FORUM MEMBER REVIEWS! Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 Irons/TK15 Wedges

[revkev]

Gerina Piller has the wedges in the bag and moving towards a full set.

There's a household name.. I know who she is but she's not going to move the needle even though she's a very good player.

 

Hogan needs a big name popular pga guy. Just saw a TMag commercial where they used the number of players bagging their driver each week to their advantage, titleist does it all the time with their ball. Of course that won't be Hogan but they need a few hats and bags sprinkled in so that their brand is in public view each week.

[Sschaffer24]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the C Tapers at Mizuno are the stock shaft (so no charge) and when I got my MP59 set, I was able to choose any grip I wanted without extra charge. Same goes for the T5 wedges. I was thinking about swapping the MP59 for the MP54 and things haven't changed... still no upcharge for grips/shafts.

When I was getting the numbers on the clubs yesterday from the Mizuno website on the MP-15's it showed the S300 as the stock shaft. C Tapers were available, but I don't know if there is an up charge for that or grips as their website doesn't say.

[Kanoito]

When I was getting the numbers on the clubs yesterday from the Mizuno website on the MP-15's it showed the S300 as the stock shaft. C Tapers were available, but I don't know if there is an up charge for that or grips as their website doesn't say.

 

That's true. Mizuno website doesn't show prices.

I've inquired with different dealers in the UK and Germany, and the only upgrade they charge for is going from steel to graphite.

Other that that, I was able to get grip and shaft of my choice, including lie adjustment.

FWIW.

[RoverRick]

-Wedges (53, 57, 61)

Turf interaction is some of the best I've experienced with an iron. Even a steep swing such as mine left a very satisfying experience that tied in beautifully to the feel of the golf club. The spin I was able to generate from these clubs was truly outstanding. I was getting shots to hit and stop out of the rough from only a few yards off the green. These wedges in combination with the Snell My Tour Ball make a nasty combination around the greens. One big reason?

 

This sole:

-Long Irons (21, 25)

 

My experience with these two clubs are as follows. Inconsistent distances with huge variances from shot to shot, especially with the 21* loft. These two irons felt almost verging on too long for me. Physically they feel somewhat disconnected from the set. That may be a setup issue, and is almost absolutely a skill issue for me and not a club issue. No matter the reasoning however, the issue is there. I've completely taken the 21* iron out of my bag and replaced it with my i25 hybrid (welcome change for my golf game) and I have the 25* iron in the bag currently, although I am waiting for a fitting to find a replacement long iron to step in place of that club or possibly to fill the gap with a second hybrid.

 

When I hit these irons pure, they are fantastic. The 25* iron is verging on playable for me, but because I don't strike the iron properly, it essentially falls into the same distance as my 29* or my 33*. Which makes the club redundant.

 

-Long Irons (21, 25) Score: 85 of 100. Given they are playable in some circumstances. And the issue is all swing related.

 

 

Great review.

 

I wanted to point out two things.

 

First, the Hogan TK15 (Scor) wedges flow seamlessly into the iron set because they are built like irons. I and many others had difficultly when first changing over from using the bounce on a high bounce wedge to the iron like wedges. I found they are great, actually more than great at the 50% to full swing and the chip, up to 25% swing. Where I find, or found them lacking is the 25 TO 50% range, typically where you would use the bounce and need the high flight and quick stop. Having said that with some adjustments to my game management and practice in this area, I was able to overcome any perceived deficiencies. Bottom line, everything is better with practice.

 

Second, on the long iron issue. The old Ben Hogan CFT Hybrids are some of the best ever made. These are 10 years old and do not have the hot face of some of the newer ones, but the offset and turf interaction is just like playing an iron.

[OceanSands]

My 2 cents - I would buy these Hogan clubs.  I don't care that they do not have a tour presence.  I think I saw that you can try them for 30 days and if you don't like them, send them back.  Unfortunately I am not in the USA at this time so that doesn't work for me.  

 

I bought the SCOR without knowing much about them and I sure have no regrets.  Because I bag the SCOR,  I only need maybe 5 or 6 Hogans.  

