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Honma TW737 FWc Preview

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JB

JB

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The Smaller Fairway wood in the TW line ( FWc ) is directly requested from our tour players. Just like the larger FW, Honma has relocated weight from the Crown into the sole but in the FWc it is located in the center right up against the face. This along with the Cup face design and the High strength stainless steel gives high ball speeds and more of a players feel and workability.

The Fairway comes standard with Honma’s own Vizard shaft which is available in two models

Type-A： Possesses a firmer middle and butt with a softer tip section. This shaft is superior in high velocity, response and provides great carry distance performance and is available in 3 weights

Type-Z： Possesses a firmer middle and tip with a softer butt section. Shaft is superior in maneuverability with a stable head return for solid hitting performance without fear of hooking the ball to the left, it is also available in 3 weights.

Cost - $299

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I like that smaller profile. Very curious about their Vizard shafts though.
 
Hello there......
 
might be because it's a 5 wood, but the head shape looks super compact to me. It's rather nice looking. I really like what we are seeing from this line.
 
Yes please! I like the look of that smaller profile FW for sure. Nice to see not everyone always going bigger=better!
 
I prefer the smaller profile of this FW, though being a low hitter I'm not sure that the weighting is ideal for me. Can't wait to demo so I can find out for sure.
 
I have to give it to the JDM's, they have a unique look and it screams high performance.
 
Very clean look,appealing .

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
Looks pretty damn sweet to me.
 
That looks great!
 
I can see this being a beast off the tee. Great looking club.
 
Just like everything else I've seen from them, they are great looking.
 
Hit this one yesterday and man is this a players fairway wood. It screams workable and sets up to be played from just about anywhere. Good sound that brings a craving to keep hitting it.
 
It's definitely a good looking club. It would be fun to give their releases a swing.
 
This will be in the bag for tomorrow's bag.
 
OITW said:
I like that smaller profile. Very curious about their Vizard shafts though.
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My local shop carries Honma and from my experience their stock shafts are quite soft and have high torque numbers. I'm not sure if they have this tour model but I'm heading over today so I'll see if they do. If I can get some real info (as opposed to my usual pulling it out of my a$$) I'll post again.
 
Played with this in the bag for 18 holes and hit it half a dozen times and spent time this morning on the range with it. The shallower footprint than I am used to is really quite nice and sets up to the ball well. It has a great finish and wreaks of confidence building if its a look you like. The sound is high pitched without being bad and sounds explosive. Metallic without being loud if that helps.

Ball flight was mid to high for me, and flighting it was easier than just about any fairway wood I have hit this year. Distance was what I would expect for a 5 wood and where the club shines is off the deck where you want to move the ball.

More coming soon.
 
OITW said:
I like that smaller profile. Very curious about their Vizard shafts though.
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I was wrong earlier. They do have some stout shafts. I love the way they look but it would be a pretty expensive experiment.

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I have the opportunity of reviewing this fairway, and put it into play four numerous rounds this weekend.

The 18* spot in the bag has long been owned by a UT or a hybrid, so it's a bit refreshing to get a wood in there with the ease of contact and launch properties one would expect from a larger head. Of course, my eyes are more accustomed to a penetrating flight off a wood, so the launch profile of the Honma wood was a quick shock early on.

The size of the head is quite reasonable. In Honma's explanation of the head, the FW and FWc (this review) are separated by a what I would perceive as a 'tour vs non-tour' head. Slightly more compact profile, slightly lower launching, and big time flexibility with regards to shot shaping and flighting. I cannot get enough of the comparisons provided by Honma on their site to explain not only the differences in the construction and execution profile, but also in the visual profile (something we golfers constantly ask for).

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But not even that, they include deeper images to explain the variances;

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I had intended for a singular update, but I think I'll follow this up shortly with my on course experiences and let this post focus on the effectiveness of Honma to portray what the clubs do, and how they differ. It's exceptional. More pics and info here: http://www.honmagolf.co.jp/en/item/club/fairway_tw_737.html
 
One of the cleanest and sleekest fairway woods I have ever seen in hand.
 
To the actual experience, I'm really excited about the overall profile of the Honma fairway. It sits quite neutral to my eye, and has a traditional profile at least at address. The sound, for lack of a better word, is industrial. A metallic sound that has an appropriate volume level, and nothing seems to be manufactured (ex: hollow, thuds, etc).

