tortoise1956

Winter update: I was having some difficulty with maintaining a good line with the long irons, so I went back to my PXG 201 ST irons for a while. Basically, just long enough to verify that it wasn't the irons, it was me...anyway, the 301MB's are back in my bag, and once I worked my swing back in sync, I'm again hitting greens on a regular basis and leaving plenty of chances for birdies. I can honestly say that these are easily the best overall forged irons I've ever used, based on forgiveness vs. playability. It seems sometimes as if the entire head is a sweet spot. It's definitely larger than the Hogan Apex irons I used in the 1980's, or even the KZG ZO set I keep in the garage and pull out once in a while to remain humble. I'll say it again - these irons are well worth the investment I made to try them out. I would, however, recommend that you purchase the heads only, and install the shaft and grip of your choice. I don't have anything against KBS, but I think that with some research you can find shafts better suited to both these heads and your game.

I've had my Takomo 301MB irons for a while now, so it's time for an update. I ordered heads only, and outfitted them with Nippon NS Pro 950GH shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. The clubs start at D2-2.5 and go up to around D5 on the PW (too long ago, I forget exactly). I measured the swingweight using a SwingU digital scale that I accuracy-tested against clubs with known measurements from my local golf Galaxy. The one adjustment I did to compensate for my advanced age was to have the lofts strengthened to match the 101 iron specs. I am more than satisfied with these clubs. They provide a good feel for how pure the strikes are. They aren't the most forgiving clubs, but mishits will still cover a good bit of ground (but not enough so that there's no incentive to swing better). I can also work them either way, all the way down to the wedge. I am seeing a marked difference in my game. I was having trouble breaking 80, to the point that I was wondering if it would ever happen again. These irons, as part of a wholesale rebuild of my set, have allowed me to start scoring in the mid to high 70's again on a regular basis. Yay! These irons are NOT for a player looking for max forgiveness. However, if you want to buy a set of low-cost, high quality better player irons,you should add 301MB's to your list of choices.

My comment about the longer irons was meant to reflect that I started swinging too hard when I experimented with Ping max improvement irons a while back (several iron sets ago!). I've had to spend a lot of time working to correct this swing flaw. For example, I took an old set of KZG ZO irons out of mothballs and played them for a while. The Takomos are much more forgiving than the ZO's, but then so is pretty much every iron set around - with the possible exception of the original Hogan Apex irons. I went with the 950GH to see how they worked with lighter steel shafts, as well as seeing how my swing speed was affected. I like the response, but overall my swing speed was not changed enough to compensate for the decrease in mass with the lighter shafts. I believe I'll end up going to 120-130g shafts for the long run. Thinking either go with tradition (Dynamic Gold) or stay with Nippon (Modus 3 at 120g or greater). My next area of concern is my short game. I'm inconsistent at best with my wedge play. I actually improved when I used the ZO irons with no lob wedge. I think I'm gonna bo back to a 3 wedge system, and maybe put the ZO AW and SW in my bag. In any event, I need to get out more. However, someone turned the broiler on high here in Las Vegas, and it's not that much fun to play in 110 degree heat like it was when I was younger...so I'll stick with my practice net in the back yard for now! Looking forward to reading you review of the 301MB irons. One last personal note - I find that the PW just feels good in my hands when I chip with it. Purely subjective, I know, but so is much of my game...

Lucky man! I recently bought a set of Takomo 301MB iron heads, and paired them with Nippon 950GH taper shafts in stiff flex and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips. The swingweight is approximately D4 for 4-8, D4+ for the 9 and about D6 for the PW.(As measured on My SwingW digital scale, and my swingW XL). My initial findings: Long irons (4-5) are pretty easy to hit well. It has forced me to swing a little easier, but that needed to happen anyway. mid irons (6-8) are smooth and have a fairly large sweet spot. Short irons (9-PW) are easy to control, and provide plenty of backspin for me. One thing I discovered: you can put some serious curve on the ball. I went to draw a 9-iron around a tree, and the next thing I know I'm looking at 30+ yards of hook for a 130 yard shot! Luckily there was no trouble to the left of the green... I hope you enjoy these irons. I definitely have!

Thanks to everyone for their comments and recommendations. I will take all of this to heart when I refit my implements of desperation soon...

I'm looking to buy some new irons, and the TS-1 caught my eye. I ordered a 3-iron head with a TT XL Lite taper shaft in stiff to see how it performed for me. If it fits my eye (and swing), I'll be buying more, as well as (maybe) a Steelfiber shaft to see how it works for me. Basic description: I am 65, was shooting in the very low 80's with an occasional foray into the 70's until the pandemic put me on a general hiatus. I had been playing TaylorMade M4 irons, but I had no feel with them, leading me to just start whaling away at the ball. I recently went back to an old set of KZG ZO irons (4-PW) with TX-90 stiff shafts, to remind me when I was not hitting the sweet spot. These irons have been bent to be 2 degrees stronger than original. I normally hit the ZO 7-iron between 145-165 yards, depending upon shot shape. I recently added KZG TRS wedges - 50, 54 and 58 - with Dynamic Gold stiff shafts to the bag, but haven't been overjoyed with the distance and dispersion and may go back to my ZO GW and SW instead, or seek out new wedges entirely. Here are my questions: Do the TS-1 PW and GW heads follow a good progression as far as distance, compared to the rest of the set? Are they capable of producing good backspin with premium balls? I use Srixon Z-star/Z-star XV as a general rule, but I have been known to hit Vice Pro Plus balls as well... Also, any knowledge about Steelfiber shafts paired to TS-1 heads would be appreciated. Finally, any suggestions or recommendations of Maltby wedges, anyone?