 

However, I am concerned that they might be too difficult for me to hit.  I've only been playing for a couple years, I hit the driver fine ( 200 to 230 yds) and I hit my SCORs (60,56,52,48,44) not too bad but I struggle with the mid irons.  A very good game for me is an 86, a bad game is 100.  I had both this week LOL.  I am retired and play year round.  I know, lucky me!

 

What I am doing now, while in Canada, is getting a Maltby TE Forged 5 iron with the UST Recoil 660 F3 shaft (same as Hogan) to see how I do with that.  My thought is if I can handle that, I should be able to do even better with the Hogans.  I hope!

[fozcycle]

Hey OceanSands,  where do you winter in Florida?  What courses do you play?

[revkev]

@Ocean Sands - To be clear the question isn't whether someone on a forum like this would buy Hogan or SCOR - we want to learn more about golf equipment and those of us here are better informed, way, way better informed than the general public.  What percentage of the world golfing community do we and the other forums out there represent?  5 percent?  I don't know I'm asking.

 

I know this, very few people, including pros at courses that I've played, had heard of SCOR.  The included an assistant pro at TPC Sawgrass who had never heard of or seen a SCOR until I let him swing one of mine after I had played a handy pitch shot on 13.  There will be a bit more recognition because of the Hogan name but it's not going to help getting the club into the hands of the general public unless that public sees touring pros playing the club. 

 

My point here is not that I won't play a club brand that a PGA player isn't playing, it's that 90 percent plus of all people won't.  That narrows the field significantly.  Only Hogan knows what percentage of the market share it needs to have its story be considered a success (what will make them profitable and true to their mission.)  I'm concerned that it will be a tough road for them made tougher by their price point.

 

I know the clubs are good because Terry will honor Hogan and preserve the honor in his name.  I don't ,need the reviews here, as outstanding as they will be,to tell me so.

[Mike Z]

After I knew that I was going to be a reviewer but before I received the set, I saw a set of them at Carl's Golfland in Plymouth, MI.  So, I know they are getting out to some shops.  I was lucky enough to be by them as a pro was talking about them to another customer.  He seemed pretty enthused about the product.  They had it on the same rack as their Titleist, Mizuno and Miura irons. 

 

I also have shown mine to the pros at my club.  They all knew about them and were eager to see them in person. 

 

They are making their way out there and Hogan enthusiasts (like me) and those in the golf indusrty know about them.  In fact, I will have an interesting quote from a former equipment editor from one of the major golf magazines in my review. 

 

What's lacking is that mainstream buyers aren't aware that the clubs exist at this point so they aren't going into a shop asking to see them.  That's where getting a logo on TV would help.  And it kind of depends how they are trying to position the product.  Are they trying to be a botique brand or more mainstream?  I don't know the answer to that. 

 

If I had a guess, I think it will be something like SCOR.  I had never heard about SCOR until I read about them on a forum.  Those that used them could not say enough good things about them for the most part.  To me it seemed that SCOR was getting clubs out there by having a unique product that people really liked.  Old fashioned word of mouth - exept that word of mouth is available at the intersection of a person's curiosity and Google.

 

I think Hogan will be fine, so long as their business model is scaled to their marketing strategy.  My guess is that it is.  Time will tell.

[Sschaffer24]

Rick,

 

Thanks for the compliment! I've definitely noticed the iron like presence compared to my other wedges. Actually when I was waiting for my clubs I was kind of freaking out that the wedges were coming with the C Taper shafts in them. I have spinners in my Edel wedges, so I was confused!

 

But after playing with them and seeing how they act around the greens and while pitching/chipping I've been thrilled!

 

The way I solve getting a ball to stop quickly in the green is to just open the club face and play the same shot. It gets me the desired spin. Not that I need to give you pointers! Haha.

 

As for the long irons, im looking into the MP-H5 long irons for my 25 and maybe 29. Or possibly just using a 23 or so lofted hybrid.

 

And oceansands,

 

I get where you're coming from. I don't consider myself a good golfer and honestly hover in the same range that you do, give or a take a few strokes on each end. So I can relate. And in terms of my game, I can tell you the forgiveness of these clubs is very impressive.

