The Takomo 101T irons are the best irons I've ever used. Factor in the cost, and for me Takomo is a no-brainer. I might even buy another full set as a backup set.
Check the lofts. The yardages from one club to another do not make sense. 23 yard difference with Ping going from the 9 to the 8 iron. Actually, the Takomo has more consistent gaps until you reach the 6 iron where you experience a 22 yard gap going from 7 to 6 in Takomo and 20 yards in Ping. Until the 6 iron, the Takomo irons have more consistent gapping. There must be a different reason why you are keeping the Ping irons.
It sounds like you just ordered the wrong set. If you were after distance and what looks like a mid handicap, the 101 would have been your club, not the 101T. You might not be ready for a players iron if your dispersion is off and you cant work the ball left and right on demand.
Ageeed, in all the tests the 101s carried a good bit farther that the 101Ts. I can’t speak for dispersion as my balls all are over no matter which set. Distance and forgiveness are definitely up in the 101s
You should go Power Spec in the 4 & 5 iron. The extra ball speed will keep the spin close to what it was but it will go further. However, the problem I have is with the PW to 9 iron. The gap in the 525 seems too large and wonder if power spec in the PW or retro loft in the 9 would be best.
What shafts are in the Pings and what shafts are in the Takomos? You can order just the Takomo heads and have them shafted locally with anything you want. A fitting with a launch monitor would be helpful for choosing the correct shaft model. Putting the same shafts in the Takomos that are in the Pings would have been a better test (and still would have been somewhat less expensive, or a lot less expensive if you did it yourself) after the launch monitor testing.
Yes, 100% if I had been able to use the exact same shafts that would have been ideal. I tried to be upfront that they are similar (but different) and it was a test of what was in front of me. I rate both clubs and honestly not many of the manufacturers are putting out bad clubs these days... Fit is important to me.
@@JonPerkinsGolf Thanks. I realize it is unrealistic to reshaft every set that is offered for testing. The fact the shafts are similar is good. I use graphite shafts in my irons. There is more variation with them than with steel shafts. I have Paderson shafts in my irons. If buying new irons I would use those or Nunchuk shafts which I don't see discussed much any more.
@JonPerkinsGolf thank you for your honest review. I'm a ~8-10 handicapper and been playing Nike Victory split cavity backs since 2009. So you think I would benefit from moving into the 101ts? I don't play as much as I used to so I'm not looking to spend thousands of dollars on clubs.
I'm in the same boat. Started with the Edge set but longest iron was a 6, and I often needed longer. I picked up a set of 101t, they feel and sound great but my carry dropped nearly a full club across the set. I know the difference is due to weaker lofts so it doesn't bother me.
Nice job on the review. I think these are a great looking set…haven’t had a chance to try them yet. If you aren’t gonna use them I know someone that would enjoy them…
I'm only a 8.1 HCP but do you look at anything else than the yardage? lofts are ofc a little different, but what about the spin numbers? I'm playing the Taylormade P790, which are the same lofts from 7-P and .5 degree stronger in 5-6, but I'm getting a little too low spin numbers. Also I need to switch to a stiff shaft. I can't lie, the price is a big plus to Takomo, but not getting fitted I dread a little.
Hey, yes the fitting is the part to mull over. It's tricky if you're at a stage where you know your swing and numbers well. Some of the DTC brands are starting to offer heads only, so you can get shafts fitted locally, but likely you then lose the price advantage. The one thing I would say, is they are very good clubs and worst case I'm sure locally others would buy them from you if they really didn't suit.
I’d be testing the i230 as a like for like. The i525 are rocket ships! Also don’t carry a 5 iron anymore. 4&5 hybrids and the 7w has all but knocked out the 3 hybrid out of the bag.
Great review..The shafts and loft do make a big difference in distance between irons.. I have a set of Hogan PTx Pro irons with KBS shaft and a set of Wilson Staff FG V6 irons with TT shafts, only one degree of loft diffence and my Wilson iron at 35 loft and Hogan at 34 loft and the Wilson Staff are 6 to 9 yards farther....
Thanks and yes, really wish I could try them with identical shafts in them, just not an option right now. I'd be fascinated to see those results though!
