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


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Sschaffer24:          Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up          Sncgolf03:          Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up

 

edmundcruz:       Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up          MikeZ:                Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up

 

Jmikecpa:           Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up          RookieBlue7:     Unboxing      Review      Follow-Up

 


 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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...Where to start?

 

I've been asking myself that question since I received my notification a few weeks ago. There is just so much surrounding what the new Ben Hogan Company has set out to do. Obviously at the forefront of those efforts are the new Fort Worth 15 Irons and the TK 15 Wedges.

 

That's where I come in.

 

Once the proudest company in the sport, the Hogan name has fallen to such a point, that I recently had a coworker ask me if I was reviewing the type of clubs you would buy at your local Wal-Mart.

 

Wal-Mart.

 

To put it simply?

 

No.

 

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Now that I have your attention, I bring you my story.

 

An integral part of the application process was going to www.benhogangolf.com, completing their online HoganFit system and submitting that prescription to the guys at MGS. Barbajo and Bones would then forward that to the company, the order gets filled and life goes on... For some of us.

 

I, on the other hand, struggled for almost two weeks trying to understand their recommendation. HoganFit put me in an Regular Flex KBS Tour 90 shaft. This was bonkers to me! Regular flex?! That's going the wrong way! (All thoughts that went through my mind).

 

Just a little about myself: I'm 24, 260 pounds, 5'10” and played baseball my entire life. I'm used to swinging things.

 

Now i'm no bodybuilder (quite the opposite actually), but I've never played Regular Flex. I have nothing against it, but I've always been a Stiff-flex-verging-on-X-Stiff kind of guy. So to see a Regular Flex in my prescription made me question what was going on. My solution was to give their customer service a call and really put these guys through the ringer.

 

I called in the middle of the day and started to break down my issue. The gentleman I spoke with waited patiently, listening to every detail I gave him, asking the appropriate questions as I went and really processed what I had to say. I wasn't irate at all (why should I be?) just more concerned that the fit would be correct and I could do Mr. Hogan justice.

 

Eventually we realized that because I struggle with an over the top action (what 15 handicap doesn't?) which promotes a loss of distance and a high/right trajectory my numbers were throwing off the software. See, all of the data you put into their software is used to try and built the perfect set. If you put too short of a distance, it's going to strengthen the lofts and give you a lighter, softer flex shaft to try and get the distance back where it should be. HoganFit also takes into account how many times per round you hit your approach from inside 150 yards. Scoring range. That's the goal.

 

We settled on the KBS Tour C-Taper in Stiff (big change huh?) and along the way I got an over-the-phone drill to take to the range and an in depth explanation of my problem. He also worked out that I needed 3/4” cut off the length of the clubs and that the distance gapping was correct for me.  I can't remember the guys name, but the customer service was outstanding. There is more to come on this subject I promise (see full review).

 

Now I'm ready to go! I let the guys at MGS know all is well and then patiently wait. A couple of weeks go by and these shows up.

 

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As inconspicuous as any other piece of mail, but in that tall, thin and (relatively) narrow, glorious box. Every golfer in the world knows what they are seeing when a box like this shows up. Suddenly nothing else matters.

Inside the box is a different story. In true Ben Hogan fashion every inch of the inside of the box is decked out in Red, White and Blue. The clubs are pristinely packaged, heads covered in plastic and rubber bands and separated by little cardboard protectors.

 

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I go about my business like a child on Christmas morning. One by one, each club comes out, gets inspected, and laid on the floor. Eventually I have each one inspected and I get to this:

 

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How cool? A personalized bag tag for yardages and a letter explaining their mission. If Hogan does nothing else well, they have at least hit their packaging out of the park.

 

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Talk about touch? Wow. Straight to the heart Mr. Koehler.

 

At this point, I have 11 of the most beautiful clubs I've seen laying on the floor in front of me and I feel like I'm dreaming. I'm looking down at another man's legacy. Two men actually.

 

Now it's my turn to judge them. Can they deliver? Boy do I have my work cut out for me. I won't let you down Mr. Hogan. Or you guys and girls here at MGS. We all deserve the very best this company has to offer, and it's time to find out if they've delivered.

One thing's for certain. Pictures do not do these clubs justice.

 

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Can the Hawk make a comeback?



P. S. To anyone checking these out, now is your chance to ask me questions. Want something tested or included in my review? PM me or ask in the comments! This review is for the community, and if there is anything I can include within my own limitations, I would be happy to try for you. These clubs are the kind of thing not many people are going to see sitting on store shelves, and if I can provide you with an unbiased opinion (name of the game) to help with your decision on Ben Hogan, I would be happy to do so. Please feel free to contact me everyone!

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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Ben Hogan Fort Worth 15 Irons & TK 15 Wedges- Official MGS Forum Review By Sschaffer24

 

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Introduction

 

Going back to my childhood Ben Hogan was a name I've always heard, but really never knew why. You know what I mean, those names your parents mention at different times, or the ones you hear on TV during a broadcast, but are never really explained to you. Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Babe Ruth, Tim Brown, Tiger Woods, Joe Montana, Ken Stabler (RIP Snake) Those are a few of the icons that meant something to me. Eventually I learned the stories of each of them, and understood why their names are revelled around the sporting world.

 

Like any little boy, you have your heroes. Mine were in this order: My Father, Babe Ruth, Tim Brown, Tiger Woods & Ben Hogan.

 

Sports always played an important role in my life. My first love was baseball. I played throughout my childhood and loved every aspect of it. But like growing up tends to do, things got in the way and forced me to move on. Babe Ruth was always a man that I idolized while I played. He played in an era where nothing but pure talent and athletic skill was on display. He represented the ordinary man to me. Seeing pictures of him, old footage of him playing baseball and dominating the sport motivated me to play better. But as with anything, all flames slowly burn out.

 

When I stopped playing baseball, I turned towards golf. Some of my earliest memories with my dad are on the golf course. I remember going at the age of 6 or 7 to a junior clinic at one of our local courses. The pro was to teach the fundamentals and then we would have a Father/Son tournament at the end. Like anything I struggled early on. Being a little kid, and being no good, I never wanted to go. All through high school I would go a few times a year with my dad, hit the ball as absolutely hard as I could (never straight, a common theme for me) and I'd inevitably end up so frustrated. From the age of 6 to 19 I felt like I progressed exactly zero towards becoming a better golfer.

 

Then something magical happened.

 

A tradition for my family is to play a few rounds a year when we go on vacation. We are very common Outer Banks travelers in May, and my dad and I decided to play a round at the Pointe Club the one year.

 

Going up to the first tee box, we were paired with a group of two other guys. Having not played at all that year, nervous didn't even begin to capture how I was feeling standing on that first tee box. Anytime you're playing with not only two strangers, but your dad, you want that first swing to go well.

 

Being courteous the other two guys let my dad and I tee off first. My dad gets up, promptly puts a ball down the middle (just past the bunkers on the right for anyone familiar with the course) and now it's my turn. I place my tee in the ground, line up, take a practice swing, line up, and hit a ball down the middle! The ball finished within two yards of my dads. I quickly pick up my tee and turn around completely concealing any joy or nerves.

 

The other two guys tee off and off we go. I get to my tee shot, grab my 3W (I used to golf with this setup: Driver, 3W, SW, Putter) and immediately duff the ball into the pond. At this point, the usual frustration comes back, I place my club back in my bag and get in the cart.

 

As my dad and I are driving to the green I ask him a question.

 

“Why can't I play this game the right way? Why is this so hard?” I said.

 

My dad responds: “Because you aren't using the right clubs. Hitting the same club all of the time is never going to make you any better. Why don't you try your irons? What can it hurt? ”

 

Then I realized something. He had a point. I would hit a 3W from anywhere from 250 to 70 yards out because it was the only club I could make any kind of decent contact with.

 

But if I never tried to use them, I would always play the same game. My scores would never get any lower, I wouldn't actually be “playing” anything. Just blindly whacking a ball all over the course and wanting to break stuff.

So I made a deal with myself to use all of my clubs that day. Suddenly the game became fun! There was strategy! And what was this?! I could actually get the ball into the air?! Wow!

 

After driving my dad crazy that day asking him all kind of questions about what to use and where to aim and all of that kind of thing I was irrevocably and totally hooked. That day was the first time I felt this. I didn't know the quote at the time. But my body knew. My bones knew. My heart knew...

 

“A well hit golf shot is a feeling that goes up the shaft, right through your hands and into your heart.”

-Ben Hogan

 

That was 5 years ago. Fast forward to today and I'm a self proclaimed golf junkie. I would spend every day on the course if I could. It's well known around the dealership that I work at that any free time I have is spent on the golf course, on the range or reading/watching something golf related. In that span of time I've went from playing off brand clubs to becoming a budding “club ho” and have learned not only how to use all 14 clubs in the bag, but also play to a decent standard as well.

 

And just like with baseball, a man has to have his icons. While my dad has never left that spotlight, two people have entered in place of Babe Ruth.

 

Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan.

 

Having two idols is an important distinction this time around. While I wanted to become Ruth in my baseball days, I knew I could never be Tiger.

 

Mr. Hogan? That's a different story. He was the ordinary guy who put the time in to become great at what he did. Spending hours on the range, just drilling those feelings into his bones. Overcoming so much, but being a symbol of integrity to so many.

 

The legacy of the man has always been there for me, the brand of equipment not so much. Due to my relatively young age and my even younger experience with the golf industry I wasn't around to see the Ben Hogan golf company at their peak. The Apex irons were released when I was 8 years old. So to speak of the past accomplishments and faults of this company is something I'm not qualified to do.

 

When I learned in January of the new Ben Hogan line of irons and wedges coming out though? I was thrilled! Having the opportunity to finally be able to play a set of irons inspired by the man I look up to is an honor. I followed the PGA show religiously this year and was ecstatic to hear some of the first impressions from the guys who had the chance to hit them. (Thanks Barbajo! Still remember your post.)

 

Needless to say I was intrigued. Having went through multiple changes of every phase of the bag in my short time playing the game, I have experience with a range of style of irons. I've gamed knock off Taylormade irons (called Sun Valley Golf) and went from there into a full set of Mizuno MP-59's. I played the Mizuno's for two years until last season when I went and was fitted for a set of Ping i25's. Through that time I've also gamed a couple of different brand of wedges. I originally started with the matching wedges for the Sun Valley clubs, and then replaced those with Vokey SM4's, and finally with a custom built set of Edel wedges.

 

I've managed to get my handicap as low as a 14.8 index, while unfortunately trending the other way currently (I'm working on it!) I struggle with my long game significantly, and am very skilled in my short game. Inside of 100 yards it's game over. Give me a long par 5 and I want to cry.

 

Since my time of starting to take the game seriously I've went through some strong transitions in my swing. Initially I struggled with every facet, then I straightened out, then started to draw the ball, which moved to a hook, and then back to a massive cut. I'm finally starting to kill the high/right block-fade that I've struggled with for so long.

 

Slowly but surely. Like the tortoise and the hare. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

Because of my relative inexperience with the Hogan brand in their heyday I didn't have many strong preconceived notions coming into this test about specific details of the clubs. I did, however have some strong thoughts about the irons in general.

 

  1. These clubs are very expensive. Almost too expensive.

  2. The long irons would be murder to hit.

  3. The wedges wouldn't hold a candle to my Edel wedges.

  4. The blade head shape would inspire confidence in me.

  5. They wouldn't feel nearly as nice as a Mizuno iron.

 

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Performance

 

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Distinct stamping for TK 15 Wedges.

 

-Wedges (53, 57, 61)

 

I love preconceived notions. Those little feelings are life's greatest lessons wrapped inside this small, confident shell that's slowly disintegrating.

 

Going into this review I was absolutely head-over-heels in love with my Edel wedges. There were three clubs in my bag worth fighting over and they say “sixty”, “fifty six” and “fifty two”. I loved reading the forum member reviews raving about their Scor wedges, their Vokeys, Cleveland's, Mack Daddy's and so on. I always felt I had this hidden gem in my Edel wedges. Then I got my Hogans.

 

So many people were convinced that these wedges were going to revolutionize their game. I on the other hand, was going through separation anxiety from being on the course without my Edel wedges.

 

Then I started playing with the clubs. Fit for bounce? Pfft. Who needs that? I have a few comparisons for you.

 

These wedges make me feel like I'm doing one of any of the following: Throwing darts, dropping bombs, launching missiles or to put it simply, hitting it close.

 

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:

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V- Sole on 49* Wedge. Progressively implemented through the whole set.

 

I've since learned my lesson. preconceived notions have no factual base. They're typically some form of an existing opinion that is tied into either a positive or negative perception of your current setup. For me, the Edel wedges were my pride and joy.

 

Mr. Hogan has taught me a valuable lesson here. Don't blindly assume. These are the strongest clubs in the bag for me, closely trailed by another group I'll get into shortly.  That being said, I can't fault these wedges in any area.

 

If anyone reading this is in the market for a set of wedges, give Ben Hogan and his TK wedges a try. They are the best I've gamed at this point, and are truly the strongest part of this companies offering. Do yourself a favor, get the four wedges that flow with your set. Don't stop at two or three. The 49* wedge has been tremendous for me. Accuracy has never been higher, and while distance gains aren't a focus for me on my wedges (especially considering loft differences) these deliver more than expected on that front.

 

-Wedges (53, 57, 61) Score: 100 of 100. The total package. The standout product of the test.

 

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Distinct Stamping For FT. Worth 15 Irons.

 

-Short Irons (41, 45, 49)

 

The people of MGS reading this are going to notice a trend here. The difference between a wedge and a short iron in this set isn't going to be too noticeable. Which is a distinct experience through a set of golf clubs. It's pretty interesting to see how much difference there is when I pick up my i25 9 iron and sit it side by side with my 52* Edel gap wedge. Obviously they are two separate companies, but every component of the club changes. The shaft changes, head shape, CG, swing weight, groove pattern, lie angle, weight relief, grind, turf interaction, ball flight and spin properties are all dramatically different.

 

When I compare my Hogan 41* iron with my 61* wedge very little changes. Outside of looking down at noticeably more loft the two clubs feel exactly the same. Which is extremely confidence inspiring.

 

People are used to learning two different feels, hence liking one club over another. If we as golfers are so dead set on testing all of the variables of our games. If we spend the time and money on being fit for the exact shaft, lie angle, length and so on, why do people put two or three completely different brand and models of clubs in the same bag?

 

What the Ben Hogan golf company has managed to do is completely eliminate this crutch of our golf bag. With this set my wedges blend perfectly into my short irons, my short irons into my mid irons, and my mid irons into my long irons. Perfect progression. With every loft comes a new head shape and weight distribution that is tuned to a distance gap we are trying to fill.

 

The changes I noticed with these irons over my previous gamers came in a few areas. Ball flight was extremely different. Offering a much lower ball flight through the Hogan's as well as significantly more spin and thus stopping power coming into greens. Mishits weren't punished nearly as bad as someone would assume from the bladed head shape, and distance control is stupid easy.

