Honma Beres PP-201 Mallet Putter

Mallet Putter

Honma's Beres line is where the company puts its luxury craftsmanship on display, and the PP-201 Mallet is the putter side of that story. It carries the same premium price tag and finish work you expect from Beres, but the real news here is how it plays. This is a mallet, but it doesn't behave like most of them.

Most mallets are face-balanced, meaning the face points to the sky when you balance the shaft on your finger. The PP-201 is different. It has mid toe hang, which puts it in the same balance category as a lot of blades. That single spec changes who should be looking at this putter. If you've been told a mallet will fix your stroke and it never clicked, the reason might be that face-balanced heads fight the way you naturally swing.

Add the alignment aid on top and you get a putter that's trying to do two jobs at once: give you the forgiveness and visual guidance of a mallet, while still rewarding a stroke that opens and closes through the ball. That's a specific combination, and it works well for a specific golfer.

Design

The mid toe hang is the defining design choice. Honma built a mallet head but weighted and balanced it so the toe wants to drop when the shaft sits level. In practice that means the face rotates open on the way back and closes on the way through, matching an arc stroke rather than a dead-straight one. It's a deliberate move, and it separates the PP-201 from the pile of face-balanced mallets that dominate the category. The alignment aid gives you a clear reference to square the face at address, which is the part of putting most amateurs get wrong before the stroke even starts. Pair that visual with Beres-level fit and finish, and you have a head that looks calm behind the ball and holds its line off the face. It's a putter that assumes you have some feel and wants to work with your stroke instead of overriding it.

Who It's For

• You have a slight to moderate arc in your putting stroke and a face-balanced mallet has always felt like it fought you.
• You want the higher forgiveness and larger footprint of a mallet without giving up the toe hang that suits an arcing stroke.
• Alignment is your weak spot and a strong visual aid at address genuinely helps you start putts on line.
• You value Honma's craftsmanship and finish and are comfortable paying a premium for it.

Technology

About Honma

Honma brings a distinctive approach to putter design, focusing on quality materials, precision manufacturing, and performance-driven engineering.

Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Honma Beres PP-201 Mallet face-balanced?

No. It has mid toe hang, which means the toe drops when you balance the shaft on your finger. That makes it better suited to a stroke with some arc rather than a straight-back-straight-through motion. If you specifically wanted a face-balanced mallet, this isn't the one.

Who is the PP-201 Mallet best for?

Golfers with a slight to moderate arc stroke who want mallet-level forgiveness and alignment help but need the toe hang to match how they swing. It's a mismatch for a true straight-stroke putter, who would be happier with a face-balanced head.

What does the alignment aid do on this putter?

It gives you a clear reference for squaring the face at address. A lot of missed putts start with an aim error before the stroke even begins, and the visual on the PP-201 is there to cut that down. It won't fix your stroke, but it helps you set up square.

Why is the Honma Beres so expensive?

Beres is Honma's luxury line, built around high-end craftsmanship and finish work out of Japan. You're paying for the brand's materials and build quality as much as the performance. Whether that's worth it depends on how much you value the fit and finish.

Can a mallet really have toe hang?

Yes, and the PP-201 is proof. Head shape and internal weighting are separate things. Honma shaped a mallet for the forgiveness and alignment benefits, then balanced it with mid toe hang so it rewards an arcing stroke. It's less common than a face-balanced mallet, but it's a real and useful combination.

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