Yes, I think the Ping's a fraction stronger. That's why I have nothing at all against the Takomo's, without having a Tour Truck on hand I can only pick between the two sets in my hands and just going with the one of the two that gives me a bit more. I'm genuinely a big fan of both - hoping all this comes across in the videos.
@@JonPerkinsGolf it did. Your video and several others helped me pull the trigger and I bought the 101t's. I played my first round with them a few days ago. I'm enjoying them. Also, the Arccos sensors fit into the 101t's just fine for anyone reading, despite what Takomo's website says.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed. Honestly, I really think it's a pretty close call and the shafts play a big part. I decided on balance at the time, that that particular Ping setup was better for me.
Did you ever try any of the 200 or 300 series from this company? The forged set certainly has an even better field than the 101s cool video like the overlays
@@JonPerkinsGolf I'm getting the combo set hopefully delivered tomorrow. 301 CB and 301 MB. Going to report back my findings, testing them out on a trackman
How much of a difference do you think the custom fit makes? What if you took the Takomo’s and got them completely fit for you - loft/lie maybe even a shaft change. Wouldn’t be cheap, but would still be interesting. Cheers
@@JonPerkinsGolf I am not a club fitter but it does seem odd that you’d see that much of a difference. If you ever get around to putting the same shaft into the Takomo’s that you have in your Pings I’d be really interested in the comparison. Wouldn’t be cheap though - totally understandable if you didn’t want to mess with it
They're stunning@@JonPerkinsGolf . Way more forgiving than anything I've played and so much feel and control. Misses go the same distance =/- 5% of yardage and way more "feedback" from the face compared to players distance irons like the TM770 etc. Only other one that came close were the Srixon ZX5s. I know you just decided on the Takomos, but if you get a chance they are worth a spin!
I have a set of 101 since 9 months , Amazing and beautiful clubs , Takomo has only one bad side for me as a LH golfer : they have not all their clubs for LeftHanded !!!.
I prefer the i230 over the i500/i525. The i500 irons helped me to become a single hcp player, but they are indeed rockets…The i230 are very forgiving and feel amazing. Furthermore they are helping me getting the correct distances. Surprised that you as a scratch hcp player, also not play the i230…
Yeah I found the i500's a bit longer than these. I think the i525's are more consistent than the i500's were. Honestly I've always been quite short but solid around the greens, so opted for a bit extra distance and figured I'd handle the odd outlier.
You say you got more distance from the pings but which loft were these in e.g. retro loft, power loft or standard? if standard then its no wonder these would give more distance as the i525 7i is 30.5 degrees of loft in comparison to the 101ts 7i which is 32 . I own the i525 and they are brilliant irons but if your comparison is the standard lofts then i would say its and unfair comparison
Hey Jamie, the Ping's are a fraction stronger but I've tried to cover that in the videos. I can only compare the two sets in my hands, hence tried to be objective across the videos. I like both but don't have a tour truck on hand, so going with the one of the two that gives me that bit more. Both v good.
@@JonPerkinsGolf I wonder if the standard 101s would have given you back this difference in distance. Ill bet you could work and shape them too like the 101ts and get a little more distance ? was fun watching all these videos.
What about the 201 or the 301 from Takomo? would those models suit you better? the 101 and 101T are more for improvement and you being a low handicapper I think the 201 or 301 would be better to compare them with the i525, don't you think?
I appreciate the good review for the Takomo set but I have to say that I feel like you went with PING to stay in their good graces. The potential for PING to add you to their influencer list and supply free clubs to review had to play a part. Can’t say I wouldn’t do that same. That’s why these reviews are so tricky to trust.
Hey Victor, thanks for watching along. In truth I'd be very surprised if a brand like Ping ever looked at me :-) but the reason came down primarily to distance. I'm not especially long but have a solid short game, so the 10+ yards per most of the clubs was my deciding factor. As mentioned in the video, I'm not able to compare the perfect fit in each irons, I can only base it on the two sets in front of me as that's what I have. Neither set is a bad set, I just went with the one I thought better fitted where my game is at.
