WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Honma's Tour World 767 lineup boasts plenty of options for elite and recreational players — along with a few new designs that are certain to garner attention. Here's a look at three things you need to know about the new TW767 line.
PRICE: TW767 LS driver (9, 10.5 degrees; $700); TW767 driver (9, 10.5 degrees; $650); TW767 Max driver (9, 10.5, 12 degrees; $650); TW767 fairway woods (15, 16.5, 18, 21 degrees; $350); TW767 utility woods (18, 21, 24, 27 degrees; $325); TW767 Tour V irons (5-PW; $1,050); TW767 Vx irons (6-PW; $875); TW767 Px irons (6-PW; $875); TW767 Hx irons (6-PW; $1,050). Available at retail Nov. 29.
3 COOL THINGS
1. Pushing the limits
Before this year, manufacturers had struggled to break through the 10K g-cm2 threshold. Many had gotten close, but going beyond the number had proven to be elusive in the search for more stability.
After years of bumping up against the design ceiling, the damn finally broke as Ping, PXG, TaylorMade and Tour Edge released driver models that eclipsed the 10K mark. With the release of Honma’s TW767 and TW767 Max drivers, the number increases to six.
Indeed, Honma has two 460cc drivers, each at 10K g-cm2, which combines heel-toe MOI — the USGA limits it to 5,900 g-cm2 — and high-low MOI.
To achieve the feat, Honma positioned a titanium frame between a one-piece, seamless carbon body and Beta Titanium face that’s 11.1 percent stronger than its predecessor. The design also made it possible to increase heel-toe MOI by 12 percent across both models.
The multi-material construction removed weight from the midsection of the head allowing engineers to create a titanium back cap and 20.5-gram adjustable weight for a lower and more rearward center of gravity. Shifting the mass between two locations makes the driver more draw- or fade-biased depending on how the weight is situated.
2. Something new
The TW767 lineup marks Honma's foray into the player's distance category, designed around ball speed and forgiveness. The multi-material Px utilizes a two-piece pocket cavity — TaylorMade has a similar "cap-back" design — that extends from heel to toe on the S25C carbon body and reinforces the L-Cup face for improved off-center performance.
For Honma, the goal was simple: expand the sweet spot without increasing in size to something resembling a game-improvement iron. With a look and similar lofts to the forged, one-piece Vx, creating a blended set with the two models is possible — and no one would be the wiser.
The hollow Hx is another offering for the mid-handicapper who requires ample heel-toe forgiveness in a blade profile. The maraging face delivers plenty of ball speed, while weight screws and internal mass help minimize spin, launch and carry distance loss on common misses.
3. What's in a name?
Honma's "utility wood" isn't a fairway wood. And it certainly isn't a utility iron. At 139cc, the club is merely a standard hybrid with a larger footprint — and a unique name.
Even with hybrid usage sagging on professional tours, recreational golfers continue to embrace hybrids as a reliable long-iron replacement. The TW767 is designed with a 13-gram tungsten back weight and redesigned sole plate that helps get the ball in the air with improved turf interaction.
Instead of simply making each utility wood loft the same face construction, Honma took a page from its fairway wood design and added a lively maraging steel cup face to the lower-lofted offerings (18 and 21 degrees) to increase ball speeds across the entire face. The higher-lofted offerings feature a standard rolled face in the 24- and 27-degree options.