Final Reviews: Honma GS Series Driver

Hey all! So just an update, I think at this point only two people for this test have received their driver, @GolferChick and myself (somehow I was actually the first, receiving it on July 14th), so hopefully should start seeing stuff posted from the others soon. 

Because of this, I can't/won't talk to much about the driver as I don't want to inadvertently influence any of the other reviewers. What I will say is that when I actually had it in hand, it looked even better than the pictures that were posted for the review sign-up!

Please, allow me to take this time to introduce myself a little bit, and give you (probably) more detail then you need to know about me and my game  I was born in 1980.......ok, that is too far back, and waaaaaay more then you are interested in. I started golfing when I was 10 (that was when you were allowed on the course back then), and would golf occasionally with my dad. I really didn't get too into it back then, as I was always embarrassed when we would go to the course, and get paired up with another twosome. So it was kinda off and on until I was 20 and in the Air Force in Japan, this is where I met a fellow Airman who was big into golf, and started playing a lot, like a lot - a lot. Since then it has been at least a fairly regular part of my life, playing regular rounds, best ball tournaments, on Unit intramural golf teams, etc. Over the last 4-5 years though, it started to really slow down, to really only maybe 3-4 times a year (seems when I got to my last duty station, less and less people were playing, and i didn't really meet any others golfing). Well, last year I retired (right when Covid hit, geez thanks for that timing) and I decided that I wanted to golf again, even if that means just 9 holes after work (now an Army Civilian). So now I am at the course/range generally at least 3 days of the week, plus over the last few weeks have started taking lessons to try and get my game back to where it used to be (or at least close). I used to be a lower to mid-80s golfer, and now am more of an upper 80s lower 90s golfer. My swing speed before lessons was in upper-90 MPH, now in the lower 100 MPH range.

I am hitting my driver better, but still struggle with some things. First, contact.....my misses on the face are generally more towards the toe, or low on the face. My bad swing is when I forget to extend down the target line at/after impact, and instead have a more in-out-back in (arcing) downswing. This, along with my wrists getting through too quickly because of the arcing swing, leads to my usual miss, a low duck hook into Brenda's back yard (Alex Etches on YouTube anyone???).

I have been an analyst my entire career, so I really like numbers, looking at data, etc. So for this test I will be using my Mevo launch monitor, as well as my arccos sensors to assist in gathering data for comparison to my current gamer (Cobra Speedzone Extreme, with an Aldila Rouge Elite Green R-flex shaft). I also really like to tinker, so changing/trying out various shafts, playing with the loft adjustments, etc is really just tons of fun (I think that used to be my nickname) for me.

I look forward to going through this process (obviously already been in the midst of it for almost a month now), and answering any questions I can about the product. If you have questions, fire away!

UPDATE: 30 Aug 2021

Hmmm, apparently I can just keep adding to this instead up adding comments.....okalidokali then

I have kept working on my swing, and am fairly happy with where it is right now. Most recent "change" is really just shortening my swing a little, using my shoulder touching my chin as my trigger to stop my backswing and start the downswing. Otherwise, it seemed like most of my issues were with overswinging which completely destroyed my timing, balance, etc. 

Well, the reviews are further delayed, right now Honma may not be able to get the other testers drivers out until mid-September  Sooooo, in the meantime I will continue to add to this reivew/post. 

Here is the arrival of my driver:

 

 

 

Who's who? Ok, not hard to tell the Taylormades....

 

 

 

 

Well, I better stop there....don't want the moderators getting mad at me for posting images too soon. I will get a video of my swing soon (hopefully in slo-mo).

 

 

Honma T//World GS Driver – Official MGS Forum Review by DechamBRO

Hi all!!! Just want to say thank you so much to Mygolfspy.com and Honma for making this review happen, and choosing me as one of the reviewers! As an analyst and tinkerer, I love getting to try out new things, analyze data, compare, etc. So, I love an experience like this.

Currently I am about a bogey a hole golfer (but hey, I totally took like 3 lessons), so shooting upper 80s to lower 90s. All my clubs, including driver, have become much more consistent over the course of this review.  

I really hadn’t heard much if anything about Honma really prior to this. I believe I had seen the name before, in MGS and other blogs/forums talking about Japanese golf manufacturers… but that is about it.

