Takomo 201T MKII: We Tested the $679 Players Precision Irons

For the past few years, I’ve been intrigued by the irons offered by the Finnish company, Takomo Golf. I had a chance to review Takomo’s driver, fairway woods and wedges, and I was impressed on all fronts, especially the latest wedges, the Sky Forger 002s, which have tremendous looks, feel, and versatility at just $99.

Takomo’s iron offerings look like a bargain as well. All of them have a clean, minimalist look, and have been played by pros like Luke Kwon and Wesley Bryan. The downside is that Takomo is direct to the consumer (which helps keep the price down), so you can’t walk into a store and try them all out. Yet, I’ve had the opportunity to hit other golfers’ early generation Takomo irons, and I was impressed with them.

So early this year, when Takomo introduced the second iteration of its irons, the 101 MKII, 201 MKII and 201T MKII irons, I was more than curious.

I’ve always loved a clean look. A big factor in irons, just like putters, is how it looks at address. That can affect the confidence you have in a product. 

So naturally I jumped at the opportunity to review the 201T MK II irons, which are more compact than the 201 MKIIs (a hollow-body offering for handicaps 5-25), and the bigger 101 MKII game improvement irons. 

The 201T MKIIs are designed for players with a handicap up to 15, and after playing them for a few rounds and hitting them on the range, I’d say that’s a pretty good assessment.

I tested the standard 4-PW set of the 201T MKIIs, outfitted with regular KBS Tour Lite shafts and midsize grips. I would have opted for graphite shafts, but that was not included in Takomo’s standard offerings at the time, although it is now. 

I put this set in play several times on the course, including during a tournament. They proved to be exactly as I figured – players’ irons that reward good contact, but not as forgiving as my gamer PXG 0311 Gen 4 irons. Also, I didn’t include the 4-iron in most of my rounds since I don't normally carry a 4-iron, but rather a hybrid substitute that’s easier to hit. But I did hit plenty of 4-irons on the range. I also tested the pitching wedge around the greens for chipping, which is not something I normally do on the course.

Pros:

• Great looks
• Good value
• Very workable

Cons:

• Not ideal for players who don’t consistently make solid contact
• Not a distance iron (but not short either)

What type of golf is a players precision iron made for?

The most obvious answer to this question is good players. 

And I do believe there’s a baseline of skill level you need to play these. But you don’t have to be near scratch to benefit from the Takomo 201T MKII irons. It also depends on how you define “benefit.”

In other words, you don’t have to score better to enjoy the benefits of a player’s precision club. In an extreme example, golfers who play old hickory shafted clubs won’t likely score better with those, but maybe they just enjoy the game more using these instruments. Obviously, the 201Ts are a lot more forgiving than hickories, but you get the point. 

They’re not forged blades, and they do have a little bit of offset, better players will appreciate how easy it is to work the 201T MKII. 

They also provide lots of feedback. And while the variable thickness in the mid and longer irons do make them somewhat forgiving, the feedback you get is more like a blade than a large hollow-body iron.

Ball-striking ability is more important than handicap level. A 12-handicap who flushes it may benefit more than the 8-handicap who clunks it around the course but has a bulletproof short game. But regardless of skill, these will please any player who appreciates the artistry and feel of a compact iron.

“What are those, Mizunos?” 

I got asked that question more than once while playing these Takomo irons. 

You could argue the logos are similar, but more than anything these look like beautiful forged irons, which is what that Mizuno is known for. 

Bottom line, if you carry these, other golfers will assume you’re a player (at least until you show them otherwise).

Aesthetics play a large role in golf clubs. Liking how a putter looks can breed confidence, and the same is true for irons. Some players might look at these compact irons and think there’s not enough surface area to be very forgiving. Other players, myself included, get more focused over compact irons like these.

First, the semi-bad news, depending on how you look at it. These irons were definitely shorter for me on average than the player’s distance irons I normally play. 

Notice, I said, “on average.” 

While they were typically a half club shorter than my PXGs – partially due to generally more loft through the set – there were times where I carried the short irons in the 201T MKII set the same distance as my PXGs.

But only when I flushed it. That’s part of the beauty of these clubs. Feedback is real, and I liked that. It tends to get me more focused. The thinner top lines and soles require more precision, and I felt like I could dig into that.

The 201T MKII were great into greens. I got plenty of spin, and had no trouble stopping shots on the greens, no matter what club I came in with.

I also hit a lot of balls on the range, where these irons were easy to dial in, for the most part. The one exception was the 4-iron, and for me, that was par for the course. Inconsistent carry distances are a near-universal issue with the longer irons for recreational players, which is why I opt for a hybrid instead of carrying a 4-iron. I’m not alone. Fred Couples doesn’t bag a 4-iron, or even a 5-iron most weeks.

Chipping with the pitching wedge was a pleasant surprise. The thin top-line of the 201T MKII made it more comfortable, and the sole felt better on these touch shots than my gamers, which I don’t use for chipping because of a clunkier feel.

Overall, my scores weren’t any better or any worse with the 201T MKII irons in the bag. The tradeoff for the feel is less forgiveness. Mis-hits wound up in a greenside bunker or short of the green, whereas I might have gotten away with those shots with my player’s distance irons.

But at times I felt dialed in, like I could drop a shot right in the bucket. That’s where the true enjoyment from these clubs comes. The pure shots feel incredibly good, and when you get on a roll with them, there’s nothing like it.

I’ll keep them in the bag for now and see if my precision improves.