 

These are the first set of clubs I've ever swung where each shot feels like I have the same iron in my hands. They are truly synonymous with each other throughout the set, with a few noticeable exceptions.

 

In terms of performance, I noticed an increase in my distances, a lower more penetrating ball flight, and dramatically more stopping power coming into greens. my shots hit and stop. Every time. Which fits my game perfectly.

 

-Short Irons (41, 45, 49) Score: 100 of 100. So similar to the Wedges. Outstanding.

 

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-Mid Irons (29, 33, 37)

 

Ah. The dicey part of a set. I would argue that these clubs are the biggest culprit of being thrown across the golf course after a bad shot, and also are the most likely to be triumphantly placed back into someones bag after they hit a pinseeker that makes them look like they know what they're doing.

 

Here is what every golfer is terrified to admit to themselves. These are the make or break part of your game. Sure the driver is important, so are your wedges and the almighty putter. But these three irons are the most likely to come out of the bag going into the majority of holes. And unless you're playing from the champion tees, more than likely what most of us will hit into par 3's.

 

So, naturally these are the most important part of the set. Doesn't it make sense that if all of the major OEM's are racing to build the longest hitting 6 iron, that they are doing that for a reason? I'd argue they have some statistical data that says us mortals are hitting something like that (a traditional 6 iron) into most greens.

 

So, how do the Hogan's stack up?

 

Distance out of the middle of the club is on par with the Ping i25 irons I've gamed for the past season or so. If anything, a well struck shot flies a little bit further. But it's so miniscule. The trajectory of these is second to no iron I've gamed in the past. I fully expect a large part of that is the C-Taper shafts I have in these, but let's not forget with a bladed muscle back the CG is placed higher, which also promotes a more piercing trajectory compared to the i25 and their tungsten weighting that is put low into the club head.

 

That being said, these are noticeably lower than the MP-59's I've gamed in the past as well. Distance on mishits is there also. One of the most highly touted design characteristics of these irons is their redistribution of mass closer to the CG of the club head, instead of out to the perimeter as we are all so used to seeing.

 

The experience when using these reflects that. If I hit a shot off of the toe, I notice a small loss in distance (maybe 5 yards) whereas strikes out of the middle and heel fly very similar distances for me. Hitting the ball thin does promote the highest drop in performance (I'd say roughly 7-10 yards). I don't really struggle with missing the mall high on the face, so I don't have much data to give from that strike pattern.

 

All in all, these irons outperformed the forgiveness expectations I had for them by a long shot. These irons are significantly less punishing than the MP-59's and very close to on par with the Ping i25's. I'd imagine you would see a relatively noticeable forgiveness difference between the Hogan's and something SGI like Ping G30's.

All in all, these irons outperformed my expectations by a long shot. Where I expected a terrifyingly hard to hit club, I found something very close to on par to my current gamers that provided a massive upgrade in ball flight, a much straighter trajectory as well as lower, much more bite into greens and distances inline with what I expect.

 

I did have some trouble with my strikes on the 29* iron. Getting into that length my swing deficiencies start to rear their ugly head and I can have the occasional thin bullet or fat shot to accompany my round.

 

-Mid Irons (29, 33, 37) Score: 94 of 100. The 29* loft is shaky for me. Otherwise these are fantastic.

 

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-Long Irons (21, 25)

 

I'm going to take an opportunity to repeat myself. The strongest part of my game is by far my short game. The weakest part of my game is by far my long game. I understand my perception is warped by these things, and try to factor that into my scoring as well as my critique.

 

With that being said. These two clubs are by far the worst part of the set for me. I have a very close friend who is a single digit handicap that hit these irons on the range and had absolutely no issues with them. Irons are the strength of his game however, and these lofts are not my strength.

 

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.

 

Two of my favorite things to use these for however, are off of the tee and on narrow par 4's. One thing that these two clubs do very well is go dead straight and very low to the ground. If I hit them as a layup club or off of the tee where I can take advantage of the height a tee provides, they become playable.

 

I want to stress this for all of the guys and girls here reading this. My experience with these clubs is entirely based off my deficiencies. I have absolute confidence that for someone whose strength is in long irons, or is just in general a significantly better ball striker than myself, can maximize these two clubs in ways I'm just not physically capable of as of now.

 

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

 

-Performance Notes

 

Precision is back. Believe the statement. As much as marketing seems fake, this statement is steeped in resounding truth. Every decision made on these clubs keeps that goal in mind, and the irons & wedges deliver on that goal in a powerful way. Distances are in line with where you would expect, and the spin is not a feature to sleep on. These irons stop in greens in a more pronounced way than I've seen.

 

-Total Performance Score: 95

 

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Subjective

 

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-Looks

 

It's time for some brutal honesty. These irons & wedges are without a doubt the most beautiful and well designed clubs I've had the opportunity to touch. Every touch of this club has been combed over to give the absolute best presentation of the brand possible.

 

The signature. Black & Red. The chrome mirrored finish. The matte silver shafts. The traditional ferrules that are, you guessed it, Black & Red. The KBS Tour labels and their color scheme, all tied together perfectly with the Black & Red Golf Pride NDMC grips. Opening that box for the first time and seeing these irons, and then being able to inspect each element of the clubs individually left me completely blown away. Still to this day I am deeply impressed when looking at these clubs.

 

Some forum members showed concerns about the thickness of the topline. Myself, I felt there was no remote issue with the thickness from these clubs. I haven't had the opportunity to game Miura irons, so compared to a more traditional blade they may be thicker, but with that it is of no distraction at all to me when I have them in play.

 

The difference in head shape and weight relief is noticeable during play, and is a nice subtle reminder of the modern work that's been forged into these irons.

 

-Looks Score: 100 of 100. Absolutely perfect. Stunning.

 

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-Sound & Feel

 

This is where golf gets fun. We start to sounds pretty interesting to people outside of the game when we explain how a golf club feels. Has anyone else here ever tried to explain to someone how one piece of metal can feel buttery and smooth with a slight click, while another can feel loud and obnoxious with a hint of confidence on the side? It's verging on crazy!

 

The even crazier part is that there is something to it! Most people looking into these clubs have their own opinions on what they like. Mizuno feels one way to someone and another way to another person. Neither are right or wrong, both are what they are. To me, these irons feel very soft, not quite Mizuno soft, but soft nonetheless with a very audible and satisfying click at impact. It's not in any way tinny or weak sounding. Actually more dull and sold. You know when you connect with the middle of the club that you've compressed the ball and hit a golf shot. Which is exactly what I want out of my irons. The last thing I want is it to sound like my driver or 3W. And I get absolutely none of that with these irons.

 

The feeling inspires tremendous confidence. The V-Sole cutting through the turf perfectly is outstanding and for me, that small, compact club head really helps to visualize and provide confidence for my golf shot.

 

The only difference I can tell between a Mizuno iron (which I consider to be class A for sound & feel) and a Ben Hogan iron is the sound the iron makes. Which speaks to Mizuno's Harmonic Impact Technology. I can promise any person on this forum gaming clubs of this ilk, hitting a Hogan is going to feel oddly familiar, but refreshingly new.

 

-Sound & Feel Score: 96 of 100. Second only to Mizuno in my book.

 

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-Likelihood Of Purchase

 

Coming into this test with the background that I have, I've been interested in the irons since I first heard of their release. The first time HoganFit was up and I had the opportunity to go and play around with their fitting software I was really impressed with everything I saw. Until I got to the set suggestion screen. $1,900?!?!

 

Whoa. That's a lot of money. Exactly about three times the amount I paid for my i25's. Which brings me to my transition period I've went through. Coming into this test? I wanted in the worst way to game these irons. But given their lack of a fitting network, having to trust the process strictly through the website, and then being tied to what I felt equated into a $1,900 gamble turned me off of the irons.

 

Then MGS stepped in and provided me with this fantastic opportunity. That's where this all changed. Now that I have had the opportunity to test these irons. I've put them through their paces and have went through the online fitting process. I know the experience. I would absolutely without a shadow of doubt purchase these clubs. I would recommend these clubs to anyone who is serious about the sport, and enjoys a classic looking club.

 

I can't say this enough. To anyone on the fence. The clubs are truly worth the investment. I had a reaction when I first saw the pricing that I'm sure a lot of this audience had as well. I've now done a complete 180* turn on my thinking. And would easily spend that money to have the performance I do currently. Money doesn't buy a game, but money can pay for a fitting and the right clubs. The Ben Hogan golf company has delivered on that for me.

 

These clubs are firmly in the bag.

 

-Likelihood Of Purchase Score: 100 of 100. These are firmly in the bag.

 

IMG_2071.JPG

 

-Subjective Notes

 

The feel is outstanding. The smaller head inspires confidence for me. By far the most attractive looking golf clubs I've laid eyes on. Sound is different than expected, in a positive spin.

 

-Total Subjective Score: 99 of 100. Knocked it out of the park.

 

IMG_2073.JPG

 

Conclusion

 

We've come to the end friends. What a journey. This has been a truly amazing experience for me. I can't even begin to explain how thankful I am for those who chose me to participate in this. I made a promise to myself that I'd put in everything I have to this. I've spent countless hours on the range. Multiple rounds at different courses and different conditions with these clubs and I truly can't say enough for what these irons have to offer.

 

In every single way someone could ask for these to perform, they do. One thing people need to realize when looking into buying these clubs, is how to assess their strengths and weaknesses. If I had been ordering these for myself, I would not have spent the money on the 21* iron. I've never carried it, and realized quickly once getting these irons why I don't. That's fine. That doesn't hurt the clubs. It's just me being realistic. With that being said, anyone in the market, give these a shot. At the very least call in to their customer service department and talk with them. If you speak to Frank Walley, you'll find the gentlemen I mentioned in my unboxing that patiently worked with me to find my perfect setup. For that, I thank you.

 

This brings me back to a few things I've thought about pretty heavily over the past month and a half. This brand encompasses a man's legacy. This isn't some company that just popped up overnight. This is one of the proudest names in golf. Terry Koehler and his team have done these clubs right. Mr. Hogan would be proud. And I'm proud to be gaming the clubs of one of my childhood idols.

 

Which brings me full circle. I started off at a young age with this game with my father. Over time, I finally found the time in my life to embrace it completely. Since then, I've had some truly amazing and memorable experiences. Through my life I've tried to live my life with integrity and honesty. It's been something my father has taught me, and something I've always admired about my heroes.

 

I believe that Terry Koehler and his team believe in the same values, and it shows through not only in their product but in the delivery of that product. In the information they provide for their customer. The voice they give their golf clubs and the brand they've brought back from the dead, hopefully to reignite a small part of the golf industry.

 

I myself wish them all the best in that goal, and can promise that in the small town of DuBois, Pennsylvania they have a voice in the golf community.

 

Congratulations, Mr. Koehler. You've preserved Mr. Hogan's legacy. Not an easy task.

 

The Hawk is back.

 

-Total Score: 97 of 100.

 

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Extra Credit

 

-Video Review

 

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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Before I get into to everything, I want to give a shout out of thanks to MyGolfSpy and Ben Hogan Golf for letting me and the others be a part of this AMAZING opportunity.  When I got the message that I was one of the lucky ones to partake in this, I seriously got the biggest smile on my face, which stayed there for at least a few days!!!  Now on with the show!

 

Unboxing:

I rushed home from the veterinary clinic where I work because I got a text from my wife that a package had arrived at our doorstep.  I maybe was a little short with some of my last few patients/clients, and maybe didn't take the most detailed notes in the records so I could leave a few minutes early…I mean come on, for me this was an EMERGENCY!!!  I was one of the last ones to get the long anticipated, long brown box at the door step.  My Ben Hogan irons had arrived in WISCONSIN!!!

 

 

Box @ Door.jpg

 

I immediately brought the box into the house, forgot to kiss and hug my wife and say “hey hun, how was your day” and went right to the dining room to bust open my new irons and wedges.  The box was very unassuming and plain.  No fancy writing or logos on the box, just a straight up, cardboard box.  The outside of the box was a little bumped and bruised but on the inside was pure perfection.  The irons were laid out neatly on the inside with minimal padding, just a little plastic wrapped around each head.  They were packed very neatly and tightly though so they stayed ding and dent free during the trip up north.  The inside of the box was a pretty classy red, white, and blue with the quotation on the bottom reading, “A well hit golf shot is a feeling that goes up the shaft, right into your hands, and into your heart.” Ben Hogan

 

Box 3.jpgBox 5.jpgBox 7.jpg

 

Other clubs that I have ordered, such as Taylormade irons, were a bit more ‘securely' packaged with the club heads in foam padding, but the Hogan's arrived in perfect condition regardless.  This was just an observation, not really a negative for me (although it would've been if they were scratched and dinged).

 

There was a nice little write up about the irons and the company along with the clubs as well as a bag tag with each iron, the loft and a blank space for a yardage so you can keep note of your average distances you hit each one.  I think that's a cool little feature that can help you transition from the traditionally ‘numbered' irons to these that have the lofts written on them.  I honestly probably won't use this in that way, but some may find it useful.

 

Box 10.jpgBox Letter.jpgBox Irons.jpgIron back 23.jpgIron bottom 23.jpgIron face 23.jpgIron Toe 23.jpgIron Topline 23.jpg

 

 

 

One of the slightly disappointing things about my unboxing experience was that I had done the HoganFit and had been fitted for the 23* to the 63* with 4* increments between.  I had only received the 23* to the 59*.    I promptly asked the other MyGolfSpy members if they got 10 or 11 clubs and most everyone got 11 (where I got 10).  It brought me back to my childhood Christmas where yes it was awesome and exciting, but I always had a slight disappointment because my little sister always got more presents and better gifts then me. 

 

But one of the great things I've learned thus far about Ben Hogan Golf is that their customer service has been phenomenal.  I spoke directed with Tyler, the Digital Marketing Manager, and he looked into for me.  Within 30 minutes I had an email directly from him saying my 63* is going to be built to the same specs as the rest and shipped out ASAP.  I was very pleased!

 

Over the past 5-8 years I've played with a number of iron sets so I hope I can offer some decent comparisons if that's what you guys want.  My current gamers are the Adams CMB 4-GW with TT DG Tour x100s.  Some of the previous sets were MacGregor VIP 1025M, Ping i20, TM Rocketbladez Tour, Mizuno MP 30 and 60s, TM MCs, Bridgestone J40 CB, and TM R9 TP. 

 

So there ya go!  Can't wait to get some range and rounds in with these bad boys and I'm sure you all are looking forwards to more pics and reviews.  I hope to do you and MyGolfSpy justice.  Let me know if you have any questions.

