50 Words or Less
The Honma TR20 V irons are very strong performers. For the golfer that wants a “players look” with distance and forgiveness, this is an excellent choice.
Introduction
I recently checked out the Honma TR20 P irons (review HERE), and found that, despite having the look of a players iron, they perform more like a game improvement iron. The Honma TR20 V irons have an even slimmer profile, but I was curious to see if they carried the same unusual contrast between looks and performance. I tested a set to find out.
Check out the new Honma TW757 Vx Irons HERE
Looks
The Honma TR20 V irons have it all in terms of aesthetics. In the bag, they have a profile that’s classic with a dash of modernity. The shape of the cavity and “notch” near the sole look highly engineered, but the simplicity of the overall look gives it a timeless appeal. A minimalist approach to branding matches the tone of the head shape.
At address, the TR20 V has more player appeal than the TR20 P. Though the heel to toe length is about the same, there’s less offset and a thinner top line. Additionally, the sole is much slimmer.
Sound & Feel
One hallmark of forged players irons is feedback, and the Honma TR20 P irons have that in spades. Even small misses were immediately felt and heard. Pleasantly, the feel of mishits was not harsh but still clearly distinct from the feel of pure strikes.
On those perfect swings, the TR20 P irons reward the player with excellent feel. These irons feel soft and solid like a forged iron should which is in stark contrast to many of the thin, “fast” feeling faces in other irons.
Performance
As with the TR20 P, Honma puts the truth about the TR20 V right on the front page. “Strong lofts for distance” is the second bullet point in their description. The TR20 V irons are 1 degree weaker throughout the set compared to the TR20 P. This puts them both in the “strong lofted but not offensively so” category.
Seeing similar lofts, you would be correct to predict that both iron sets produce plenty of distance. The TR20 V irons are heavy on the ball speed, light on the spin. That’s a great recipe for distance but, unless you’re a high spin or high launch player, you need to be sure you can hold greens with these clubs.
One aspect of the TR20 V that impressed me was the forgiveness. For a small iron with no visible technology, it did a great job of maintaining ball speed on mishits. This is critical for such a long iron, because huge distance on center and massive punishment on misses is a formula for a giant shot pattern and lots of missed greens.
Conclusion
For me, the Honma TR20 V irons are a much better fit than the TR20 P. While they are low spin – a characteristic that isn’t great for me – I was impressed with the forgiveness that the TR20 V packs into a small head. Additionally, I got the shot control that I would expect from a players iron. If you’re in the market for players irons and want to maintain or add distance, these are worthy of consideration.
Honma TR20 V Irons Price & Specs
Matt Saternus
Latest posts by Matt Saternus (see all)
- TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Review - May 25, 2023
- PING G430 SFT Fairway Wood Review - May 24, 2023
- Nippon NS Pro Putter Shaft Review - May 24, 2023
Hi Matt,
I was hoping for a review of the TR20 V irons, so thank you.
Even though these are strong-lofted irons, how much drop off in spin did you see to say a MP-20 MMC or a T100 or 100s when you compare irons of the same loft?
Thanks,
JTM
I don’t have any head to head data, but my impression is that it would be substantial.
-Matt
I went into a fitting last week and came out with the TRV irons. It was a bit of a surprise really, but they look and felt fantastic. I am a pretty high spin player, and currently game the MP18 combo set, with the MB to the 6i. I love them, but was looking for a little more help as an inconsistent 6HC. One of the irons that I tested were the MP20 MMC, which were actually my third choice, behind the TR20V and the Miura 501. Here are my trackman numbers: The MMC may have outperformed on some of the numbers, but the consistency, feel, and look of the Honma won me over. I just couldn’t really miss with it. I really loved the Miura, and wanted very badly to walk out with them, but I just couldn’t.
HONMA TR20V 6i w/ KBS Tour V 110S
Club Hd SP Ball SP LAUNCH SPN HT LAND ANG. CARRY TOTAL
AVE: 90.5 125.8 14.2 5947 88 44.5 181.6 190.9
Mizuno MMC KBS Tour V 110S
Club Hd SP Ball SP LAUNCH SPN HT LAND ANG. CARRY TOTAL
AVE: 91.6 127.3 13.9 5943 89 44.5 184.2 191.9
Miura 501 KBS Tour V 120X
Club Hd SP Ball SP LAUNCH SPN HT LAND ANG. CARRY TOTAL
AVE: 91.3 125.4 13.6 6393 86 44.4 178.5 187.0
Great looking iron!
How does these compared to the 747v?
I have a complete review of the 747 V irons here: https://pluggedingolf.com/honma-tw-747-v-irons-review/
-Matt
I love the lines beautiful irons they look like they would also blend very nicely into a combo set with the P irons. Do you happen to know the weight of the graphite shafts I have never heard of them I guess a Honma branded shaft made for them.
Tom,
I do not know, but you are correct that it’s a proprietary shaft.
Best,
Matt
Hi Matt,
How does the sound and feel when you compare the TR20V to CB-301
Cheers
Ben
Ben,
We have a full review of the 301 here: https://pluggedingolf.com/miura-cb-301-irons-review/
-Matt
I have just tested out the tr20v irons vs mp20 at american golf, this was with the ns pro modus 3 tour105 shaft, x flex. The mp20 (blade) spin about 500-800 more than the tr20v irons. I am a high spin player and when I tried with other shafts spin was 8000+. It’s all about the right shaft for your swing…
I found very little difference in spin rating in the tr20v and p range, I noticed a total spin drop of 700 rpm on average with v range, but a little more air time in the tr20p. Its a tough one to judge but i would say they both feel pretty good.
Hi matt for a player coming from a blade/CB set and loves a small head what would recomend more tw747v or t20v guessing similar .did you prefer one over the other?
Thanks
David,
Yes, they’re extremely similar. Aesthetically I have a slight preference for the 747V.
Best,
Matt
Matt,
How do these compare to the 747 V? And which one would you prefer and which has better feel and turf interaction? Thank you!!
Bob,
I have a full review of the 747 V here: https://pluggedingolf.com/honma-tw-747-v-irons-review/
Best,
Matt
As always Matt wonderful job. Thanks for all the work you put into your reviews. How would you compare the forgiveness of these irons to the Wilson CB (current gamers) and the t100s.
Thanks in advance
Steven,
All three are pretty similar. You might find one does better with a particular miss, but overall, I don’t see one outshining the others.
-Matt
Hi Matt,
As always, great review!
I used to be a 1 hcp but for a couple of years, I have‘t enough time to play. Right now I‘m playing old Mizuno MP 67 Blades with the TT S300 SL shaft. I still like them a lot but I‘m searching for a more forgiving set. Love the Look of the honmas. Do you think this could be an alternative? Do you have other recomandations? Of course I‘ll make a fitting but I‘d love to get your advice!
Thanks in advance!
Luis
Luis,
I think Honma makes a very nice iron in the player cavity back category. I also like the Apex TCB, PING iBlade, and Titleist T100.
-Matt