For testing I will be taking the driver out to the range, and playing rounds with it. I have a Mevo personal launch monitor, so I plan on getting some actual data to post as well. To earn a spot in my bag, it needs to perform better than my current gamers (Mizuno ST200, and Cobra Speedzone). That isn’t necessarily distance, but if it gives me more confidence at address, and if it is more consistent (basically forgiving when my swing gets sloppy), then it will earn a spot.

Looks (9 out of 10 points)

 

The club is gorgeous. Absolutely well made. It has a great blend to me of modern as well as classic (no weird square or triangle head that will take some getting used to, if ever at all). Compared to allot of the modern drivers, the color blend of red and black is subtle, and classy. No weird neon colors or Sasquatch yellow here. Really, everything looks top of the line, nothing stands out to distract you, everything just subtle and gorgeous.

 

So, why the decrease of one point? Well, they may have done too well. By that, I mean that this is a 460cc club head, and yet, when I stand over it, it looks smaller than my Cobra Speedzone and Mizuno ST-200. The others, behind the ball, give me great confidence. The Honma; however, with the more compact appearance, doesn’t make me feel like I can just swing away like the others…. feels/looks like there is less room for error.

 

Now, I believe this is a personal preference item, as I know that there are quite a few who prefer the compact classic look…. but hey, I am the one doing the review

 

 

 

Sound & Feel (6 out of 10 points)

This, unfortunately, for me was perhaps the biggest downside of this driver. Personally, I did not like either. First, the feel.... The club's weight, swing weight/balance all felt great, so no issues there. The shaft felt whippier to me than any of my other stiff flex shafts, this could be because of the lower kick point for higher ball flight, or that the shaft is 55 grams (I am used to around 65), or a combination of the two. 

 

Then the feel off the face....it felt harder/more solid than what I am used to with the drivers that I have used.... which makes it difficult to describe. I don't want to say that it felt bad necessarily, but that it definitely felt harder at impact. My Cobra Speedzone Extreme and my buddies Ping G410 felt considerably softer at impact as well as.... I dunno.... more springy of the face as well (yeah, I'm gonna go with that).

 

Finally, the sound, which they say at least affects your perception of feel (much like smell affects taste). This was much louder than my Cobra, Mizuno, or my friend's Ping....much higher pitch as well. enough so that my son, and even a stranger danger at the range commented on. In my son’s words, it sounds like when two empty glass coke bottles cling together. It is definitely noticeable, I even hit one at an open range (not covered) that left my right ear ringing…. like it actually hurt. The Cobra almost sounded silent after hitting the Honma. 

 

With all of that, I really did not like the overall feel and sound of the Honma, which really brought its grade down for me. 

 

Taste (?? out of 10 points)

 

Now for taste…. wait, I don’t see that on the scorecard……hmmmm, must be an oversight by the MGS moderators. Ah well, “Das Schmeckt Gut!”

 

 

 

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

 

Hey, this is where I get to talk about stuff like adjustability! This feature, to be honest, I initially struggled with. Why? Well because it is different than literally everything else out there. You get a torque wrench (c’mon, we are all used to that), but also a little sleeve thing that goes over the wrench, and turns freely around the wrench, so that you can turn the washer, and therefore set it to where you want it before re-tightening.

 

 

 

Now, it took me a minute to learn, that really, the easiest way to do this is to simply loosen it a little bit, then use the sleeve to adjust, then retighten the screw. After I learned this, it was much easier then trying to use them both together.

 

 

 

The issue I have, is that (as you can see from the instructions), you can make adjustments +- .5 degrees, and this adjusts the face angle (F.A.) as well…. but on the club, itself, there are no hash marks. So, while you have 360 degrees available to adjust the club, on the club itself you have no reference points……so here’s to hoping…. Hence, the loss of 1 point here.

On Course/LM Performance (20 out of 30 points)

 

 

 

 

So, as you can see above, when it comes to the basic numbers, the Honma stacks up well against everything else. The Honma averaged 244 yards, as did the hodgepodge (Cobra, TaylorMade M1/M2, Mizuno ST200) ….to some degree this comes to the basic limits on driver (COR, mass, etc.).