 

If you're gaming the short iron Scors and feel that the performance is there for you, the Hogans do include some new weight distribution designed for forgiveness, so you might be comfortable with what Hogan has to offer! Maybe not, but if you're comfortable with the Scors, I see that transition being pretty easy.

[Sschaffer24]

Excellent points Mike.

[Sluggo42]

So they're more expensive than mizzies by ~$500

 

I sincerely doubt they feel better. Especially on KBS shafts. I see a problem with this equation, unless they want to be considered the club between mizzie and miura.

Unfortunately since money is usually the deciding factor, I'm guessing the majority choose the less expensive "great club"

[wbealsd]

So they're more expensive than mizzies by ~$500

 

I sincerely doubt they feel better. Especially on KBS shafts. I see a problem with this equation, unless they want to be considered the club between mizzie and miura.

Unfortunately since money is usually the deciding factor, I'm guessing the majority choose the less expensive "great club"

Personally, I'd probably go with the Mizzie's, but that's just me.  They have a lot of styles to choose from, they're high quality and I can buy used heads and get custom fitted shafts cheaper than I can buy new irons of comparable quality.

 

If I became convinced I'd lower my scores with the Hogans, over any other set of irons I'd buy them and I WILL give them a try after my fitter gets moved to his new location this summer and begins to stock them.  It really will take some convincing though, before I'd purchase any iron set at that price point unless I manage to pick all 5 numbers plus the Powerball

 

I was initially really pleased with my SCOR wedges, but once I started using the Nike and "broke up the set," I started having issues switching between wedges.  I still liked the SCORs on full shots, but lost consistency with less than full swings.  I REALLY preferred the Nike Toe Sweep in bunkers, so I've scheduled a wedge fitting for next week when I'm in the Twin Cities, so I can get setup with a set of wedges of the same type.

 

I just can't seem to make the mental switch between playing different styles of wedges, and hope my consistency improves once I settle in with a common set.

[revkev]

Mike your points are well taken.  I do agree that the Hogan name brings far more Cache than SCOR did and I'm sure that the company did fine with SCOR.  Since none of us really knows their goal this is a speculative conversation for sure.  Hogan will have a business plan and a way to measure its success. 

 

Sluggo illustrates the issue though - It would seem that they are after the Mizzie type customer.  Why would someone leave Mizzie?  For the name Hogan?  Is that name worth 300-500 for a set of irons?  Is it enough to move something with the price being equal even? 

 

Again I realize that this is the review thread but it's hard to ignore the elephants in the room here, value is always a factor.  What's the value being offered here beyond the Hogan name?  If I'm wanting a player's club why should I buy Hogan over another iron in that category? 

 

I know that last year SCOR was arguing that their short irons were actually easier to hit and had a tighter dispersion than the typical GI iron.  Will Hogan also make that claim or tweak its technology until it is able to? 

 

This is a great thread and wonderful discussion. 

[OceanSands]

Hey OceanSands,  where do you winter in Florida?  What courses do you play?

 

I am on the Space Coast - Melbourne.  I play The Majors in Palm Bay 3 times a week with about 60 other guys in this club I belong to.  Its really great, you always have a game and the computer sets it up with an A, B, C, and D player in each foursome using our handicaps.  I love it!  Can't wait to get back!

[revkev]

Wen really must have a Florida outting next winter.

[Kenny B]

Wen really must have a Florida outting next winter.

 

I vote for sometime between February 5-12.  

[Jmikecpa]

There's a household name. . I know who she is but she's not going to move the needle even though she's a very good player.

 

Hogan needs a big name popular pga guy. Just saw a TMag commercial where they used the number of players bagging their driver each week to their advantage, titleist does it all the time with their ball. Of course that won't be Hogan but they need a few hats and bags sprinkled in so that their brand is in public view each week.

I would agree but you need to start somewhere and with a limited marketing budget you have to take what you can get.  She is not far from Ft. Worth so it looks like they are trying to build some local tour support.  Getting into the bag of tour players without a pay to play program is very tough and TM is a big supporter of tee it up money.  Every week on tour Axis putters has a bag and tour presence...when was the last time you saw a PGA player using an Axis putter?