WITB:

 

Ping G30 9* (set to 10*)- Ping Tour 60 X

 

Ping G20 15* - Aldila RIP Alpha 80 X

 

Cobra Bio Cell Pro 19* (set to 20*) - Graphite Design Deep Impact 80H X

 

Adams CMB 4-GW - TT Dynamic Gold Tour X100

 

Cobra Trusty Rusty 55* and 61* - TT S200

 

Taylormade New Spider Mallet 35"

 

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Ben Hogan Fort Worth 15 Irons &TK 15 Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by SNCGOLF03

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INTRO

            I fill you all in with a little information about myself and my game.  I just turned 29 and have played golf I guess about 20 years or so.  I played DIII golf up in Wisconsin where I'm from and got my HCP down to a 1 a year after I graduated in 2005.  Then veterinary school came about and KILLED my golf playing time.  I'm just over a year out of veterinary school and not able to play as much as I would like, but still more than my wife would like me to play.  I probably get to play 9 holes a week on average during the months it's not snowing and my handicap is hovering between a 2-3. 

            My game is fairly consistent…consistently inconsistent that is.  I'm fairly long, not the longest player by any means, but I consistently hit my driver 280-300 on flat, no wind, normal run outs.  Driver SS is around 115-118 mph.  I would say the weakness in my game is accuracy; I don't hit a high percentage of fairways and struggle to hit a high percentage of G.I.R.s.  I usually only average probably 30-40% of fairways and about 50% of GIRs, therefore I am usually doing a good a bit of scrambling.  So all in all my strengths would be my length and short game, and my weaknesses are my accuracy and iron play (low GIRs). 

            I don't typically try and work the ball that often unless the hole absolutely calls for it, so I typically hit more of a straight ball.  I prefer to fade the ball if I want to work it, and am less comfortable hitting a draw on command but have recent been having a little draw to my ball flight.  I've mentioned in by ‘unboxing' my current gamers (Adams CMB and Cobra Trusty Rusty wedges) and the other irons I've played in the past few years. 

            My preconceived notions of the brand were that they would come out with a very high quality product that would stay true to the Hogan roots.  Like almost all of the other Ben Hogan irons, I thought they would look amazing.  I expected a classic look/design with a hint of modern technology to try and add forgiveness.  I must say they definitely delivered on all fronts.

 

Outisde Irons.jpg

 

PERFORMANCE

 

Outside 47,51,55,59.jpgOutside Compare 4.jpgOutside Compare 5.jpgOutside compare 6.jpgOutside compare 8.jpgOutside compare 9.jpgOUtside compare G vs 51 sole.jpgOutside compare G vs 51.jpg

   - Wedges (50* and up)

            The wedges that I have are 51*, 55*, 59* and 63*.  Prior to the Hogan's I had the Adams CMB in 51*, the Cobra Trusty Rusty in 55* and 61*.  The previous gapping I had was typically 130 yards for the CMB Gap Wedge (51*) and I would hit ¾  and ½ shots all the way down to 100 yards.  My Trusty Rusty 55* is typically the 115 max down to 80 depending on the type of shot I'm hitting, and the 61* is typically 90 yards and below.  I typically use the 61* for the vast majority of the chip shots around the greens and bunker shots.  I have to say probably my favorite club is the 51* Adams GW, very straight forgiving and consistent, so I was looking forward to seeing how the Hogan's faired in comparison.

            The TK wedges look and feel freaking awesome.  Around the greens they performed very nicely.  I was able to comfortably hit any shot I was trying to.  I often open up the faces to hit higher trajectory lobs and had no issues doing this.  The sole grinds worked really well around the greens for this, as I was able to open them and swing confidently.  They NEVER dug too much, and would bounce wonderfully under the ball.  I must say I haven't had a ton of opportunities to play out of the bunkers with them yet, but the times I have, they have been good.  They ARE better out of the bunkers for me than my Trusty Rusty's.  The spin I would say is adequate, not as good as the Cleveland's or Trusty Rusty's were when they were brand new, but not bad.

            Distance control has been a little bit of an issue with the wedges, but I will likely chalk that up to not getting to play a whole lot.  Typically when I don't get to play frequently, my distance control with the ½ and ¾ shots suffers somewhat.  On full swings distances were consistent when well struck.  The 51* went slightly shorter than the Adams CMB gap wedge which is to be expected given it is 50*.  I honestly am not sure how far I hit the 63* wedge as I haven't hit a full shot with it (mainly used it around the greens which it is wonderful for).  I previously have never play a wedge of such loft.  I can see why Phil loves having his 64* around the greens.  I was curious to see how the KBS Tour V in x flex worked in the wedges as I've previously used S300s, S200s and RIFLE 6.0s.  I really didn't notice that much of a difference in playability.  Ball flight was nice, not overly high, and definitely not too low.

            I tend to have a fairly steep angle of attack and on most occasions the V-sole does a great job cutting through the tuff.  I have run into the issue of occasionally digging too much with these from softer fairway lies on full swings.  That is one of the things I like with the Adams CMB GW vs. the TK wedges.  The CMB seems to have more bounce and a wider sole that won't dig as much relative to the TK wedges.  This isn't necessarily a negative on the TK wedges, but for my swing, I may be better suited for a little different sole grind (at least for the gap and sand wedges). 

 

           

            OVERALL WEDGE PERFORMANCE SCORE:  93/100

 

   - Short irons (8-9-PW equivalent)

 

Outside Compare 3.jpg

 

Much of the same here compared to the wedges.  Looks are fantastic, and plays overall just as beautifully.  They transition very smoothly from the TK wedges.  I have always had separate wedges then the rest of my set, but really really like the idea and ease of playing club to club without needing to make any visual or playing adjustments.  With my length off the tee, the 8 iron through lob wedge have typically been the irons I hit the most.  Distance is pretty much on par with my Adams CMBs.  Ball flight is wonderful with the Hogan's.  Nice mid-high launch and piercing trajectory.  I have not had any issues of the balls flaring up in the wind, the balls cut through perfectly.  I've had a set or two of irons in the past that I've had issues with flaring up (Ping I20's for example with Nippon Pro Modus 120X) but was EXTREMELY impressed with the Hogan's paired with the KBS Tour V shafts.  I have hit some really good shots with the 8-PW, particularly the 8 iron.  Almost got my first hole in one on a 168 yard par 3 but I forgot to read the green J and the ball turned a touch right as it got the hole, ending up 5 inches to the right and 2 inches past the hole.  I was hoping to see my GIR% increase some with these irons, but honestly haven't seen any uptick on the average.  But they have been par for the course on what I typically do with any of the irons I've played in the past. 

            OVERALL SHORT IRON PERFORMANCE SCORE:   96/100

 

   - Mid irons (5-6-7 equivalent)

 

Outside 23,27,31.jpgOutside 35 face.jpgOutside compare 1.jpgOutside compare 2.jpgOutside compare 7 vs 35 sole.jpgOutside compare 7 vs 35.jpg

 

            Mid irons is where I started to notice the forgiveness category of these irons.  I will be honest and say they are surprisingly forgiving on slight mishits where the clubface is still square to the target.  I had many slight mishits off towards the toe where they have still ended up pin high to my delight!  One particular hole I recall was a 193 yard par 3 into the wind slightly.  I caught my 27* (5-iron) off the toe a touch and slouched down expecting it to be short right and in the trees.  The shadows hid where the ball ended up from the tee box, but I was impressed to see that the ball ended up 30 feet just right of the pin on the green and exactly pin high.  Trajectory and spin have been just what I would hope, couldn't ask for a better combination.  Again I never have seen a ball flare and get knocked down when hitting into the wind. 

            I'm not going to sit here and say these are game-improvement irons and they will not penalize you with a mishit.  If you have your face open or closed or hit a ball more than a slight mishit, you WILL suffer pretty significant distance loss and directional alterations.  I feel as though my Adams CMBs are a little more forgiving overall, but not by much. 

            Like I said earlier in the introduction, I don't do a lot of working the ball, but on occasion I will.  The Hogan's are quite easy to work.  I did have a tendency to ‘overwork' them especially when trying to cut the ball.  I remember a handful of shots with the mid irons where I tried to play a baby fade, and ended up played a weak, significant slice instead.  That being said, for those that enjoy working the ball, I think you will LOVE the flexibility and creativity these clubs can bring.

            OVERALL MID IRON PERFORMANCE SCORE:  90/100

 

   - Long irons (3-4 equivalent)

 

Outisde 23 back.jpgOutside 23 back.jpgOutside 23 bottom.jpgOutside 23 V sole.jpgOutside compare 4 vs 23.jpg

 

            I guess the only club that I received that fits in this category is the 23* 4-iron.  I really haven't had a 2 or 3 iron in the bag since my late high school and early college golf when I was bagging the MacGregor VIP 1025M irons.  Since then I've played a 19-21* hybrid instead.  For me, and I'm assuming the vast majority of people, the long irons are the weakest part of their games.  I did struggle many of the times hitting the 23*.  If you slightly mishit this one, you WILL lose a good amount of distance.  I can honestly say I hit some pretty miserable shots with this club.  I did struggle to hit accurate and well struck shots from the fairways.  I was hoping to have a little more joy hitting this club, but did struggle to hit the center of the club face.  Part of it is the club heads itself, being more of a blade, but some of it may be the length.  The +3/4” increments between clubs, which I believe is the Hogan's standard length gap, may have added to the inconsistencies in hitting the sweet spot. It was about ½” longer than my Adams CMB 4 iron (which is 24*). 

            Shots weren't all bad though mind you.  The good portion of the time I hit pretty good to great shots off the tee when I wanted to hit a fairway.  It offered piercing trajectory with great spin and flight.  When hit pure, this was a fantastic and fun to hit club. 

            OVERALL LONG IRON PERFORMANCE SCORE:  84/100

 

      Overall performance of the Hogan's was great.  The transition from club to club was seamless and the irons are a joy to play with.  Every time I stepped up to the ball, I expected a crisp, accurate, piercing ball going right where I aimed.  Granted my swing didn't always end up doing what I expected, I looked forward to hitting the next shot.

            TOTAL OVERALL PERFORMANCE: (average score of wedges, short, mid & long irons):        91/100

 

Subjective

 

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   - Looks

            FLAT…OUT…GORGEOUS…The simple and elegant lines flow beautifully throughout the set making it hard not to just stare longingly at them.  I was very hesitant to even hit these clubs in fear of putting the slightest scuff on them!  Don't even get me started on the fear of hitting a rock out of a bunker, or pulling a Tiger and ‘dislocating my wrist' by hitting a hidden tree root and gauging the face or bottom.  So far no major dings or scuffs so these bad boys look as sexy as when I unboxed them.  If you have these in your bag, you will be looked at with envy and I guarantee you will get more dates.  ***Be aware if these cause you to have an erection longer than 4 hours please seek medical attention.

            LOOKS SCORE:  100/100

 

   - Sound & feel

            These do have a unique feel that is unlike anything I've hit.  They do not feel as soft and buttery as the Adams CMBs, which I feel are one of the softest, best feeling irons I've ever played, but nonetheless, they do give you a wonderful forged feel.  Like others have said, they do have a nice little (very little) click or crispness to them on impact.  I love how they interact with the turf, just slicing through the grass like a hot knife through butter (except on those few when I get a little too steep and create mini-Grand Canyons). 

            SOUND & FEEL SCORE:  98/100 (just because I slightly prefer the feel of the Adams CMBs)

 

   - Likelihood of Purchase (LOP)

            This is where the frugal, $100,000+ in debt part of me has to be realistic.  If I wouldn't have be one of the luckiest men on the earth by being selected to receive and review these, I can say there is no way I would have purchased these with my current financial situation.  First off my wife would kill me, and secondly I got upset when McDonald's increased the price of the McDouble from $0.99 to $1.19, so needless to say it's hard for me to spend money, even when it's on the game I love to play.  I rarely buy new equipment and often purchase used (unless I have proshop money from tournaments).  I ordered the stock shafts and still these clubs would have cost almost $1800.  Keep in mind though this was for 11 clubs (7 irons and 4 wedges), so when you think of it that way they really aren't that much more than other higher end players irons/wedges.  As good as these are, and beautiful as they look, unless I won the lottery, at the current retail price, my likelihood of purchase would honestly by 0%.  If they were $999 (and with the quality and craftsmanship, they SHOULDN'T be priced that low), I honestly still wouldn't buy them.  But in all fairness, I wouldn't buy ANY set of clubs for $999 at this time.  But that is just me and my honest opinion.  If I wasn't a recent graduate and was financially set and could purchase any set of irons, the Ben Hogan's would without a doubt be a set I would look at purchasing.  Given my current game, I likely would end up getting something with a little more forgiveness in the long irons though, but I would definitely game the mid-irons through wedges.

            REALISTIC LOP SCORE: 0/100

            IF I HAD MONEY LOP SCORE:  80/100

 

   - Subjective notes

            Look, sound, feel, and feedback are all fantastic on the Ben Hogan irons/wedges.  So subjectively they are some of the best golf clubs I've played.  Price not quite as awesome.

 

   TOTAL SUBJECTIVE SCORE (average of the above): 93/100  *Since my realistic LOP is a 0/100, I'll use the ‘If I had money LOP' to not completely skew the averages significantly.

 

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Conclusions & Total Score

            All in all, I was completely impressed by the craftsmanship, look, feel, performance and by the company itself.  The customer service was one of the best I have ever dealt with and I really like what they stand for as a company.  It appears they are trying, and succeeding, in holding true to the ideals of Ben Hogan.  I look forward to playing some more with these irons and wedges a little bit longer and potentially they will find a spot in my bag.  Stay tuned for many more great reviews and let me know if you have any more specific questions for me and I'll do my best to get back to you all.  If anyone is located in Wisconsin and around the Fox Valley area and wants to hit a few or play a round with me that may be a possibility!  If I'm able to, I'll try and post a video at the range with them so you can get an idea of my swing and see the clubs in action (although Rick Shields already has a great video review on them already). 

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

 

SNCGOLF03's FOLLOW-UP FIVE

  1. Will these irons stay in your bag? Why or why not?

As was alluded to in my Final Review, I really liked the overall irons and wedges that Hogan has brought out.  That being said, I also really like my current set of irons and found the overall forgiveness to be better in the Adams CMB irons I have.  There's not that much difference in the mid and short irons as far as distance loss on off center hits between the two but was more noticeable with the 5 (27*) and especially the 4 (23*).  Mind you the Adams CMBs aren't extremely forgiving either but it is a noticeable difference.  There is a pretty significant loss of directional control on the Hogan's when my clubface was not square, which was really accentuated in the longer irons.  For my game, which is one that I don't tend to consistently try and work the ball left and right I am better suited for an iron with more perimeter weighting to help decrease twist on impact.  The tungsten weights on the heal and toe of the Adams CMBs seems to do a solid job of that for me.  Even the Adams though in the long irons are a little inconsistent for me and now that I am not playing quite as much (although I've played a lot more than normal during this review process), I may soon go even more forgiving than my Adams CMBs. 

