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

[Mike Z]

To all of my fellow testers.  It has been a pleasure.  The work involved and the insights have been tremendous. Thank you.  Barbajo, thanks for all that you put into running the review.  And to all that have bantered back and forth, that is appreciated and honestly helped me in my review. 

 

I said in my review and Rookie's experience bears it out - online is not the right way to buy or sell these clubs.  I am going to give them a pass on the messed-up lofts (though I intend to get mine checked).  They are a new company with manufacturing, QC and other issues to work out.  I am sure they will.  That said, if they intend to position themselves at the top end of the spectrum in terms of price (and I think they have the product to do so) they are going to have to fix this fast.

[alfriday101]

I am a bit surprised that the company is sending out clubs that are so far off from the stated lofts.  I know this a problem with all manufactured clubs, but it bothers me that Hogan is doing this, or more on point, Hogan is not double checking the lofts before they go out.  What is the point of offering irons in one degree loft increments if they are off by the amount the testers are finding? 

 

I have ordered a set following a fitting.  Part of the service the fitter provides is to check the lofts and lies and swing weights when they arrive from the company, before I ever see the clubs.  Apparently they do this for all custom sets, not just Hogan.  I ordered mine from Second Swing in Minnesota.  Does the PGA store do this as well?  

 

My Hogan fit came out the same as the set I ordered following a fitting.  But then, I had been fitted for clubs before and I use SCOR wedges and went through that fitting system, so I knew my specs.  The fitting mainly served to confirm my specs.  

[RookieBlue7]

Please go back and read my post where I listed the lofts. I have just added to it, and it's an important addendum that I should have written before originally submitting the post anyway.  I don't want the clubs to get lost in this discussion.  So just take the time to reread it, please.

[Mike Z]

For perspective, and since I was asked to, I will provide the lofts as they were when I got them, as I did, in fact, record them.

 

21 marked 19 actual

25 marked 22.5 actual

29 marked 27 actual

33 marked 30 actual (the 3 degree difference)

37 marked 34.5 actual

41 marked 39 actual

45 marked 47 actual (HUGE GAP THERE)

49 marked 47 actual 

53 marked 51 actual

58 marked 55.5 actual

63 marked 62.5 actual (the one I would classify as on loft).

 

I adjusted every one of them to their marked lofts.  Didn't necessarily have to adjust the 63, but I did anyway, just so the entire set was on spec.

 

Like I said, it wasn't a big deal to me.  I wasn't concerned with it at all because I do have a loft lie machine and the adjustment was simple enough for me.  That's why I didn't mention it or discuss it at all until Barbajo mentioned it.  I also didn't mention it because of what Barbajo stated, they were new at the time and also at the time we were building Texas was practically underwater.  I had chalked it up to them trying to get these in our hands quickly and Hogan beingn in the heart of the flooding area and I'm sure they had a good bit on their plate with that as well.  I mentioned that in my unboxing, the weather they were experiencing at the time they were building.  Another reason I didn't feel compelled to mention it other than telling Barbajo in mine and his PM conversation after my review was posted initially.  That's why I said I had no ill will toward Hogan as well.  They were relatively new in the business, company wise, and they were getting things kicked up.

 

