The new Honma TW 767 woods and irons are out and they represent a good reminder to us all.
While not overly relevant in the North American marketplace, Honma does make some pretty nice sticks. Past drivers, irons and wedges have performed well in MyGolfSpy testing. However, Honma may very well be the poster child for Japanese OEMs “trying to figure out” North America.
Today, Honma is heavily invested in its luxury Beres line but the new Tour World 767 woods and irons are more mainstream.
Given Honma’s track record, they should probably get more consideration than they likely will in the marketplace.
That said, let’s dive into the five things you need to know about the new Honma TW 767 woods and irons.
One: Chalk up two more 10k drivers
By our count, the new Honma TW 767 and 767 MAX drivers bring the number of 10K MOI drivers on the market to six, joining PING, PXG, TaylorMade and, surprisingly, Tour Edge. If you’ve done your reading, you’ll know that 10K combines the heel-toe MOI, which the USGA limits to 5,900 g-cm2, and high-low MOI, which isn’t regulated.
Both the TW 767 and 767 MAX drivers are 460cc heads and feature what Honma calls Carbon Roll Technology. That means the body itself is a single, seamless piece of carbon with a titanium frame acting as a brace for the Beta Titanium face. Honma says both new models represent a nearly 12-percent jump in heel-toe MOI over its previous models while the Beta Titanium face is 11 percent stronger than previous models.
Additionally, both drivers feature a 20.5-gram flippable weight in the back end for a lower and more rearward CG, which is a huge MOI ingredient. Interestingly, the rear weight is only two-position, compared to three-position weights common on today’s drivers. The idea is the weight can be flipped to increase weight either toward the heel or toe, to make the driver more draw- or fade-biased.
The TW 767 MAX is decidedly draw-biased while the standard TW 767 is mostly neutral. The MAX is available in 9-, 10.5- and 12-degree models. The standard 767 comes in 9- and 10.5-degree models. They’re available for pre-sale now on Honma’s website for $650. They’ll ship on Dec. 1.
Two: There’s a low-spin driver as well
If 10K MOI isn’t your bag, Honma isn’t forgetting you. The TW 767 LS is your classic low-spinning driver. It’s 450cc and features a more forward CG to lower spin and increase ball speed. It features two sole weights: a two-position 15-gram weight (similar to the weight in the 767 and 767 MAX) is located in the rear while a 1.5-gram sole weight is right behind the face.
The Honma TW 767 LS features the same Carbon Roll Technology construction as its larger brothers but it doesn’t approach the 10K combined MOI. Honma only publishes the driver’s standard heel-toe MOI which is 4,300.
Honma’s proprietary Vizard shafts are stock with the new line. Vizard shafts are hand-rolled on the Honma factory in Sakata, Japan, by “Takumi” (master craftsmen). The stock shaft is the Vizard EZ-C which is a high-launch, moderate-spin shaft with a mid-kick pint and a relatively soft tip and butt.
Three other Vizards are available via custom order: the EZ-A which has a stiffer butt and lower kick point, the EZ-P which is high-launch and low-spin, and the EZ-Z which is mid-launch and low-spin.
The Honma TW 767 LS is available online for Dec. 1 shipping. It retails for $700.
Three: Fairways and “utility” woods
The new Honma TW 767 fairway wood line features four fixed-hosel models. You have the standard 15-, 18- and 21-degree 3-, 5- and 7-woods, plus a 16.5-degree model it calls a 3HL for “high launching.”
All four models feature a large, shallow footprint with a 13-gram tungsten weight in the rear to help get the ball up in the air. The 3- and 3HL-woods have carbon crowns to drive the CG even lower as well as high-strength maraging steel cup faces to promote ball speed. The 5- and 7-woods feature standard rolled maraging steel faces.
The TW 767 fairways feature the same stock shafts as the drivers.
For some reason, Honma calls its hybrids “utility” woods. The TW 767 line features four models, ranging from 18 to 27 degrees in three-degree increments. As with the fairways, the lower-lofted utilities feature maraging steel cup faces, while the 5- and 6-utility woods have standard rolled faces.