 

The Hogan TK wedges overall were great.  I still though think they don't quite make it in my bag for a variety of reasons that largely have to do with my swing.  In my “Final Review” I mentioned how much I like the Adams CMB Gap Wedge and the little bit wider sole helps me not dig as much on my relatively steep downswing.  Although not bad at all, the V-sole was a little bit inconsistent when I was on tighter lies that were soft.  If I made a poor swing I took some pretty large pelts of turf and came up quite short.  The sole on the CMB helped forgive me more on those occasional poor swings.  Up in Wisconsin we aren't faced with a ton of really dry conditions and fairways are often softer so I feel I will be much more consistent with the Adams Gap short irons and GW.  The Cobra Trusty Rusty's, to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of for my game either and think the Hogan TK wedges were a little bit better than those as far as turf interaction.  I'm not sure of the exact bounce on the Trusty Rusty's (I think the bounce varies from heal, middle and toe) but I think they are pretty low bounce which for my swing isn't ideal.   

 

As nice as the Hogan's feel, to me the Adams CMBs feel quite a bit better, and not a knock on Hogan's, just to me the CMBs are the best feeling irons I've hit.  They just feel so soft to me and love it.

 

In the past few weeks since the overall review, I've been alternating playing rounds with the Hogan's and the Adams CMBs, keeping track of greens in regulation and scores.  Overall this is the main factor of why the Adams CMBs will be staying in my bag.  My GIRs have been much better with the Adams over the CMBs.  Like I previously said in my other reviews, hitting greens has been not my greatest part of my game.  With the Hogan's I've been averaging about 40-50% of GIRs, but the last few rounds with the Adams when they go back into the rotation I've hit 7/9 (the 2 holes I missed where when I hit drove it behind a tree and had to punch out, and the other was a 240 yard par 3 that I hit a hybrid off of).  So with that round every realistic chance I had to use my irons into the green I hit it.  Then yesterday I hit 14/18 greens, 3 of the ‘misses' were just on the fringe, 2 of which I made for birdie, and the other miss was due to my tee shot amongst the trees.  The conditions weren't benign either; 15-25 mph winds and I hit a solid 3/14 fairways!  I just hit the ball much more accurately and the tendency to miss right and left is much less with the CMBs vs the Hogan's.

 

VIDEOS IN ACTION (last one is a range review):

 

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NRpBkIyuDAY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>









 

  1. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend these? Why?

For someone that likes working the ball, I really think the Hogan's would be fantastic.  The overall quality and performance is fantastic for someone looking for a unique set of irons that not many people have.  You will likely be the envy of your foursome!  For someone who previously owned or wanted to own Ben Hogan irons, I think will be very pleased with these irons.  They stayed true to the Hogan roots and crafted a wonderful iron.  I think someone who wants a more blade-like iron, yet still doesn't want to sacrifice complete forgiveness these are great. 

 

  1. How has this experience shaped or changed your impression of the Hogan brands?

I have been completely blown away by Hogan's dedication and commitment to customer service and willingness to satisfy the customer.  There communication and turnaround time for answers were something I don't think I've ever seen before.   I know there were some issues with some of the testers' lofts being off, and they went above and beyond to try and figure out and correct the issues.  I never did get my specs measured elsewhere, but by how they played on the course, my yardage gaps were great and consistent so that's good enough for me.  I really look forward to seeing what they come out with next in the future.

 

  1. What features would you change or eliminate in the next generation of this model?

I would like to see them change their standard length gap be more ‘standard'.  I think the ¾” gap is a little too much especially in the long irons.  Maybe give some more sole options in the wedges.  Like I stated, for me, I would prefer a little wider sole in the wedges to make sand shots a little easier, and more forgiving when I get a little too steep. 

 

  1. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?  I really like the looks, classic and clean, and love how they blend from one head to the next.  As many of the testers stated, the long irons can be quite challenging to hit, and miss-hits can be punishing.  I'd like to see them evolve and offer maybe a blended, easier to hit option in the longer irons.  Just to help those who need a little more help launching the ball and maybe a little more heel and toe weighting for those mishits.  I'd like to see them evolve the “Hogan Fit” and work out the few kinks.  Maybe add a shaft fit tool to help narrow down shaft options, as well as getting some static body measurements to get the lengths and lie angles as a starting point.  I know it would be as good as a real life fitting, but I think it would help get a better online fit for those of us that aren't going to have access to fitters and places that carry the Hogan line.  I made a post earlier about some of the kinks that I noticed too in case you didn't read it:

 

“When you fill out the HoganFit initially and put all your current set specs like Midsized grip, current length and lie, and then get your initial HoganFit Analysis results they have the grip size as Midsize...but then when you go to the Next Page to Purchase and they give you the summary, it resets the grip size category to standard. So if you're not careful, you may get the wrong grips/sizes.

 

They also don't automatically fill in the length adjustments and lie adjustments to match with your 'current set' so I'm assuming they mean for you to fill it in on your own.

 

I'm not sure if that's where some testers got messed up with the thinking that the HoganFit was designed to also 'fit your length and lie and grip size'. I was under the assumption, whether or not it's correct I'm not sure, but the HoganFit was designed to only fit the lofts and loft gapping, not anything else.

 

If they were wanting, which I think they should, to do a more comprehensive online fit, they could include arm length, hand length, height, etc. similar to the Ping Online fitting tool, to help get you on the right start of what length and lie and grip size you should get.

 

One other critique I had of the HoganFit was that after you put in your current set makeup, me for instance I have a driver,3 wood, 19* hybrid, 4-GW, 55* & 61* and putter, their recommendations give you too many clubs. So with the set I was given, I was rocking 15 clubs in the bag.”

           

Any other lasting impression or parting thoughts you'd like to add?

Again I want to thank MyGolfSpy and Ben Hogan golf for this once in a lifetime opportunity given to me and a few other lucky members.  I hope I helped give a little insight on these great clubs.  Although ultimately they aren't completely perfect for me, the vast majority of people that try and see them really do love them.  I really hope the Hogan brand will be successful and will continue to do great customer service and bring out other great products.  

WITB:

 

Ping G30 9* (set to 10*)- Ping Tour 60 X

 

Ping G20 15* - Aldila RIP Alpha 80 X

 

Cobra Bio Cell Pro 19* (set to 20*) - Graphite Design Deep Impact 80H X

 

Adams CMB 4-GW - TT Dynamic Gold Tour X100

 

Cobra Trusty Rusty 55* and 61* - TT S200

 

Taylormade New Spider Mallet 35"

 

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I was stunned beyond belief that I was selected to test and review these Hogan irons. My unboxing felt like twenty Christmas mornings all combined into one glorious day.

A very inconspicuous looking box that certainly could contain golf clubs was dropped off at my Chicago doorstep and place right outside my home office. The outside of the box was so “plain-Jane” that I was absolutely thrilled that someone walking near by the house wouldn't want to steal this box off my doorstep (which has happened in the past).

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Once the box was opened, you're immediately transfixed upon the Ben Hogan logo and you know that there's something to get really excited about here! From a “plain-Jane” exterior of a box, to a classy style decorated box, complete with red, white, and blue, that would certainly make anyone very proud to own these clubs. This was the best case of definitely not judging a book (a box in this case) by its cover!
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Once you emptied the box of the irons you do notice a quote from Mr. Hogan himself. The quote reads, “A well hit golf shot is a feeling that goes up the shaft, right into your hands, and into your heart.” Such a profound quote and might actually foreshadow how these clubs will perform for me.
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The removal of the plastic from the heads revealed a clubhead with a v-cut sole, loft numbering (instead of traditional numbering), Lamkin grips (with Ben Hogan logo on the underside, and a little pocket on the back of the clubhead. A very clean and sleek looking iron. The wedges look just as impressive.
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Going into the Hogan Fit system, it yielded interesting loft options for my bag. The way the lofts are in my perscription seem to help fill several gaps from my previous set of irons and wedges.


I'm quite impressed with the look of these irons and wedges. I can't wait to get out and actually hit some golf balls with them. This will be the true test!

 

Twitter: @EdmundCruz 

             @ChiGolfAth 

 

What's In The Bag:

Driver:  Tour Edge Golf EX9 10 degrees, UST Mamiya ATTAS COOOL Stiff Flex
Hybrid:  Tour Edge Golf Exotics EX9 #3 Hybrid, UST MAMIYA RECOIL 670 F4 Stiff Flex
Irons:
:benhogan-small: Ft. Worth 15 Irons, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39, 43, 47 KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Wedges:
:benhogan-small: TK 15 Wedges, 51, 55, 59. KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Putter: Buzelli Golf STA-1, Standard Loft/Lie
Ball:  Snell Golf My Tour Ball 

 

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Ben Hogan Fort Worth 15 Irons &TK 15 Wedges – Official MGS Forum Review by edmundcruz

 

I'm a man of few words, and you'll see why. The clubs pretty much speak for themselves!

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Introduction

 

I have been playing this wonderful game of golf for nearly 18 years. I picked up the game shortly after Tiger Woods won his first green jacket. The Summer of 1997 was my full baptism into the game. I was getting swing tips left and right from my dad and his golf buddies. I honestly just wanted to crush the ball down the range. Let's jump to my high school years. I call those my “good ol' days” of playing golf. I might have been a 5 Handicap during those years. And then college happened. I did not play as much and my game suffered dramatically. I now play with a 12 Handicap. Hoping to bring it down in the near future.

I like to say that my game is consistently improving, having good days and bad days out on the course. Although, we all never really have “bad days” out on the course. I tend to work the ball from left to right, with the occasional draw (I'm pretty sure when I draw the ball it's an accident). I can usually hit the fairway off the tee. Drive the ball about 275-285 yards on a good day. My weakness as of late has been, putting. I might try the Jordan Spieth approach while putting. Looking at the hole rather than the ball to make a better stroke? Sounds crazy. Guess you can say that I will try anything right now to sink a putt.

My current gamers are the one I put in the bag during my high school days, Titleist DCI 990s. A gift from my parents during my sophomore year. They were a great set for my game at the time. My wedges were Cobra Tour Trusty 52*, 56*, and 60*. It did not even occur to me to look into obtaining a new set of gamers. It seemed like the ideal set and I didn't budget for a new set. As we all know, this game can be expensive!

I knew all about the Ben Hogan Golf company growing up and wondered where it has been the last couple of years? The Apex Irons that they company once produced had a great look of class. Nice sleek, chrome finish. I had a teammate that used those as his gamers. I remembered that he did enjoy having them in his bag. Then all of a sudden, company with the namesake of one of the game's greatest swings was nowhere to be seen out in the golf world. Poof. Gone... And then, I was glad to learn that they came back even better than ever this past year. As I stated in my unboxing stage, I'm impressed with the look of the Ft. Worth 15 irons and TK 15 wedges.

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Performance

 

-Wedges (55*, 59*)

 

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Before working with the TK 15 Wedges, I used Cobra Tour Trusty Wedges. I loved the look and feel of these wedges. I was able to chip, pitch the ball, and get out of bunkers without too much difficulty. Full shots were usually straight and forgiving on mishits. And the occasional backspin on a string trick. Overall, a great product for my game. You would need to have wedges that could get my attention with performance and looks. Then all of a sudden, here I am selected to review new irons and wedges.

The TK 15 Wedges are absolutely awesome! Having a V-Sole on these clubs has helped out a great deal with cutting right through the turf without much twisting and turning of the clubface. I can say that I have the utmost confidence in my short game having these wedges in my arsenal.

My first few times out on the course, I was flying over the green with my approach shots with these wedges. I attribute that to having a preconceived notion of shorter distances with my old Cobras. Needless to say, I am hitting the TK 15 wedges a few yards further. When I do hit the green with proper distance control, the ball will spin and check right where you want it. Pin seeking has not been a problem at all. The 55* has been my bread and butter wedge. You can control the ball with any type of shot you would want to hit if you're trying to scramble.


-Wedges (55*, 59*) Score: 100/100 Trust me, you will NEED to put these in your bag!

 

-Short Irons (43, 47, 51)

 

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There's a nice little transition here from the wedges to the shorts irons.  Again, same great Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company look and feel. Setting up at address to the golf ball, it looks as if I am hitting with a wedge. And that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. If I have the utmost confidence in hitting my wedges well, then I can have that same type of confidence attacking the greens with the Ft. Worth 15 short irons.

The ball flight with these short irons is a little lower than I am used to seeing. This is probably why I am hitting the ball a further with these irons. Having the lower trajectory, I can see hitting with ease underneath some tree branches that might have come into play with my old DCI 990s. The V-Sole, which is a standard constant throughout the entire Ben Hogan line, helps you get right through any type of lie. I have yet to hit into someone else's old divot mark on the fairway(don't forget to replace your divots), but I can see hitting right out of there with little to no problem.

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-Short Irons (43, 47, 51) Score: 100/100 Just like the wedges, performance is exceptional. A very forgiving short irons.

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-Mid Irons (31, 35, 39)

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I'm not sure about the rest of you but, ever since my high school days, I have had a little problem with hitting mid irons. I would play some “Army Golf” with shots. You know, left, right, left, right. The shots would spray all over the place. I want to attribute this to poor swings with the DCI 990s not being a very forgiving on shots that are mishits.

Then here comes Ben Hogan Golf providing a V-Sole (notice the trend) helping me swing right through the ground with much ease. You can say that I strike the ball at a very steep angle. I did notice though that I did not hit the ball as far with mishits but I still did not spray the ball all over as much with my old gamers.

 

-Mid Irons (31, 35, 39) Score 97/100 I'm at the point of becoming speechless. Playing the game is becoming easier.

 

-Long Irons (23, 27)

 

I rarely hit a long iron on the golf course. This is from years of frustration of not being able to hit the ball with any distance and accuracy. At one point, I even considered not even having them in the bag. I switched out my DCI 990 3-iron for an Cobra Hybrid DWS 3/R for the times I did find myself in-between a 5 wood or 4 iron type of situation. Hybrids have made the game easier to play, I'm sure many of you here on MGS can attest to that as well.

It might have been about 8 years since I actually hit a 3 or 4 iron (23* & 27*) that I actually hit pure and true right off the clubface. Once again, that lovely and very helpful, V-Sole, coming to rescue me from my turmoil of hitting bad shots. You feel like you're sweeping right through the ball. Almost like hitting a slap shot with a hockey stick. Just gliding right through the ball. Trajectory has a very nice penetrating flight through the air and will stick right on the green.

I'm going to consider to pull out my hybrid and exclusively return to hitting with my 23* and 27* with confidence. Although, I do still feel a little twisting of the club at impact. This has to be me and my swing.

 

-Long Irons (23, 27) Score 98/100 If they can get me to ditch my hybird, that says something!

 

-Performance Notes

 

Hogan is Back! Precision is Back! There's not a single doubt in my mind that you will love the performance of these irons and wedges!

 

Total score: 98/100

 

Subjective

Looks like a classic Hogan Golf Club. Class and elegance through and through. Signature Red, White, and Blue. It screams American Made! Sounds and feels like the iron you have always wanted to play but haven't been able to find it until now.

My likelihood of purchase would be 60/40. This might be from the custom building of the club. I have never had a set that was custom build to my specific golf game until now. The Hogan system is an excellent one that will help find gaps with your current set and allow you to fix those voids.

