Golf News – January 5, 2022

Honma Unveils BERES Aizu and Black Collections

CARLSBAD, CA — Honma Golf is pleased to debut the BERES Aizu and Black collections, the latest in the coveted BERES line of visually stunning and expertly crafted game-enhancing golf equipment. Promoting straighter, longer ball flight and increased ball speed, BERES clubs continue the proud heritage of past luxurious Honma lines, with two bold twists on clubhead aesthetics.

“This new line represents the latest breakthrough technology for golfers with moderate to modest swing speeds,” says Janeann Lanning, COO of Honma North America. “BERES Aizu and Black allow golfers to make pure, stable swings with enhanced speed and powerful ball flight.”

BERES Aizu ushers in the next chapter in a storied history of the very finest holistic craftsmanship, designed in collaboration with Japanese Aizu artisans. The line’s incomparable beauty houses unmatched strength, innovation and performance.

Dating back to 1590, Aizu paintings represent Honma’s Japanese heritage and tradition. With Aizu’s signature red and ornate gold accents, BERES Aizu encompasses Takumi expertise as well as the industry’s most technologically advanced construction in a golf club collection.

BERES Black offers sleek elegance that stands out on the course, plus Honma’s timeless design. Its beautifully shaped drivers, fairway woods, hybrids and irons efficiently transfer energy and generate consistent ball flight. Each clubhead is coated with a jet-black PVD process for a striking finish.

PRODUCT SPECS

Driver, fairways, and hybrids. The Aizu and Black clubhead designs feature identical technology; the Aizu line also adheres to traditional BERES 2-to-5 Star grading, with more advanced shaft technology as the grades progress).

Each driver features triple sole slots and an L-Cup face for powerful initial ball speed. Optimal center of gravity (CG) design enables high trajectory, low spin, forgiveness, and distance. The draw bias helps correct fade tendencies associated with modest swing speeds.

The triple slots bend at impact and rebound to increase ball speed, even on mishits. The L-CUP face produces high repulsion across the face, maintaining an elevated CT value by not needing to weld the face. An evolved radial Ti6-4 face expands the toe and heel’s repulsive area, boosting mishit forgiveness. An ultra-low specific gravity titanium alloy, Ti811, thin-walled crown with varying thinness optimizes impact deflection.

Fairway woods and hybrids also feature the new triple sole lot, thin crown, flexible face, and low-CG weight distribution designed independently for each head. Every wood offers unprecedented distance through ample speed, high launch, and easy-to-play draw-biased forgiveness.

Irons. Honma’s Takumi sought to create a high trajectory ball flight with the irons, along with forgiveness and stability on every hit – even misses. A wide 3D L-Cup structure has a new ultra-thin face with vertical slits that improve the face insert strength – maximizing speed and forgiveness. Coupled with one external and two internal sole slots, plus a low-deep CG, the irons are easy to launch high with strong carry distance. An 8620 Forged Body delivers Honma’s hallmark feel. The 5-9 irons feature an L-Cup two-piece structure; 10-iron-SW have a flat face two-piece structure.

SHAFTS. For more than six decades, one of the hallmarks to Honma Golf’s legacy as an industry-leading clubmaker is its holistic approach to creating every part of the golf club in Sakata, Japan. This includes the famously hand-rolled and meticulously constructed performance-driven shafts utilizing high strength lightweight materials reserved for applications in aerospace manufacturing. Like a sword used in fencing, the Honma shaft’s flex but recover more quickly back to its original shape producing unprecedented stability and swing speed.

