Honma TW-X Irons

[95124hacker]

Played 1 round with the TW-X this weekend also. On par 3’s & good lies, these are as good as my 0311P’s, but out of rough, I had a harder time with the Honmas.

[localpar3guy]

Are the Honma TW-X irons without the Made in Japan Sakata stamp inferior or not a legit product? Have been interested in these irons for a while but want to get the actual clubs.

[thed0n]

Speaking about shafts only here but I have the Vizard 85s in the 747p irons, which I assume is the same as the IB85s in the TW-X, and these graphite shafts perform just as well as the Nippon Modus 105 stiffs that were in the Mizuno 900 HMs I gamed for a season.  No hooks, same stopping power, and just slightly lower trajectory.  2 grams of lead tape on the back of the irons brought them back to D 1 and 2.  

Edited February 14, 2021 by thed0n

[theothertwo]

On 2/14/2021 at 9:49 AM, localpar3guy said:

Are the Honma TW-X irons without the Made in Japan Sakata stamp inferior or not a legit product? Have been interested in these irons for a while but want to get the actual clubs.

I own Honma clubs with Made In Japan Sakata stamping and without.  I owned the TW-X irons and they are very nice and high quality clubs but they did not have the Made in Japan Sakata stamping on the hosel.  The TW-X are unique in that they look like they are Made In Japan (the silver ring on the ferrule, the authentic Honma Japanese grip and the NS Pro Modus 105 shafts had Made In Japan stickers - none of these 3 things are in other Honmas assembled/Made In China).  Hope that helps....see attached photos.  Got mine from Proclubs on Ebay.

Edited February 16, 2021 by theothertwo

[localpar3guy]

57 minutes ago, theothertwo said:

I own Honma clubs with Made In Sakata stamping and without.  I owned the TW-X irons and they are very nice and high quality clubs but they did not have the Made in Japan Sakata stamping on the hosel.  The TW-X are unique in that they look like they are Made In Japan (the silver ring on the ferrule, the authentic Honma Japanese grip and the NS Pro Modus 105 shafts had Made In Japan stickers - none of these 3 things are in other Honmas assembled/Made In China).  Hope that helps....see attached photos.  Got mine from Proclubs on Ebay.

 

 

 

Those look exactly like what I got. White labels say "Made in Japan" but not etched into the clubs, Honma grip, Nippon shaft. Still has the plastic slip over the club heads/grips and original shipping box. Just picked them up the other day because an opportunity popped up. Kinda felt too good to be true but this is confirming other things I've read and heard.

Edited February 16, 2021 by localpar3guy

[theothertwo]

1 hour ago, localpar3guy said:

 

 

Those look exactly like what I got. White labels say "Made in Japan" but not etched into the clubs, Honma grip, Nippon shaft. Still has the plastic slip over the club heads/grips and original shipping box. Just picked them up the other day because an opportunity popped up. Kinda felt too good to be true but this is confirming other things I've read and heard.

Good....they did not get a lot of traction because of the almost immediate release of the TW XP-1 and then the TR20 series but they are beautiful solid high quality clubs.

[localpar3guy]

14 minutes ago, theothertwo said:

Good....they did not get a lot of traction because of the almost immediate release of the TW XP-1 and then the TR20 series but they are beautiful solid high quality clubs.

Really surprises me that they didn't get attention, especially with the reviews from M*S and T*G.  The XP-1 appear to be even more game improvement and the TR line seems to be more players. The TW-X fits right in between with the beautiful design with a little but not too much offset, wider but soles that seem playable. I can't wait to try them out. Can't believe my luck, a steal and LH too.

 

Thank you for the pictures and your reply, really helped me out.

Edited February 16, 2021 by localpar3guy

[Barracuda]

On 2/14/2021 at 5:58 PM, thed0n said:

Speaking about shafts only here but I have the Vizard 85s in the 747p irons, which I assume is the same as the IB85s in the TW-X, and these graphite shafts perform just as well as the Nippon Modus 105 stiffs that were in the Mizuno 900 HMs I gamed for a season.  No hooks, same stopping power, and just slightly lower trajectory.  2 grams of lead tape on the back of the irons brought them back to D 1 and 2.  

