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Final Reviews: Honma 2-Star Beres Driver

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Detailed Ratings

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Dispersion
Distance
Looks, Sound, Feel
Overall
Testers
Equipment Type: Driver
Vendor: Honma

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Honma Beres is all about lightweight luxury designed for low to medium swing speed players with very deep pockets. Pricing for a Beres driver can range from a low end of $850 for a 2-Star driver all the way up to $4,500 for a 5-Star driver.

Though the 2-Star is ironically considered “entry-level” by Beres (it did finish third in this year’s Most Wanted Super Game Improvement Iron testing), the line goes up to 3-, 4- and 5-Star levels. Just so we're clear, a full bag of 5-Star Honma Beres wares will set you back roughly $70,000.

With all of that said, we'd like to get feedback from MyGolfSpy readers. We're looking for two couples (yes, couples) to test, review, and keep two Honma 2-Star Beres drivers. This test is open internationally; right-handed testers only.

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Testing and reviewing the Honma Beres 2-Star will be @Fjd and @Cory O: should be a fun test not only for them but as couples!

Fjd

Looks, Sound, Feel
Accuracy
Dispersion
Distance
Overall

Introduction:

My wife and I live in upstate South Carolina and play year around.  I am 80 yrs old with a swing speed of 78-81 mph, have been playing for 65 yrs, shoot in the high 70’s at times, but mostly low to mid 80’s from 5500 yd forward tees and play 2-3 times/week.  My wife is 78 with a swing speed of 65-68 mph, has been playing for over 40 years, shoots in the 90’s from the forward tees and also plays 2-3 times/week.

We were excited to hear we won the opportunity to test these drivers since the Honma Beres line is a premium product and is designed for those with low to mid swing speeds.  With our swing speeds, we obviously fall into this category.  We both plan to compare the Honma drivers against our gamers, which for me is a Callaway Epic Max LS, fitted by Club Champion in Sept. 2021.  My wife's current driver is a Ping G410.

As with all drivers we want to maximize distance with good launch angles and maximum roll out.  Considering the premium brand and the Honma statements of superior shafts that deliver high smash factors with high trajectories and long carry, I am expecting to see some very good results.

 

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First Impressions 4.0 out of 5

Our Honma Beres drivers just arrived and they are a work of art.  Almost too nice to hit.  Mens driver is on the left and ladies driver on right is a Honma Beres Aizu 3 star model.  In addition to being known for their renowned beauty and attention to detail in paint and finishing of the head and shaft, these Honma Beres drivers are also known for their superior shafts in delivering high smash factors, whereas the driver face is designed for high COR and more ball speed.  Will have to check this out.  

However, I was very disappointed in the packaging.  The drivers arrived in a plain brown wrapper (typical brown driver box) whereas the driver I recently received from Club Champion was well protected and secured in a heavily constructed monogrammed golf box.  Also, the ladies driver did not come with a head cover.  Strange they did not want to protect this beautiful driver.

Aesthetics 4.8 out of 5

In that Honma Beres “is the most premier golf club brand in the world” my wife and I were very impressed with the artwork on the driver crown, the detailing of the shafts and even the driver face.  We have never seen anything like this on a golf club.  Note the diamond alignment marks front, center and rear which are unique in a driver.  These drivers are definitely noticeable because of the color and intricate design, but is not distracting or noticed when playing.  How could you not like the looks of these drivers.

The ladies driver sound is soft/solid whereas the men's is loud and somewhat harsh but this does not affect performance.  In fact, we both get very good distance on hits mostly anywhere on the face.  

 The score is primarily due to loud/harsh men's sound.

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Took my Beres driver out today for the 1st time and played only 4 holes in 47° weather here in upstate South Carolina.  WOW!!!  What a great club.  The ball seemed to stay in the air forever.  I was cold, somewhat stiff and not reaching my normal swg spd of 79 mph, I swung easy and the driver provided very good length and was exceptionally straight on a number of hits.  Looking forward to warmer weather and some 18 hole rounds.

 

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The Numbers 4.5 out of 5

After playing some 18 hole rounds, I still find the driver accurate, easy to hit and very forgiving on off center hits with a high trajectory.  Distance is good and about the same as my current driver but consistency of hits and forgiveness is very good and I am very pleased with the overall performance.  