As you can tell this is all 100 from me!

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I have truly has been a great honor to have been selected and review these irons. I hope that you all here on MGS have the opportunity to try out the new Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 irons and TK 15 wedges. You will not be disappointed!

 

Hit 'em well, friends!

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Twitter: @EdmundCruz 

             @ChiGolfAth 

 

What's In The Bag:

Driver:  Tour Edge Golf EX9 10 degrees, UST Mamiya ATTAS COOOL Stiff Flex
Hybrid:  Tour Edge Golf Exotics EX9 #3 Hybrid, UST MAMIYA RECOIL 670 F4 Stiff Flex
Irons:
:benhogan-small: Ft. Worth 15 Irons, 23, 27, 31, 35, 39, 43, 47 KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Wedges:
:benhogan-small: TK 15 Wedges, 51, 55, 59. KBS Tour 90 S-Flex Shaft
Putter: Buzelli Golf STA-1, Standard Loft/Lie
Ball:  Snell Golf My Tour Ball 

 

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The level of excitement was off the charts as I discovered a box on the front porch.  Every golfer knows “that size” box can only be one thing.  I hurried inside to open the box and get my first glimpse.  That's when I remembered I needed my camera.  Did I mention that I was excited?  Camera?  Check.  On to the opening….

 

I am not normally one to comment on packaging.  It's useful and all but it's not why the box is being opened.  It usually is an afterthought that I scatter around like a three year old would do at Christmas.  But this packaging is different.  It is thoughtful, attractive and functional.  The clubs were packed neatly and in such a way that they could not move around and get nicked or scratched.  Every detail had been thought-out:

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As the un-boxing progressed, I discovered a letter from Terry Koehler and a bag tag that was personalized to me and the set of clubs.  It has a space for yardages so I can refer to it until I get used to using lofts instead of iron numbers.  I had been mulling over options for that.  Problem solved.

 

Finally, all of the clubs were out and uncovered.  I briefly thought about closing the curtains and dimming the lights.  I mean, it HAS to be illegal taking pictures of things this beautiful without anything covering them, right?  This is as much a harem as a set of clubs.

 

As I began to look them over in more detail, I was stricken by how the past met the present:

 

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As someone who played exclusively Hogan irons for the vast majority of my golfing life, a couple of things hit me right away.  At one time all you needed to see to know you were looking at a Hogan iron was the ferrule and the markings on the neck.  There they are.  Then there's the blade-on-blade (the relief all the way around the head that makes it look like a smaller club is melted into a larger one).  Mentally these have me back in the past.  Yet there's the indentation in the middle of the club.  It's not quite a cavity and not quite flat.  It is very modern looking. It is clear that moving weight around is the goal.  And then there's the v-sole:

 

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Again, something very modern and new.  A carryover in design from SCOR.  I find the look attractive and intriguing.  I can't wait to find out how these hit and interact with the turf. 

 

Without having hit them, I am left with the impression that Terry Koehler and his team have done the near impossible:  they have taken Mr. Hogan's ideals and design cues and coupled them to technology and modern ideas.  The bad news?  My expectations for these clubs have just gone through the roof.  They will be held to a very high standard.  Somehow, I believe that Mr. Hogan would be quite pleased to know this.

WITB:
Driver Ping Anser 8.5 deg Diamana 'ahina X
3 Wood Adams LS Stock S or TM 14 deg MiniDriver stock S
Irons Ben Hogan FW 15 KBS Tour V S
Wedges Ben Hogan TK 15 KBS Tour V S
Putter Nike Method Concept
Launch Monitor: SkyTrak

 

Play Right-handed

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This is not an easy review to write.  Generally, I have enjoyed writing but this is different.  Condensing my thoughts down to numerical scores isn't all that comfortable.  That said, here goes.  The game of golf has been part of my life as long as I can remember.  My Dad got me playing when I was 12.  I also started caddying way back then.  My first set of clubs that I could call my own were Titleist series 90's.  The next set and all others for the next 35 years were Ben Hogan (woods as well when they made them).  The set that was in the bag when the Hogans arrived are Titleist AP2's and Nike wedges.    

 

As a player my current index is 7 and change. My natural ball flight is a slight fade – that is until I have a swing meltdown and snappy the clown comes to visit.  I can work the ball if I must, but it's not my first choice. 

 

When I placed my bid in to be a reviewer, I had already been following the new Hogan Company.  I was hoping, but certainly not expecting the clubs to remind me of my favorites from the past (Apex II and Apex Anniversary).  When I unboxed them, the expectations went way up.  I was not only expecting something that felt like what I remembered, but something that was going to help my game.  I was so eager to try them, I went out when it was dark out and put a few divots in the front yard.  That did not endear me to my girlfriend.

They immediately went into the bag:

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Wedges (50, 54, 58 and 62):

Wedge play has long been a weakness of my game, but chipping with the wedges has been a strength.  With these clubs, I noticed a definite and immediate improvement in full and partial swing wedges.  Shots high in the face or near the toe started to hit the green instead of falling miserably short.  It's definitely a strength of the set.  Having said that, there is distance loss from my Nike wedges, but the distances between the wedges was consistent.  Spin is really good and predictable – even on off center shots.

 

Chipping had a severe learning curve, though.  Suddenly, shots I had relied on were hard.  Traditional wedges have “dead” areas where the ball comes off of them soft.  Nearly every spot in the TK-15 wedges were what I would call “jumpy”.  Now I have to use the varying lofts to accomplish what I want instead of using the clubs differently. Open face shots aren't something I do a lot of with these wedges.  I was either long or short on all of my chip shots.  Had I not played with these clubs as many rounds as I have with them, I probably would have scored them lower than I will now.

 

One of the selling points of the wedges is the V sole.  I didn't notice much of a difference.  If you were to ask me from a player's standpoint what it does for my game, I couldn't tell you.

 

Overall these wedges feel very consistent all over the face of the club.  Sound is pretty consistent – soft with a hint of firmness at the very end.   Score (95/100)

 

Short Irons (38, 42, 46)

Something weird started to happen with the clubs in this part of the set.  I am starting to see them and use them more like wedges.  I can control distances much better with these short irons more that I could with my old ones.  I can hit a fade when I need to or a draw, though they are much more responsive than my AP2's so until I learned them it was easy to overdo it.

 

Again, there was a loss of distance from my AP2's, but consistent between clubs.  But spin is up.  The ball isn't ballooning from the spin, but I have stopped the ball on greens that I couldn't before. 

 

They feel and sound soft on center hits and slightly off center hits.  These are going to score a little higher than the wedges, but just because I don't chip with them often and when I do I didn't have a learning curve.  Score (97/100)

 

Mid Irons (26, 30, 34)

This part of the set has two stories.  First, the good news – they are as forgiving as the wedges and the short irons.  It really is unbelievable how well these feel on off center hits and how minimal the distance loss is.  These have definitely made me re-think my opinions about how a cavity back plays versus how a muscle back plays.  They are really the best of both worlds.  Good feel and sound along with workability and forgiveness.

 

The bad news:  There is a loss of distance on the 34 degree (same with everything else over it in loft in the set).  There is no distance loss in the 30 and distance gain in the 26.  What that means to my game is that I now have some pretty significant distance gaps in my set.  For some reason I cannot figure out, the even loft gaps do not reflect even distance gaps.  And this isn't just by eye.  I used my SkyTrak launch monitor on two different occasions to come to the same conclusion. 

I am going to post the entire set's data here so there is some context.

 

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The data is pretty self-explanatory except the distance formula which I will explain here – when preparing for these clubs I took my AP2's and figured out that 180 minus the loft times 3 was really close to the carry and it was consistent throughout the set.

 

So, as great as they feel and as workable as they are, there is now a hole in my bag.

 

For that reason I have to score them lower than I would have liked to.  Score (89/100).

 

Long Iron (22):

This iron is a rocket.  It looks hard to hit and it isn't.  The ball jumps off the face.  There is no difficulty in getting the ball in the air, but you can keep it down if you have to (say for a punch shot).  You can work the ball.  Shots feel good there is minimal distance loss on mishits.  This club is super-impressive.  Score (99/100)

 

Performance Notes: 

It is truly surprising to me how forgiving these clubs are.  I am thoroughly impressed with how well a poor wedge swing can turn out.  The clubs don't dig but can get through the rough pretty well.  This distance gaps are disappointing.  It's the only real negative I can find and it's a pretty significant negative.

I really enjoyed the level of spin I am get.  I have spun a couple back on greens I have never spun back before.

   

Overall:

With THIS set the distance gap is holding them back from a great overall score.  Everything else is great.  The look, the feel – all of it.  Chipping was an adventure and that could turn off some buyers if they don't work through it.  Overall score (93/100)

 

Subjective:

 Looks – these clubs look great in the bag and over the ball.   Very confidence inspiring.  Everyone I showed them to thought they were beautiful, but until I hit them they also thought they were hard to hit.  Score (100/100)

Sound & feel - I have to admit that I didn't really pay attention to the sound of these clubs until I knew my review was due.  What I have noticed was that they are quiet and soft sounding.  The feel is butter-soft as well over a surprisingly large portion of the face.  Definitely an accomplishment.  Score (100/100)    

Likelihood of Purchase - This one is where the distance gaps is going to leave a mark.  Had I purchased these clubs at full price, I would have been really disappointed.  The HoganFit system was pretty comprehensive, asked what I had but never asked me whether I liked it or not.  It asked about the shaft flex but not what shafts I used.  I said I had a 3-wood and 3-iron and nothing in-between.  It prescribed the 22 degree iron which is a bit shorter than my 3-iron which make an existing gap even bigger.  The recommendation the system made gave me perfectly gapped lofts (4 degree 22 through 62), but at least for me, the lofts do not necessarily equate to distances.  I think that online is the wrong way to buy these clubs.  If I had a full set fitting and could control my gaps a little better this score would be 100 or 99.  I like the set, but for the money there are problems in my bag that I cannot justify.  Score (75/100)

Total Subjective score:  It's important to note that if I were able to get a full set fitting instead of an online questionnaire this score would be 100 or 99, but it's not.  (85/100)

 

Conclusions & Total Score

I showed these clubs to a lot of people and asked them to hit them.  The most impressive thing about them is how they look hard to hit but aren't.  The former (retired) equipment editor for a major golf magazine hit them and said that he could definitely game them at a 15 handicap.  He went so far as to say that he has been looking for something that looks better to him than the GI clubs he has now and that these clubs is making him re-think his search.  Most people were amazed that they could look like blades but not be hard to hit.  One pro told me he thought the wedges were “sweet”.

 

My review has n admitted deficiency of pictures.  There is a reason for that:  I think the data I have captured is significant and it tells a story that a picture never could.  Its a part of the story that needs to be highlighted.  I am going to overall score these higher than the average from above because I think if you are going to spend the money on these you are probably going to want them in your hand and if you do that and get the whole set fit, you are going to be pretty happy.  Even with the gaps, what I get out of using them is a net plus from what was in my bag before the review. They are staying.  I may try to adjust them to spread the gaps out some, but they are staying.  Score (98/100).

 

I would be happy to answer questions that anyone may have.  Thanks to MGS anf Hogan for the opportunity and a special shout out to RevKev who helped talk me through the chippin issues using his experience with SCOR wedges.

WITB:
Driver Ping Anser 8.5 deg Diamana 'ahina X
3 Wood Adams LS Stock S or TM 14 deg MiniDriver stock S
Irons Ben Hogan FW 15 KBS Tour V S
Wedges Ben Hogan TK 15 KBS Tour V S
Putter Nike Method Concept
Launch Monitor: SkyTrak

 

Play Right-handed

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As I was getting ready to board a seaplane flight to the Bahamas for a week away “working” with my family I get a notification from MyGolfSpy telling me that I had been selected as a tester for the new Hogan irons and suddenly my trip became a minor distraction for the next week.  Needless to say that I was pumped for the chance to be a part of this and would like to say thank you to MGS and Hogan for the opportunity.

 

Fast forward a week and I was back in NY and waiting patiently….ok somewhat impatiently for a box to show up from Hogan with my new sticks in them.  My wife calls me at work and tells me that a box of clubs arrived and she was not sure what they were since clubs arriving at my house is almost a daily occurrence for me (yes, I have some issues).  Downside was that I was planning to come home from work early that day to see the family and had not told my wife so it appeared that I came home early just to see the clubs.  My wife believed I had planned on leaving early about as much as she initially believed that I the irons were coming to me for testing purposes and not a purchase by me.

 

I get home and the box is sitting in my living room just glaring at me as I counted down the minutes until the little ones were in bed and I could dig into the new toys.   The box was very unassuming on the outside with no Hogan branding whatsoever, but on the inside was a stellar packaging that kept every iron safe and sound and a few pieces of kit from Hogan.  There was a letter from Terry Koehler that outlined the “new” Hogan brand as well as a yardage tag for the bag that was custom to my order and name.  The bag tag would not be something that I would use, but a nice touch nonetheless.  Another nice touch is the build sheet with the order number; which also happens to be the serial number on the set.

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On first inspection these irons are just gorgeous and the fit and finish on the build is second to none.  My set that was built for me started at 22* and increased in 4* loft increments all the way to 62* for a total of 11 clubs with UST Mamiya Recoil 110 F5 shafts.  Just on the visual aspect and the service from Hogan these are very true to the Hogan brand and legacy.   The V sole is an interesting element that I am very curious on how it will perform more so in the wedges than the irons.

 

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The hard part for me in doing this review is that I have my Adams MB2s back in the bag (after some refurbishing love from RookieBlue) and have been hitting them just solid; so change is going to be difficult for that reason alone.   That being said I really can't wait to put these through the paces and see if they perform as well as my trusty Adams irons that have been in the bag for the last several years.  My goal for this review is to give a scratch player's take on how these irons perform against a set that just flat out has worked for me and I have a lot of trust and confidence in.  If they perform half as good as they look then I think that Hogan has a winner in these irons.

 

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WITB 2024

   Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5

   M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

   Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

   Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x

   X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

   Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

   Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

   Z Star Diamond

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Ben Hogan Fort Worth 15 Irons & TK 15 Wedges- Official MGS Forum Review By Jmikecpa

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Introduction

A little about myself.  I am a 38 year old former college baseball and golfer from a smaller D1 school in Philadelphia.  Growing up I played baseball and football at a high level, but always found time to play golf.  I was a scratch player at 16 and have been scratch to a plus in the 22 years since then with my highest index during that time was about a 2 and currently play off of 0.0…..You sir have no handicap index!!!  I played in local events and some club events but always went back to playing baseball and football as my “serious” sports.  Fast forward to college and there was not much room for a catcher with two bum knees and not enough talent to play anywhere else so I retired from college ball and lucked out by walking onto the golf team.  From that point forward I was hooked and golf became the number one sport in my life.  Now that I am a working stiff with a hefty travel schedule I really only play casual weekend rounds, a few member guests and a bunch of charity events that I sponsor through my company….not much into playing high level competitions anymore.