I think the IB is an upcharge shafts, Honma version of the steelfiber. 

[localpar3guy]

Just played my first round with the Honma TW-X irons. I can't believe these clubs. The ball just flies off the face but it is controllable. Long irons just feel so nice, the 4/5/6 iron were just perfect.

 

I will say that the offset from 8 through 11 iron was more than I am used to with my 2019 PXG 0211 irons, but it was not atrocious or terrible on the eye. Couple bad shots from lies in the rough, but I also had great shots from the rough. Probably more on me than the club. I'm a sweeper but these clubs are a little heavier than what I normally play, so I was chunking a couple shots here and there, but it did not take long to get used to these irons.

 

Sound and feel is just amazing. Very soft in the middle, good feedback on mishits. 

 

Nippon 105 shaft felt smooth and I didn't feel that I had to swing hard or out of my shoes to get good distance. Felt kinda effortless.

 

If anyone is on the fence about getting these, get them. They are fantastic. My only "problems" are the offset with the scoring clubs but it is not an ugly amount, and the soles are a little wider than what I am used to (meaning that the 9/10/11 irons were a little harder to use from 50 yards and in). Offset wasn't a problem when I had the club face slightly open at address.

[LPSISCO]

4 minutes ago, localpar3guy said:

Just played my first round with the Honma TW-X irons. I can't believe these clubs. The ball just flies off the face but it is controllable. Long irons just feel so nice, the 4/5/6 iron were just perfect.

 

I will say that the offset from 8 through 11 iron was more than I am used to with my 2019 PXG 0211 irons, but it was not atrocious or terrible on the eye. Couple bad shots from lies in the rough, but I also had great shots from the rough. Probably more on me than the club. I'm a sweeper but these clubs are a little heavier than what I normally play, so I was chunking a couple shots here and there, but it did not take long to get used to these irons.

 

Sound and feel is just amazing. Very soft in the middle, good feedback on mishits. 

 

Nippon 105 shaft felt smooth and I didn't feel that I had to swing hard or out of my shoes to get good distance. Felt kinda effortless.

 

If anyone is on the fence about getting these, get them. They are fantastic. My only "problems" are the offset with the scoring clubs but it is not an ugly amount, and the soles are a little wider than what I am used to (meaning that the 9/10/11 irons were a little harder to use from 50 yards and in). Offset wasn't a problem when I had the club face slightly open at address.

i have a set coming tomorrow! Did you have any thin shots? That’s my only worry - I’m also a sweeper so my misses tend to be thin.

[localpar3guy]

Just now, LPSISCO said:

i have a set coming tomorrow! Did you have any thin shots? That’s my only worry - I’m also a sweeper so my misses tend to be thin.

 

I had exactly one thin shot today. Shorter par 4, hit the 4 iron. Caught it thin but it went straight, little baby fade at the end. Still had some height on it too, not a worm burner. Good feedback on the hands but not enough to hurt IMO. The 4 iron is 100% playable FYI, amazing off the tee.

[LPSISCO]

1 minute ago, localpar3guy said:

 

I had exactly one thin shot today. Shorter par 4, hit the 4 iron. Caught it thin but it went straight, little baby fade at the end. Still had some height on it too, not a worm burner. Good feedback on the hands but not enough to hurt IMO. The 4 iron is 100% playable FYI, amazing off the tee.

I bought the 4-PW because I need stiff shafts, but I haven’t played a 4 iron in 10 years....so I’ll see on that one. What are you doing for a GW? 

[localpar3guy]

Just now, LPSISCO said:

I bought the 4-PW because I need stiff shafts, but I haven’t played a 4 iron in 10 years....so I’ll see on that one. What are you doing for a GW? 

 

I feel you 100%, I was never a 4 iron guy. I am now because of these clubs. I hit the 4 iron better than my 20* hybrid today.

 

I was actually able to get an 11 iron from the guy I got my clubs from but it is in graphite, so I just need to put the Nippon shaft in when I get a chance.

 

For my round today, honestly I just did 3/4 and 1/2 swings with the 10/PW. Worked for me but I would like the 11/GW for full shots and around the green.