I don't disagree. I tried to highlight they're not 100% the same, but what I had access to. I'm hoping I was fair based on what was in my hands... Cheers
No, definitely not. I got to the end of testing and good and bad wanted to make a decision. So of the info obviously then gave me other things I had to sort. (Hope this makes sense)
Jon are the Pings the power loft setting? I find the 101t irons match very well in size and loft to the Taylormade p770. The Ping not only has gaps in distance but also stronger lofts… I would expect shorter distances in the Takomo. I play Taylormade so I am not a spokesperson for Takomo. I would not play a set of irons that had those gapping issues
trackman is nice but nothing replaces hitting them in real conditions. according to trackman I hit my 7i 140 in the real world my 7i goes 160-165 you spent over 2k more for ping to get 10 yards 8i-4i on trackman which again conditions matter. I'm getting a buyers remorse vibe. When you're ready to ship the 101Ts to me let me know 😉
I mean, please. Just stop. Just be honest and admit you are just like every other UA-camr who Takomo tried to buy by offering you free clubs, money and additional perks if you gave them a good review and then put links on your channel. You are a UA-cam influencer who is in it for the money -- plain and simple. Surprise, surprise! None of you end up with them in your bag. You basically lead people on to get them to place an order through your channel so you can benefit.
I think I've been very honest and transparent in my videos. I'd stand by everything I've said. I enjoyed the Takomo's and to be detailed for people I played them for over 2 months, so I could be objective. As per my video, really good clubs at a really good price. Wish I could try the same shafts in them both, but I can only go off the two sets in front of me. I rate them. My Dad has purchased from them and my brother is looking into doing the same. They're a solid option, just after two months and on the basis of all testing, they're not giving me more than the clubs I paid a lot more money for. In terms of your other comments, perhaps the top 1%-2% of UA-camrs make good money doing it, I certainly can't pay the bills with it. I'm a person who loves golf, editing videos and connecting with fellow golfers. I wish I could make more from it and I wish I could afford to buy more products to review for people, however that's expensive. Anyone buying Takomo's in my opinion will be very pleased with them. It's only because I'm being fully transparent that I made this video and didn't just leave people guessing on my choice. You and others who watch the videos are very welcome to your opinions though. Good luck to you.
Glad you are objective enough to make this decision. Appreciate you continuing to make real and helpful content!
Thanks. Trying to put out my unbiased opinions for what they're worth...
The Takomo 101T irons are the best irons I've ever used. Factor in the cost, and for me Takomo is a no-brainer. I might even buy another full set as a backup set.
Check the lofts. The yardages from one club to another do not make sense. 23 yard difference with Ping going from the 9 to the 8 iron. Actually, the Takomo has more consistent gaps until you reach the 6 iron where you experience a 22 yard gap going from 7 to 6 in Takomo and 20 yards in Ping. Until the 6 iron, the Takomo irons have more consistent gapping. There must be a different reason why you are keeping the Ping irons.
No different reason but I'm looking into it all. I'm a long way from a perfect golfer, so it's certainly not robot like testing.
Great video. Do you think that the more consistent and smaller yardage gaps in the Takomos could be an advantage?
Thanks! Potentially in the right hands - there's definitely a lot to be said for knowing how far your clubs go.
It sounds like you just ordered the wrong set. If you were after distance and what looks like a mid handicap, the 101 would have been your club, not the 101T. You might not be ready for a players iron if your dispersion is off and you cant work the ball left and right on demand.
Appreciate the input. Would be fun to try the 101's at some stage.
I think you are right
Ageeed, in all the tests the 101s carried a good bit farther that the 101Ts. I can’t speak for dispersion as my balls all are over no matter which set. Distance and forgiveness are definitely up in the 101s
You should go Power Spec in the 4 & 5 iron. The extra ball speed will keep the spin close to what it was but it will go further. However, the problem I have is with the PW to 9 iron. The gap in the 525 seems too large and wonder if power spec in the PW or retro loft in the 9 would be best.
Great ideas. Suppose could probably get a pro to check them out and potentially bend then to slightly different lofts.