 

My issue with the Honma, came down to the fact that it is more draw biased. As a player whose typical miss it to the left (the dreaded low duck hook), the Honma made it worse. Even lowering the loft, and therefore opening the face, my miss hits were even more left.

 

 

 

Did I gain speed? Yeah, looks that way. But, again, if I lose it all left out of bounds, in the woods, etc. Have I really gained anything?

 

When my swing was great though, man, this thing flew. It really does have a high, long ball flight, with a little draw when hit with a nice slight in to out swing path…. but again, for me, I really had to focus up. If I did this, it was great…. but again, I REALLY HAD TO FOCUS, there was no simply swinging away for me. It simply isn’t a good club for someone who typically misses left, or very very left.

 

 

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

So…. this is tough. Two others still haven’t received their clubs….and Honma seems to have to some degree ghosted the MGS staff…. I understand COVID has caused issues….and then Honma was robbed (seriously, they lost a TON of product) …. but two of the testers literally received a golf club box from Honma with nothing but the headcover and wrench……I don’t think I have ever seen that before.

 

Speaking of the headcover, it is a really good quality…. like nice and thick for the padding underneath the leather…. again, nothing less than top quality on this product.

 

Technology wise, it has some stuff, and lacks some others (much like many other clubs on the market). speedpocket thing under the face, yes. Adjustable hosel, yes. Carbon fiber crown, no. Rear weight, yes. Face tech that helps keep ball speed on mishits, yes. I would compare the tech very closely with the Mizuno ST200, except that the weight is set for a draw bias, as opposed to straight back.

 

 

Oooooohhhhhhhh, look……. plastic!

 

Play It or Trade It (15 out of 20 points)

Is this going in my bag……. no. As I have pointed out, while it is a great high-quality club, it just isn’t a better option for my swing than my Cobra or my Mizuno. The main reason for this is that I don’t have the confidence I do standing over it as I do with the others (it looks smaller, therefore appears less forgiving, and you can’t mess with someone’s confidence like that), the sound is just too much for me to deal with, and the weighting makes my standard miss worse (as opposed to someone who generally hits a fade or a slice). So, this won’t be in my bag. It will; however, go in my 15-year-old son’s bag. He is just learning, and works well for him. He needs the help getting the ball more airborne, and definitely needs help with losing the ball to the right. Yet it gives him the same feeling/swing weight as his current gamer, the Wilson Staff D100. So, it won’t go in my bag, but it will stay in the family

 

Conclusion

This really is a top-quality, well-made club. It is, though, made for a specific golfer. If you struggle with not getting enough height on your shot, and lose them to the right, then this club is definitely worth a shot. Honma might not be a well-known name in the US, but if you are the golfer I mentioned, and see one in store, go ahead and add it to the pile of others you are testing, you might be surprised.

 

Final Score (76 out of 100 points)

 

 

 

My Driver has arrived.  Stay tuned in the coming weeks to see how I feel the Honma T//World GS stacks up!

 

 

 

Hello, I am Jackie an avid golfer from Minneapolis presently playing to a 4.7 HI. I have been playing golf for an exceptionally long time but was not that serious about how I played until the last 15 years or so. Now, I play every chance I get.  Nothing beats getting outside, enjoying mother nature, and shooting my lowest score ever.  I am an LPGA Amateur’s member and I love competing in Minnesota Golf Association events.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

The strength of my game has been my driving the past couple of years. 200 plus yards with a very high percentage of drives between the trees. I have learned to play smart golf as I age which has helped me lower my handicap a bit. My putting has been my biggest weakness and I have been working on it in addition to my short game 40 yards and in. Fixing these two are going to be a key to getting to that coveted 0.0 HI. I have also worked with a golf coach and fitness trainer to work on the mental and physical aspects of my game as both need attention and they will help me play solid golf for years to come.

