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07 May 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | ||
Honma's New S-03 Showcases Honma Shaft Technology
Venerated Japanese club-maker Honma is attracting a growing following in the UK after its reintroduction midway through 2012 – but many golfers are still unaware that Honma also makes its own carbon graphite shafts. The new-for-2014 Honma S-03 woods and IS-03 irons are set to change that, with a strong focus on correct shaft selection according to swing speed and golfing ability. Honma’s previous S-series models, last year’s S-02 / IS-02 clubs, were targeted at mid to high handicappers. The 2014 S-03 / IS-03 replacements offer a compelling alternative for low handicappers and elite golfers to the brand’s tried-and-tested Tour World better-player range – as well as delighting less-powerful hitters who seek Honma’s legendary hand-crafted, fine-tuned performance. The secret is in Honma’s own shafts, and the S-03 woods and IS-03 irons are powered by Honma’s top-of-the-range ARMRQ8 eight-axis carbon graphite shafts, available in five weights and four shaft grades, 2 Star through to Honma’s extraordinary 5 Star grade. All shafts are hand-fitted by Honma’s master craftsmen in the company’s Sakata, Japan design facility. Honma woods are always sold in their finished form – never as component parts – and nor are Honma shafts sold separately from the clubheads. “The S-03 series is all about the effective transmission of power through these amazing Honma shafts” said Honma UK spokesman Andy Hiseman. “When we first showed them on the range at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando this January, several low-handicap testers commented on how powerful and workable the S-03 woods and irons were, and how well they suited the better player, compared to last year’s S-02 series. “Now, with the S-03 series, Honma has a club which will make both scratch golfers and higher-handicappers play the best golf of their lives. The secret’s in the ARMRQ8, one of the sport’s most advanced shafts, which powers not only the S-03 series but our Tour World series too”. The hand-built S-03 Driver is a 460cc 5-piece clubhead featuring a new Ti-5N titanium alloy clubface, a G4 forged titanium sole, and a 3AP-2.5V forged titanium crown with a special mesh & rib structure for extra resilience at impact. Shot characteristics are generally high ball flight and spin-rate, although the extremely versatile ARMRQ8 shaft can be tuned to produce specific desired ball flight characteristics. Honma has engineered a proprietary variable-thickness face design into the S-03 Driver, which produces an expanded, highly durable rebound surface, for enormous distance. Available lofts are 9.5 and 10.5 degrees. The hand-built S-03 Fairway Woods, available in 3W, 5W and 7W options, are cast with SUS630 steel clubheads with a mesh structure crown, and high-strength customised steel forge-cast cupped clubfaces. The large, shallow heads inspire confidence and produce a high ball flight and spin rate. Honma’s accompanying forged irons, the hand-built IS-03 model, are the most powerful irons in the company’s 55-year history. Available in 4 to 11 plus AW and SW (standard set is 5-10 irons), the forged Honma S-03 is a large-faced iron, toe and heel-weighted for a high MOI, and a deep, low COG for a stable, penetrating trajectory. A wide power face reduces mis-hits, and the model is 10% larger than 2013’s IS-02 equivalent. Also available as a Left Hand model, the IS-03 has a gorgeous double-layer plated Satin finish. Clubheads are forged mild steel, and clubfaces are forged ES230 steel. As with the woods, Honma master craftsmen fit the ARMRQ8 shafts in Sakata, Japan, to the customer’s exact specification. Over 100 Honma craftsmen work on every single club the company produces. Each clubhead is precisely finished, measured and balanced by hand, before it is shipped to the customer. Ends. |
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Media and Honma UK Contact: | Andy Hiseman, Magic Hour Media +44 (0)1226 781000 / +44 (0)7795 360112360112 / andy@hiseman.com |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma S-03 Driver (3 Star model) |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma S-03 Fairway Wood (3 Star model) |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma IS-03 Iron (3 Star model) |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma ARMRQ8 54 5 Star Shaft |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma ARMRQ8 54 4 Star Shaft |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma ARMRQ8 54 3 Star Shaft |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma ARMRQ8 54 2 Star Shaft |
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<<< CLICK FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE Honma Logo. |
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ABOUT HONMA GOLF | ||
www.honma.co.uk Hiro Honma hand-built his first persimmon wood over 50 years ago, and over the years Honma’s Japanese craftsmen and women have perfected the art of making golf clubs, and the carbon graphite shafts which power them. Honma’s meticulous approach is illustrated in every stage of a golf club’s life. No compromise is made at any stage, from initial design, through a manufacturing process in which at least 100 Honma craftsmen and women handle each club, to final checking and testing. Every single club is inspected by eye before it leaves Honma’s giant Sakata facility in northern Japan. Using state-of-the-art clubmaking technology, and the finest high-performance materials available, Honma Master Craftsmen add a uniquely human factor – decades of experience in the fine art of the golf club – to every piece of equipment the company produces. When you pick up a Honma golf club, you can be secure in the knowledge that skilled Japanese clubmakers have worked at length to craft it into the optimal piece of golf equipment. Honma golf equipment sells throughout the UK at a select group of expert custom-fitters and clubmakers. Honma wedges and individual irons are available from £225, with putters from £325, utility clubs from £375 and fairway woods from £505. Drivers start at £910 and sets of Honma irons are available from £1,275. Honma’s Star grading system enables golfers to select their preferred grade of carbon graphite shaft along with additional customisation options including head colour, shaft colour and the addition of 24 Karat gold and PT1000 platinum detailing and weights. 5-Star Honma drivers and fairway woods retail for £5,095 per club, with 5-Star Honma irons starting at £26,995 for a set of six clubs. |
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