Can you buy a better golf game? It’s a question we never stop asking, especially when it comes to drivers. Most models in our 2025 Best Golf Driver test came in at $600 or more. True budget options that perform are rare. As the least expensive driver in the test, the Stix didn’t crack the top half of the results, but it came surprisingly close to matching the performance of the most expensive model.
So while we’re not saying price doesn’t matter (because, let’s be honest, it usually does), this year’s results offer something worth considering for golfers who assume a higher price tag always means better performance.
What do these drivers have in common?
At first glance, the Honma TW 767 LS and the Stix Golf Compete Driver appear to come from entirely different worlds. The Honma costs $700 and is hand-assembled in Japan. The Stix driver is $299 and built for value.
Both drivers feature adjustable hosels for loft and bias control. They also incorporate carbon fiber in the crown to optimize CG and MOI. You’ll also notice that both struggled to compete in the distance category as part of our driver testing.
Why is the Honma so much more expensive?
What makes one driver more than double the cost of another? Here are a few reasons:
Materials and craftsmanship
The Honma is built with a 360° Carbon Rolled Body, a forged Beta Ti face, and an adjustable tungsten weight. It also features a hand-crafted VIZARD shaft made in Sakata, Japan, by master clubmakers. That level of detail and material cost comes with a premium.
Precision fitting
Every Honma shaft is spine-aligned during assembly, and the adjustable hosel retains shaft orientation even as loft and lie are tweaked. This design ensures that elite players can dial in performance without compromising feel. It’s not something that’s happening with the Stix Complete Driver.
Tour-Level intent
With a compact head, forward CG, and a lower spin profile, the TW 767 LS is aimed at faster-swinging players who want control and a penetrating flight. It’s designed like a Tour prototype, and the price reflects that.
What about performance?
The Honma outperformed the Stix driver in distance (7.9 vs. 7.7), which was nearly a tie. Each of these drivers is near the bottom of the distance rankings for 2025.
The Honma was also more forgiving than the Stix driver.
The Stix outscored Honma in accuracy (8.1 vs. 7.5), a major win for players prioritizing hitting more fairways over maximizing raw ball speed.
The overall scores? Nearly identical. The Honma finishes at 8.3, the Stix at 8.2.
Which one is the better value?
If you’re only looking at performance, the gap is minimal. The Stix Compete Driver costs $401 less and delivers 98% of the performance.
However, these drivers were built for two different players.
The Honma isn’t trying to be budget-friendly. It’s built for precision, feel, and customization and that craftsmanship appeals to a specific type of player.
Don’t see what you are looking for?
The bottom line is that price is not a good way to determine whether a driver is a good fit for your game. You have to look at the performance and test the clubs.
If neither of these drivers fits your golf game or your budget, look at our complete driver testing of 2025.
Roger
3 months ago
I keep asking and you never respond. I ask about the MAXVERT 2. It is advertised by a teaching pro and aimed at the senior golfers as being great and distance pivk up. Why have you never done any checks on this, oh yes I see the big companies pay you a lot of money to do your stuff.