What shafts are in the Pings and what shafts are in the Takomos? You can order just the Takomo heads and have them shafted locally with anything you want. A fitting with a launch monitor would be helpful for choosing the correct shaft model. Putting the same shafts in the Takomos that are in the Pings would have been a better test (and still would have been somewhat less expensive, or a lot less expensive if you did it yourself) after the launch monitor testing.
Yes, 100% if I had been able to use the exact same shafts that would have been ideal. I tried to be upfront that they are similar (but different) and it was a test of what was in front of me. I rate both clubs and honestly not many of the manufacturers are putting out bad clubs these days... Fit is important to me.
@@JonPerkinsGolf Thanks. I realize it is unrealistic to reshaft every set that is offered for testing. The fact the shafts are similar is good. I use graphite shafts in my irons. There is more variation with them than with steel shafts. I have Paderson shafts in my irons. If buying new irons I would use those or Nunchuk shafts which I don't see discussed much any more.
@JonPerkinsGolf thank you for your honest review. I'm a ~8-10 handicapper and been playing Nike Victory split cavity backs since 2009. So you think I would benefit from moving into the 101ts? I don't play as much as I used to so I'm not looking to spend thousands of dollars on clubs.
No problem. I liked them a lot and at the price point, they really are an excellent option.
I'm in the same boat. Started with the Edge set but longest iron was a 6, and I often needed longer. I picked up a set of 101t, they feel and sound great but my carry dropped nearly a full club across the set. I know the difference is due to weaker lofts so it doesn't bother me.
Nice job on the review. I think these are a great looking set…haven’t had a chance to try them yet. If you aren’t gonna use them I know someone that would enjoy them…
haha I'll keep it in mind! Yes, they did a great job on the design though, very good looking clubs.
I'm only a 8.1 HCP but do you look at anything else than the yardage? lofts are ofc a little different, but what about the spin numbers? I'm playing the Taylormade P790, which are the same lofts from 7-P and .5 degree stronger in 5-6, but I'm getting a little too low spin numbers. Also I need to switch to a stiff shaft. I can't lie, the price is a big plus to Takomo, but not getting fitted I dread a little.
Hey, yes the fitting is the part to mull over. It's tricky if you're at a stage where you know your swing and numbers well. Some of the DTC brands are starting to offer heads only, so you can get shafts fitted locally, but likely you then lose the price advantage. The one thing I would say, is they are very good clubs and worst case I'm sure locally others would buy them from you if they really didn't suit.
I’d be testing the i230 as a like for like. The i525 are rocket ships! Also don’t carry a 5 iron anymore. 4&5 hybrids and the 7w has all but knocked out the 3 hybrid out of the bag.
The 5 iron surprised me, I hadn't noticed it until the testing. I carry a 5 wood already but might loo into some sort of hybrid option.
As a new golfer I’d go towards the takomos since the pings and takomos are looming about the same but the price between them is about $800-1,000
Great that there are so many good options out there for us all
Great review..The shafts and loft do make a big difference in distance between irons.. I have a set of Hogan PTx Pro irons with KBS shaft and a set of Wilson Staff FG V6 irons with TT shafts, only one degree of loft diffence and my Wilson iron at 35 loft and Hogan at 34 loft and the Wilson Staff are 6 to 9 yards farther....
Thanks and yes, really wish I could try them with identical shafts in them, just not an option right now. I'd be fascinated to see those results though!
It’s an option but you have to pay for the shaft
Aren't the ping i525 irons lofted at 30.5 degrees vs 32 degrees for the Takomo? That alone would make them go farther. Thanks for the vid, either way.
Yes, I think the Ping's a fraction stronger. That's why I have nothing at all against the Takomo's, without having a Tour Truck on hand I can only pick between the two sets in my hands and just going with the one of the two that gives me a bit more. I'm genuinely a big fan of both - hoping all this comes across in the videos.
@@JonPerkinsGolf it did. Your video and several others helped me pull the trigger and I bought the 101t's. I played my first round with them a few days ago. I'm enjoying them. Also, the Arccos sensors fit into the 101t's just fine for anyone reading, despite what Takomo's website says.
Brilliant@@socialnetwerck enjoy them. I think you have an excellent set on your hands.
Great review Jon, would you say i525s are longer while 101s are more accurate / forgiving ?