[LPSISCO]

22 minutes ago, localpar3guy said:

 

I feel you 100%, I was never a 4 iron guy. I am now because of these clubs. I hit the 4 iron better than my 20* hybrid today.

 

I was actually able to get an 11 iron from the guy I got my clubs from but it is in graphite, so I just need to put the Nippon shaft in when I get a chance.

 

For my round today, honestly I just did 3/4 and 1/2 swings with the 10/PW. Worked for me but I would like the 11/GW for full shots and around the green.

Nice. I went to the range today to hit the other 3 GWs I have in my garage to see what I’m going to do. But I still have 2 feet of snow in my yard, I’ve got time to solve the problem.....

[theothertwo]

2 hours ago, localpar3guy said:

Just played my first round with the Honma TW-X irons. I can't believe these clubs. The ball just flies off the face but it is controllable. Long irons just feel so nice, the 4/5/6 iron were just perfect.

 

I will say that the offset from 8 through 11 iron was more than I am used to with my 2019 PXG 0211 irons, but it was not atrocious or terrible on the eye. Couple bad shots from lies in the rough, but I also had great shots from the rough. Probably more on me than the club. I'm a sweeper but these clubs are a little heavier than what I normally play, so I was chunking a couple shots here and there, but it did not take long to get used to these irons.

 

Sound and feel is just amazing. Very soft in the middle, good feedback on mishits. 

 

Nippon 105 shaft felt smooth and I didn't feel that I had to swing hard or out of my shoes to get good distance. Felt kinda effortless.

 

If anyone is on the fence about getting these, get them. They are fantastic. My only "problems" are the offset with the scoring clubs but it is not an ugly amount, and the soles are a little wider than what I am used to (meaning that the 9/10/11 irons were a little harder to use from 50 yards and in). Offset wasn't a problem when I had the club face slightly open at address.

Although the soles are thick, you'll notice that they have a beveled (cambered - not sure what this actually means but it sounds good) design leading edge and will cut through nicely even in tight lies for the shorter clubs.  I had the same experience as you described but I think it was all psychological because I kept thinking I had a thick sole.  Very good clubs, I might get them again in graphite shafts.

[hanfrac]

I've played 5 rounds with mine and am quite fired up.  I've spent more of my adult life playing sort of demanding, players-type clubs while never having elite clubhead speed.  I was probably 103-105mph at my peak and am now 97-99 and declining.  With the TW-X (and lighter Project X LZ 95's in 5.5), I seeing increased height, more acceleration thru the ball, and better misses.  I'm finding these clubs to be easier, not harder, to hit out of the rough.  Long irons are definitely easier to get airborne.  I feel like I'm at least 1/2 club longer than the Apex/Apex pro's I came from.  Yes, I know the lofts are slightly stronger, so that could be it.

 

The only negative I've noticed is a tendency to miss right, but I generally play 2 deg upright and these are standard.  I haven't had time to get them bent.

[LPSISCO]

8 hours ago, hanfrac said:

I've played 5 rounds with mine and am quite fired up.  I've spent more of my adult life playing sort of demanding, players-type clubs while never having elite clubhead speed.  I was probably 103-105mph at my peak and am now 97-99 and declining.  With the TW-X (and lighter Project X LZ 95's in 5.5), I seeing increased height, more acceleration thru the ball, and better misses.  I'm finding these clubs to be easier, not harder, to hit out of the rough.  Long irons are definitely easier to get airborne.  I feel like I'm at least 1/2 club longer than the Apex/Apex pro's I came from.  Yes, I know the lofts are slightly stronger, so that could be it.

 

The only negative I've noticed is a tendency to miss right, but I generally play 2 deg upright and these are standard.  I haven't had time to get them bent.

I’m looking for “better misses”. I’m a 13 handicap, and I’ve hit some amazing shots with my CF-16s....but if I can get less dispersion in a beautiful clubhead, I’m intrigued. 

[wobgon]

Has anyone had any experience reshafting these clubs.....Do they take 355 shafts....Do they require collared ferrules?  