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Might be helpful to review our "5 Questions" segment with Terry Koehler.  Click here to check it out.

 

My sense is that they're not trying to be TaylorMade, Callaway or any of the other big names anytime soon, if at all, so "market share" is relative.  They're essentially still a start up company and have lots of processes to get in place, including their production facility in Ft. Worth and a viable distribution network of fitters.  As far as pricing goes, at $149/club stock an set of 7 clubs - 4-PW equivalent - lists at $1,043, If you add 4 wedges, or 3 wedges and a long iron - add another $596.00

 

The Callaway Apex Pro, 4-PW, standard setup - lists at $962.43. Add some PM grind wedges and/or maybe a 3 iron to the set an its another $520.  

 

In this example the difference in total price between the two sets is less than $160.  Sure, you want upgrades the Hogan price goes up, but so do most others.  2nd Swing shows a $75 upgrade for C-Tapers on a set of Mizuno's on their website. I'm trying to verify that through some contacts...

 

As always, the questions no one other than the golfer can answer are do you feel these clubs will help your game and is the price worth it to you? 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

Contact at 2nd Swing confirmed Mizzie doesn't charge an upgrade for any shaft they carry, but they do charge for certain grip upgrades, for what it's worth...

[revkev]

It's worth a lot Barbjo because that's the player that Hogan needs to pilfer not so much the TMag guy.

 

 

Thanks for the review on the 5 questions. "Value and performance." That's always what it comes down to for me. Lookng forward to the next review.

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

I've always felt we

Golfers are funny creatures. Some of us are brand loyal, some go for flavor of the day while others want to buy "male jewelry." I think - and it's just an opinion - Hogan is looking for the golfer who wants something different and premium, and is willing to spend the money to get it. The world is full of people who'll pay a premium for something, regardless of whether we "regular people" would.

 

If their price point is between Mizuno and Miura, that's not a bad place to be. They can make money for themselves and their partners without worrying about market share - if they can successfully carve their way into that niche.

[Sschaffer24]

Nice review Edmund!

[RoverRick]

             I'll be back in a few weeks with my ‘follow-up' questions and answers!

 

But what if they sell on eBay before then?

 

Or is someone just using your pictures?

[Undershooter]

But what if they sell on eBay before then?

 

Or is someone just using your pictures?

No it's him. Out of Wisconsin. He explained the order and that they would be getting a 63* wedge even though it wasn't on the order. I mean common man at least hold on to them for a bit before hawking them on the bay. Did he ever actually play them is the question. I have a hard time taking his review seriously now. It would be one thing if he had decided they weren't for him and then gone back to his gamers but seeing the "review" this obviously isn't the case

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

But what if they sell on eBay before then?

 

Or is someone just using your pictures?

??? Different serial numbers.  

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

Oh, never mind.   Just saw the listing you were referring to.  Same neatly groomed thumb!  Agree with Undershooter.

[mizuno_lover]

Great review Edmund.  Every time I read a review I am struck by the beauty of these irons.  As a golfer and from that point of view I can't look at them and not just sigh and wish I had a set.  The discussion thus far has been brilliant and there are so many good golfing brains on this forum that bring so much to the table with their knowledge.  If I decide to buy a set all I really care about is that they are around long enough for me to do so.  Selfish? Absolutely.  Companies come and go and I truly hope the Hogan brand will be here long after I shed this mortal coil but I do agree with the consensus that their pricing model is too high.  That they are a premium product there is no question.  My quandary is that at 56 years young I'm on the downslope of physical prowess and whilst I am playing at times the best golf of my life I am struggling to find "the set " That I can commit to have in my bag for the foreseeable future. About 18 months ago I was gaming G30 irons, loved the distance and trajectory hated trying to aim the short irons with the offset being the issue.  Having said that I got down to 4.5.  Then I borrowed a set of Mizzy 825 pro's and discovered the Mizuno "feel".  That buttery soft click of joy as you strike that pure shot and that included an ace.  I then picked up a near new second hand set of MP 54's for $250.  An abject steal at that price but I left the stiff shafts in them way too long and suffered a total collapse of confidence in my game and ball striking and my index has blown out to 9ish.

