The Honma Tour World 747 P irons are the luxury Japanese brand's mid handicap irons.
Cast from 17-4 Carbon Steel they are an unusual blend of mid sized heads with a performance cavity back and a thin top line.
At address I liked the thin top line and the confidence that the longer heads give.
It’s almost like they are a bionic better players iron, which is a category that is attracting a lot of attention right now.
The shapes of the heads looked pretty good too, although the wedge, or 10 iron (below left), starts to look a little rectangular.
The standard set is 5-10 iron and you can also get a 50° 11 iron before transitioning to the set SW, so Honma seem to have solved the multiple wedge naming problem.
The soles are mid-width and should suit every course condition and handicap level well.
The hosels are 4mm shorter than the previous model and this lowers the centre of gravity to get a better launch.
Each head also has a 20g tungsten weight in the sole to also help position the CG in the right place and I like the fact that it is visually hidden away from view.
The 3D badge on the back of the heads has a technical carbon look and is there to absorb vibrations and improve the sound, which it does very well.
Complimenting the heads is a Nippon Pro 950GH shaft which is stable and light. Despite the D2 swing weight, the TW747 P irons felt very light to swing, so you felt you could really zip them through impact.
Out on the course the accuracy was very good and the sound and feel was nice and solid. But it is really the distance where these irons stood out and in part that is because the lofts are quite strong.
However taking the TW747 P on GC2 with Titleist Pro V1x balls reveals other reasons for the performance.
The spin for a 6-iron was low, which might be surprising with 25° loft, but the launch and ball speed was very good. This resulted in distance that was leading some of the best game improvement irons from the main brands.
As well as the design, I think the lighter overall weight of the clubs made the TW747 P a joy to hit and contributed to that faster club head speed.
Honma Tour World TW747 P Irons Verdict
I really enjoyed playing with the TW747 P irons as they really put a smile on my face, which is about the best thing you can say about a product.
The light feel combined with the better player looks in a mid sized head makes them ideal for single figure and mid handicap players.
You can see why the set starts at 5-iron, as the distance means you could go into hybrids from there, although there is a 4-iron option too.
Having a 10 and 11 iron is not new, but makes more sense then endless clubs called wedge and for higher handicappers the 11 iron might offer more forgiveness than a specialist 48 or 50 degree wedge.
You will have to pay proportionately more for a TW747 P set as the price for six irons is up there with other premium sets of seven irons. However I think it is probably worth it as the performance and feel delivers excellent results for better players.