[chadm72]

5 hours ago, wobgon said:

Has anyone had any experience reshafting these clubs.....Do they take 355 shafts....Do they require collared ferrules?  

I bought a 6 iron head off ebay and it was .355 . I don't recall it having a shoulder for collared ferrules though 

[blackngold_blood]

15 hours ago, wobgon said:

Has anyone had any experience reshafting these clubs.....Do they take 355 shafts....Do they require collared ferrules?  

They are for sure .355T as I confirmed with Honma CS when I ordered new shafts. I don’t believe a collared ferrule is needed but I can confirm when I get home in a little bit. 
 

Edit:  No collared ferrules were installed on the stock shafts from Honma. 

Edited February 21, 2021 by blackngold_blood

[localpar3guy]

This is good to know, I am getting my 11 iron reshafted soon. The builders I went to said they might not be able to save the original ferrule and grip but that they'll try. If only it wasn't graphite.

[pdxhak]

How is the distance loss on miss hits? Toe shots? 

[localpar3guy]

On 2/16/2021 at 5:12 PM, localpar3guy said:

Just played my first round with the Honma TW-X irons. I can't believe these clubs. The ball just flies off the face but it is controllable. Long irons just feel so nice, the 4/5/6 iron were just perfect.

 

I will say that the offset from 8 through 11 iron was more than I am used to with my 2019 PXG 0211 irons, but it was not atrocious or terrible on the eye. Couple bad shots from lies in the rough, but I also had great shots from the rough. Probably more on me than the club. I'm a sweeper but these clubs are a little heavier than what I normally play, so I was chunking a couple shots here and there, but it did not take long to get used to these irons.

 

Sound and feel is just amazing. Very soft in the middle, good feedback on mishits. 

 

Nippon 105 shaft felt smooth and I didn't feel that I had to swing hard or out of my shoes to get good distance. Felt kinda effortless.

 

If anyone is on the fence about getting these, get them. They are fantastic. My only "problems" are the offset with the scoring clubs but it is not an ugly amount, and the soles are a little wider than what I am used to (meaning that the 9/10/11 irons were a little harder to use from 50 yards and in). Offset wasn't a problem when I had the club face slightly open at address.

 

Want to give anyone interested in these clubs an update. Played the TW-X irons for multiple rounds and I have zero complaints about them, these are gonna be my clubs until they fall apart. I can shape the ball with these clubs relatively easy. I can fade or draw at will, something I never could do before easily. Long irons are long and straight, hit the 4 iron 220-230 a couple times which surprised the hell out of me. I am not noticing too much of a loss of distance with bad shots. Still getting great feedback on miss hits but not terrilble on the hands. Feel is amazing, sound is a strong thwack IMO. Ball flight is high but strong, the ball doesn't appear to just fall out of the air and die. My dispersion has improved greatly with these clubs as well.

 

The TW-X irons are everything I imagined them to be after looking at them online and seeing some videos. They blow me away every round.

 

For the record, I also got a hold of a 747 460 driver, 747 15* 3 wood, and 747 19* hybrid. All with stock Vizard shafts, 60S, 70S, and 80S. Still getting a feel for the driver, but the 3 wood has been amazing. Almost hit a green in 2 on a par 5 from 260 out with the 3 wood, something I never even imagine doing. I believe these metal woods have a decent amount of draw bias but it hasn't hurt me on the course at all. Throughly impressed with every Honma club I have in the bag, I just can't believe how well they have performed for me.

[flushem]

On 3/13/2021 at 11:41 AM, localpar3guy said:

 

Want to give anyone interested in these clubs an update. Played the TW-X irons for multiple rounds and I have zero complaints about them, these are gonna be my clubs until they fall apart. I can shape the ball with these clubs relatively easy. I can fade or draw at will, something I never could do before easily. Long irons are long and straight, hit the 4 iron 220-230 a couple times which surprised the hell out of me. I am not noticing too much of a loss of distance with bad shots. Still getting great feedback on miss hits but not terrilble on the hands. Feel is amazing, sound is a strong thwack IMO. Ball flight is high but strong, the ball doesn't appear to just fall out of the air and die. My dispersion has improved greatly with these clubs as well.

