Golf Clubs

Star Preludes: Violin Music by Rawsthorne and McCabe $9.70 Two of the greatest names in modern British music, John McCabe and Alan Rawsthorne, interpreted by top names in contemporary music performance….

Rashomon (The Criterion Collection) $20.00 A rape and murder in medieval Japan are recounted in four flashback sequences, as seen through the eyes of the three people involved and a witness to the incident. Each version differs from the others, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions on what actually transpired. Akira Kurosawa’s breakthrough drama stars Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo. 88 min. Standard; Soundtrack: Japanese Dolby Digital…

The Family Game (Foreign Film Favorites) $29.98 …

HONMA BERES MG713 FAIRWAY WOOD 3W(15 deg) Regular ARMRQ UD49 2 Stars $560.00 …

Mass-Losing Pulsating Stars and Their Circumstellar Matter: Observations and Theory (Astrophysics and Space Science Library) $175.81 The rapid progress in research on mass-losing pulsating stars has now taken us far from its early photographic light variation study to the world of massive photometry and interferometic observations. Still some fundamental problems such as the pulsational mode and the mass-loss mechanism remain a mystery. In this volume the modern theoretical works are confronted with the latest observat…

HONMA BERES MG713 FAIRWAY WOOD 5W(18 deg) Regular ARMRQ UD49 2 Stars $560.00 …

HONMA BERES TW914 Driver STIFF 10 deg ARMRQ UD62 2-Stars $1,050.00 Square face In enlarging the face (by raising the toe and heel height near the face), this design maximizes the potential of golfers with fast head speeds. The result is first-rate trajectory. New “power weight” design: a different loft for each number For golfers concerned with maneuverability,loft has been adjusted by club number by adding varying levels of tungsten weights to the sole. The pa…

HONMA BERES MG710 DRIVER 10 REGULAR ARMRQ UD49 3-STAR $1,549.00 Honma offers three shafts for three different head speeds (the H/S 95-101 for faster head speeds, the H/S 86-95 for average head speeds, and the H/S 77-86 for slower head speeds). There’s one that’s perfect for you! *Shooting for superior carry! This model retains all the previous model’s advantages while at the same time boasting even better carry. A slimmer, sleeker forged face and a new ‘bazook…

Tomoaki Honma $44 High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Tomoaki Honma is a freelance Japanese professional wrestler,currently touring with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Honma trained in the Big Japan dojo before debuting for the promotion in May, 1997. He spent many years wrestling low-profile matches on the opening card until he was granted the chance to participate in Big Japan’s infamous Death Match division. He is the first person to ever use a lightube in a match. He became one of the most talked-about wrestlers on the independent scene as well as Big Japan’s top young star during 1999 and 2000, participating in some of the promotion’s most gruesome death matches, the scars from which can still be seen on his body. However, he left Big Japan in October, 2000, after disagreements with company management.

Star Honma

Honma golf clubs – The pursuit of total perfection

In the great words of Dr Bob Rotella (a leading sports psychologist), golf is not a game of perfect. There is no perfect swing, no perfect technique, shot or decision, just the best we can do. However, Japanese club makers Honma (for over 50years) do their utmost to defy this statement.  They continue to strive for perfection from their clubs, and by using the best materials possible and arduous dedication to their craft, they get pretty damn close.

I wanted to fully discover why Honma clubs are held in such high esteem and why it took some time to find any information about how they make their equipment. I started at their main centre of operations, a factory based in Sakata (in northern Japan, just north of Shonai airport).

Honma employs around 500 staff at different levels ranging from Assistant to Master Crafter. Club making is an elite profession in northern Japan, its workers extremely devoted to maintaining their own high standards and doing so with unprecedented pride. To be accepted into the industry, particularly by such a company as Honma, is a great honour. People join as young apprentices and plan to stay there and hone their skills for life hoping one day to be titled a master.

The skills of the master craftsman are honed to such an extent that the difference between his level of ability and that of an apprentice starting out appears vast. The most impressive skill that the apprentices are expected to develop on their journey to master craftsman is an ability to, as they say, “feel” the club. A master is able to hold a club, close his eyes, make a few swings and actually feel the club striking a ball. He can feel the imperfections and faults in the club and thus rectify them. This coupled with rigorous testing using the most modern and efficient tools produces some truly magnificent clubs.