The biggest improvement is with my wife's driver.  She likes the fact that her driver is light weight, easy to hit and very forgiving.  She says her shots are more accurate, more consistent and higher than any other driver and she loves it.  She also says she doesn't have to hold back but can be aggressive and really go after her tee shots.  She now hits a high draw with excellent distance.  

One drawback is the lack of adjustability on the driver such as loft, lie angle and movable weights.  Also, with my driver, I cannot be aggressive and try to really launch my tee shots.  I firmly believe this is due to my R2(senior) flex shaft may be too soft.   

The score is primarily due to the lack of adjustability and distance.  Would of thought a premium club such as this would give exceptional distance.

 

On Course

The following On-Course comments will be divided between me and my wife.

Wife On-Course score 4.8 out of 5. 

My wife has nothing but praise and is very impressed with the Honma Beres Aizu 3 star driver.  She hits it straighter, higher, is more consistent than ever and firmly believes it saves her 3-4 strokes per round.  Because it is easier to hit and very accurate, it gives her confidence it tight fairway situations.  Distance is as good as her current driver.  As mentioned earlier, the alignment markers on the crown and art work on the crown and shaft, are items she definitely likes.  These are not distractions to her.  Suggested changes are minor which include lack of adjustability and ability to choose crown and shaft colors, which are important to women.   

Men's On-Course score 4.5 out 5.

On the course, this driver delivers.  Shots are high, straight and can be counted to be in the fairway, especially when faced with narrow fairways and shot placement is critical.  This driver is not longer than my current driver, but is consistent since it is easy to hit and accurate.  Because of its accuracy and ease of hitting, you won't be in much trouble off the tee.  This driver has a draw bias, is non-adjustable and working the ball is difficult.  Even though the artwork on the crown and shaft are eye-catching, these factors are not noticed once play is underway.  Love the multi alignment marks on the crown.  The following score is based on the inability to really jump on the drive (hitting it hard) and the lack of adjustability.  The fact that I can't hit it hard is not because of the driver but not having the correct shaft flex.

 

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The Good, the bad, the in-between 4.5 out of 5.

There are many very good things to say about these drivers.  The first is the attention to detail in the artwork on the driver crown and the shaft, even the driver face, which appears to be a representation of the Rising Sun.  Definitely an attention getter.  There is nothing like this on the market.

Next, this is a very forgiving driver.  It's easy to hit, has very good ball speed almost anywhere on the club face and produces a high launch.  An easy swing produces very good results, however, if I try to hit it hard and step on it, the result is a hard hook and inconsistency.  But I attribute this to the senior flex shaft that was given to me, which may not be a good fit.  In contrast, my wife's driver/shaft combo is a perfect fit.  She can hit it as hard as she likes with excellent results.  She gets a high draw and not the fade she gets with her current driver.  Distance is very good and about the same as her current driver.

Drawbacks include lack of adjustability or workability, no choice of grip size and no head cover for the ladies driver to protect the artwork on the crown.

 

Play it of Trade it 5.0 out of 5.

Besides being nice to have and show off, these drivers are definite keepers for us for many reasons.

My wife firmly believes her driving with this club is saving her 3-4 shots per round.  This is primarily due to her increased confidence in hitting fairways because this driver is so easy to hit, is very forgiving with a predictable ball flight.  The trajectory is a high with a slight draw.  No more fade shots to the right.  The color pink and graphics on the crown and shaft are initially eye catching but quickly forgotten once play as begun.

My thoughts and impressions are similar to my wife.  As stated earlier, I hit it very well even off the deck as long as I swing easy, but I don't get good results when trying to hit it hard.  Again, this is due to not having the correct shaft and has nothing to do with the driver.  However, as I get older and my swing speed decreases, this driver will be the perfect fit.

As initially stated by Honma, these drivers are ONLY for low to medium swing speed golfers.  For women with low swing speeds (60-70 mph), the L flex shaft appears to be a perfect fit, producing a high ball flight, very good distance with a straight or slight draw.  Men, however, need to be fitted for the correct shaft flex..

The drivers are definitely "high end" pieces of golf gear and could be considered a fair price for those with deep pockets.