 

The TW-X irons are everything I imagined them to be after looking at them online and seeing some videos. They blow me away every round.

 

For the record, I also got a hold of a 747 460 driver, 747 15* 3 wood, and 747 19* hybrid. All with stock Vizard shafts, 60S, 70S, and 80S. Still getting a feel for the driver, but the 3 wood has been amazing. Almost hit a green in 2 on a par 5 from 260 out with the 3 wood, something I never even imagine doing. I believe these metal woods have a decent amount of draw bias but it hasn't hurt me on the course at all. Throughly impressed with every Honma club I have in the bag, I just can't believe how well they have performed for me.

 

From the distance you mentioned (certainly you are longer than me), I strongly advise you to change the driver shaft.  I swapped it with Red 70g Vizard stiff shaft from TW737 driver.  day and night difference.   Ball flights are straighter, lower and penetrating.  Another advantage is that I can get very aggressive.  IMO, 60g shaft on 747 driver is too whippy.  

[localpar3guy]

21 minutes ago, flushem said:

 

From the distance you mentioned (certainly you are longer than me), I strongly advise you to change the driver shaft.  I swapped it with Red 70g Vizard stiff shaft from TW737 driver.  day and night difference.   Ball flights are straighter, lower and penetrating.  Another advantage is that I can get very aggressive.  IMO, 60g shaft on 747 driver is too whippy.  

 

I appreciate the input. I am going to mess with the non-rotating system on the 747 460 driver and see if that helps. I think Japanese shafts are slightly soft to flex, so maybe the 60X would be better. I am gonna take a look at the one you mentioned and see if I can ever try it out. I haven't thought about playing a 70g in driver before.

[flushem]

30 minutes ago, localpar3guy said:

 

I appreciate the input. I am going to mess with the non-rotating system on the 747 460 driver and see if that helps. I think Japanese shafts are slightly soft to flex, so maybe the 60X would be better. I am gonna take a look at the one you mentioned and see if I can ever try it out. I haven't thought about playing a 70g in driver before.

whichever works...  60X sounds good.  

This is what I have selling on ebay.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/HONMA-VIZARD-TYPE-A-70S-70-Stiff-Flex-FAIRWAY-WOOD-PULLOUT-SHAFT-246202/353163969920?hash=item523a368580:g:0k8AAOSwnuhfLcQb

I bought aftermarket Honma shaft adapter from ebay too.  

[pdxhak]

I have the 747 3wd and 5wd and they are stupid easy to hit. I have the 747 driver as well and have not got along with it. The lie angle seems too flat. Do they have have a shaft adapter that changes the lie angle?

[localpar3guy]

3 hours ago, pdxhak said:

I have the 747 3wd and 5wd and they are stupid easy to hit. I have the 747 driver as well and have not got along with it. The lie angle seems too flat. Do they have have a shaft adapter that changes the lie angle?

Yes, you need the adjustment bit and wrench from Honma. The 747 460 is already somewhat upright compared to other drivers, but you can set it to the UP position for 2* increase in lie angle. You can also change the face angle and loft with the OPEN or CLOSED settings. Flat setting is just standard Honma specs.

I have the manual from Honma as well that I can post pictures of if needed/wanted.

[GPF]

Anyone playing the TW-X having issues with the wide soles on the 9 and 10 irons? Does the wide sole serve the same purpose as the V-soles of the Srixon z545?

 

Any gapping issues?

Does the Vizard graphite Stiff flex play softer than other brands like Recoil or MMT?

 

Thanks!

[localpar3guy]

1 hour ago, GPF said:

Anyone playing the TW-X having issues with the wide soles on the 9 and 10 irons? Does the wide sole serve the same purpose as the V-soles of the Srixon z545?

 

Any gapping issues?

Does the Vizard graphite Stiff flex play softer than other brands like Recoil or MMT?

 

Thanks!

 

I did my first couple of rounds but I have the feel for them now. The 10 and 11 iron have been great for me. Haven't noticed any gapping issues, seems fine to me so far.

 

I would say the Vizard shafts play slightly soft to flex from my experience with the Vizard for 747 shafts in driver, 3 wood, and hybrid.