Thanks, glad you enjoyed. Honestly, I really think it's a pretty close call and the shafts play a big part. I decided on balance at the time, that that particular Ping setup was better for me.
Ping 430s. Callaway Paradym and Takomos are the best clubs I have used.
Did you cover the difference in blade length? The Takomo should be quite a bit smaller--which I would prefer.
I didn't but yes, they are a little more compact. I really did enjoy the Takomo's, I think they've done a great job with them.
Did you ever try any of the 200 or 300 series from this company? The forged set certainly has an even better field than the 101s cool video like the overlays
Appreciate the feedback and no. I'd like to try them through, they get rave reviews!
@@JonPerkinsGolf I'm getting the combo set hopefully delivered tomorrow. 301 CB and 301 MB. Going to report back my findings, testing them out on a trackman
How much of a difference do you think the custom fit makes? What if you took the Takomo’s and got them completely fit for you - loft/lie maybe even a shaft change. Wouldn’t be cheap, but would still be interesting. Cheers
Yeah I guess thats the million dollar question. Very good irons though. I like the brand and their range a lot.
@@JonPerkinsGolf Sorry if I missed this but what shaft/flex are you using in each iron?
Stiff in both@@nobodyimportant76467 Though a slightly lighter one in the Takomo, which could again play into my results.
@@JonPerkinsGolf I am not a club fitter but it does seem odd that you’d see that much of a difference. If you ever get around to putting the same shaft into the Takomo’s that you have in your Pings I’d be really interested in the comparison. Wouldn’t be cheap though - totally understandable if you didn’t want to mess with it
Me too@@nobodyimportant76467
Did you try the i230s?
Hey, I think briefly when I was originally fit for the i525's. From memory I just hot the i525's better. Heard good things though.
They're stunning@@JonPerkinsGolf . Way more forgiving than anything I've played and so much feel and control. Misses go the same distance =/- 5% of yardage and way more "feedback" from the face compared to players distance irons like the TM770 etc. Only other one that came close were the Srixon ZX5s. I know you just decided on the Takomos, but if you get a chance they are worth a spin!
Great feedback@@whaleshark2625 thanks
I have a set of 101 since 9 months , Amazing and beautiful clubs , Takomo has only one bad side for me as a LH golfer : they have not all their clubs for LeftHanded !!!.
Glad you're enjoying your clubs! Imagine they will improve the LH offering in time. Thanks for watching along though.
Excellent honest opinions on golf gear, much appreciated.
Appreciate that, thanks
I prefer the i230 over the i500/i525. The i500 irons helped me to become a single hcp player, but they are indeed rockets…The i230 are very forgiving and feel amazing. Furthermore they are helping me getting the correct distances. Surprised that you as a scratch hcp player, also not play the i230…
Yeah I found the i500's a bit longer than these. I think the i525's are more consistent than the i500's were. Honestly I've always been quite short but solid around the greens, so opted for a bit extra distance and figured I'd handle the odd outlier.
This is so right.. the i230's honestly can be hit by a scratch player to someone hitting in the 25 range they're so damn versatile.
You say you got more distance from the pings but which loft were these in e.g. retro loft, power loft or standard? if standard then its no wonder these would give more distance as the i525 7i is 30.5 degrees of loft in comparison to the 101ts 7i which is 32 . I own the i525 and they are brilliant irons but if your comparison is the standard lofts then i would say its and unfair comparison
Hey Jamie, the Ping's are a fraction stronger but I've tried to cover that in the videos. I can only compare the two sets in my hands, hence tried to be objective across the videos. I like both but don't have a tour truck on hand, so going with the one of the two that gives me that bit more. Both v good.
@@JonPerkinsGolf I wonder if the standard 101s would have given you back this difference in distance. Ill bet you could work and shape them too like the 101ts and get a little more distance ? was fun watching all these videos.
@@m07c possibly! I did read that the 101's are a little longer but otherwise quite a similar finish.
I’ll have the takomos off you if your not using them
🤣 I'll keep it in mind! Seems like lot's of people are open to having them. Hope you're well
What about the 201 or the 301 from Takomo? would those models suit you better? the 101 and 101T are more for improvement and you being a low handicapper I think the 201 or 301 would be better to compare them with the i525, don't you think?
