TW777 360 Ti small driver
Honma
A confession: I’ve been playing Honma Golf’s TR21X irons for most of the past four years. Not only are they really well made, they feel solid, they look sleek, and I suspect they help me hit the ball straighter than most other irons. More often than not, people I play with ask me about them. The brand’s just not that well-known among American golfers. Yet it’s been around for decades, and is synonymous with Japanese craftsmanship and exceptional performance. So when Honma announced a brand-new club line this week – the TW777 woods and irons – it caught my attention.
Honma calls the TW777 a “modern breakthrough,” with the core of that claim lying in Carbon Power technology. It’s a subtle but powerful material advancement that’s inspired by the brand’s heritage. The drivers and fairway woods include a titanium carbon sole to efficiently transfer energy from the shaft to the clubhead with minimal loss. A carbon ring reinforces the carbon body’s stiffness, suppressing excess deformation at impact for better energy efficiency and stability that translates into high ball speed and consistent distance. And the rear carbon body results in a lower center of gravity (CG) for a high launch with lower spin and longer carry.
The driver line-up includes three models. The TW777 ($650) is the standard, aggressive choice, with adjustable weights and enhanced flexural stiffness for powerful swings. The TW777 Max ($650) is forgiving, thanks to a deep, low CG for straight flight, with adjustable heel and toe weights that help you to dial in your preferred shot shape. And the one that excites me the most is the TW777 360 Ti mini-driver ($450) that’s just 360cc in clubhead size and has a loft of 11.5 degrees. It’s designed purely for workability and a sharp, crisp sound for those of you who like to shape shots. I’m pretty sure it will be more versatile than a 3-wood, and it features interchangeable front and back weights so you can home in on the shot shape you want.
The TW777 fairway woods and hybrids ($375 apiece) sport the new Get Sole that ensures seamless turf contact and stable impact. There are two fairway wood models. The TW777 is for golfers seeking powerful ball speed, smooth turf interaction, and stability from any lie, while the TW777 MAX is for golfers seeking easy and effortless launch, enhanced forgiveness, stable performance from any lie. Meanwhile, the hybrids have a high-strength steel face for distance, as well as a structure that enhances balanced workability and straight-line stability.
And finally, the TW777 PCB Max irons ($1,125 for a set of five) are designed for easy launch and distance, and showcase a large clubhead, full cup face, and soft forged body. The “Honma CUT” (a precision milled slope) makes them appear forgiving at address, which is always a welcome sight when you’re standing over the ball.
Perhaps one of Honma’s barriers to U.S. golfers has long been the high prices. But the TW777 prices are relatively very reasonable and extremely comparable to all of the other major brands.