 

Conclusion

Every lady with a low or medium swing speed would love to have this driver in her bag.  It makes a statement first,. with it's uniqueness in terms of style, graphics, color and overall looks, and second, in its light weight and playability.  Due to its draw bias, it definitely reduces slicing, it's ease to hit, it's forgiving and unfortunately, it's very costly.  However, from a golfers point of view, this is a very good driver.  From my wife's point of view, it would be nice to have a head cover, a choice of driver colors and choice of grip, but there is nothing objectionable about this driver.  She loves it!

I also find this driver to be accurate, forgiving and easy to hit.  First impressions were the ball seems to stay in the air forever.  Great trajectory!   It appears to have a built in draw bias so slicing is eliminated or greatly reduced.

As with the ladies driver, the graphics and style make this an eye catcher out of the bag.  I would definitely buy this club if the price was not so steep.

Final Score 27.5 out of 30.

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Link to review
Looks, Sound, Feel
Accuracy
Dispersion
Distance
Overall

First Impressions (3.5 out of 5 points)

I'm going to start with an opinion I wanted to share, but didn't have it impact my star ratings. In this day and age, I think a lot of golfers are going to be getting their clubs delivered instead of getting it at a shop. Because of that, the first impression really starts with the unboxing. Based on this, I really hope that Honma has a different presentation for their Beres line to the paying customers as opposed to what was sent out for review.

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As you can see in the photo, the box received was a simple, unbranded brown cardboard packed with the clubs and Japanese newspapers. This all did fine to keep the clubs protected in transit, but if I had just paid ~$1000 for a golf club, I would have been very underwhelmed. I might also have high expectations as a PXG player as their unboxing presentation is second to none. While I decided to not dock any star ratings because of all this, I thought it all worth noting.
 

My Aesthetics (4 out of 5 Stars) 

We'll avoid the obvious for a second and start with some more of the basics. This driver has a really classic shape to it and nicely proportioned. The look of size behind the ball would probably give plenty of confidence, but not offend the better players. Another note is that while the club has a draw bias we'll discuss later, it really isn't visible or obvious visually.

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With the Aizu edition, the artwork on the crown and up the shaft is certainly the standout. Some might really like it, some may hate it or find it distracting. I was somewhere in the middle initially, but after a few holes with it, I no longer really noticed it and it didn't impact my ability to hit it.

Even if isn't something I would personally choose to buy, I still give the aesthetics 4 out of 5 stars because if you're looking to purchase a Beres driver, you're doing it because you want to be noticed. With the Aizu edition, there is no question that it'll be noticed (and commented on). Honma deserves some kudos for finding a way to make a club visually extreme, but in a way that their key clientele for the club will still enjoy given the callout to traditional Japanese artwork.

Wife Aesthetics (3 out of 5 Stars) 

My wife generally agreed with everything above and thought the artwork was well done. What she didn't like, however, is that the ladies club came in a bright pink. From the Honma item page, it seems that the pink head is set for the 3 star driver option. Different colors (white, dark maroon, and red) reflect the 2 star, 4 star, and 5 star models respectively. These come color matched with the star-grade specific shaft and have different price points. There's nothing wrong with a pink driver head (just ask Bubba Watson), but her personal preference would have been something a bit more neutral like the other star-level heads had.

Sound and Feel

honma3.jpeg.4fa37bdf10b5356b8a84e9c680571186.jpegFor both of us, our shared thought was that the club is obviously well-build and constructed with high-end materials. Say what you want about the price tag, but the quality is there. At impact, the club head has a unique "trampoline"-like ringing sound. I feel like the tone is similar to earlier generations of 460cc drivers, but not nearly as loud. It doesn't quite sound like anything else in the market today, but it's not unpleasant or distracting. The sound is relatively consistent across the face, so even mishits have a decent sound.

On the feel-side of things, the very first thing we noticed was the lightness. The club feels light in your hand taking it out of the bag and light through the swing. With the lightness and long length (46" for men 44.5" for women), the club also feels fast, producing a nice whippy sensation through the swing.

The Numbers (3.5 out of 5 points)

My gamer: PXG 0211 9*(turned down to 7.5*) with a Autoflex 505x Shaft (plays 47.5")

Wife's gamer: PXG 0211z 12* with ProjectX Riptide CB 40 5.0 Shaft (Plays 43.5")

 

honma7.JPG.16d1c64444ebeae080b847fc66cead34.JPGMe:

  • Accuracy – The Beres driver produced a very consistent result. Unfortunately for me, the draw-bias built into the head took my already draw-biased swing and produced a consistent, but extreme, ball flight that was hard to play on the course.