Could very well be and I'd love to hit them one day - access to all the different clubs (as a regular golfer) is the hard part 🙂
I appreciate the good review for the Takomo set but I have to say that I feel like you went with PING to stay in their good graces. The potential for PING to add you to their influencer list and supply free clubs to review had to play a part. Can’t say I wouldn’t do that same. That’s why these reviews are so tricky to trust.
Hey Victor, thanks for watching along. In truth I'd be very surprised if a brand like Ping ever looked at me :-) but the reason came down primarily to distance. I'm not especially long but have a solid short game, so the 10+ yards per most of the clubs was my deciding factor. As mentioned in the video, I'm not able to compare the perfect fit in each irons, I can only base it on the two sets in front of me as that's what I have. Neither set is a bad set, I just went with the one I thought better fitted where my game is at.
I can tell that's Bevo! 😳🤣
Are you a member, or just played there a bit?
Member mate, unfortunately there's a very limited amount of half decent quality courses in Syd's Sth and Sth West even...
@@pendragon6449 seems like a great membership - everyone was really friendly. Enjoy
The Pings should be better, they cost twice as much. For those of us on a budget the Tacomos are a no brainer.
Just like the previous comment the lofts need to be the same for a true comparison
I don't disagree. I tried to highlight they're not 100% the same, but what I had access to. I'm hoping I was fair based on what was in my hands... Cheers
You have 22 yard gap in the Pings between your 8-7 irons… are you saying that’s a good thing?
No, definitely not. I got to the end of testing and good and bad wanted to make a decision. So of the info obviously then gave me other things I had to sort. (Hope this makes sense)
Jon are the Pings the power loft setting? I find the 101t irons match very well in size and loft to the Taylormade p770. The Ping not only has gaps in distance but also stronger lofts… I would expect shorter distances in the Takomo. I play Taylormade so I am not a spokesperson for Takomo. I would not play a set of irons that had those gapping issues
trackman is nice but nothing replaces hitting them in real conditions.
according to trackman I hit my 7i 140 in the real world my 7i goes 160-165
you spent over 2k more for ping to get 10 yards 8i-4i on trackman which again conditions matter.
I'm getting a buyers remorse vibe.
When you're ready to ship the 101Ts to me let me know 😉
haha I think I'll hang onto them for now... You know, just in case... 🤣
I know someone who could use the Takomos that aren’t going in your bag.. 😂
I mean, please. Just stop. Just be honest and admit you are just like every other UA-camr who Takomo tried to buy by offering you free clubs, money and additional perks if you gave them a good review and then put links on your channel. You are a UA-cam influencer who is in it for the money -- plain and simple. Surprise, surprise! None of you end up with them in your bag. You basically lead people on to get them to place an order through your channel so you can benefit.
I think I've been very honest and transparent in my videos. I'd stand by everything I've said. I enjoyed the Takomo's and to be detailed for people I played them for over 2 months, so I could be objective.
As per my video, really good clubs at a really good price. Wish I could try the same shafts in them both, but I can only go off the two sets in front of me.
I rate them. My Dad has purchased from them and my brother is looking into doing the same. They're a solid option, just after two months and on the basis of all testing, they're not giving me more than the clubs I paid a lot more money for.
In terms of your other comments, perhaps the top 1%-2% of UA-camrs make good money doing it, I certainly can't pay the bills with it. I'm a person who loves golf, editing videos and connecting with fellow golfers.
I wish I could make more from it and I wish I could afford to buy more products to review for people, however that's expensive.
Anyone buying Takomo's in my opinion will be very pleased with them. It's only because I'm being fully transparent that I made this video and didn't just leave people guessing on my choice.
You and others who watch the videos are very welcome to your opinions though. Good luck to you.
I've been playing takomos for 6 months at this point. I payed for them and I'll never go back. They are fantastic clubs for a high handicap golfer.
@@Bigdingaling95 I don't doubt it and good luck with them. I rate them very high.
Nothing beats a Miura which I have ❤
@@boxerboy860 they look amazing in the photos!