 

The strengths of my game always have and still are length and my ability to scramble.  I am an above average ball striker and the putter runs hot and cold at times.  My normal shot shape is a high draw and I only hit a cut once in a blue moon and it normally is an accident.

 

Prior to getting this great opportunity I have played Adams MB2s with the KBS Tour in an S and then reshafted in an X over the winter.  I am not really one to change irons all that much and would still be playing my Ping S59s if the groove rule did not give me reason to take them out of the bag.  For this review I was fit into the Ft. Worth 15 irons in lofts of 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42 and 46 and TK 15 wedges in loft of 50, 54, 58 and 62 with UST Mamiya Recoil 110 F5 flex (more on the shafts later).  This set essentially mirrored the loft and length of my MB2s from the 5 iron to the PW.  I have had these clubs in the bag since they arrived and have played about 20 rounds with them in the past month and half which is a good basis for my review.  So how did they perform….onto the review we go!

 

Performance

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-Wedges (50, 54, 58, 62)

 

The wedges for me are a bit of a change since I have been used to carrying only a 52* and a 58* prior to this testing so having one additional wedge was a bit of a learning curve. NOTE – I have barely hit the 62* wedge since the shot is not in my arsenal.  With the addition of another wedge there was also a learning curve to get used to the V sole as I generally play a high bounce lob wedge and have for a decade or more.

 

I have heard all the rage on the SCOR wedges and these are just pretty much a forged version of the technology; which were hit or miss for me.  On full shots the wedges are just a dream to hit.  They feel soft and cut through the turf exceptionally well with an adequate amount of spin control.  It seems that if I want to flight the ball and make it two hop and stop it is automatic as is throwing it over the flag and sucking it back down to the pin.

 

The area that I struggled with these was on half shots and bunker shots that are mainly hit with the 58*.  I play a high bounce wedge for a reason….that is what my game calls for.  With these it seems that I have to really try and work to manufacture shots that are normally right in my wheelhouse.  I have spent a numerous amount of time trying to get comfortable with bunker shots and still just cannot get it right with these wedges no matter how hard I try.  I feel like I need to relearn how to get out of the sand with these and have taken a part of my game that was a strength and negated it quite a bit.

 

Overall these wedges are a change and in some ways good and some ways bad.  I like the idea of carrying the additional wedge and hitting more full shots than half and three quarter shots; I think that there is validity to this belief by the Hogan Company.  The feel, as mentioned above, is just wonderful and buttery soft with a slight click at impact.  Now if I could just figure out how to get out of the sand I would be set.

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-Wedges (50, 54, 58, 62) Score: 87 of 100.  The sand thing is just killing me

 

-Short Irons (38, 42, 46)

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This is the part of my set that just needs to perform since I am hitting these three clubs a lot during a normal round…..and they did not disappoint one bit.  As with the wedges I can flight these really well and can summon just about any shot on command.  The feel is just amazing and the shape inspires confidence at address that is unlike anything I have ever played.  The V sole transitions will into these clubs and works on all kinds of turf.  I flushed an 8 iron playing last weekend and just for fun I hit a second that I purposely tried to get a touch chubby and there a was almost no loss of distance between the two shots. 

 

I have let some of the guys I play with hit the 38 and 42 and most times I get “these are the best feeling irons I have hit.”  For being almost a true blade they are also surprisingly forgiving and mishits are not that penal.  Toe shots seem to go a bit better than the heal; which is somewhat different in my experience with blades.

 

Overall these were the stars of the show for me and performed as good or better than anything I have played in the last decade.

 

-Short Irons (38, 42, 46) Score: 98 of 100. So easy to hit these should be illegal

 

 

-Mid Irons (26, 30, 34)

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 Most times for me this can become a bit of the shaky part of my game and at times I struggle to really hit quality golf shots with mid irons.  By quality I am speaking more to giving myself a reasonable look at birdie and not having to make 30 footers all day.  Well the Hogans are a good answer for me in this part of the game.  Same soft feel and confidence that I have in the shorter irons and having a consistent flight is just great for me.  With any of these clubs I can call upon a nice high draw that land soft and flies the distance that I am trying to get.  The V sole is also a great help out of the rough with these clubs since I have a tendency to sweep the ball a bit and have to work to get more upright with my swing. 

 

-Mid Irons (26, 30, 34) Score: 95 of 100. Finally a mid iron that I can marry and just not date for a few months

 

-Long Iron (22)

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I have lumped only one club into the long iron for a reason for this review…..I don't carry them and have not since college.  The longest iron in my bag for the last decade plus has been a five iron since I discovered the joys of Callaway's Heavenwood many years ago.  Since then I have transitioned to hybrids and “iron woods.”  Most of the past two years I played Adams DHYs and this year I went with the Tour Edge CBh Pro 21* simply because I hit them better.   I have hit the 22* Hogan on the range and it performs well, but just not something that I would be comfortable putting in the bag.  This is not a knock on Hogan, but more a testament to my lack of confidence in traditional long irons.

 

 

-Long Iron (22) Score:  No score on this just not fair to Hogan.

 

-Performance Notes

 

 

-Total Performance Score: 92

 

Despite my struggle with the wedges or more specific wedge these irons just flat out get it done for me.  I have played four rounds in the last week and posted 66, 70, 69, 68 for a total of    -14……these really fit my game.  I am hitting more greens and proximity to the flag has decreased to where I am averaging 8 to 10 quality birdie chances a round.  The guys I normally play with at my club have even started calling me automatic from 200 yards and in.  Having confidence in irons that have predictable distances and a consistent flight is a big thing for me and the Hogans fit both of those criteria.

 

Subjective

  

-Looks

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  For a true players club these have a little more offset than I would normally like and the top line is a little thick, but the performance of these clubs masks any issues with beauty.  Any club that performs as well as these do for me are the prettiest darn things I have ever seen or will see. 

 

The overall looks are just traditional Hogan from the hosel markings to the red and black ferrule.  The simple Ben Hogan in script across the back the cavity is pure perfection and harkens back to the legacy that Mr. Hogan started many years ago.  These do get some nice comments and look dead sexy in the golf bag.

 

-Looks Score: 98 of 100.

 

 

-Sound & Feel

 

I had commented above on sound and feel so not much to rehash here.  These have a nice buttery soft feel and a nice click at impact which is precisely what I am looking for.  From the first moment that you hit them you know exactly what part of the club that you are striking the ball on and really don't need to do much work to know if you pured it or not.  The feedback is instantaneous and not overly harsh, just enough to tell you where the strike was.  Prior to this I though the MB2s were the best blade I had ever played and these put the MB2s to shame in the feel category.

 

-Sound & Feel Score: 96 of 100.

 

-Likelihood Of Purchase

 

This is a tough call for me.  Coming into this review my answer would have been 50% based on the simple fact that I could not hit them or see them prior to dropping $2k.  After having them in the bag and getting to take them for a test drive I would buy them in a heartbeat and would not hesitate to take a shot on some of their other future products as they become available.  The HoganFit system worked very well for me and the irons fit like a glove. 

 

-Likelihood Of Purchase Score: 100 of 100.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Overall these are just a quality set of irons and wedges.  There are some things that require getting used to and with time I am sure that even my stubborn behind will get there.  I can't say enough about the quality of the product from the forged heads to the shaft options or the quality grips that come standard.  I would like to thank MGS and Ben Hogan for the great opportunity that I was given to test these clubs….it was truly and honor and a great month plus of golf (did I mention -14 in the last four rounds???).

 

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Hardware from three of the five tournaments I won this past month with the Hogans

 

Bonus – Mini Review of the UST Mamiya Recoil 110

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There had been some comments in the thread about how the Recoil shafts perform and the virtues of graphite vs. steel in irons.  I had stated above I had these shafted with Recoil 110 F5 after a quick conversation with Hogan I reluctantly decided to give these a go.  First off, I have never tried to play graphite in an iron in my life and my second thought was that I have not even hit 40 yet so why go the old guy route????

 

All I can say was that I was wrong about these shafts on many levels.  The first being that these definitely are not for the slower swing speed since you need to get on them to load them properly and give them a good thump.  Second, they are just as tight a dispersion if not tighter than the KBS or TT X100s that I have played the last several years.  Lastly, where have these been all my life????

 

When I first got the Hogan irons I was afraid to go all out with these shaft in fear of offline shots.  The first thing that I did notice with these was you get a bit more of a kick at the bottom of the swing than you do with steel – which takes some getting used to.  Once I figured out that I could swing at these normally they were a dream to hit.  Of note, these seem to play true to flex.  The F5 is the equivalent of an X and they are a stout shaft in my opinion.  I did take a few swings with the Apex Pro in an F4 and F3 and they also seemed to be in the range of a stiff and regular shaft.  The feel is smooth yet stout to me and I know that I can jump on it when I have to and hit it smooth for normal shots.  I was able to hit just about any shot that I wanted to with these shafts. 

 

High draw – Check

Low spinner – Check

Low bullet – Check

Flat runner - Check

High cut – well they are not a miracle worker

 

I really did not see a distance gain with these on normal shots as compared to steel, but what you can do with these is jump on them a bit and get some great distance.  Over the weekend I need to carry the ball 192 over a bunker and get it to hit soft…..pured 7 iron to six feet.  Not sure I could do that with my Adams irons, but feel quite comfortable doing it with these irons and shafts.

 

Overall I would not hesitate to give these a shot if you are looking for a shaft with a nice smooth feel that is weighted similar to steel shafts.  I am not sure at my swing speed that I could really go much lighter in these and some of the 65g to 70g offerings on the market just simply would not work.  One ancillary benefit to graphite is the shock dampening effect of these – no harsh feel on thinned shots and very low impact on the joints.  I am very happy that I gave these a shot and would not hesitate to try them in other irons as well

WITB 2024

   Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5

   M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

   Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

   Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x

   X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

   Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

   Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

   Z Star Diamond

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RookieBlue7 Ben Hogan Golf Ft. Worth 15 & TK.15 irons and wedges official unboxing

 

When I was originally selected as a reviewer (which I am still in utter shock about), I began thinking about what the guys at Hogan would do as far as packaging. I'd seen how Terry and the gang had boxed and done things at Scor, so I was intrigued. They had our HoganFit results, and after some communications between Bones and Barbajo, they gave us an expected date of when they'd build them. Then, as many of you know, Texas was hit with flooding and severe rain. Those of us reviewing had been chatting and talking and some people were curious as to when our review sets would come in. I knew their weather situation as I have friends in Texas and I tried to remain patient and calm. The guys at Hogan Golf are either fish or they're just that dedicated, because they stuck to the timeline of when the build was to get underway and we had iron sets in just a few days. That showed me their dedication to the product and consumers. I believe I was the first to get an iron set, and it came in quicker than I honestly expected. I came home from work and my wife (bless her heart, she knew I was getting a set of clubs to review, but we're prepping for vacation and I've ordered a metric ton of stuff lately) said you got another golf club box. I was curious what it could be, as I had ordered a bunch of things golf and non-golf related and when I saw it thought it might honestly be something else. Until I saw the label.... That's when I got giddy.

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The long awaited package HAD arrived. I think the guys at Hogan put their weather in the box with them as it's rained daily since these came in(this was written prior to my leaving on vacation and I had prepped it to be ready last week.  It did quit raining toward the middle of the week last week, and I did get a chance to sneak them out for a session). I had to take the pictures indoors as a result. It quit raining about 2 hours ago honestly(again, I had prepped to post this last week, and I'm on vacation so this will remain largely unchanged from my original report I wrote up, as will the pictures). Currently, it's dark here as I compile this unboxing report or I'd go out and take fresh pictures now. Regardless, speechless is an understatement. I've been itching to get these out since opening them. The box, on the outside, appears like an ordinary box. But once you open it, it's an entirely different animal. The iconic red, white and blue Hogan colors and logos are everywhere. Ben's personal saying adorns the bottom of the box (which you can't even see until I remove all the clubs), etc.

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As I'm taking everything in (and snapping pictures left and right for your viewing pleasure), I notice there's a piece of paper and an envelope. I pull the piece of paper out first. It was the build sheet, with all of the specs and the full build data for the clubs. Cool... The envelope was a different story. When we were selected, and while awaiting the arrival of the Hogans, all of the testers (myself included) were talking about how we'd dial the clubs in and get yardages as they're void of club numbers and adorned with lofts. There was a math formula discussed, guys talking about going to launch monitors, the range and lasering distances, creating yardage sheets, etc. Terry and the guys at Hogan Golf thought of that too. The envelope contained a personal letter from Terry, and it also had a card in it. Not just any card, though. It was adorned with Mr. Hogan's face on one side with one of his inspirational quotes. But the meat and potatoes of this card is the reverse side. See, it's not just a card, and it's not just a Hogan bag tag. It's a personalized yardage sheet, where one can write in their own distances for the clubs. No guessing at how to know distances, etc. Find your distances, write them on the card and you have it. And it's a bag tag, so you hang it right on the outside of the bag and it's there. No guess work, no wondering which club is right. You just check your yardage tag and pull a club.

Build Sheet
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Letter from Terry

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Yardage Card (front and back):
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So now that I've got the extra goodies out of the way, let's get to the clubs and their packaging. They were neatly packaged, as you can see above, and each iron/wedge was individually bagged around the head for additional protection. Good touch, IMO.

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I carefully removed all the packaging and inspected each club. All the ferrules were turned down nicely, shined up, no excess epoxy, etc. The shafts are all oriented in the same manner. All the grips were on perfectly straight. I didn't find a single flaw. Then I looked closer at them. All the faces were milled all the way to the toe. Might not be anything special to a lot of people, but to me, that shows a conscientious precision choice to make. And it just adds to the cool factor and the exquisite taste. Then I see every head has the same serial... The serial matches the order number from the order sheet and the aforementioned envelope. THAT, to me, is cool as hell.

Milled Face:

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Individual Serial #:
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I know this is getting long, but I'll try to wrap it up soon (can you tell I'm couped up and anxious to hit these bad boys yet?). Every aspect about these clubs, to me, says that the guys at Hogan golf take great pride in their product. From building through the monsoon they've had to the individualized aspects to the set, to the build quality. It all screams class to me. I've went over the alotment of pics already, and I'll provide a link at the bottom to a gallery I've created for this unboxing as I took a WHOLE lot of pictures and tried to capture every nuance about them. Hopefully that is conveyed through this write-up and the pictures I chose to include in the body of the text here. I apologize the pics are indoors, but hey, they sent the weather with the clubs. (Sorry, I know the weather in Texas has been rough, and it's a minor set-back for me.) Regardless, I'm STOKED to be a part of this review and I hope I've done all of those of you that applied and didn't get selected justice thus far in the content above. A few more pics and a link to the aforementioned gallery.

