Kamui Works 456 Silver
Since introducing the Kamui Works 456 Silver driver back in September, it has been a very popular choice for many golfers who visit our pro shop. The ability to customize so many specs and hand made to finish is a big draw. Also the fact that one can choose conforming 0.83COR or Non-conforming 0.88COR has been a big factor as they have probably been going at a 1 to 1 ratio of conforming vs non-conforming when it comes to sales.
For the Average to Athlete Golfer
Features aside, I’ve decided to do a one month update on how the driver actually performs. I’ve had a 456 Silver in the bag now for nearly a month and including 2-3 practice sessions and 1 round a week I’m ready to give a bit of feedback on feel and performance. Because the 456 Silver is so customizable, it is really made for all levels of golfers. As for me, I am a very “average golfer”, the most common golfer you can find in Japan. I play for the enjoyment of golf but I’d always love to get a good score (shoot high 80’s low 90’s) so I need all the help I can get. I drive the ball around 220-240 yards at most and if lucky on an elevated tee with down slope fairway can hit it 260 or so (this is very rare). I struggle with the right side and an occasional slice especially if I speed up and rush my tempo resulting in an open face and glancing blow. So I’m a lot like many of the average golfers out there.
Finding the right fit
Getting a driver to perform optimally for each individual is not as simple as buying it off the shelf. Pairing a good head with the right shaft to suit ones swing is very important. A great driver head can become a very bad one with the wrong shaft in it and an average driver head can become a pretty good one with the right shaft in it. This can sometimes be the hardest thing to figure out which is why off the shelf clubs still sell well and can be perceived to provide “adequate” performance without having to worry about specs and right fit. Luckily I know my specs so I went with an 11* real loft as I need some launch, a draw biased head with 1.0* closed face to help battle the right side, a 61* lie and a NON-conforming model to see if it would help me gain distance.
I have been using the Bassara Griffin in my recent drivers which is a very very good shaft. The Griffin has smooth feel, mid launch, low spin and very stable, but it was not giving me the launch I needed in the driver and I found the butt of the shaft a bit on the thick side (I have small hands), which made it hard for me to turn over sometimes. I am also not a fast swinger so I decided to go ultra light with some kick and chose the Fujikura Motore Speeder VC3.0. The Motore Speeder is the worlds first 7 ply shaft. It has done very well in Japan but truthfully it plays softer than say a Motore F1 and is really aimed more at the smooth swinger or regular tempo guy. Wrist clock and aggressive transitions need not apply (look at the new Motore Speeder X.1 series which solves this). I went with a finished club length of 44.5″ and a total final weight of just over 280g.
I personally find I have a hard time squaring a driver that is longer than 45″ because at times my body turns than the club and my arms and hand sometimes cannot catch up. I can also make much better impact with the shorter club. Those of you who read the blog will know that I am not a fan of manufacturers increasing club length to increase distance, ie 46.5″ drivers. The longer length makes it so much harder to pure the sweet spot for max balls speedes and optimal launch and spin. So a long driver is not an advantage if you can’t hit it consistently and honestly for the average golfer consistency is the hardest thing to we strive for.
My Specs
So the final specs, Kamui 456 Silver, 11* loft, 2* closed face, draw biased, Motore Speeder VC3.0 44.5″ and C8 swing weight. For the swing weight I could have gone with D1 or D2 which is standard in Japan simply by getting a heavier head from Kamui but in my constant testing of drivers, I have found that I have a harder time loading the shaft on a driver with a higher swing weight. This is a personal thing and may not work for everyone but I believe as a slower swinger I can still feel the head at C6-C8 but I seem to be able to load up and unload the club much better.
More forgiving than expected
So how does 456 Silver stack up? First of all I cannot play any club if it does not feel good. I am a fan of soft feel and the Kamui is a pleasure to play feel wise. It is one of the softer drivers I have hit. The dimple face DAT55 next generation Titanium provides a sponge like slingshot effect. I cannot feel the difference between the conforming demo 456 I had earlier and this non-conforming one. They both utilize the same face but only with different COR.
My typical miss on the face is towards the toe or low on the heel. With the shorter club I have been able to stay around the center (thanks to the shorter length of the club) but this club is ultra forgiving as many customers who have gotten one have also noticed, especially for a driver with a mid to deep face. I am in more fairways than usual, I have lost less balls out of bounds since switching to the Kamui. Off center hits still provide very respectable distance. Overall, I may have gained a few yards here and there just based on the virtue that I am in the fairway more often but isn’t that what we all want afterall? Better 230 yards in the fairway than 230 yards out in the woods.
The Motore Speeder lauches mid to high, with the VC3.0 being probably on the higher side due to its light weight. This paired with the 11* face is fine for me, as I have a tendency to use a strong grip slightly de-lofting the club and this combination gives me a launch just about right. I would have liked a bit more roll and the Kamui is rather low spin but the Speeder is probably adding spin to the combo as I had more roll when I initially tested the Kamui with a Griffin which spins less.
Consistent Distance and Fairways keeps
This driver is very straight and just as long if not longer than anything I have ever hit including the Epon EMB and 460ZR, XXIO, GN502, ViQ, Hyper ERC, Burner, etc which are all very good drivers that I have played. For any golf ho the ability to keep a club in the bag is a sign of its value and performance. I have no plans on changing out the Kamui 456 Silver anytime soon.
The Kamui is a premium driver and is definitely not cheap. But you get premium quality and attention to detail with exact specs and hands on manufacturing. Knowing your specs and finding the right shaft is essential in getting the Kamui 456 Silver to perform for your swing. Do that and you will have a driver, custom made for you and finished by hand that you will play for a very long time coming.
Great write up T.
For the first time in many many years I have found a Driver that has made me not even care about anything else being released. TSG may have done themselves a dis service when they started offering the Kamui. I won’t be spending nearly as much money buying Drivers the way I used to. I am in love with my Kamui Driver.
I,like you, have never been in as many fairways as I have since putting this Driver in play. For the first time in my life I hit every green in regulation last week. You can’t do that unless you’re driving the ball in the fairway.
I can’t thank the guys at Tourspecgolf enough for introducing me to this club. When I hit other drivers now they all feel cast compared to this Kamui. Gocchin set me up with.
When I first saw the price I was a bit taken back as it would be the first driver in that calibre that I have purchased, I’m usually the type to buy last years nike or titleist club.
NOTHING compares to this Japanese handmade driver.
I do intend on trying one of these next spring. I can’t keep from wanting to try a truely customed spec’d club. I can’t see why anyone wouldnt want to buy one.