Honma are also surprisingly advanced in their construction of shafts. When I first looked into their methods, I believed them to be traditionalists who refuse to use modern technologies but insist on hand crafting everything, contrary to that, they have been at the leading edge of shaft technology ever since the composition of carbon and titanium shafts. This means that not only are their club heads at a high standard, but they set the standards

These clubs are made from the finest materials available. Gold, Copper, Brass, Titanium, Graphite, Boron, Persimmon, and a multitude of other materials are incorporated into the production of clubs that some consider to be the finest in the World.

Every Honma iron head is individually cast using the wax loss method. A replica of the head made entirely from wax is placed into a mix of ceramic and sand which, when left to dry, forms the ceramic mold. The wax is then melted within the ceramic mold, which continues to harden, leaving it ready for pouring.

Next the mold is filled with molten steel formula to produce the head. Over 150 steps are carried out in the process of producing each individual club head, each one performed with care and attention to improve the quality of the finished product.

This process does differ slightly depending on what star level the customer has purchased. They work on a 5 star basis, 2 being the most basic yet still above any other make in quality, and 5 being the grandest, most impressive grade. Only the Senior Master Crafters at the Sakata factory are allowed, or even able, to make the 5 star as they require such extreme skill and precision. The Master Crafters make the 3 star and the 4 star and the apprentices produce the 2 star.

When asked “What do Honma give its customers that’s better than other companies and do the clubs justify their cost?” Michael O’Rourke a professional from Worplesdon Golf club a qualified PGA instructor and custom fitter of Honma golf clubs answered:

“Look, I love it when someone comes to me asking for a Honma custom fitting, it means I’m about to make someone very happy. To watch them hit a Honma club for the first time is a real privilege, they are very easy to hit and they look great. The materials they use are the best and as long as they can afford them, I love to suggest them. In terms of justifying their cost, with Honma, you’re getting one of a kind, that’s something the mass produced clubs of other companies cannot contend with.”

When I read more and more into what Honma clubs deliver, it seems apparent that people fall in love with them the moment they hit their first ball. Words often used to describe them are powerful, crisp, pure and forgiving. It’s difficult to imagine a club to be so expensive, in Japan, to own a set of Honma clubs is far more prestigious than any car. The confidence this then provides is an outstanding feeling and to Honma, this is paramount for their customers.                                   

This high level of attention to their products and the promise they make to their customers, that being to produce the very best you can buy with no compromises, creates some truly magnificent clubs. Clubs that are not simply a stick with an end to hit a ball with, but a piece of art, passion and precision to truly make the best of your performance.

About the Author

At Premium Golf, we review new and existing products and technology in order to select only the best products and services from across the golf industry and make them available to golfers who are looking to get the most from their golf. To find out more about Honma and their leading technology in club design, have a look at our Honma page at http://www.premiumgolf.co.uk/honma.htm.

Which Honma iron sets should i buy?

I am in my 50′s, and high handicapped around 95. My goal is to high the ball straight and distance is not particularly a concern for me. I have some problem with long irons. Which of the Honma iron set best suits for me. Thanks

You are asking a difficult question. Judging from the info you have given you should look for a true cavity-back style club as opposed to irons that lean more heavily towards a blade-style.

I’ve hit the LB 606 and the LB 708 models. While they were good, I cannot say that they were stunning in any measurable way. That said, I play to a lower handicap than you so my views and requirements in a club are quite different. Personally, I think the Twin Mark AP-302 model might be a good match for your skill level.

The Twin Mark AP-302 is a forgiving club. I’m assuming that accuracy is your primary goal, so while I could not “work” the ball as well as I could with my irons (I play Mizuno MP blades) every ball hit with the AP-302 clubs went string straight for me.

As for your long irons, I hate to say it but the key to success is not necessarily in your clubs. The issue is more likely found in your swing. My advice is to try a trick that helps me whenever my long irons are suffering….

Swing your long irons the same way that you would swing your 8 iron. Don’t try to kill the ball. I think you’ll find MUCH better results if you swing with a smooth (almost leisurely) tempo and simply let the club do the work on it’s own.

To answer your final question, have a look at the following link…

https://www.honmagolf.co.jp/item/shaft_e.php?lang=en&l_menu=10

Honma uses ARMRQ shafts. After going to the (ARMRQ) link I’ve provided scroll to the bottom of the page. You’ll find a matrix chart showing the different stars and the meaning of each. Simply find the star grade (i.e., 1S for one star. 2S for two stars, etc…) and look down the column to find the various attributes of each shaft.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your game!

Dale Mayuiers
Portland, Oregon

Great Teacher Onizuka OST 2 – ONIZUKA Bouhatsu E No Prologue