Honma 757 Driver sort of review

[Barracuda]

I have been gaming this driver for some time now. I can't understand why there is no hype around it.

 

Specs. Honma 757D 9° with the premium Vizard PT60 (sort of an autoflex concept).

 

A little about me. I'm a 45 year old player, who shoots low 70s. My SS is now around 105mph, used to be over 110, but a sore elbow and age are are starting to kick in. I'm a natural low spinner, so I don't get along with super low spinning heads.

 

I'm a foresight gcquad owner, and I have access to pretty much anything that's out there equipment wise. The Honma was by far the best driver of the year for me. Ballspeed, Honma was the king, it was over 3mph faster than TM stealth ideal combo, and over 1mph over Callaway. I'm hoping to test it against the new Titleist, which I heard is fast.

 

Sound is maybe the weakest spot for Honma. It's not ping g425 bad, but I prefer a more muted sound. 

 

Forgiveness is awesome. The occasional heel shot still goes a long way, and when but a little higher in the head, I go to places I haven't been before.

 

I tried the S version prior to D, which is a smaller (just a few cc, but it looks tiny) and the spin was way to low. 1500rpm for me of average.  The D gives me a 2200 average which I like, with plenty of launch.

 

Anyway,  if you are looking for a new driver, and you can demo Honma, I would suggest to give it a try.

 

I just got a BGT brava shaft coming my way to try out, and see how it compares to the vizard PT. So if anyone is interested I can do a face to face review and post some numbers.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

[Christen_The_Sloop]

I bought a honma tw727 hybrid and finally hit it at the range last night. Really solid feel. really impressed.

[Rapatt95]

I was fortunate enough to win the TR20 driver from the tour and pre-release giveaway here. That driver was every bit as good as my G400lst and ended up kicking it out of the bag. It was just as long and more forgiving for me

[Barracuda]

5 hours ago, Rapatt95 said:

I was fortunate enough to win the TR20 driver from the tour and pre-release giveaway here. That driver was every bit as good as my G400lst and ended up kicking it out of the bag. It was just as long and more forgiving for me

 

I gamed tr20, 757 is a little faster, a little more forgiving, and a little lower spinning. I prefer the feel of tr20 over 757 tough.

[me05501]

21 hours ago, Barracuda said:

I have been gaming this driver for some time now. I can't understand why there is no hype around it.

 

Specs. Honma 757D 9° with the premium Vizard PT60 (sort of an autoflex concept).

 

A little about me. I'm a 45 year old player, who shoots low 70s. My SS is now around 105mph, used to be over 110, but a sore elbow and age are are starting to kick in. I'm a natural low spinner, so I don't get along with super low spinning heads.

 

I'm a foresight gcquad owner, and I have access to pretty much anything that's out there equipment wise. The Honma was by far the best driver of the year for me. Ballspeed, Honma was the king, it was over 3mph faster than TM stealth ideal combo, and over 1mph over Callaway. I'm hoping to test it against the new Titleist, which I heard is fast.

 

Sound is maybe the weakest spot for Honma. It's not ping g425 bad, but I prefer a more muted sound. 

 

Forgiveness is awesome. The occasional heel shot still goes a long way, and when but a little higher in the head, I go to places I haven't been before.

 

I tried the S version prior to D, which is a smaller (just a few cc, but it looks tiny) and the spin was way to low. 1500rpm for me of average.  The D gives me a 2200 average which I like, with plenty of launch.

 

Anyway,  if you are looking for a new driver, and you can demo Honma, I would suggest to give it a try.

 

I just got a BGT brava shaft coming my way to try out, and see how it compares to the vizard PT. So if anyone is interested I can do a face to face review and post some numbers.

 

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

I'm no genius but I'm guessing probably the general lack of retail visibility and the $799 price point have held back the hype. 

[Barracuda]

6 minutes ago, me05501 said:

 

 

I'm no genius but I'm guessing probably the general lack of retail visibility and the $799 price point have held back the hype. 

I think price is $720, but considering the shafts are actually good, it's not that much over a stealth.