  • Distance – The lightness of the club meant I could swing it fast. About 3mph faster than my gamer in a "standard" shaft and only about 2mph slower than the gamer with my somewhat crazy Autoflex setup. While I was concerned the lightness would cause lower efficiency and less ball speed, that wasn't really the case. The Beres can hit the ball plenty far. By the raw numbers, it's about 15 yards shorter than my gamer, but that's more about fit than the club itself.

  • Trajectory – High. I wouldn't doubt that the Beres would wind up being one of the highest launching drivers on the market. Unfortunately for me, (sensing the theme?) I already hit the ball very high, borderline too high, so this didn't help me and maybe even hurt.

  • Forgiveness – Very forgiving. While the consistent high draw was too high and too much draw, it produced that same result with a variety of strikes. The mirror-like face on the club meant I could always see where the ball impacted and I was surprised with how consistent it was all over the face.

  • Workability – There Beres is not a workable driver, full-stop. It doesn't claim to be and nobody is going to purchase one expecting this. It's completely non-adjustable and has no weights to tweak. Put a reasonable swing on it and it produces a very reasonable results.

My wife is still a beginner and casual golfer, so she doesn't get as technical with the ball flight as I do. Her swing was significantly faster with the Honma, however, than it was with the PXG 0211z and had the potential for very long drives. In her opinion, though, this speed meant she felt more out of control and made it hard to gauge distance or accuracy.

Four stars for me, three stars for her, so averaging out to a 3.5

On-Course (3.5 out of 5 points)

Here is where I struggle to decide how I want to grade out the Beres. Do I want to say what the score is for me or for who the club should really be used by? I can say without a doubt that I am completely the wrong fit for the Beres driver. I swing (just a bit) too fast, hit it too high, and have too much of a draw to begin with. Everything about the driver, however, was designed for someone with a more moderate swing speed, struggles with a slice, and could find more distance with a higher launch. Statistically speaking, the average customer looking at the Beres is much more likely to match that description than my own.

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That said, even for being the completely wrong player for it, I could still play it. Once I got used to what it wanted to do, I generally didn't have a problem with it out on the course and produced scores similar to my gamer. Even if it wouldn't be my choice, if I had to play the Beres, I could do it happily. That probably says something. All said and done, I'll give three stars on-course for me personally and four+ stars for the golfer I picture should be playing it. Average them out to 3.5

My wife, however, is a relatively good swing match to the Beres ladies driver. She can swing it faster than her gamer and hit it higher. If she decided to play it consistently, I'm also confident it could be just as forgiving as the 0211z, a driver purpose built for forgiveness first. But she's a casual golfer and doesn't like the pink, so she wants to get back to her gamer. I'll grade her on-course score as "incomplete."

 

The Good, the bad, the inbetween (5 out of 5 points)

In my opinion, no one is going to buy the Honma Beres Aizu driver because they'll swing it 2mph faster, hit it 5 yards further, and take some turn off their slice. They're not going to buy it for the sound or feel off the face. If I had to take a guess, I'm guessing the majority of the buyers won't even hit the club before making their purchase.

They are going to buy a Honma Beres driver because it's a Honma Beres driver. They are going to buy it for the cache and history of an ultra-premium product and a display of status at the range and on the course. Like a Rolex watch or a Hermes bag, it's not even form or function, it's the logo.

Because of that, I don't really think Honma HAD to make this latest version of the Beres line a particularly good driver, but they did. In fact, for the right type of golfer, the Beres could very well be a great driver. That golfer wouldn't be giving up performance just for the status, so I respect Honma for not just phoning it in, but making a good golf club.

Additionally, with the Aizu line specifically, I also like the willingness to turn the volume up to 11 on the "stand out from the crowd" level. No one will mistake the driver for anything else and buyers almost certainly will be asked about it out on the course. For the average Beres customer, that might just be the whole point. For that the Beres Aizu deserves 5 points.
 

 

Play it or Trade it? (1 out of 5 points)

I'm not going to comment on the Beres price. First off because I have an Autoflex in the bag (I didn't pay full price for it, but still) and second because if you are seriously considering the Beres line, then the dollars are probably no longer a primary consideration. If you wonder if it'll be "worth it" moneywise, then there's a good chance it won't be.