• 2 Star ARMRQ MX shafts feature a T1100G bias ply that runs the full shaft length to maximize distance. Proprietary 10-Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology around the butt delivers stability and control.
• 3 Star ARMRQ MX shafts include high-strength M40X – highly-elastic Toray Composite that efficiently accelerates clubhead speed. 10-Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology and T1100G add clubhead speed and stability.
• 4 Star ARMRQ MX shafts include high-strength M40X – highly-elastic Toray Composite that efficiently accelerates clubhead speed. 10-Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology and T1100G add clubhead speed and stability. A lower kick point toward the tip increases swing speed and distance. 24K gold is also part of the design in the ferrule.
• 5 Star ARMRQ MX shafts they have the lowest torque and most technology. A high-strength M40X – highly-elastic Toray Composite that efficiently accelerates clubhead speed. 10-Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology and T1100G add clubhead speed and stability. T1100G in the bias layer strengthens twisting power and maximizes distance. 24K gold and platinum can also be found in the ferrule.
• BERES Black ARMRQ MX shafts feature a T1100G bias ply that runs the full shaft length to maximize distance. Proprietary 10-Axis Sheet Metal Hybrid Armour Technology around the butt delivers stability and control. They are also meticulously hand-rolled and finished in jet-black gloss.

Visit Honma Golf HERE

ECCO GOLF Ambassadors Create Custom BIOM H4 Designs

LONDONDERRY, NH – ECCO – a leading manufacturer of innovative footwear – announces that Ambassadors Henrik Stenson and Erik van Rooyen have each designed unique custom versions of the ECCO BIOM^® H4 shoe for the SS22 collection, reflecting their individual styles and personalities on and off the course.

Paying homage to his nickname – and following on from the popularity of his S-THREE ‘Iceman’ design – Stenson has helped with the design of another ultra-cool ‘Iceman’ -inspired shoe in an ice-cold blue and white colorway, with the ECCO logo emblazoned on the sole. Stenson’s special-edition shoe also features his trademark tag reading “Henrik Stenson The Iceman”.

“I’m very excited to once again join forces with ECCO GOLF to create another ‘Iceman’ style,” says Stenson. “ECCO GOLF is synonymous with crafting fantastic shoes, and it’s super cool that they continue to give me the chance to help create my own styles. I have stuck with the icy-cool colors for my BIOM^® H4, and I really wanted to make it look like you’re walking with ice on the sole of your shoe, hence the bright white and blue colors.”

van Rooyen, who has now established himself as a style icon on tour, has also designed an eye-catching colorway with his custom BIOM^® H4 shoes, featuring a black insole, white leather outer and a brilliant, patterned finish on the midsole. Hidden on the sole of the shoe is a pop of blue and orange. The design also pays homage to van Rooyen’s love of guitar, with a nod to guitar strings on the uppers of the shoe.

“I am excited to be working alongside the guys at ECCO GOLF to create an awesome custom shoe design,” says van Rooyen. “I really enjoy being different and innovative on the golf course, and I think my design really emulates that feeling for me. It’s awesome to be able to create my own shoe and BIOM H4 is such a great shoe to do it with.”

BIOM^® H4 demonstrates ECCO GOLF’s dedication to innovation through a pioneering set of features and benefits, including:

• ECCO FLUIDFORM™ Direct Comfort Technology; a ‘state change’ process that uses specialised fluid materials to form around an anatomical last, ensuring a finely-tuned balance of cushioning and rebound, while also creating a flexible and durable bond without the compromises common with stitched or glued assemblies
• Natural motion, stability, and control with BIOM^® 2.0 technology that offers low-to-the-ground stability, anatomical support, and a glove-like fit
• The innovative new ECCO MTN GRIP outsole has three different sections for stability and traction, ground penetration, and rotational support throughout the swing
• The T.PU element wraps around the foot from the outsole to the midsole, providing stability while elevating the modern, premium design

Additional detailing includes:

• Reduced seam construction for lightweight flexibility
• X-TENSA INVISIBLE Technology links the sole unit’s T.PU blocks to the lacing system via internal enforcement for 360° stability and a freedom-fit.
• A removable, washable Ortholite^® foam inlay sole provides long-term cushioning and superior breathability, plus the option of extra width when removed

Visit ECCO GOLF HERE

LA Golf Announces Partnership with Golf Icon Michelle Wie West

LOS ANGELES, CA – LA Golf announced today Michelle Wie West, golf icon and 2014 U.S. Women’s Open Champion, is the newest LA Golf Partner. Wie West joins LA Golf as an investor, board member, and brand ambassador.

Wie West joins 2020 U.S. Open Champion Bryson DeChambeau and Major Champion Dustin Johnson on the Board of Directors.