And that's where I am going to bow out of the loft discussion as well.  Why? Because to me, it was insignificant.  I may have gotten a little passionate after the relevation came out(if that damages the Hogan name for some, please, don't let it), but I do not want to detract from the review any more with that discussion. Why?  Because the clubs now fit and I am now playing them and I do now like them.  I'd rather focus, at this point, on the clubs and their performance, because they are performing well for me. So let's shift the focus to where it should be.  The new player in the market.  These ARE fantastic clubs after all is said and done.  And they're in more and more places, likely expanding more as I type this.  My advice for those that are considering it and this may have created some skepticism?  Don't let it scare you off of these clubs.  Their processes are improving daily, which Barbajo also pointed out. They are available in more locations to hit prior to purchase.  The big thing, though, is that the power is in the player's hands as well.  These are being sold direct to public.  So with that known, if you've never been fitted, at the least take your current clubs and have them spec checked and fitted.  If you've already done that, find your spec sheet.  Then, you're an informed consumer when you go to place your order.  You know what length and lie you need (I did know that, and Barbajo and I had a misunderstanding when we were discussing the HoganFit questions I had.  I didn't alter the length prior to telling them to send the HoganFit prescription.  I thought that's what was inferred when we had that discussion, go with the HoganFit.  He meant loft/lie was what they wanted us to stick to.  Misunderstanding is all it was).  If you've got a place that carries Hogan product in your area and you're seriously considering this brand, go hit them and get a spec check on the Hogans themselves.  Order a set or order 1 club.  However you want to try them out, I encourage you to do so if these clubs are ones you are considering.  They do perform very well.  If you're a guy that's always played blades and loved the look of blades but your game is declining a little or you can't dedicate as much time as you used to, these may be the blades for you.  They do have more forgiveness than any blade I've ever played.  And they're not as penal as their on the market counterparts on mishits.  Let's move past the discussion of the build issue that ended up not being an issue for me after all was said and done, though, and let's discuss the product.  Hogan does have a winner on their hands with it.

 

As a foot note, I wrote every word of the above at my own volition.  I woke up this morning (off work today for a day and have some yard work to do) and I thought, you know, maybe I steered that discussion a little bit off course of what's important.  That's why I just wrote this.  Thanks for reading. 

Very interesting to me that except for the one 45 and the 63, they are all off in the same direction by about the same amount.  The 45 and 49 could mess with someone's head.

 

Thanks for posting the data, Rookie.

 

You added some comments while I was writing my post, and I agree with your point.  These ARE great clubs.  And I almost consider what we got as prototypes.  And we SHOULD continure to discuss that.  I have birdies and skins from Saturday, thanks to these clubs.  I hit one to 6 inches the was slightly off of the toe, but felt, flew and spun like a solid strike. 

 

However, one of the biggest concerns I have seen from non-reviewers is the premium cost.  Premium cost comes with premium expectations.  And that's a valid part of the equation too.

[alfriday101]

Please go back and read my post where I listed the lofts. I have just added to it, and it's an important addendum that I should have written before originally submitting the post anyway.  I don't want the clubs to get lost in this discussion.  So just take the time to reread it, please.

Is this directed to me?

[Undershooter]

Crazy to me. I feel like I would have much better success getting an adjustable driver and tweaking that vs. ordering a tour issue 9.7* glued in head. Even if you know your preferred loft, unless you're getting the same head again and again, with all the different CGs in heads ordering a glued head it must be hard to get the correct fit.

 

@Rookie do you think you'd have better than a 10/45 chance if you went with an adjustable head of beating out your current gamer. Or is it just the thrill of trying something new or Tour Issue that you love?

Just because its tour issue doesn't mean that it isn't still adjustable. My tour issue SLDR is adjustable. Most driver lofts are higher than what is stated and that doesn't work for me as I need a very low lofted one. At least this way I know exactly what I'm getting. They are also COR checked and tell you the exact lie and face angle. Tour issue doesn't mean its magical, to me it just means you know the exact specs. 

 

For someone like Rookie who is a gear junkie and knows exactly what he needs and wants, that is pretty important.  

[RookieBlue7]

Is this directed to me?

No it's because it's on a different page

[alfriday101]

Thanks for the clarification.

[jbil8802]

The lofts being off like that is embarassing. They preach precision, then send out crap like that.

[Undershooter]

The lofts being off like that is embarassing. They preach precision, then send out crap like that.

I wouldn't read too much into it. Like Rookie said in an earlier post. They built these clubs for our guys when they were basically under water in Texas during the flooding. On top of that, its a new company so quality control is going to be far from hammered out yet. The clubs everyone received were probably rush jobs... People should have their specs checked anytime they get a new set anyway. My lofts were off on the last 3 sets I've gamed and they were all from reputable companies. Taylormade, Nike and Bridgestone. Hogan will do nothing but improve this going forward. At the end of the day, these were very good irons. 

[revkev]

I think Rookie made his adjustment and pointed it out because we've gotten off the beaten path here.  His point is well taken, lets not forget about the clubs, we've been warned about checking our lofts regardless of the manufacturer going forward, that's a great lesson but let's start to focus back on the performance of the clubs at this point lest we loose the forest through the trees. 