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And the Gallery can be viewed here(there are pictures from all angles of several clubs, including topline views, etc.  I tried to capture the essence of the packaging in the pics I selected to be in this unboxing):
http://s844.photobucket.com/user/ColbyEvans/library/Hogan%20Golf%20Review?sort=3&page=1

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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(Range session aftermath)

 

INTRODUCTION:

Where does one start on an introduction of themselves when a lot of the people reading on the forum already know something about them? I'd probably start around age 9. That's originally when I picked up this game, and after typing that I realize that was 23 years ago. Holy crap have I already aged fast.

 

That was my first foray into golf. I started by “stealing” my uncle's club out of his building. One at a time, just taking it out and hitting it in the yard and then putting it back, hoping he wouldn't notice and, looking back, he was just very patient and understanding. I can't recall a single time cleaning them when I put them back. Eventually, he realized who was doing it and he started giving me a club here and there. He was a low handicap golfer and won the club championship a few times. My first club he gave me? A cut down persimmon head Ben Hogan club. Yes, I remember it. And somewhere in storage, I still have it. The whipping is shot on it and that grip is as slick as a slab of marble. But it's still there, somewhere. He'd supplement my collection with a cut down iron here or a wedge there. And all the while I never played a whole lot back then. Why? I was the baseball, football, basketball kid. I pitched, played QB and ran point. I'd still get out and hit golf balls, but I wasn't serious about it. As I got older, I enjoyed hitting balls more and occasionally, I'd get out a few times a year and play with my uncle at the local pasture, I mean muni. It is still the same $12 per 9 to this day, and the land was purchased by the state from it's current owner several years ago with the provision he could run it until they started building. I doubt they'll ever build on it.

 

Moving forward a good bit, we get to my late middle school to early high school years. I'd given up football because the coach made me mad when I had to miss 1 day of practice due to having strep and being as they didn't have enough pads, he let someone else wear mine for the day. I quit on the spot, being irritated and giving him a piece of my mind about it. We didn't have middle school baseball but I played travel ball and played hoops still in the winter. I needed something to fill my schedule during the fall. So I started playing golf far more frequently. I'd get my mom to drop me off on Saturdays and pick me up Saturday evening at said muni. It was glorious. I learned to hit more shots, learned to play around trouble or out of it. And I did it all with a boxed set of Dunlops my uncle got me for Christmas. It wasn't a great set, but it was mine and it was complete from driver through putter, and I loved it. I beat that set of clubs to death that fall, and again the next fall. My best friend and his dad (RIP to both of them being killed a year apart) would take me to play with them too. His dad's bag? The iconic red, white, and blue Hogan bag full of Hogan clubs (persimmon driver and fairways to boot, the honey blonde ones). The putter? A Tad Moore (they always played Tad putters because their last name was Moore). Anyway, his dad taught us lots of things. Things like how to properly cuss a poorly hit shot and many catch phrases commonplace on the course. But his dad never posted awful scores, and the bad shots weren't that bad.

 

From there we move to high school. I didn't play golf my first 3 years of high school. I played baseball. I pitched and played middle infield. Then, myself and several others decided we weren't going to play baseball our senior year. Politics played a role in that, so did being just burned out on baseball. I decided that I was going to play golf my senior year of high school. I had been working in the summers and some after school on the weekends, and I had bought a set of Goldwin ADVP's a while back around Freshman year(I'm sure some of you remember them). Those lasted no time because the graphite shafts were whippy and I hit them all over the place. I replaced them with a nice new set of Mizuno Tzoid Trues sometime in my sophmore year. My junior year I had graduated from the Trues to a nice used set of MP33's. I started my senior season with the 33's. I played them for the first month of practice but I couldn't spin them any more. I had been playing plenty of golf after I'd started driving and the faces were beat through the chrome and rusty. I knew nothing about equipment at the time only that I liked them. A LOT. So I went to the local (now closed) Golfsmith and started talking to the “fitters” in there (they were actually pretty good back then, because they were golfers that cared about the game and this was right at the start of the Tiger boom). They had a set of new MP33's still and they let me hit one. Spin was back. Turns out, my set was worn the hell out. So I bought another set of them, but brand new. I did get a scholarship offer or two after that season, but I turned them down. I had no desire to go to college and I wanted to go to work (I didn't come from a family that had a lot of money and I wanted to get into the workforce and get myself a job and make some money and become independent. I didn't know what I'd want to go to college for and didn't want the debt, if I'm being honest).

 

Fast forward a few years. I was making pretty decent money, working for the local government, etc. I was also playing a lot of golf. I had started paying for internet at my mom's house (she had dial up and cable was new and I wanted speed, this was right around napster times, I needed the speed, lol). And when it came time to hunt new clubs, I got on eBay the first time looking for them. WOW the selection. I found all kinds of stuff, and I found a set of MP33's, brand new, for cheaper than the last set I bought. You guessed it, purchased them. My 3rd set of 33's. Then it came time to find a new driver. I was STILL playing the only Ping driver I've ever played for more than range time in my life, the Ping TiSi Tec. Upgrade that, so I start searching for best driver available. That led me to online forums, and subsequently their BST sections. Yes, as you can guess, this is when I became a club ho. I mean seriously club ho. A good deal popped up, I bought it. Sometimes for no reason than the price was good. I quickly figured out that I was spending a WHOLE lot of my paycheck buying clubs that didn't work well. I did, however, wear that set of MP33's out in a year and a half. I'm talking there were small indentations in the face where I'd hit them so much. I had joined the local club and was playing 6-7 days a week at the time. I had no responsibilities and no family other than my mom and I was LOVING it. My index was close to level par, I'd quit playing softball on the weekend and I was loving it. I'd play the events at the local club, the MGA, club championship (never won it, but came close a few times), Ryder Cup, you name it. They had it, I was in. Well I needed new clubs. The 33's were impossible to find and everyone was telling me I needed to go to the new PGA Superstore that had opened up. I finally caved. Talk about golf heaven. When that place opened up, it was like Walt Disney World for golfers. Lo and behold, I gravitated to Mizunos. At the time, they had 2 new sets of blades there. One was a boxed up set of MP100's in the display case. The other was a set of MP37's, brand new with no grips or anything. It was the display set and the only one they had in the store. He told me he'd make me a good deal on them and let me pick grips. I hit the demo in their simulator, liked it a lot, almost identical to my beloved 33's. So I bought them. Picked out the grips, etc. And he rang me up at the register after determining what grips I wanted, length and lie. The total? $625, I remember it like it was yesterday. I asked if he was sure, the sign said $899.99 and that was before tax. He said yep, I told you I'd hook you up. SOLD! Customer is happy and customer goes back and spends a TON over the years...

 

After that I decided to go get clubs regripped to match. THAT's where they got me. They were charging for the grips full price and at the time it was $3.50 per to put them on. Yeah, I paid it, but that night, I was back on forums learning how to regrip clubs. From there it became learn to pull shafts, then learn how to install them, learn how to spine, flo, measure, etc. Eventually I was someone buying the Maltby and Wishon club building books and talking to guys like Joe Kwok about building as often as possible. Now, I've got a pretty full shop with a bending machine, puller, spine and flo devices, several measuring apparatuses, etc. I also started refinishing clubs after pricing that (I've always been handy and mechanically inclined, it's something my dad taught me as a child). When it comes to clubs these days, I can pretty much do any alteration to them needed. And while I'm not certified in anything, I'd put my work up there with anyone's side by side. I've got a few guys that call me to find them clubs, recommend shafts, and do their work on their clubs. I don't seek business though, they just tell people and you know how that goes.

 

Anyway, now I'm a certified equipment ho (both trying and building). I know what I like in a club and I've pretty much tried most of everything out there and make charts about shafts and heads so I can help people if they ask. I've got a rack full of shafts and several spare bags full of spare clubs. I also have a wife and 2 kids and don't get to play near as much as I used to. I wouldn't give up my family for all the golf in the world though, so to me, it's worth it. Though the occasional time off to play golf is greatly appreciated and it's a game I love. Hopefully my 6 year old will be as passionate as I am about it one day.

 

As for my clubs I'm now playing... Well, it's not the blades I played for a long time. I've been playing Adams irons in some form for a while now. I've tried and played several other brands, but I always eventually gravitate back to Adams irons. That list includes A-Tour Reds and Blacks, A4 Tour Blacks, MB's, MB2's, and I'm on my second combo set from the tour van of CB1/CB2's right now. I've also played Dynamic Gold shafts for about a decade straight now. Sure, I've flirted and honeymooned with others, but I always gravitate back to the Dynamic Golds (for the past 5-6 years, the tour issue S400's). I've played Miura, Yonex, Mizuno, Callaway, Titleist, TaylorMade, etc. Both retail and tour issued, I've tried literally a metric ton of them and played about that many. You name it and it's probably seen some bag time at some point (though for some reason I never end up with Pings in my bag. Tried them but they never made it). My wedges, I've been through a bunch. I was addicted to the Cleveland Reg.588 for a long time. When they killed that line, I had a hard time finding others. I did play the CG12's for a while (still have a tour set that's raw that I did a K grind on, that's the Miura name for it, basically the serrations on the trailing edge with heel and toe relief), I've had the same 64 degree Callaway Xforged Vintage in the bag since it came out. I've been playing Scratch wedges in my 56 and 60 degree for about 5 years now after building a report with Ari Techner on another site. My most recent gamers are a set of Callaway PM Grinds in the 56 and 60 (would've bought the 64 but it was backordered everywhere when I bought them). I was in line paying for those when I got the notification I was selected to do this review as a matter of fact. I kept them, though, and sent them off and had them stripped raw. I'm the type of player that is a bomb and gouge guy, so my short irons and wedges are important to me on most of the local courses. I do tend to work the ball at times, but it doesn't always move the exact amount I want. I've got a tendency to overcook a draw occasionally when I want to hit one. But my stock shot is a 5 yard draw. I flight it up and down as well, when the situation calls for it. I've played all the way down to a 2 iron in the past because of the Tiger stinger, which I got very good at hitting with the 2 iron I carried (Nike Slingshot Tour, yeah, it was ugly but that club flat out worked for that shot). And my wedges, I use them for all kinds of shots. I've got the nipper in the bag, I hit flop shots that go high and stop quick, I can move them left and right nearly on command. The wedges get the most attention because I actually do hit them around the house (used to be inside and out till I replaced the floors with engineered floors). But my wedge play is one of my strengths, and it's a critical piece of equipment for me because they can save a round for me at times.

 

What did I expect from the Hogan brand? I'm not so certain I had any expectations to be honest. Other than that persimmon, I've never actually hit a Hogan club more than a swing or two. That swing or two was when I was much younger and it was the aforementioned friend's dad's Apex Tours. That said, I am familiar with Mr. Hogan himself, and he set a high standard. He was one of the forefathers of club fitting. See, I've always understood Mr. Hogan was finicky when it came to his equipment. His specs weren't traditional (more on that later) and he set his clubs up for feel. His clubs were sledgehammers, relatively speaking, compared to today's equipment (G-2 driver swingweight for example). But he individualized them to himself and his swing. And his undertaking of his own clubwork is something I ascribe to. All in all, I suppose my expectation of the clubs was one of precision and unparalleled feel, knowing the philosophies Mr. Hogan ascribed to.

PERFORMANCE:

 

DSC_1097_zpsijqkfwhj.jpg

 

I am actually going to do something a little outside the parameters of what we've been given here. Yes, I am going to follow the outline we have, but during the course of my review, I had something with the clubs that I feel must be discussed regarding the performance of the clubs. To me, it is impactful to the performance of the clubs themselves. If this is not acceptable, I'm sure one of the spies will tell me to alter this section so that it fits the performance criteria in the scope they want for the purpose of this review.

 

Before I discuss the performance of the clubs, I must preface my official part of my review with the following discussion. If I were to evaluate the clubs as they were shipped, they would get a much lower score than I will give them in my now end result for this evaluation period. Why, one might ask, would I give them a lower score? Well, the mission statement of MyGolfSpy is Power to the Player. In this case, I am the player of these clubs. As such, I am going to discuss my personal experience.

 

So, what could be so bad that I feel the need to break the mold here and have a sidebar tangent? Upon entering to be a reviewer for these clubs, part of that process was the HoganFit process. To submit one's self to be a review for these clubs, part of that process was to do the HoganFit and to post that prescription. I did just that. I had initial concerns with my HoganFit results from the get go because of what was recommended. Why? Because of the length slope that was my result as well as the grips that was recommended. I had done several fittings prior to this one and my specs are my specs. One of those specs was a Midsize grip, which I have played for the better part of a decade now. I was able to change the grip selection prior to the clubs being built and shipped, which the grips was not of huge concern to me as I have plenty here that I could've put on. But, the HoganFit was able to be altered. When I did that selection, the shafts changed as well, which, again I had zero issues with. I have played the Dynamic Gold Tour issue for about 6 years now and an iteration of the Dynamic Gold for at least a decade. But Dynamic Gold, at the time of filling the information out, was not an option from Hogan. Again, I didn't take issue with that. I'm always open to trying new shafts if it means improved performance for me. The shaft flex I knew wouldn't be an issue either, I normally play S400 (stiff) and hardstepped usually due to the swingweight I prefer (heavier at D4). But these were X flex.

 

None of that concerned me. The one question I had, and posed initially when we were notified of our selection, was the shaft lengths. My iron length for the last 8-10 years has always been based off of a 38 3/16” 5 iron length. That's my spec and that's what works for me. The length slope, also, has always been 1/2”. The HoganFit prescription had the clubs at their standard length, which was based off of a 37.5” 29 degree iron (what I am equating to the 5 iron and playing as the 5 iron equivalent as it most closely resembles the clubs I have been playing for the better part of a year, as I play my clubs weak lofted by current standards and at a more traditional loft). The length slope also came out at a 0.75” increment between clubs. I've always played clubs at a 1/2” length increment. It could be that the way the lofts fell for me they fell to their standards at 0.75”. Regardless, upon being notified I was selected, I questioned the result. I also asked the spies to check with Hogan golf and see if they wanted me to provide information about my current setup so that the length increments could be adjusted to more closely match my current set as well as the industry standard for 1/2” deviations or if they wanted me to go with the HoganFit (which I also said I would understand and kind of agree with for the review process, as HoganFit is part of their brand and part of the manner in which they build and sell clubs). The latter was the choice, go with the HoganFit result and that's what I did. As such, this is where I have chosen to discuss the HoganFit result.

 

How can I describe it? In a single phrase: the most misfit set of clubs I've ever owned direct from the manufacturer. I have had clubs come in that were slightly off spec (even custom orders), that is not an issue. But, being as HoganFit is a selling point for the new Hogan brand and they have elected to limit (though it is expanding) the availability of Hogan Authorized Fitting locations, this is an integral part of the process of ordering these clubs. You see, you are fit using a universal diagnostic tool and it gives you a prescription. Loft wise, I had zero issues with the lofts, they're more traditional lofts which are what I play anyway (my gamers for the last 5 years have been bent more traditional and I use a 48* pitching wedge, this one is 49*). The lengths, though, the tool does not calculate at all is my belief. If it does, it does not adjust the lengths based on the player. There is nowhere for one to input their playing length currently. To me, that is a very integral part of a fitting. And it SHOULD be included in the HoganFit tool.

