Honma XP1 Irons for Men

The Honma XP1 iron was developed as a compromise between Honma Beres and the Tour World P irons, which means it is aimed at players who need maximum forgiveness and as much help as possible with the launch. The XP1 iron has a double shell construction and has additional tungsten weight in the sole. This makes it easier to get the ball into the air. The clubface is made of especially strong C300 steel for maximum ball speeds. The sole of the XP1 is also very wide to minimize interactions with the turf. In addition, the iron tends towards a draw which helps to steer against a slice.

The XP1 Iron Set is available from Iron 4 to PW, including Gap Wedge and Sand Wedge. A standard set is 5-SW.

The shaft used is the in-house Vizard 43 or the "Zelos for TWorld" shaft developed together with Nippon. The latter is a mixture of Zelos 7 and Zelos 8.

Honma XP1 Irons Review

With the XP1, Honma appeals primarily to players with low to average club head speeds and relies on the soft shafts typical of Honma. The XP1 iron is not only available with the in-house Vizard carbon shaft, but also with an N.S. Pro Zelos for TWorld steel shaft. This is a mixture of Zelos 7 and Zelos 8 and combines high launch with consistency. So much for the shafts.

The club head of the XP1 is almost too noble for a golf club. It is equipped with a lot of chrome and when you unpack it you wonder what it will look like after a round on the course. Certainly still better than most other golf clubs, but at least it won't shine that well anymore.

If you have one of the XP1 clubs in your hand, you will quickly notice the similarity to the Tour Worlds. Strictly speaking, the XP1s belong to the TWorld series. And the XP1 iron is very close to the TW747 P. This is one of the best club heads for players looking for a high launch, maximum ball speed and forgiveness. The XP1 iron is very similar in construction but, according to Honma, has a bigger sweetspot than the TW747 P even if the face itself is not bigger. The whole iron head is much bigger than the P and without a doubt gives a lot of self-confidence.

Our test results

We tested and compared the Zelos steel shaft and the Vizard 43 carbon shaft in Regular. Each with a 7 iron clubhead speed of 72 mph. This corresponds to a minimally below average club head speed.

What is quite surprising is the performance of the Zelos steel shaft. Because it surprises us very positively with certain values. So the player could achieve a slightly higher launch and significantly more spin with the Zelos. And this with practically identical club head and ball speeds. The landing angle was also slightly higher. All this leads to slightly longer shots, but also to better control to the green.

The disadvantage of the Zelos is that it is still a steel shaft. This means that the feel is much harder and the feedback on badly hit balls is more radical. The performance is good but it's still not an easy decision for the Zelos and most players will prefer a vibration dampening and a much softer Vizard shaft.

One explanation for the Zelos' good performance is probably the clubhead speed of our test person. We are sure that a player with a lower clubhead speed of less than 70 mph will achieve worse results with the Zelos than our test player with 72 mph.

How does the XP1 iron feel?

Such a club is not only about bare numbers but also about feeling. We have already discussed the difference between the shafts and have to say clearly that the Vizard shaft feels much softer and lighter and gives less clear feedback.

As for the feel with the XP1 head, it's typical for a "double shell". This means that the cavity behind the face is "noticeable" and you realize that the sweetspot is very large. The sweetspot is spread over almost the entire clubface which means that badly hit balls don't necessarily feel bad, but also well hit balls don't feel as soft as butter. It therefore plays a subordinate role where you actually hit the ball.

Something that the XP1 irons definitely convey is self-confidence. The topline is very wide, as is the sole. The interaction with the ground is therefore minimal and you already notice in the setup that it is a club that forgives many mistakes.

Our conclusion

With the XP1 irons Honma has again done a great job and honestly exceeded our expectations. Especially the Zelos steel shaft is a real option for players with average club head speed who want to attack the flags on the greens more aggressively. The Vizard shaft offers the typical Honma quality especially for players with below average clubhead speed. These players can rely on a very soft and light shaft.

Honma XP1 Irons Specs and Data