The Vizard EX-C is the stock shaft for the “utility” woods while a hybrid-specific EX-TH is an option.
The fairways retail for $350 and the utility woods for $325.
Four: Two new TW 767 “players” irons
Honma’s iron offerings have always been interesting, bordering on unconventional. The headliner is the TW 767 Tour V, a traditional player’s cavity-back iron. The Tour V is a compact, single-piece forging made from S20C steel, the Japanese equivalent of 1020 carbon steel. Honma says the new model has a “Takumi-shaped” sole for improved turf interaction and more mass behind the sweet spot for a blade-like feel.
Lofts are on the strong-ish side for a player’s cavity-back with a 32-degree 7-iron. The Nippon Modus Tour 115 is the stock shaft (plenty of options are available through custom order) and a 5-PW set retails for $1,050.
You can call the TW 767 Vx irons unconventional. Like the Tour V, the Vx is an S20C forged cavity-back. It features stronger lofts than the Tour V which puts it more in the player’s distance category. The 5- through 8-irons feature tungsten weighting near the toe to help keep the face open at impact while the 9-iron through gap wedge are single-piece forgings with no tungsten weighting. The stock setup is also unconventional. The standard set is 6-PW for $875 with a 4- and 5-iron and a gap wedge optional at $175 each. The Nippon Modus Tour 105 is the stock shaft.
Five: Two new “multi-piece” irons
New to Honma is the TW 767 Px iron set. Even though the Tour Vx features player’s distance lofts, the Px is really Honma’s entry into the player’s distance category. Its larger profile and the multi-piece construction allow Honma to build in ball speed and forgiveness. The body is forged from S25C steel (equal to 1025 carbon steel) with a high-strength steel face. The loft structure is typical of the player’s distance category with a 30-degree 7-iron.
The TW 767 Hx is game-improvement all the way. These irons are hollow-body construction with a maraging steel face, a weight screw and internal weighting. They’re designed for forgiveness and ball speed and the loft structure is typical game-improvement with a 28-degree 7-iron.
The lightweight Nippon N.S. Pro 950 Neo is the stock shaft for both iron sets. The TW 767 Px stock set is 6-PW and retails for $875. A 5-iron and gap wedge are $175 each.
The TW 767 Hx is also available in 6-PW, priced at $1,050 for the five-piece set. The matching 5-iron and gap wedge are $210 each.
The entire iron line is available for pre-order now. They’ll ship on Dec. 1.
Honma TW 767 irons and metalwoods: Final thoughts
For all its efforts over the years, Honma hasn’t come close to “figuring out” North America. They’ve gone heavy retail, deployed a fleet of mobile fitting vans and now are selling primarily direct-to-consumer at full retail pricing.
While Honma products more than hold their own in terms of performance, the U.S. market remains the domain of the Big Five. Callaway, TaylorMade, PING, Titleist and COBRA leave precious little room for anyone else at retail while brands such as PXG, Mizuno, Srixon and Wilson have followings. Add in DTC brands such as Sub 70, Hogan, MacGregor, RAM, Takomo and others, and you have to ask:
What’s a company like Honma to do?
The best approach for them is pretty much what they’re doing. The company is leaning on the luxury-priced Beres line which has little competition in its space. A 13-piece Five-Star Beres set with gold and platinum accents and a cart bag sells for $62,550. You’d have to sell at least 20 full TW 767 sets to match that. What’s more, if you have the right clientele, the Five-Star Beres set might be an easier sell.
While some may cringe at the TW 767 pricing, one can argue that lowering the pricing won’t necessarily mean Honma will sell more units, given the competition in the marketplace. At this point, a business truism applies.
High price/low volume profitability beats low price/high volume profitability every day of the week and twice on Sundays. It’s less work, requires fewer resources and keeps you from having delusions of grandeur.
Jake
2 years ago
Christmas ’25 would be the right time to buy 767 series clubs.