 

I used to hit a medium height soft fade, which put my usual miss to the right.   However, I have recently been able to hit a soft draw which has been wonderful but also has made it harder to hit the fade. My swing tempo is what you would consider medium or average. Slowing down my back swing is key to hitting the ball consistently. My driver swing speed hovers around 85-88 MPH and being an AARP member, I don't believe it will be going up

 

My current driver I the PXG Gen 3 If I crunch it on a warm day I can get it out to 250.  It has an Adilla NV Stiff shaft that allows me to put a little extra torque on the driver.  My main goal with a driver is to get it out there 200 plus yards between the trees.  In the heat of the summer when I am swinging well and the balls are flying it is more like 220 plus between the trees with a good angle to the pin.  If I do that then I can get it on or close in two on most holes and shorter par 5’s.  Out of 4 par 5’s on my home course there is only one I can get on in a somewhat regular bases with a great drive and a good 4 or 7 wood.  2 of the other 3 once in a blue moon and the last not yet (close a couple of times).  On par shorter 4’s I am usually using a 9 iron or less to the green and on longer par 4’s that can go up to and including my trusty 7wood which I carry 155 yards.

 

 

 

My first impressions of the Honma T\\World GS is it is a good looking and lightweight club.  Honma states it has :

KEEL DESIGN & WEIGHT

Shaped with a raised keel towards the heel to promote draw-biased flight and increase MOI.

ans

FLIP SLOT

TW//GS driver features Flip Slot technology to maximize face flexure and reduce spin for more speed and additional forgiveness.

After a good hour on the driving range I can say the Honma T//World GS is much easier to draw than my present driver and the distance seems to come much easier.  I was afraid I could not hit the lighter shaft well but that was not the case.

 

 

 

 

I tested this driver in the number one way that it matters, in my bag on the course.  I tested in my league, in tournaments and on fun days out with my friends.  I have never touched a Honma club before so it was a put up or shut up test so to speak.

 

Looks (10 out of 10 points) 

The Honma T\\World GS has an appealing shape, crisp look  with just enough graphic highlights on the shiny black head as to not get distracting.  The alignment aid is simple and stands out enough to be effective.  Most drivers have a similar shape and black is fine for me.

 

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10 points)

 

The video is there you can hear the perfectly centered hit on the driver and it is music to my ears.  You can hear the difference when you miss the center and that is what I like.  On this perfectly centered hit and others like it I felt nothing  Which lets me know it is getting out there.  I was able to feel my misses which lets me know I am straying.  All drivers sound a little different which is ok to me but not all drivers have a good feel.  The stiff shaft was correct for me which I am sure helped me to like how the club felt.

 

Basic Characteristics (18 out of 20 points)

 

The Honma T\\World GS hits the ball with my usual medium to high ball flight.  I was able to work the ball left and right in addition to keeping it down a bit to get it out of the wind.

I would describe this driver as easy distance, the drive in the video was a perfectly placed 230 yard drive and I did not have to swing crazy to get it.  I was able to hit the ball where I wanted with general ease.  The one downside to the driver is if I really try to step on it it is very easy to pull hook it. 2 points off for my inability to step on it

 

The club is easily adjustable and it should have enough adjustability for most golfers and too much for many.     I had no problem using the Honma T\\World GS to compete in fall tournaments and I just had to learn not to overswing.  

 

On-Course / LM Performance (28 out of 30 points)

 

After a couple of range sessions I used the Honma T\\World GS exclusively for over a month and this driver performs as I expect it to.  For me it hits it long, accurate and consistent.  After the first week I was confident I could hit the shots I need to.  I figured if Justin Rose was playing Honma they had to be ok and now I can say for sure the Honma T\\World GS is a very good Driver.  The lightweight shaft and driver is not built for 100+ MPH swing speeds.  It is for those of us below 90 MPH who need to get the most out of a drive as we can.  I woud describe the Honma T\\World GS as easy distance.  I do not have to struggle to hit a drive 210 - 230 yards.  I put a good swing on it and it just goes.  2 points off for my inability to step on it

 

I think lighter crowns and shafts are here to stay and they have a huge market with the aging golfer.  I can't say the Honma T\\World GS lowered my handicap but it did not hurt it either.

 

Miscellaneous (10 out of 10 points)

Here's where the Honma T\\World GS really earned its keep in my bag and it was a total surprise.  I started hitting my fairway woods better.  To hit the Honma well I had to swing smoothly and this carried forward to my fairway woods as well.