 

Having written that could this have been Mike's gapping issue?  I'm trying to recall if he checked his gaps or not.

[jbil8802]

I wouldn't read too much into it. Like Rookie said in an earlier post. They built these clubs for our guys when they were basically under water in Texas during the flooding. On top of that, its a new company so quality control is going to be far from hammered out yet. The clubs everyone received were probably rush jobs... People should have their specs checked anytime they get a new set anyway. My lofts were off on the last 3 sets I've gamed and they were all from reputable companies. Taylormade, Nike and Bridgestone. Hogan will do nothing but improve this going forward. At the end of the day, these were very good irons.

I have no doubts that they're good irons. I still hope they'll eventually make LH ones so I can try them out and I'm still a fan of them as a company.

 

I get that most major manufacturer's clubs aren't always exactly to spec. This isn't a major manufactuer. They're a boutique brand charging a good bit of money for their product that they market as being all about precision. If they want to market that way and fill the niche that they're in, they should at least have lofts/lies of the clubs they send out squared away. They make irons and wedges, that's it. Do it right.

[Undershooter]

I have no doubts that they're good irons. I still hope they'll eventually make LH ones so I can try them out and I'm still a fan of them as a company.

 

I get that most major manufacturer's clubs aren't always exactly to spec. This isn't a major manufactuer. They're a boutique brand charging a good bit of money for their product that they market as being all about precision. If they want to market that way and fill the niche that they're in, they should at least have lofts/lies of the clubs they send out squared away. They make irons and wedges, that's it. Do it right.

Its the early stages. Quality control is rarely spot on right off the bat. This would be different if the product were already established but it isn't. I'm sure hogan will tidy up the specs.

[Jmikecpa]

I had a set of Adams irons that were refinished for me and when I ordered them they are were ordered standard loft and lie, D3 swing weight.  When the set was delivered for the refinishing the swing weights as measured were between C7 to D3.  Would that stop me from ordering a set from them in the future....not based on quality (other reasons may play into this).  I used to do a lot of my own club work back when I had more time and have a Mitchell machine and swing weight scales and all are in still in storage.  I am going to try and pull them out and get them up and going and will check the loft and lies on my Hogans if I can get that done in short order.  From playing these irons I can say that the gaps are what they are and the clubs travel the distances that they should be traveling with no odd balls in the set.  At the end of the day that is what matters to me....i I need a 175 yard 7 iron I know I have that without any issue.  Heck I was even able to stripe a 5 iron 225 yesterday when I read the yardage wrong and did not want to walk back for more stick.

[BIG STU]

Mike I will suggest something else while you are having the lofts checked. Have the shaft frequencies checked. Shaft kick and flex especially from the tip to about 4 inches up have a lot to do with ball flight and distance and it can also affect spin rates. I am a big proponent of "tuning shafts"

[sncgolf03]

Just because its tour issue doesn't mean that it isn't still adjustable. My tour issue SLDR is adjustable. Most driver lofts are higher than what is stated and that doesn't work for me as I need a very low lofted one. At least this way I know exactly what I'm getting. They are also COR checked and tell you the exact lie and face angle. Tour issue doesn't mean its magical, to me it just means you know the exact specs. 

 

For someone like Rookie who is a gear junkie and knows exactly what he needs and wants, that is pretty important.

 

I know. I was just going by what he said when said he likes glued heads and his percentage of even putting it in play was quite low even though he new all the exact specs. But anyways, I wish I had the funds to try that many sweet clubs!

[revkev]

I know. I was just going by what he said when said he likes glued heads and his percentage of even putting it in play was quite low even though he new all the exact specs. But anyways, I wish I had the funds to try that many sweet clubs!

You will, it just takes time, you are doing a good thing in taking care of our pets and service animals. Thanks!

[Sschaffer24]

Love the positive feedback this site gives...

 

I was awake last night for hours thinking about my lofts, bag setup, fitting on Wednesday and everything in between. I think I have a problem... Haha. Just looking forward to getting these checked out!

[revkev]

Sean if your gaps are good, who cares? 