Flighting for me so far has been quite high off the tee, but I think that's more about having the 18* as opposed to the 15* which I am more accustomed. While I don't generally flight the ball up/down during the regular course of play, this head does give a bit of flexibility and I've noticed that adjusting the tee height marginally does make a nice bit of difference without altering total distance (which is what I would want). Off the deck, I'm noticing much closer to a mid height which is fantastic, with absolutely no issues getting clean contact, and getting the ball elevated. Additionally, I can move the ball left and right freely depending on my needs, but my best shots so far have been very straight, which leads me to believe that there isn't much bias in the head overall.

I'll be working on some additional thought soon. Let me know if you have questions!
 
Canadan said:
To the actual experience, I'm really excited about the overall profile of the Honma fairway. It sits quite neutral to my eye, and has a traditional profile at least at address. The sound, for lack of a better word, is industrial. A metallic sound that has an appropriate volume level, and nothing seems to be manufactured (ex: hollow, thuds, etc).

Flighting for me so far has been quite high off the tee, but I think that's more about having the 18* as opposed to the 15* which I am more accustomed. While I don't generally flight the ball up/down during the regular course of play, this head does give a bit of flexibility and I've noticed that adjusting the tee height marginally does make a nice bit of difference without altering total distance (which is what I would want). Off the deck, I'm noticing much closer to a mid height which is fantastic, with absolutely no issues getting clean contact, and getting the ball elevated. Additionally, I can move the ball left and right freely depending on my needs, but my best shots so far have been very straight, which leads me to believe that there isn't much bias in the head overall.

I'll be working on some additional thought soon. Let me know if you have questions!
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The sound being "industrial" has me a bit worried. I tend to like the sound of metal woods to be a bit more muted. That said, the head profile is very nice and I'd like to give a 3w a hit
 
I played a set of combo tees at my home course to accommodate my playing partners today, which shortens quite a few of the holes (plays about 6,300) and gives me a great opportunity to hit the Honma 18* off the tee (and give me Honma irons into greens instead of wedges!).

With that in mind, I used it almost exclusively, and had a mixed bag of results that was swing driven, but I think is also telling of the overall profile and what golfers can expect out of the head.

Out of the gate, the results were a bit lower than I am used to, really penetrating with the move I was making and getting big bounce. In most cases I had a tiny fade incorporated, which isn't my preferred flight but something I have been doing a lot lately due to an outside-in flight pattern. Right around the 8th hole, I made a small personal adjustment to my swing and really got back on track with what I am used to, which is high and fairly straight, with shades of a draw.

One thing I've noticed about this head, is that you have the ability to mix results between low and high flighting, as well as shot shaping both ways off center. I have the ability to create a flight that goes straight up into the clouds in order to come down soft, or I can drop the launch down into the 12-13 range to try and squeak out some extra yardage if the course is firm. What shocked me considering the relatively neutral overall profile is just how high i can elevate off a fairway lie rather than the tee. When I asked one of my playing partners how high I elevated a ball on a par five and said "20 degrees?" they were confident in that number if not higher. Don't fear that number either, because I hit a second ball that I was able to launch about 4-5 degrees lower just to see if I could.

AMart, who is a 10 handicap and fights being able to get the ball elevated, hit two of the best wood shots I've ever seen him hit with the TW737 today. First, from a fairway lie on a par 5, he managed to hit a tidy little draw (which is big for him) that exceeded his distance and launch expectations by a large margin. Second, a mid flight shot off the tee two holes later that was really strong flighting for him. These were by far his two best shots of the day with anything longer than a wedge. Yep.

My final thought is on sound/feedback. It's not muted, it's not overly loud, and it's not anything you'd hit and say "wow that has a unique sound." It's the kind of fairway that you hit and think "yes, that's exactly how a fairway should sound." Full, rich metal sound that changes as you drop towards the bottom of the face.
 
WOW, the chatter in the equipment threads is DEAD lately. Sad James.

I appreciate the thoughts Dan, having seen it in action at the retreat, tom me its right up the alley of a player like me and my needs. I need launch, this gives it.

I will say, I love seeing the success flighting it a bit, I know that is big for you. Also, I feel the urge to reiterate how freaking good looking this is in hand, its a stunner, Honma is 100% bringing it.
 
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