 

 

Play it or Trade it? (18 out of 20 points)

I will definitely play the Honma T\\World GS to some degree and it will take some testing and going back and forth between the Honma and my PXG.  I may put together a lighter shaft for my PXG and a heavier for the Honma to see if that clears things up a bit.  I hit them both very well so this is a very good problem to have.  2 points off for my inability to step on it.

If your swing speed is less than 90 MPH and is only going down, this may be the driver for you!

 

Conclusion

The Honma T\\World GS is a wonderful driver for those with less than a 90 MPH swing speed.  I say it has easy distance and should be perfect for the aging golfer or a golfer with a bad back.  If you like to put a bunch of extra torque on the club to get extra distance,  that can get you in trouble with this club.    If you are looking for 200 -230 down the middle without over swinging, I would give it a shot.

 

Final Score: (94 out of 100 points)

I finally got an opportunity to play a “proper” round with the GS today. Full disclosure - I was struggling with a loss in distance with driver before I received the GS, so my initial experience with it may be a result of that. Hopefully after a few more rounds with it I’ll get some of my distance back.
 

First impressions: I am still fading the ball as much as I do with my current gamer. It is currently on the stock setting. Maybe I need to tweak it for more of a draw bias.

Sound is good. A muted thwack that is not too loud, but it lets me know when I have made solid contact. I was expecting the shaft (R flex) to be a bit whippy, but it’s not.

Look and feel are great. 
 

That’s all for now. I need to play a few more rounds with it at least before I post my full review with grades. But it’s a good start. 

 

11/11 Veterans Day

I played another round at Willowick to give the driver a good workout. Still using the stock settings I am fading a bit too much still, and not getting my usual distance. I am going to set it to more of a draw bias and try a few rounds before I complete my review.

 

 

 

Okay - I just made a slight adjustment to the “Draw Zone” in their diagram. About half way between the FL and CL settings. Admittedly I was a bit apprehensive about fiddling with the settings, but it wasn’t particularly difficult after all. I have a 9 hole round on Sunday, so I’ll only have a few shots with driver. But I’ll try to get to the range on Saturday to test the new settings.

New position #1 is FL/CL.

New position #2 is CL. Middle of the “Draw Zone”.

PXG 0811X Gen 1 on the left, next to the GS. The PXG head looks bigger in this photo, but they are approximately the same size. I thought I preferred the matte finish, but the glossy finish is growing on me.

Intro

I am really excited about my opportunity to review the Honma T // World GS driver. It was initially announced that these reviews would begin in June, but due to several unforeseen circumstances the club just arrived today 10/29. So, since I am a bit late to the party I will get right to it.

·         I am absolutely a casual golfer. That does not mean that I don’t take my game seriously, because I do. But I don’t have a group of golf buddies and I don’t play in tournaments. So pretty much all of my rounds can be considered “casual”. Though I do maintain a handicap that I am trying hard to improve.

·         My handicap is 25 currently. It has been up and down this year, and though my game is improving I have not seen a drop in my handicap – yet.

·         I have a slow swing speed. As a senior golfer I understand my limitations.

·         My typical ball flight is a fade. I sometimes stray into slice territory. But not often. And I almost never hit the ball left, unless I am aiming that way and my typical fade straightens out for some reason.

·         Strengths of my game – I have a decent short game and my putting has really improved lately. I also tend to stay in the fairway. Not a lot of errant shots. Weaknesses – very short hitter. My driver goes anywhere from 185 to about 215. Maybe a bit longer on a really good day. 7 iron about 125ish.

·         My current gamer is a Gen 1 PXG 0811X 12° with a Project X Evenflow Blue R shaft. Why I bought it? PXG was offering a great deal on the “legacy” drivers. I was not fit. Just static stats.

·         My #1 priority with driver is to hit the ball in the fairway as far as I can. Since I am a short knocker I cannot also be wild or else I am really screwed.

·         I don’t have the consistency or driver length to be too aggressive with my drives. So I tend to be a bit conservative.

·         I rarely hit par 5s in 2.

·         I am most often hitting a 4 or 5 hybrid into par 4s, if I had a decent drive.