 

I love my Mizuno's still but the shine has certainly gone off them.  There is a huge gap between my expectations vs my achievements with them but I'm sure there are readers out there that get where I am coming from.  We talk about buying game in a set of clubs but I don't think that's what I'm trying to do, just find a set that I can take out on the course and feel confident that I can make any realistic shot I set up to hit. I think I will be staying with the 54's for a while yet at least until I can try the new I series from Ping and read a few more reviews on the Hogan's because having a hit of them before I buy them is out of the question. I kind of feel stuck in the twilight zone of nowhere at the moment with my equipment. 

[revkev]

Great review Edmund.  Every time I read a review I am struck by the beauty of these irons.  As a golfer and from that point of view I can't look at them and not just sigh and wish I had a set.  The discussion thus far has been brilliant and there are so many good golfing brains on this forum that bring so much to the table with their knowledge.  If I decide to buy a set all I really care about is that they are around long enough for me to do so.  Selfish? Absolutely.  Companies come and go and I truly hope the Hogan brand will be here long after I shed this mortal coil but I do agree with the consensus that their pricing model is too high.  That they are a premium product there is no question.  My quandary is that at 56 years young I'm on the downslope of physical prowess and whilst I am playing at times the best golf of my life I am struggling to find "the set " That I can commit to have in my bag for the foreseeable future. About 18 months ago I was gaming G30 irons, loved the distance and trajectory hated trying to aim the short irons with the offset being the issue.  Having said that I got down to 4.5.  Then I borrowed a set of Mizzy 825 pro's and discovered the Mizuno "feel".  That buttery soft click of joy as you strike that pure shot and that included an ace.  I then picked up a near new second hand set of MP 54's for $250.  An abject steal at that price but I left the stiff shafts in them way too long and suffered a total collapse of confidence in my game and ball striking and my index has blown out to 9ish.

 

I love my Mizuno's still but the shine has certainly gone off them.  There is a huge gap between my expectations vs my achievements with them but I'm sure there are readers out there that get where I am coming from.  We talk about buying game in a set of clubs but I don't think that's what I'm trying to do, just find a set that I can take out on the course and feel confident that I can make any realistic shot I set up to hit. I think I will be staying with the 54's for a while yet at least until I can try the new I series from Ping and read a few more reviews on the Hogan's because having a hit of them before I buy them is out of the question. I kind of feel stuck in the twilight zone of nowhere at the moment with my equipment.

 

You have captured where I am at with my game spot on only I'm a smidge further along down the slope, 58 and 59 is fast approaching. throw in the fact that I'm at about the pinnacle in regards to my career and its a very unhealthy golfing scenario.

 

I've lost distance beyond a doubt but I've had moments where I've played great gold, late last fall comes to mind. The equipment in my bag is a nice compromise for me. The Top end works, I'm very good with my fairway woods that I need to be able to hit into greens on longer par 4s and that's huge. I may hate how they look but the Wilson's fit in the middle of the bag and the SCORs resolve the short iron issue because they are easy to aim.

 

I may love the look of the Hogans but for me to bag a players club would be silly. Work gets in the way of practice and when I have time to play or practice I want it to be easier and fun, not tougher and unfulfilling. I played so little this spring because of work that I'm scraping to get my game together now. It's coming but it would take an extra two weeks with a players iron.

 

Honestly I should thank Hogan for the price point. If it were lower I'd be too tempted.

 

I think that Barbajo may be right but where is that niche coming from?

[wbealsd]

No it's him. Out of Wisconsin. He explained the order and that they would be getting a 63* wedge even though it wasn't on the order. I mean common man at least hold on to them for a bit before hawking them on the bay. Did he ever actually play them is the question. I have a hard time taking his review seriously now. It would be one thing if he had decided they weren't for him and then gone back to his gamers but seeing the "review" this obviously isn't the case

From his review, I gather he's got a 6 figure student loan...  Still...

[wbealsd]

You have captured where I am at with my game spot on only I'm a smidge further along down the slope.

At 62, I'm even further down the slope and REALLY hoping to find my "forever clubs" sooner, rather than later.

 

I'm closer now than I was a year ago, but I'm just... not... quite... THERE!