 

I've had gapping issues before between my wedges and also between my longest iron and shortest hybrid or fairway wood.  I didn't ask the repair guy to check the loft, I told him to bend it one or two degrees stronger, if it was two I adjusted the next club down 1 - It's not rocket science except to Rookie.

 

I will periodically have my lies checked if I have a set of irons long enough because I know they can shift a bit with use but lofts?  I only fool with them if there is a gapping issue.  Other than that I don't want to know.

[Sschaffer24]

Maybe I wasn't too clear here.

 

I'm playing around with my distances and trying to get some firm averages for where I carry the ball to. It's impossible for me to know that without a launch monitor, besides being on the course, hitting a few shots off of a scope and trying to do it mentally.

 

I'm going for the gap test more to get the averages for my distances (to give me something better than a guesstimate) and at the same time have the loft and lies verified if need be. 

 

It's basically a spec check/distance verification with a side of gap testing thrown in. Plus, I'm debating about having my 25 removed from the bag and the next club after that is a 19 i25 hybrid, so I need to hit those and find my distance gap between them, compare it with a replacement club and the 29, and find something to blend the top end of my set. 

 

I'm also considering replacing my 3W. Haha. I'm kind of a semi club ho. Haha.

[Undershooter]

I'm with Rev here. I haven't always had perfect degree gaps in my wedges vs my irons but I never really cared as long as the yardage gaps were good. If the gaps got too big then I would bend something.

[Kenny B]

I'm with Rev here. I haven't always had perfect degree gaps in my wedges vs my irons but I never really cared as long as the yardage gaps were good. If the gaps got too big then I would bend something.

 

Bending your elbow a few more times takes care of gaps too.  

[Sschaffer24]

Agreed and understood. I'm just going to find out exactly what they are on paper without estimating so much. I want to see averages and go from there. If something needs adjusted I'll go from there! Haha.

[mbrodeur86]

So I got my Scor wedges and went out today and played a 9 in the morning and again in the afternoon. Something I find weird that maybe one of you guys can answer for me. My 51 and 55 are awesome. Really nice with good feel. My 59 is really thick compared to the other 2. Like almost twice as thick. I almost have trouble looking at it. It hits well and I didn't get myself into a situation where I needed to flop or anything but geez is it ever thick lol Is this normal or what?

[Kenny B]

i have 42, 46, 50, 54, and 58.  They all look the same to me.  In fact, more than once i have grabbed my 58 when I wanted the 46 because I was riding in a cart, not driving, and the clubs were backwards to me.  I am always amazed how short my shot is, then look at the club.     This happens when I am having a fun game and not really paying attention to what I am playing.

 

If it is that noticeable, can you post side-by-side pics of your 59 and 55?  I would like to see that.

[revkev]

So I got my Scor wedges and went out today and played a 9 in the morning and again in the afternoon. Something I find weird that maybe one of you guys can answer for me. My 51 and 55 are awesome. Really nice with good feel. My 59 is really thick compared to the other 2. Like almost twice as thick. I almost have trouble looking at it. It hits well and I didn't get myself into a situation where I needed to flop or anything but geez is it ever thick lol Is this normal or what?

I have a 60,55,53,48,44 (I don't bag the 55) they all look the same which is IMO one of their benefits. Where did yo you get them?

[fozcycle]

Mine are 50*, 54* & 57*......the only difference is the grip, which I have changed. Two have a GP grip the other has a Pure grip.  And they all look the same at address.

[mbrodeur86]

I got them from a store on ebay. It's just at address it seems thicker than what my Callaway wedge was and that was a 60. The 51 and 55 don't look as thick as the 59. I'll try to take a pic of them together tonight. I'm on vacation with the family but somehow my bag and shoes just magically showed up in my truck lol

[mizuno_lover]

Ahhh Mbrodeur a man after my own heart.  My clubs live in my SUV

[mbrodeur86]

I've got the pictures but no wifi only wifi available is in my truck lol. Upon further inspection though they do look similar just not as blade like as the mack daddy 2's I had. First attempt with them was with my 51 from about 135 yards to about 6 feet to the pin. I did have problems with some shots though. Work in progress but definitely some potential 😆