Klimski
Active member
Executive summary: wonderful driver, EXTREMELY forgiving. Draw biased, which is my preferred shot shape. Not the longest.
Specs:
12 degrees loft (HL model)
43 gram bespoke shaft R flex - feels quite floppy in the middle section, but works fine for me
Thin grip which will be replaced shortly
I currently have it set 1 point closed. And because I bought it used at Golfclubs4cash I don't have a wrench - and that's an issue because Honma use a system where they combine the wrench with some sort of sleeve or insert, so I will have to figure something out if I want to play with the settings.
So, now for the long version. Since getting back into golf in 2017 after a long layoff, I have gone on a journey of sorts when it comes to driver. Never my favorite club, I somehow had this idea that I could somehow crack a secret code and find an older, cheap driver that would work wonders. You can see from the chart below that it was quite the journey. Of all these drivers nothing worked until the Callaway 454. But, it being 15 degrees of loft, I was losing a ton of distance. And it wasn't as forgiving as I would have expected.
So after playing with the Callaway for two seasons, I was gaining confidence using driver a lot during round, but still losing balls off to the right. My friends were moving into modern drivers more and more and I realised I was leaving something on the table. But what to buy?
I was looking at bargain options, but in truly modern driver (2020 onward) it's really hard. Especially as I don't like buying clubs that are a bit ragged. Honma wasn't on my radar at all, although I do have memories hitting some beatiful Persimmon Honma drivers and 3 woods in the late 90's. Always liked that brand.
Looking at my driving data, I saw that I was on the brink of a senior shaft, and I do enjoy shafts that feel a bit more whippy. But I dislike shafts with a very flexible tip. They just feel unstable.
Reading up on the Vizard shaft convinced me that it should work for me. And it does.
At UKP 181 deliverd, and truly looking as good as new, I feel that I got a bargain! I am selling the Callaway for Eur 75, so my outlay is reasonable.
Anyhow, this driver has converted me to modern driver technology. I now understand the big difference between drivers now and those, say 10-15 years old: Forgivenness. The sweet spot is sooo much larger, that I need to get used to swinging a bit harder than I would dare. As of now, I averaged around 210 yards (total distance) in my session today. I believe this could go up a bit further towards 220. And, most importantly it goes where I point it - with a nice controlled draw and plenty of roll.
Highly recommended.
Specs:
12 degrees loft (HL model)
43 gram bespoke shaft R flex - feels quite floppy in the middle section, but works fine for me
Thin grip which will be replaced shortly
I currently have it set 1 point closed. And because I bought it used at Golfclubs4cash I don't have a wrench - and that's an issue because Honma use a system where they combine the wrench with some sort of sleeve or insert, so I will have to figure something out if I want to play with the settings.
So, now for the long version. Since getting back into golf in 2017 after a long layoff, I have gone on a journey of sorts when it comes to driver. Never my favorite club, I somehow had this idea that I could somehow crack a secret code and find an older, cheap driver that would work wonders. You can see from the chart below that it was quite the journey. Of all these drivers nothing worked until the Callaway 454. But, it being 15 degrees of loft, I was losing a ton of distance. And it wasn't as forgiving as I would have expected.
| Snake Eyes driver |
| Srixon Z-355 (stiff shaft) |
| Cleveland OS driver |
| Titleist 910D2 |
| Cleveland XL270 draw |
| Mizuno MX700 |
| Callaway 454 HL 15 degree |
| Honma TW XP-01 HL |
So after playing with the Callaway for two seasons, I was gaining confidence using driver a lot during round, but still losing balls off to the right. My friends were moving into modern drivers more and more and I realised I was leaving something on the table. But what to buy?
I was looking at bargain options, but in truly modern driver (2020 onward) it's really hard. Especially as I don't like buying clubs that are a bit ragged. Honma wasn't on my radar at all, although I do have memories hitting some beatiful Persimmon Honma drivers and 3 woods in the late 90's. Always liked that brand.
Looking at my driving data, I saw that I was on the brink of a senior shaft, and I do enjoy shafts that feel a bit more whippy. But I dislike shafts with a very flexible tip. They just feel unstable.
Reading up on the Vizard shaft convinced me that it should work for me. And it does.
At UKP 181 deliverd, and truly looking as good as new, I feel that I got a bargain! I am selling the Callaway for Eur 75, so my outlay is reasonable.
Anyhow, this driver has converted me to modern driver technology. I now understand the big difference between drivers now and those, say 10-15 years old: Forgivenness. The sweet spot is sooo much larger, that I need to get used to swinging a bit harder than I would dare. As of now, I averaged around 210 yards (total distance) in my session today. I believe this could go up a bit further towards 220. And, most importantly it goes where I point it - with a nice controlled draw and plenty of roll.
Highly recommended.
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