 

First Impressions

I am coming into this testing cold – with no preconceived notions about Honma. I can’t even say I recall seeing anyone gaming their drivers locally. I chose the 11.5° since they didn’t have a 12° option. I also selected the R flex shaft which is what I currently have. If an A flex had been an option I might have selected it. But it appears that the R flex is softer than I expected, so it could effectively perform like an A flex shaft for me. We’ll see. I have never been formally fit. I have only used online fitting tools for my height and arm length. And that has seemed to work so far.

Put plainly – if I can hit the ball longer and straighter than I do with my current driver, it stays in the bag. I don’t hate my current gamer, but I am starting to get less distance with it and I am kind of itching to see what’s out there. With my fade, I have learned to adjust and hit the ball in the fairway 75% of the time based on my Grint stats. But I know I am losing distance due to my fade and the amount of spin I put on the ball. If the Honma is the draw biased club they say it is I should see some better ball flight. That and the fact that the shaft is ½” longer than my current shaft, so I hopefully will gain a bit of distance.

Provide some brief comments on how you plan to test. How much time you spent practicing, launch monitor (if applicable), on-course rounds, and special experiments will give readers an idea of the scope of work you put into this review.

My testing will be based on comparison to my current driver. Unfortunately I don’t have a launch monitor or access to one for this testing. That is on my Christmas list though. I intend to do some A/B testing on the range with the two drivers and play as many rounds as possible with it on my usual courses so that I can do some direct comparison. With the time change coming up I will probably have to limit my testing to the weekends.

 

Final Review
12/12/2021 - Note: I am taking a mulligan on my original review and updating my answers. The driving yips I seemed to be suffering from appear to be over and I was able to get back to hitting solid shots today.

Looks (8 out of 10 points)

Describe the following:

●      General Shape - The shape is fine. It appears larger than my regular gamer though it is not. Probably because it has a slightly mor elongated shape. They are about the same size

●      Graphics – The sole graphics look way better in person than in the pictures. I thought the photos made it look kind of cheap. But in person, with the contrasting matte and glossy grey/black treatments and the red accents, it actually looks pretty nice.

●      How does the overall look come together? – I tend to like a matte finish, but I really like the glossy crown more than I expected. Especially with the subtle alignment markings near the face and rear of the crown.

●      How does the appearance compare to other drivers in the same category? – It is in between the “too busy” look of some of the Callaway drivers and the minimalist looks like on my PXG.

●      Other unique details (i.e. alignment aids, coloring, swing blur, etc.) – As I mentioned, I do like the alignment aids. The center line mark in the front and the subtle red striping on the back seem to promote an inside-to-out swing arc. The glossy crown is not the distraction I thought it would be. And the finish appears to be pretty durable. So It will look good for quite a while.

 

Sound & Feel (8 out of 10 points)

Describe how the driver sounds and feels

●      Does it sound: loud, quiet, harsh, or smooth? – The sound is neither quiet or harsh. It has an appealing “thwack” especially when struck on the sweet spot. 

●      Does it feel soft, crisp, dull, clunky (feel free to use your own imaginative phrases)? – The feel is a bit soft and whippy for me. But after some initial struggles I have adjusted to it.

●      Does it feel consistent across the face, or are mis-hits noticeably pronounced? – I paid a heavy price on mishits with this driver. To the point where I shanked or sliced way more balls than I am accustomed to. Over the last few outings it has gotten better, but I am not quite there where I can say it is as consistent as my current gamer.

●      Compare to your best/worst feel and sound experiences? – The sound is fine to me, and initially it felt a bit too whippy, but I have begun hitting the ball well with it and the lighter feel of the shaft is no longer an issue.

●      Does it impact your mental game? - My earlier assessment was yes, it did affect my mental game since I was having trouble getting off the tee. In my most recent round that was not an issue and I was hitting the ball as well with the GS as with my PXG gamer.

Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 points)

Before hitting the course, get some range time in so you’ve got a feel for what’s to come.  This section should be used to identify the basic characteristics that most players will notice.   If you are able to get time on a launch monitor, this would be the section to include numbers from it.

Describe the following compared to your current gamer:

●        Trajectory – When I hit it well I get a higher trajectory than I am used to, which is what I want.

●        Workability – N/A. I did not have enough control of my shots during this review to try to work on different shot shapes. It’s straight or fade. Just like with my regular gamer.

●        Accuracy – Similar to my current gamer. I have a fade that requires me to aim left of target to get the desired result. 