That said, for me and my wife, the Beres Aizu drivers are firmly in the "trade it" zone. For me it's because the club is exactly the wrong fit for my swing and there's no way to adjust it to get the club in a place it would be. For my wife, the simple answer is because it's pink and she doesn't want a bright pink club in her bag.

 

Conclusion

Are you a brand conscious country club member who wants to stand out from the crowd? Do you have a slower swing, struggle with a slice, and could use some help getting the ball up the air? The the Honma Beres Aizu driver might just be the club for you. Especially if that standing-out from the crowd part is at least as important if not more so than the actual performance.

Nobody is going to be rocking a Beres Aizu on a pro tour any time soon and it's not going to be a good fit for everybody. It's not a true competitor to the latest Taylormade or Callaway as those are golf clubs. The Honma Beres isn't (just) a golf club, it's a fashion and social statement. It just happens to be one that hits golf clubs pretty damn well.
 

Final Score 20 out of 30 points

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2024 is the year of the short set!

Driver: TaylorMade BRNR 11.5* stiff

Hybrid: PXG 0311 GEN5 19*

Irons: JustGolf Forged Blades (4, 6, 8, PW)

Wedge: 56* Forged Prototype

Putter: PXG Blackjack Center Shaft 34"

Bag: Sunday Golf Loma XL

Link to review

37 Comments




Thx for the comments.  I’ve played for over 50 yrs and have been in the club making business in the past starting with Golfsmith, their clubmaking schools and then following Tom Wishon and his golf club products.  At 80 yrs old, my swing spd is down to 80 mph but can still break 80 when playing a 5500 yd crse. I look forward to seeing what a premium Japanese product feels like in terms of swg wt, feel, launch and whether you get good launch, carry and rollout with either a smooth or quick transition when you want to step on it and nuke it.

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Just received an email from MGS asking for feedback on the Honma Beres driver that we won and what I thought of it.  Would love to provide a response but there has been no info on shipping or delivery.  Have no idea when I will get it

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I'm chalking this up to the current shipping/supply chain issues. When the clubs get here, they get here and we'll take them out for testing! No offseason here in SoCal, so it'll be doable regardless. My wife also got the PXG 0211Z set, so that driver will probably give a much more fair competition for the Honma to try and beat than her old boxed set driver would have been. (also probably worth mentioning we received the PXG clubs like 5 days after the order was confirmed)

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So a box arrived shortly before Christmas. There are a few unusual things that I might detail out in my review, but needless to say I was surprised when I opened it up.

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As special as a Honma Beres driver is to begin with. These are some extra special ones.

Took mine out for the first time today (wife is a fair weather only golfer) and initial thoughts are positive.

More definitely to come!

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5 minutes ago, Cory O said:

So a box arrived shortly before Christmas. There are a few unusual things that I might detail out in my review, but needless to say I was surprised when I opened it up.

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As special as a Honma Beres driver is to begin with. These are some extra special ones.

Took mine out for the first time today (wife is a fair weather only golfer) and initial thoughts are positive.

More definitely to come!

I'm glad to hear you finally got it in and it looks absolutely nothing like what I would have expected. It's different, but in a good way. I can't wait to see what you think of it and have fun testing it!

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Wow, that's a serious paint job.  Do they all look like that or did you choose a design?  Certainly, that would spark a conversation when you take the head cover off that thing.  And look at the mirror finish of the face!  I would be afraid to use it.  Looking forward to how it performs for you and your wife.

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20 hours ago, pakman92 said:

Wow, that's a serious paint job.  Do they all look like that or did you choose a design?  Certainly, that would spark a conversation when you take the head cover off that thing.  And look at the mirror finish of the face!  I would be afraid to use it.  Looking forward to how it performs for you and your wife.

They all look like that with this edition, just a different base color for the different star levels. The one they sent for my wife is VERY pink. She's not the biggest fan of that, haha.

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35 minutes ago, Cory O said:

They all look like that with this edition, just a different base color for the different star levels. The one they sent for my wife is VERY pink. She's not the biggest fan of that, haha.

I know US based hard goods lines have mostly dropped pink from their color palate and tried to move into the more gender neutral color schemes.

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131 Comments




Oh man I seen “Honma” and “test” and got very excited, but sadly I don’t fit the bill. Swing speed is on the higher end, and my wife hates golf. More for me I guess! Good luck to all who apply! 

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