+TourSpecGolfer Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Honma Golf has had gigantic success in decades past catering to the slower swinging wealthy segment of golfer, yet that very same success acts as a double edged sword as now there is a preconceived notion that Honma only produces blingy golden clubs for older ladies & gentlemen.. and that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm going to highlight one of their recent products that I just had to have the 2013 TW-U driving iron. I'm a driving iron junkie, lots of options have recently caught my eye but the #1 concern was always forgiveness & accuracy, so why not use a hybrid wood? Because of accuracy, I rarely ever go OB with a driving iron while with a hybrid I can from time to time. In a nutshell it's my belief that Driving irons are safer and more accurate with a tighter dispersion IF you excel in iron play over wood play. At the same time If you don't get the ball up easily, and have a slower swing speed I suggest considering hybrid woods. Over the past 3 months I tested Epon, Royal Collection, and SYB driving irons and of those the Royal Collection won big in all categories, then just a few weeks ago my Honma TW-U arrived and knocked the RC out cold, the TW-U gets up quick, it's long and very easy to hit especially if you opt for the vizard UT850 graphite shaft, it's simply accommodating all around and not only for me but for the TSG test crew which includes some really excellent ball strikers. I think this is the only CAST club in my bag, that's right it's cast by Honma of MS225 Steel and if I didn't know what I was hitting I would have said it's a damn good feeling forged club, I asked everyone who hit it how it feels and everyone came back expecting it was forged of soft carbon. Keep in mind Honma has perfected the art of casting now for a very long time and this club is changing my tune on how good castings can actually feel, that said most castings don't feel this good. The sole is wide but nicely rounded enough to have a predictable interaction with the turf, It's obviously designed to appeal to the better player as there is really no excessive offset or bulging anywhere on this head. Like all Honma golf equipment, clubs are hand-built to order in a single location – Honma’s Sakata studio, in northern Japan, where over 100 craftsmen work on every single club the company produces. Each club head is precisely finished, measured and balanced by hand this is a rarity now days as brands are doing all they can to reduce costs and manufacturing in China, Taiwan, and Thailand. For those of you who find the Honma line up a bit confusing, Tour World is for the professional and advanced player while the BERES line up spans from average to high handicapper. The Honma TW-U is designed for the better player as it's a part of the Tour World series. If you decide to go with steel NSPro has got you covered, but if your considering graphite like I did I suggest going with the Vizard UT950, I went with the UT850 and probably would go a little heavier if I could do it all over again. The shaft name vizard has a funny origin, VICTORY x WIZARD = VIZARD! The Honma Tour World TW-U is available in 18,21,24* lofts. It features a half cavity on the exterior but within it is hollow for increased forgiveness, It's size maintains workability while still easily flying straight. It is a great club for those who like utility clubs to play similar to their irons while having that extra room for error providing a strong medium trajectory with no ballooning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIduffer Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 How would you say it compares to the Buchi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 The Buchi is not as forgiving, the TW-U reminds me of a much improved version of the ol TM Japan DI's. Buchi is for someone who can hit a 3 iron well enough. Least forgiving compared to the bunch tested but best feeling, probably most workable. Buchi is not hollow inside meaning it has to remain small to make weight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicasio Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 (edited) When will this available in TSG and how much...interested to try the 18deg Edited April 15, 2014 by nicasio Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokidoki1986 Posted April 15, 2014 Report Share Posted April 15, 2014 When will this available in TSG and how much...interested to try the 18deg it's already available you could check it in online store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicasio Posted April 18, 2014 Report Share Posted April 18, 2014 it's already available you could check it in online store. Tq Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoon Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 i have hit this ots quite nice. reminds me of the srix zut diS. Defintely more solid feeling than other offerings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanaa Posted April 19, 2014 Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 again, i dont hv much exp in DI, how would this compare vs RC, 903 chris ? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+TourSpecGolfer Posted April 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 19, 2014 again, i dont hv much exp in DI, how would this compare vs RC, 903 chris ? Thanks These are the DI's worth considering in no particular order. I'm sorry I can't compare the performance to each other, it's hard with out hitting them all side by side. I can only remember visually what I liked about them and refer to my photos. I will say I've hit all but the SYB. I've seen the SYB a few times and its sharp but I'm loving that TW-U right now, with graphite I'm swinging super easy and producing nice high consistent results. I'm probably gonna get another and also start tinkering with different shafts. The Epon & the RC are the smallest, the SYB has the least amount of offset if I remember correctly. If you play nice JDM forged irons the Buchi will blend more seamlessly with your set as is a true driving iron not "hybrid" driving iron. It feels more like an iron. Most forgiving is for sure the PRGR Egg i+. - Honma TW-U - PRGR Egg i+ - Epon 903 - Royal Collection 706V - SYB Piarm II - BUCHI Custom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanaa Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 thanks. Looks like its the TW-U then. Prob plug it into my crazy ute shaft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blader-X Posted April 25, 2014 Report Share Posted April 25, 2014 I like the look of this driving iron very much. Was watching European tour coverage this am. Looks like Liang of China was using this particular club but couldn't make it out for sure. Any familiar with him know for sure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chanaa Posted May 9, 2014 Report Share Posted May 9, 2014 bought the 3i in the famous thaniya plaza in Bkk, fitted it with ctaper lite. had 3 rounds with it, amazing. Just as easy off the deck as tee. Great club for the longer par 3s & 2nd shot par 5s. Was worried as it looked a bit skinny on the eye, but easy to launch & very forgiving. Ball flight flight more like an iron profile, starts off low penetrating and climbs higher for a nice fade. never had a driving iron before, glad i bought this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.