●        Distance – When I was able to hit it well I got similar distances to my regular driver. I am starting to hit it as far as my gamer. 

●        Forgiveness – Initially I did not think it was forgiving at all. Since adjusting it to the CL setting it is forgiving enough for me.

●        Adjustability – Adjustability is one of its pluses. I had to make two adjustments to try to make it more draw biased. And although I really don’t like to tinker with settings it really was easy to make the adjustments. However, The first adjustment from Standard to FL/CL only seemed to make it harder for me to hit the ball. But since making the second adjustment to CL I am now able to hit MY shots again. 

●        Pressure – A week ago I was terrified to stand over the ball with this driver because I had no idea where the ball would go. Today 12/12 it was like I was using my regular gamer. Pressure? Little to none. Certainly no more than usual.

●      What factors were you pleased with? – As mentioned above, I liked the sound and the look of this club. On the occasions that I did hit a solid shot it sounded great. Looking down at it at address I really like it even though it took me quite a while to become comfortable enough with it. It is a very durable club. I beat it up quite a bit with my mishits, but it does not appear any worse for wear. The sole still looks practically brand new.

●      What factors did you find lacking? – The unique hosel design was a bit of a struggle for me to find the right setting. I had pretty much given up on being able to game this driver but I gave it one more shot with the hosel adjustment and that seemed to do the trick. They need to provide better instructions for tweaking the head. I was reluctant to mess with it but I am glad I did. The soft shaft is not as bad as I initially thought it was. But I would probably want to go with a slightly stiffer "regular" shaft. I am partial to UST Mamiya shafts and all of the regular versions I have tried were stiffer than the Honma shaft. 

On-Course / LM Performance (21 out of 30 points)

It took me several rounds before I was able to really feel confident with this club. If I continue to hit the ball the way I have been lately I would say the On Course number would go up. But given the small sample size I can't give it stellar marks yet.

Final Performance Comments:

●      Overall, how did it perform? – I have had sort of a "Jekyll and Hyde" experience with this driver. I went from wanting to banish it from my bag forever to now wanting to see if it will really displace my PXG gamer. Though I still have my reservations I did see signs that it could perform well for me given time.

●      How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of Honma? – Since I had no real exposure to Honma before this I came in cold, with no assumptions. If anything, the lack of any exposure to it made me think that maybe it is not a brand that a casual golfer would gravitate toward. Though I won't be ditching my favorite brands in favor of them any time soon I can say that Honma is now on my radar at least. If I continue to like what I am seeing I would consider looking at some of their other clubs in the future.

●      What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model? – I can’t say there is anything that I would change about this driver.

 

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 points)

•        I really want to like this driver. It looks great and though I don’t like to tinker with adjustments I do not have a problem with their non-rotating hosel. The headcover is good looking and something you would expect for a $500 driver, though I would still swap it out. I do like the grip and wouldn’t change it. The delivery issues which delayed this for several months didn’t help, and I wonder if I would have had better luck with it if I had more time to try to bond with it. Basically, I think it probably is worth the asking price as compared to other drivers in that price range. 

 

Play it or Trade it? (15 out of 20 points)

• Undecided. As I mentioned above I finally had a breakthrough with it and started hitting the ball well. Assuming that continues it will certainly give my current game a challenge. I liked what I saw the last time out with it.

 

Conclusion

I came into this process excited about maybe finding a new gamer that would straighten out my fade a bit and give me a few more yards off the tee. While I haven't achieved either of those things yet there are some positives I have seen so far. This was a really interesting review, because I was ready to give up on it and then found my "A Ha" setting that completely changed my mind about it. This experience has changed my attitude about adjustable drivers completely. If you're okay with tweaking a bit, a quality driver will probably have a setting that works for you. It would seem that the Honma T//World GS is designed for someone like myself. I just need time to bond with it now.

Final Score: (77 out of 100 points)

Post Review

12/7 - I was going to wait a little while before making another adjustment, since I already submitted my review. But I decided to go ahead and change the hosel setting from FL/CL to CL. Hopefully I can get out to the range some time this week and see if it makes any difference.