[Mr. Grumpy]

I'm still using my TR20. Yes, both retail visibility and $$$ is probably why. Shafts are great but also lack any recognition or marketing hype. 

 

I was waiting in line at a walk up 9 and the look on these men's faces when they counted with their fingers and discovered they would have to play with an older Japanese lady was downright pathetic and unhidden to the rest of all of us there. So I invited her up to play with us and we had a blast. She was rocking the gold BERES! She probably had a 6K bag and was having fun. 

 

The TR20 is a bomber when well struck. When playing with younger hitters some have asked if its conforming or a legal head. Not because I out drove them, but that I was along side them. I'm older and not a fast swinger by any stretch. That said, it's also a bomber when not struck well and my ball is really lost, not just kinda lost. I don't think it's as forgiving as any new TM, Ping, Cobra etc., but I doubt I replace it unless it breaks or I am treated to something new. 

[mister2cool]

I play with a golf group and many are rocking those gold Honma's... What I don't get is how someone with SS under 90 could hit driver ~250 yd, then 3w only goes 180 solid, and everything else is 3 clubs shorter.  Someone did launch monitor once and proudly posted some numbers.. smash factor was 1.67! I mean, something just doesn't add up. 

[third-times-a-charm]

Honma makes fantastic stuff, especially irons.

 

I dont like their insistance on pairing their graphite shafts so much with their (wood) products so I stay away from the woods or else I would give them a fair try. I understand the whole vertically integrated thing and why it may be popular overseas but IMO this is another example of why they dont do well in the NA market. Regardless of how good their shafts are; no one wants them.

 

Even when I find a few head-only deals on ebay or etc I still shy away because of the adapter.

[Vlade15]

On 10/31/2022 at 10:05 AM, Barracuda said:

I think price is $720, but considering the shafts are actually good, it's not that much over a stealth.

But how can people possibly know that the shafts are any good?  People have zero way to test them, and they get no tour usage.

[pdxhak]

I have Honma in the bag and love the clubs. The TR21 3wd and 7wd are hammers! A few weeks ago I went to Discount Dan's because they advertise Honma and was hoping to check out the new 757 line up but they do not carry any Honma clubs. 

[third-times-a-charm]

25 minutes ago, pdxhak said:

I have Honma in the bag and love the clubs. The TR21 3wd and 7wd are hammers! A few weeks ago I went to Discount Dan's because they advertise Honma and was hoping to check out the new 757 line up but they do not carry any Honma clubs. 

I wonder if PGATSS is still carrying them after clearance-ing out the TR21/TR20 line?

[dmeeksDC]

With Honma always best to buy the previous release or even go a few years back. Can usually get old new stock for a song, about 2/3 or more off the original retail. Has nothing to do with the quality. Their equipment is top shelf. I have not played their woods, their irons are what I like. A combo of the TR20P and V is a set that looks as good as any iron on the market and is a great blend of power and precision. And the TW-X from a few years back is a true sleeper as a player’s distance iron with great forgiveness. 
 

Very little visibility in the US. There are Honma fans but not enough to make them a major player here. But for golfers, deals to be enjoyed. 

[wam78]

Yeah, I’m a Honma fan as well.  Had the tr20v and tr20p blended set and they were outstanding!  Very dense feeling irons with a lovely profile.

 

Never played the woods but tested the 747 fairways when PGA Superstore had them in their own hitting area.  They were neck and neck with the m6 fairways I was testing at the same time.
 

I can easily play them again. 

[pdxhak]

6 hours ago, wam78 said:

Yeah, I’m a Honma fan as well.  Had the tr20v and tr20p blended set and they were outstanding!  Very dense feeling irons with a lovely profile.

 

Never played the woods but tested the 747 fairways when PGA Superstore had them in their own hitting area.  They were neck and neck with the m6 fairways I was testing at the same time.
 

I can easily play them again. 

