Takomo just made a putter. Two, actually, and they start at $219. The Lumo M1 mallet and the Lumo B1 blade are up for pre-order on Takomo's site now, and Takomo says they ship in late October. Want the Black DLC finish instead of Satin Steel? That's another $20.
The pitch here is low torque, which is the putter buzzword of the moment. Takomo went low torque without making the putter look weird at address.
What's new
The whole idea is a single-bend, heel-mounted shaft lined up with the head's center of gravity. Takomo's explanation is simple enough. When the shaft points at the CG, there's less force trying to twist the face open or closed during your stroke. Less twisting means a squarer face at impact, and a squarer face means the ball starts where you aimed it. That's the technology. That's all of it.
What they didn't do is go center-shafted to get there. Takomo says the heel-shafted design keeps your view of the ball and the top line clean over the putt. If you've looked down at some of the low-torque putters out there and thought they looked like a science project, this is the counter-argument.
Both heads are CNC-machined from one piece of 303 stainless steel. No face insert. So expect firm and crisp, not soft and muted. If you've putted a mallet with a soft insert your whole life and loved that feel, know that going in.
The M1 is the forgiving one. High MOI, a deep CG, and a longer alignment line. That's the one you want if you catch the putt off center and still need it to reach the hole. The longer line also makes it easier to square up over the short ones.
With the B1 you get the compact wide blade. Its CG sits closer to the face with less onset, and Takomo points to distance control on longer putts as the payoff. Both models have the same head weight and the same low-torque weighting, so you're not giving up stability by picking the blade. You're picking a look and a feel.
Look, the spec sheet is better than $219 suggests. A KBS CT Tour Single Bend shaft, color matched to the head, chrome on the Satin Steel and matte black on the DLC. A Takomo-branded SuperStroke 2.0PT grip, which is a real grip and not a throwaway. The head cover comes in the box, so that's not another purchase sitting on top of the price. Lengths are 33, 34, and 35 inches. And the 30-day risk-free returns are what keep the gamble cheap, because you can roll it on a real green before you commit.
Who it's for
If you push and pull putts and you've been curious about low torque but didn't want to spend serious money finding out whether it helps you, this is a cheap way to answer that question. If you want the forgiveness and the easier aim, get the M1. If you've gamed a blade forever and you don't want your putter to look like it came out of a lab, get the B1.
Now here's the catch, because there's always one. Three lengths, no custom fitting options listed, and no MOI number anywhere. Takomo does list head weights of 362, 357 and 352 grams for the 33, 34 and 35 inch lengths, so you can at least check the weight against the putter in your bag. You're buying on the design and that return window, and I haven't tested either one yet, so I can't tell you how they roll.
But the money side is hard to argue with. Milled stainless head, KBS shaft, SuperStroke grip, head cover, $219. If you've been waiting on a low-torque putter that doesn't need explaining to your foursome, this is it. If you already love your current putter and you make everything inside six feet, keep your money and keep putting.
Source: Takomo official product page
Product image courtesy of Takomo
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About the author
Paul Liberatore
Paul Liberatore is the founder of Golfers Authority and a former four-year golf gear contributor to Sports Illustrated. He tests golf equipment hands-on to help golfers make better buying decisions.