12/9 - I took it out to the range to try to fix my driver swing, along with my regular gamer. Though I hit both a bit better I still have a ways to go. However, I was much improved with the GS since changing to the CL setting. Less of a fade. I have another round coming up this Sunday. So I’ll try it again.

12/12 - My Eureka round proved that I can successfully play a round with this driver. I finally really enjoyed hitting with it today and now I have a real dilemma on my hands. (In a good way.) Initially I wanted to go back to my regular gamer, but after today I am not sure. More research to do. My final score bumped from 62 to 77.

12/23 - I was able to get a good workout with the GS and I was finding fairways all day. Still fading  and not hitting it as far as I would like, but I am pleased with my results otherwise. 

I play and love the TW-X irons and would like to see if the same love goes to their driver!  thanks

I'd love to try it.  Fits my demographics... I'm 73 and currently play a Callaway Epic Max.  Love to see how it compared.

I've previously played the Honma XP-1 irons and really enjoyed them before moving on to the JPX 921 Hot Metal Pros.

Have never hit one of these but would love to give it a test drive 

I wouldn't kind trying out a honma product finally. Nearly bought a set is tw-x irons before settling on sub70

Playing TaylorMade M Gloire driver designed for the same purpose of helping players whose swing speed has slowed as the Honma GS. Would be happy to provide real-life head-to-head comparison.  

I would be very interested to see if how my 25 year old driver would compare to this driver. I get great distance with my driver but accuracy is the biggest issue. I’d love a great combination of good distance and great accuracy. 

I had a Homna 3 wood last year did not like it to light,I would love to test the tr drver.I have tried the Taylormade sim driver first year edition I did not like it.The face on the SIM driver is narrower than that of my Taylormade M3 driver therefore I found it less forgiving,harder to hit the sweet spot.

Hello there MGS,

I have been fit and replaced my entire bag outside of driver. I currently have, don’t laugh, a TaylorMade Burner SuperFast driver. I have not replaced it yet, because there has been no increase in performance with the new drivers during fittings over the last four months. Honma would have a chance to show off their superior equipment, compared to a 10+ year old driver, that has the same, or better, stats than every other name brand driver on the market. Let’s see what you got Honma!

Would love to test this driver and compare it to my Ping G400.  I'm a 14 who's average drive is about 230 yards, so not a big hitter anymore at my age but would be curious if the GS would actually help me with distance.

Thanks for another great opportunity!

Currently gaming Honma irons.  Would love the opportunity to see if their big dog hunts! Count me in. 

Would love to try this. I really struggle with my speed which is really hurting my game. I love the game and would really love to be able to play better and get better distance. 

My Cobra Speedzone has helped straighten out my drives. Testing the Honma GS would be an excellent comparison!

I play in Florida and Massachusetts, am 67 years old and a 7.8 index.  So I think I represent one of your sweet spots.  Would love to give your driver a good test.

Signed up for my wife, she carries the ball about 175. Interested to see if she could pick up a few extra yards...

That is just what a 67 year old needs.  More speed! I am in the 85-95 swing speed range

Interested to see what effect of this GS Driver on distance.

Great that you guys are looking specifically for women to test equipment as well. As the father of a young daughter who I hope will get into golf, this opens the door for opportunities for more young women to get into the game! Keep it going MGS!

When I clicked the link on my iPhone to sign up, another member's personal info was already displayed in all the fields. I could see his name, address, email, swing speed, etc. I took a screen shot, but won't upload it here for privacy reasons. The form is obviously not secure, so I decided not to sign up. No telling where the personal info is going. Last thing I want is more spam and phishing.

Would love to compare it to the newer Callaway Drivers. 

I would love to give it a try, as a recovering long drive competitor and used to swing nothing but Cobra's off the tee...I have switched to Callaway and would love to try something new.  Thanks.

 

I've been getting the MyGolfSpy newsletters for quite a while, so have received many invites to sign up for equipment testing.  I just never got around to signing up here on the forum, but this time decided to take the plunge.

I'd love to give the Honma GS Series driver a good test and review. I fit the target profile, that's for sure.

Would love to try it out. Currently playing a Cally Epic, time for an upgrade

Seems like an interesting driver. Not sure if it can replace my Ping 400.

Thanks for a shot to use a driver other than my seven year old TM R1!!