 

I replaced the 747 fairway woods with the TR21 because they are adjustable. Zero regrets 🙂

[Roejye]

I got the XP-1 3 wood because a brand new 3 wood for $100, why not? It's a great club for me, and has me thinking about switching over to a Honma driver when my sim max d gets to the end of it's life. I think it's a combination of high price, not well known brand, and not really being able to hit them in a big box store.

 

I'm going to try to keep an eye on the new TW driver to see if the price goes the way of the XP-1 though, because I like the look of it and if the stars align, why not.

[MrCook]

On 11/1/2022 at 4:54 PM, Vlade15 said:

But how can people possibly know that the shafts are any good?  People have zero way to test them, and they get no tour usage.

 

Guess it depends where you are. Here in germany we have a few dealers where you can actually hit them and get somewhat 'fitted', though fitting only means hitting the different models and checking which one gives the best numbers since they're bonded.

 

My dad bought a Beres 3*** 10,5, he hit's it well and loves it. When he went on a golf trip earlier this year, he didn't want to take it on the flight out of fear something bad happens, especially because the head can't be unscrewed. So we swapped drivers for the week and I played it two times out on the course. I'm just going to say, even though I'm not the target audience and it felt way too light for me (47g shaft and swing weight probably around the high C's), it performed really well. Very forgiving and easy to launch, didn't baloon up on me and it was decently long. Even though the shaft was not my cup of tea it felt very, very smooth. But like others have said, just like with Ping, you have to live with the sound as it definitely sounds tingy compared to TM/Cally/Titleist etc.

[flushem]

Is there extra cost for PT series shaft?

[Barracuda]

57 minutes ago, flushem said:

Is there extra cost for PT series shaft?

Yes, but I don't remember how much. The shaft feels great.

[Pmookie]

On 11/1/2022 at 10:47 AM, third-times-a-charm said:

Honma makes fantastic stuff, especially irons.

 

I dont like their insistance on pairing their graphite shafts so much with their (wood) products so I stay away from the woods or else I would give them a fair try. I understand the whole vertically integrated thing and why it may be popular overseas but IMO this is another example of why they dont do well in the NA market. Regardless of how good their shafts are; no one wants them.

 

Even when I find a few head-only deals on ebay or etc I still shy away because of the adapter.

I went through a fitting with the Honma rep, tour van, and went aftermarket Ventus black. He had a bunch of aftermarket shafts, although we tried all of the Vizard and other stock shafts, so even though we started with stock they had a bunch of options. 

[Pmookie]

It’s a shame they gave-up with the vans and hitting the US market because it was all top-notch. I played the 747 Tour P irons for a couple years right after they came-out, and got fitted by a rep that had the van. I bought the TR20 driver too and still play it!!! Seriously, it was as good or better than any other stuff on the market and it wasn’t any more expensive than what we see from any major OEM. Really a shame they disappeared… Many changes at the top with different philosophies in such a short period of time.

[wam78]

@Pmookie

 

I agree on the Honma custom fitting with the van.  Did one a few seasons ago and it was fantastic.  We met at a really nice golf course range on a day it was closed for maintenance so we had the entire day to ourselves.  Had GC quad outdoors and tested everything I wanted, including about 5 or 6 different iron shafts.  Great experience.

[flushem]

so did the Honma NA management and Honma House in Carlbad.  big disappointment.  

[HonoJone]

@Barracuda Any further update on your Honma 757D driver experience?  I'm keen to try it but like many cannot find a demo club to try with Honma's current lack of any substantive marketing strategy.  I previously bought the 757Vx irons in the IBWF 85S shafts and wanted to complete the set with the woods.  I'm 50 and shoot in the high 70s, club head speed 100-102. I was looking into the MA5 (50g) for the driver, 3W, and 5W.  From the YT vids, the MP shaft is too low spinning with a lower trajectory than I like.  

 

By your assessment, how strong is the draw bias of the "D" model, i.e., have you been able to work it at whim or it is a struggle like it wants to bully you left?

 

Also, what is the dispersion like on the D vs S, i.e., are mis hits "still in the fairway" offline or "you will be punished"?

 

Edited October 25, 2023 by HonoJone