Srixon, Mizuno or Miura, when we talk about the manufacturers of the land of the Rising Sun, the eyes of golfing equipment lovers shine just as much as those of little darlings in front of a Toys'R'Us or La Grande Récré catalog. as Christmas approaches. At the top of the qualitative and price pyramids of the Japanese sphere is Honma and its products are closer to goldsmithing than traditional machining.

Since 1962 and the creation of the first club from the brand to the mole, the entire production is thought out, designed and produced in the Sakata factory, north of Tokyo. Honma master craftsmen, who all have at least 8 years of experience, reconcile the ancestral know-how of Japanese blade polishers and the most current technologies. From the prototype (in wood to allow better handling) to the cosmetic finishes of the head, these virtuoso craftmen are at the heart of the design and manufacturing process. Breaks are even imposed on them so that the different teams meet and communicate to promote creativity and emulation. Each master craftsman also signs his "work" with his code, and if a customer loses one of his clubs, the one who shaped it is able to reproduce it identically.

In 2013, Honma offered you a foray into her workshops. You will find there the different stages of club design for the mole brand.

Tailor-made is not the preserve of the best

Contrary to one of the most tenacious received ideas in the golfing world, tailor-made and high-end products are in fact not reserved for professionals and single-digit index players. Perhaps even more than these experts capable of setting any piece of scrap metal or graphite in motion, golfers in search of progress can also greatly benefit from equipment perfectly suited to their swing, their desires. and their physical characteristics if their stock market permits. Luxury and high-precision come at a price and it usually takes several thousand euros to find grips on your glove at Honma.

From top of the range to the exceptional

Photo: DR

Like what is practiced with more traditional and mainstream manufacturers, the Japanese catalog is unfortunately much less provided for women than for men, but the many possibilities of adaptation and customization - type and length of shaft, grip, finishes, there are more than 300 for women! - allow the production of perfectly profiled clubs for each client. While remaining in the excellence that its positioning requires, Honma offers, mainly in terms of shafts, different levels of quality ranging from high-end (2 *) to exceptional (5 *) and meeting the price expectations of both others.

Rather than presenting the technical characteristics of the IE-03 (irons), E-03 (driver and wood) or other putters and wedges intended for the fairer sex, we invite you to get closer to one of the 33 Honma points of sale in France to discuss your profile and your desires with a brand specialist. This will guide you to test clubs close to your physical and technical characteristics and will offer you an in-depth study of your needs with a view to producing your custom equipment.

For his part, your servant does not (yet) have the means to type every weekend in his Pro-V1 with (wrought iron it goes without saying) Honma. The few games performed over the years with clubs from Sakata have allowed him to enjoy a touch quite simply exceptional, even unique, and balls landing much further than with his usual equipment. It is indeed not uncommon to win one or two club lengths - we will nevertheless try to compare the openings - thanks to Honma without compromising, on the contrary, the tolerance lavished. We should add that in our golfing entourage, who are not very loyal to a particular brand, we do not know of anyone who has gone to Honma and who has backed down, a sign of excellent quality. If at all you can afford a bag of the Japanese, golf will probably seem much easier… or rather less difficult.