The low-torque/zero-torque movement has a new player this morning.
Is it Look at it.
The Finnish consumer-facing brand is releasing a pair of low-torque putters today: the Lumo M1 mini mallet and the Lumo B1 extended blade (we’ll explain). The duo carries Takomo’s two most dominant branding elements. First, the design is purely Scandinavian minimalist. Second, the price is pure Takomo minimalist.
Most of them.
We will explain this as well.
Why does Takomo sell putters?
Well, that’s easy.
Why not?
The company has long expressed its intention to be a supplier of full bag equipment, including the bag itself. In December, Takomo announced that it acquired a boutique putter brand based in Finland called Otso Golf.
Well, technically, he didn’t buy the actual company. It bought Otso’s patented low-torque putter design, its technology and its business operations. Look at it also “acquired” Otso founder, CEO and putter designer Miika Farin, who is joining Takomo as a product engineer. I’m not sure what was left of Otso once Takomo was done with him, but that’s another story for another day.
In the big picture, the purchase was a certified big deal. It represents a huge step towards becoming a “full-bag” OEM.
The Lumo M1 and B1: Why “conventional” is not Takomo’s style
Otso’s claim to fame, at least in Finland, was his unique take on low-torque putter design. You’ll notice that the Lumo M1 hub and B1 blade are heeled, not centered.
“Center-shaft hosel is not a natural model for me,” Farin said The Finnish golf site Golfpiste last year. “The same result can be achieved when the tree points to the center of gravity.”
Lumo M1 is a small-ish fully milled hub from 303 stainless steel. Features a simple, unique alignment line with horizontal, Evnroll-esque face grooves. Look at it he classifies them as “medium-depth” but I don’t believe there is yet an industry standard for putter face groove depth.
The Lumo B1 blade is a bit wider than a traditional blade, but not as wide as what you would call a “double wide” blade. Like the M1, it is also completely milled from 303 stainless steel with the same “medium-depth” face grooves.
Takomo originally planned to launch their new line of putters last summer, but you know what they say about plans.
“Osto putters are handcrafted in Finland,” Sean McCullum, Takomo’s Chief Marketing Officer, told MyGolfSpy. “Measuring what they were doing to a mass production approach took a while.”
Low-torque vs. zero-torque: What’s the difference?
Common says the difference between a low torque putter and a zero torque putter is, well, just a little bit of torque.
Knowing the answer might not satisfy, I texted MyGolfSpy’s Wizard of Putts, the great and mighty Dave Wolfe. Here is how the Great and Powerful responded…
He proceeded to enlighten me.
“What you’re really asking about is the effect of the minimum torque,” says Dave, whom we call. The Professor because he really is one. “The low torque putter will only have a little spin during the stroke. Also, this spin will add some ‘feel’ to the putter. Those who try zero torque putters and abandon them often do so because they can’t feel the head during the stroke.”
Traditional putters all have a certain amount of torque because the shaft axis does not pass directly through the center of mass of the putter. Gravity and impact forces cause the face to rotate. As the person holding the putter and applying the force to set the ball in motion, it’s something you have to deal with.
Look at it says the new Lumo putters are balanced “centers of gravity,” meaning the shaft passes through the putter’s center of gravity. The net effect is to reduce face rotation and resist twisting more than a traditional blade or mallet.
Do not delete; just reduce it.
Some center shaft putters and even high-MOI mallets could qualify as low torque. They are designed to make the putter head more stable through the shot, but there will be some rotation of the face.
So what is the strange difference?
Zero-torque also aligns the axis of the shaft with the center of mass. The face naturally wants to stay square to the road throughout the stroke. This means that, as the person holding the putter, you don’t have to resist the torque during your stroke. As we said, Look at it says his new putters are low torque. However, because they are heel mallets and not oversized high-MOI, they are still balanced in the center of gravity and therefore are closer to zero torque.
So Professor Wolfe’s wisdom stands. The difference is a “bit of torque”.
However, in this case, “low torque” sounds much better than “almost no torque at all, but not quite zero.” It’s hard to put on a billboard.
Final thoughts
We gave the new Look at it Lumo puts a test run on the putting green and we have a few observations.
First, as you would expect, they are stable through the shot. This is job one of a low-torque or zero-torque putter. Second, as you can see from the photos, they are minimalist to the point of being sparse. Whether you like it is purely subjective.
Finally, we found the sound very pleasant on short putts. However, as the putts are longer, the sound has changed, especially if the sweet spot is missing even by half a millimeter. Some call it feedback; I called it a clunky. It took a while with both putters to dial in the distance control, but once we did both proved reliable.
Lumo putters tend to sit vertically (70 degree lie, three degrees loft) so you need to determine if that works for you before you buy as customization options are limited.
As with any low or zero torque putter, there is a honeymoon phase in course followed by a why-the-hell-did-I-buy-this-damn-thing phase Generally, if you work on that second phase, you will be able to judge well if the putter will work for you in the long run.
Takomo Lumo Low-Torque Putters: Specifications, Price and Availability
Both the Lumo B1 blade and the M1 mallet are available in 33-, 34- and 35-inch models for left- and right-handers. Takomo has also taken the important step of matching the weights of the head to the length. The 33-inch model is the heaviest at 365 grams, the 34-inch is 360 and the 35-inch is 355.
Both the B1 and M1 are available in Satin Steel and Black DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) finishes. DLC is a curious choice. It is very thin, very hard and very durable. It’s also a curious choice for a putter since turf interaction is generally minimal.
Both putters come with a monocurved KBS CT Tour shaft, in standard chrome for the Satin Steel model and matte black for the DLC Black finish. In addition, both come with a unique Finnish Kvadrat Ame textile head with a magnetic closure. Kvadrat Ame is a 100 percent recycled polyester made from textile waste often used on upholstered furniture. It doesn’t help the putter work better, but it’s pretty cool.
The Takomo Lumo B1 and M1 putters retail for $219 in Satin Steel and $239 in Black DLC. That’s a little higher than, say, the zero torques from the Wilson Staff, Lazrus or Tour Edge, but they’re pretty close.
They are available now the Takomo website. The company tells us that US orders of the Satin Steel models will ship in mid-October, while the Black DLC models will ship in early December. Orders in the European market in both finishes will be shipped immediately.
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