on the grips
  • Protective wrap on the heads
  • The irons were secured in protective foam
  • Considering they’ve travelled halfway around the world, everything arrived safely

The little bonus extras

Takomo also threw in a couple of nice touches:

  • A Takomo baseball cap
  • A golf towel

I’ll always rep my Golf Mad Dad gear, but fair play — those freebies are a classy touch.

First impression of the irons

Straight away, I liked the design on the back of the head. Initial glance: timeless, premium-looking, and clean.

At this point I was thinking: Please perform as good as they look.

The Takomo Ordering Process (Direct to Consumer)

Takomo are direct-to-consumer, which is a big reason the price is so competitive compared to the big brands in retail stores.

But the real question is always the same:

Does the lower price show up later in performance, feel, durability, consistency…?

I’ll answer that properly over the next few months, but the ordering part itself was genuinely smooth.

The Online Fitting Tool: What I Entered & What It Recommended

I used Takomo’s online fitting tool. I’ll be honest: I’ve never had a proper in-person iron fitting, which I probably should change… but as a quick way to get “in the ballpark,” the tool was simple.

Here’s the general type of info I entered:

  • Age / gender
  • Typical score range
  • 7-iron swing speed (mine is around 95 mph stock)
  • Preferences: forgiveness vs workability vs distance
  • Ball flight and tempo
  • Height and wrist-to-floor measurement
  • Glove size and right-handed

The tool landed me in the Takomo 301 CB again (same recommendation when I ran it through on camera), which was reassuring.

My Takomo 301 CB Specs (And Why I Chose Them)

Once you get your iron head recommendation, the next step is selecting your build specs.

Shaft: KBS Tour X-Stiff (130g)

  • I’ve used KBS Tour for years (previously 120g)
  • This moved me into 130g, so slightly heavier
  • I stayed with what I know works

I did look at other shaft upgrades, but I couldn’t find anything conclusive that justified the extra cost for my launch/trajectory needs.

Length: +0.5 inch

That’s what it recommended, and it matches what I’ve used previously too.

Lie angle: I chose standard (even though the tool suggested 1° upright)

This is a personal choice, and it links into something golfers don’t talk about enough:

A fitting fits the swing you bring that day.
But I’m actively working on improving my movement and delivery, so I chose standard as a “build for where I’m going” decision.

Grip: Midsize

I switched to midsize about 6 months ago and I wish I’d done it years earlier.

Cost & delivery time

All-in it came to roughly £612–£620 plus delivery (around £30–£40). Lead time quoted was 6–8 weeks, but mine arrived in about 5 weeks.

Delivery Tracking & Shipping Experience

You can track the journey, and mine shipped from Hong Kong, travelled across, and landed at East Midlands a few days before delivery.

I did have a small UPS delay (not Takomo’s fault), and I’ll admit I got a bit nervous… but they arrived safe and sound.

What Takomo Say About The 301 CB (In Simple Terms)

Takomo position the 301 CB as a players cavity-back iron designed to blend:

  • Control
  • Workability
  • Forgiveness
  • A classic, timeless look
  • A forged feel

They mention forged S20C steel, and talk about a “silky smooth” feel, plus perimeter weighting and a precision milled cavity to keep the head stable while still being workable.

And importantly (for me), Takomo say the CB gives a bit more forgiveness than the 301 MB, while keeping a similar players profile.

That’s exactly why I went CB over MB.

301 CB vs 301 MB: Why I Didn’t Go Blended

I considered a blended set (I’ve done combo sets before), but I decided to go:

  • Full CB set for consistency
  • And honestly… for potential future resale value too (full sets are often easier to move on)

First Look Over The Ball: Offset, Topline & Shape

I started with the pitching wedge.

What stood out immediately:

  • Minimal offset (love that)
  • Topline isn’t razor thin, but it looks clean
  • At address, it sits really nicely
  • The grip felt tacky and secure
  • Head felt “present” — I could actually feel it during the swing

I’d hit a mate’s Takomos a month earlier and his felt very top-heavy to me (different build and very thick grips). Mine felt much closer to what I’m used to with my previous set.

Loft Talk: Why I Wanted Traditional Lofts

This mattered a lot to me.

My previous pitching wedge was 46°.
The Takomo 301 CB pitching wedge is 47° (even weaker), and from what I saw:

  • 4 iron: 23°
  • 7 iron: 34°

That likely means I’ll lose a tiny bit of distance — but that’s fine. I’d rather avoid the modern “jacked loft” issue where your pitching wedge is basically a 9 iron and your wedge gapping becomes a nightmare.

Because of this set, I’ll probably revisit my wedges and go something like 52 / 56 / 60, but wedges are also about bounce and conditions, so I’ll dial that properly later.

First Hits at Leisure Pod: Feel + Early Numbers

Now the real fun: first swings.

Pitching wedge — first impressions

The first strike felt:

  • Smooth
  • Buttery
  • Softer than what I’ve been playing (my old irons are about 7 years old)

Early data (first swings of the day):

  • Around 90 mph club speed
  • Around 140–146 carry depending on strike and how well I used the ground

And yes… the smile got bigger.

7 iron — “this is my stock club”

I hit a few 7 irons and the key things for me were:

  • It still looks great at address (again, minimal offset)
  • When I struck it well, I was seeing:
    • 99–100 mph club speed
    • 130–134 ball speed
    • Carry in the mid 180s (around 184 on one)

That’s right where I’d want it for a controlled 7 iron, especially this early with a new set.

4 iron — back in the bag after years

I haven’t carried a traditional 4 iron in a long time. I’ve been using a utility iron setup (21°/24°) that was more “meat on the bones.”

The 4 iron head looks smaller at address (you start to see a touch of the back of the club), but the strikes felt:

  • Solid
  • Surprisingly forgiving for the shape
  • Launch and trajectory looked playable

And importantly: I didn’t feel like the heavier shaft slowed me down. Speeds were still up there (I saw 106 mph club speed on one).

My Honest First Take: Was Ordering Takomo Online a Mistake?

After unboxing and hitting only a handful of balls…

No — so far, I’m seriously impressed.

What I liked most (so far)

  • Ordering and fitting process was easy
  • Build specs arrived exactly how I wanted
  • The irons look premium
  • Feel is genuinely “forged smooth”
  • Early numbers are in the window I want
  • The CB seems to give that little extra help on slight misses

But… this is still the honeymoon phase.

What’s Next: Full Review, Spin, Gapping & On-Course Testing

Next steps for me:

  • Proper bag mapping
  • Dial in spin + carry numbers across the set
  • Test them outdoors off real turf (as soon as the weather behaves)
  • On-course performance: dispersion, distance control, flight windows, misses

So consider this post the unboxing + first-hit reaction. The deeper review is coming.

Over To You: Have You Tried Takomo?

If you’ve ordered Takomo before:

  • Which model did you go for?
  • How was the delivery and build quality?
  • Did you keep them long term or switch again?

And if you’re considering ordering online and you’ve been sitting there thinking “is this a gamble?” — drop a comment and tell me what you’re stuck on. I’ll help where I can as I keep testing these through the season.

Takomo 301 CB… initial reaction: I’m happy.

 

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