 

I hit these clubs for a month with the length as they shipped. I hit a small bucket of range balls 4 days a week and did not put them in play. I hit them off of a lie board with the sharpie fitting method and they did not go into my bag. I adjusted them based off of those markings and repeated the process and they did not go into the bag. Every club, before and after adjustment on the bending machine, I was striking the ball on the toe side of the club. Prior to bending them, it was at the tip of or beyond the scorelines. After adjustments, it was still toe side toward the toe lines. Then was the big test. I wanted to see if it was just getting used to the new lengths or what and I decided that I was going to hit these clubs in an extended range session. I got multiple tokens from the pro shop and got a large bucket and half of another (there are approximately 40-50 balls per token so 120-150 balls, I didn't count them). The result that followed was one that I'd rather not relive ever again. I suspected the clubs were too short from the beginning. I had adjusted the clubs as upright as I was comfortable bending them in an effort to mitigate the length issue(which by the way, these forgings are super soft and they bent 4 degrees up with minimal effort. I'm talking 1 handed bending. I didn't want to go much past 4 degrees even though I have a good feel for the machine and I believe I could've went at least 4 more degrees. I just didn't want to risk cracking the chrome or the hosel). After that first extended range session, I debated offering the clubs up to another MGS member for them to review. I loved the clubs and the feel was fantastic. But the length was too damned short, and it was significant. My lower back was as sore as it's ever been hitting golf balls and I used to hit 6-8 buckets a day after playing 18. I iced down that evening and the next day I had a decision to make. Do I tap out or do I carry on with the review?

 

I opted to carry on with the review, but not before putting the equipment in my workshop to good use. I got out my tygon tubing and blowgun plus some mineral spirits and blew every one of the grips off. I worried they wouldn't come off because I didn't know if Hogan used grip tape or how they put their grips on. They did use tape, but I was able to remove every grip in the set with no damage nor stretching. Thank God I've done this before was my only thought. After I got all the grips off, I set out removing grip tape. Well, that was a chore, because the tape was water based tape and it's a BEAR to get off. But I got it all off. I then installed extensions in every club in the set. I measured twice and cut once and cut them all to the length I've become accustomed to playing and have been fit into time and time again. I checked the swingweight and it went up from D1-D2.5 (woohoo, even better because I prefer heavier anyway). I blew the grips back on and then bent them to identical spec (lie angle wise) as my gamers I've used and the lengths I've used for years now. The next day I went to the range and hit balls and it was INSTANTLY better. Zero pain. I got through 4 tokens worth of balls and had no issues at all. Were I to have written the review on the clubs as they were shipped, I don't know that I feasibly could've given the clubs better than a 50 in any category. They were uplayable as they were shipped. But, I'm not writing the performance below on the clubs as they were shipped. I am writing the performance piece below on the clubs as they've been fit for me currently, which is a significant difference for the purpose of the review.

 

I wrote every word of that above to say the following. The HoganFit process needs to be tweaked. It is a useful tool, yes, but if it is going to be used, it needs to include length as part of the process. I know that lots of people that play golf do not know the length of their clubs. They don't take the time to have it checked. That said, this is a brand and a business model in which your average golfer is not the target demographic. The target demographic is not the weekend player, it's the player that cares about their game and their equipment. THAT type of player is the type of player that goes for a fitting. That type of player knows their specifications or can easily get them if they didn't request a spec sheet from their fitting. That target demographic is the consumers the brand is aiming at, and as such, the brand needs to cater to that demographic.

 

Sorry, I realize that was long. But, to me, being an honest review in the spirit of MyGolfSpy, it is an integral part of the review itself and an integral part of the vision for this brand. I want this brand to be successful. The name behind this brand holds a certain significance in the golf world. That's why I had a high standard from the get go. With that out of the way, let's get on with the review.

 

***As an aside here, I have been asked if I would include that there is a drop down box to change the length of the clubs. So guys, there's a drop down box to change the length of the clubs. I also asked prior to them building the clubs if they wanted me to manipulate the result of the HoganFit fitting and I was told no, that is part of the process, HoganFit. I asked about the 0.75" length deviations between clubs, it was a concern to me. Again, I was told go with the result. So here that is, I am including that they have a dropdown box to change length, but HoganFit never asks you about length. Plus with the non standard length deviations iron to iron, it could've and would've still been off on the length slope. There's a box for lie angle too. Lie was never a concern, lie angle is something that I have to have adjusted on every stock club I've ever owned. The lie slope would've been off regardless due to the lengths being non standard deviations as well. In other words, even if I'd have changed those 2, the clubs still would've been off because of their standard specs being off on the slope due to length deviations being non standard. Standard lie slope is 1/2 degree between clubs with standard 1/2" length deviations. The lengths being based on 3/4" deviations also throws the lie slope off.

 

WEDGES (53, 58, 63)

 

DSC_1112_zps0ng9hmfv.jpg

(sharpie lie test post adjustment)

 

The wedges, the cornerstone of a setup for me. Why? Because of the game I play. I'm not the longest hitter out there, I'm sure. I'm not even the longest hitter on this board. But, with that said, I do know for a fact that I hit the ball further than the average amateur. As such, with the way I play (bomb and gouge), the wedges have to work for me. I need a variety of shots from the wedges, from full those to low checkers to flops to performance from the rough or fairway. I need predictable distance and predictable accuracy. I spend more time working with and on my wedges than any other part of my game. I want to be able to get up and down from anywhere.

 

For the better part of my golfing career, I've played the same lofts. 56 degree, 60 degree, and 64 degrees. I'm a digger type swinger, so I also prefer a blunted leading edge and I like a C grind or a modified C grind with extra heel relief. This allows me to really lay the wedge open and hit a flop. It also allows my to lift the heel off the ground a bit and hit an almost putt with my wedge around the green. I've played this type fo grind for a long time as well. The first project I undertook after regripping and assembly was grinding my wedges. I'm familiar with the wheel and know what I like. I've also always thinned out the topline.

 

These wedges are a slight departure from what I've always played. The v-sole is similar to what I've played but it has less heel relief than I've been using in the past. That said, it also has a much narrower sole due to the v-sole profile having as much trailing edge relief as it does. The topline is also a little thicker than I'm used to and almost looks a little clunky. Those are all my initial thoughts on the wedges.

 

Then, I started practicing with them. Yes, there was a very slight adjustment period from my set I've played for a long time. I played a gap wedge a degree stronger than this 53 degree and the middle wedge is between my former sand and lob wedge. The 63 is right there with what I've always played. And the shafts are the same as the iron shafts (Nippon Modus3 130X).

 

With that in mind, I needed to figure out my distances. I'm a feel player, so the partial shots I needed to see flight to determine the effort needed. But the full shots, those are absolute distances. And they're not very far off from my previous wedge distances. Here's the problem with my old clubs, though. I had a 20 yard gap between my gap wedge and my sand wedge. The new wedges have 5 degrees of loft between them. But, the thing is, the gapping is consistent with these versus my old wedges. I hit my old gap wedge 135 yards on the button for my average. My old sand wedge was my 115 club (there's that 20 yard gap). If I had a 125 shot, I had to back off on my gap wedge, and I have a tendency to pull that shot as a miss. That or I could deloft the 56 and step on it and get the 125 carry... Then rip it back 20 feet once it hit the green. There was no consistency there. With the Hogans, I hit the 53 degree wedge 125 and the 58 degree is a 110 club. Much narrower gap and much more consistency for me. The 64 I used to play was a 88 yard club (averages again). The new 63 degree Hogan wedge? I carry it 93 yards on average. That's a 5 yard jump, but it's also a much narrower gap for me and gives me more playability.

 

Now, how do these perform on partial shots? I can hit the nipper (2 hops and stop, low shot). I can really lay these open and hit a high flop (I actually will be posting a video of a flop with the 63, I ended today's session hitting flop shots and did not miss one off of fairway type lies at the range). You can lift the heel and hit the texas wedge type putt with them (carrys a couple feet over the froghair and gets it's roll on). Anything I've asked these wedges to do, they've done it.

 

 

http://vid844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/ColbyEvans/29ED17C8-F49E-4595-9F77-A72C0E5F87D2_zpsmsuzbggw.mp4

(Flop with 63*) (Sorry, I've tried every kind of coding to get this to embed and I can't get it to do it)

 

 

The best part about the wedges? The dispersion. The wedge performance is much tighter, left to right, from what I've been seeing. This includes my newest wedges (which I also LOVE in the PM grind Callaways). I've toyed around with wedge specific shafts such as the DG Spinner and KBS wedge shaft. They tend to have the occasional hot shot. I've been using an x100 8 iron shaft and softstepping it once for a while now to create a higher spin shaft that performs more consistently than the high spin wedge shafts. The PM Grinds have Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx in them (matched frequency wise to my irons I've been playing). These Hogans? Same exact shaft that's in the full set. And it performs. And the dispersion is tight. That's what I concern myself with with the wedges. And that's what matters to me. The wedges spin just like any modern conforming groove wedge. Granted these are slightly higher lofts (except the last wedge) than I've been playing, but they spin about the same amount. I don't want to give spin numbers because that number, to me is irrelevant. I don't care the spin rate with a wedge, I like seeing how much it spins on a full shot and when I go after it or when I want to dead arm it. These do what I want them to do when I ask them to do it.

 

The only complaint I have at all of the wedges are while I like the attention to detail on the fill milled face out to the toe, I wished the face would've been beadblasted out to the toe so it was satin all the way out. I will remedy that by blasting the full face. This reduces the glare and that's the only complaint I have with them is that glare. Initially I worried about them being more round than I'm used to. After playing them, I don't care if they look like a pie plate on a stick, they work for me.

 

WEDGE SCORE: 95/100

SHORT IRONS (41, 45, 49)

 

DSC_1115_zpsbnkldy59.jpg

(45 post adjustment)

After wedges, in order of importance for me are the short irons. Again, much for the same reasons, because I hit them a lot more frequently on approach shots. At my home course, there's not a par 5 I can't reach in 2. There is one at the edge of pushing it and wind direction can play a factor there when the tees are all the way back. The par 4's, there's 2 where if I don't hit a well struck drive I'm struggling with much more than a 7 iron in. It's a mountain type course with elevation changes and tight fairways.

 

That said, I place a good deal of importance on short irons. These Hogans are no slouch in the performance department. The 41 is what I'm playing in place of my old 8 iron. The distances are similar for me. I hit my Adams 8 iron 165, the 41* Hogan is a 158 club for me. That, again is my average carry with it. I don't concern myself with roll on irons, because honestly, the carry is the important factor for me because at my home course there are a few forced carries where you have to hit a number. Can I spin these? Of course, but I can dead arm it and limit the spin. So absolute carry is of utmost importance to me. With the 41 as a 158 club (yes, I realize it is an odd number, but that's what my average is so that's what I'm using as my distance number). The 45 is a 146 club and the 49 is a 134 club. Beginning to see a pattern? There are 12 yard gaps in this setup. It's not traditional, but that's not what is of concern to me. I can adjust to those yardages easily, the consistency is what is of concern to me. And these are consistent.

 

In my last range session, the one I had before writing this final version of the review up, I had the range to myself a lot of the time. As such, I was able to simulate on course distances. I had distances that were full club distances I moved around to (and yes, they had ropes up, but I've also played at this place a long time and notified them what I was doing and it was for this review. They told me as long as I don't impede anyone using the range, to move around as I needed for the review). I covered the green I was hitting to up with all 3 clubs. The greens on the practice range are all round, and they're 15-20 yards in diameter, smaller the closer they are. I had 2 shots with the 49, 1 with the 45, and 2 with the 41 degree club that I did not hit this green with from full club distances. I was striking the ball very solidly, but I also attribute that to these irons. Every shot was on line and on target. 3 of the 5 I missed on were long, right over the green that I may have stepped on a little. But the other 2 were marginally off left of the target. Granted I only his 12 balls with each, but give me 31 of 36 on the green from short iron distance and I'm shooting a fairly decent score I'm thinking, provided they're shots at hitting the green in regulation.

 

Again, I had no complaints here once the clubs were adjusted performance wise. Again, I was a little skeptical due to the shape and the sole profile being much narrower. But these clubs, I had ZERO issues with once I put faith in them and swung them with trust in the swing to perform like I asked.

 

SHORT IRONS SCORE: 95/100

 

MID IRONS (29, 33, 37)

DSC_1114_zpsgdl1zs8n.jpg

(33 post adjustment, and yes, I didn't get the ball rotated properly but you can't tell that till after you hit it. It was rolled a little forward so the mark is a little high)

Mid irons. Lots of people struggle finding the right ones I know. My favorite club in my bag for a while now is my 6 iron. Why? I don't exactly know. It's an odd iron to pick as a favorite club. For me, it's the one I put the most faith in. I've hit many good shots with my 6 iron in the past and have trusted it. Will this one be much different was my initial question. I haven't played blades in about 6-7 years now. I've been a player's cavity iron player for a while.

 

I replaced my 5, 6, and 7 irons with the 29, 33, and 37 degree irons, respectively. That would put the 33 degree iron as my new "favorite” iron. I dove into hitting the mid irons and the 33 was the first one I hit after adjustments. The distances, again, fell to 12 yard gaps. 170, 182, 194 were those new yardage numbers, 182 being the new 6 iron number (previously, it was my 185 club). That, in and of itself, made the club fall almost squarely in line with my old number. Would it be as comfortable to hit and as trustworthy? I can tell you I hit 10 of 10 balls onto the larger 20 yard green. None were stuffed in on the flag, but I don't care about that. Put me on a 20 yard green from 180 every time and I'm happy. But I did experiment to see if I could flight it up or down and move it left or right and hit the green. I hit one ball each direction and all 4 were in that 10 ball window. Get my drift here? I moved the ball 4 directions from my stock shot and hit the green with all 4. Before, the left to right I had a tendency to overcook lots of times, and that may end up being the case with this one as well. But I randomly hit the shot and executed it just like the mental picture I had of the shot. It left a good memory of hitting that shot with that club.

 

I hit the same 10 with the 29 and 37 degree irons, I didn't move around this time because someone was on the range with me at this point, but I did aim at the green (knowing it should be short or long with the higher and lower loft. All of them landed in my sight window near that green and all were where I was aimed. SUCCESS, they work. I'll take it.

 

 

http://vid844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/ColbyEvans/E0955990-6629-4417-BFA3-CFA4CD06C569_zpsce4yvhw4.mp4

(Flushed 33 degree) (again, I tried to embed this video)

 

These have a slightly thicker topline than traditional blades I've played in the past. That's neither good nor bad in my opinion. It lends itself to the appearance at address of a more playable iron, and they performed much more like a more user friendly/playable iron when hitting them. They weren't the traditional blade in terms of a miss feeling like you had a fist full of yellow jackets (this last range session wasn't my only range session with them adjusted and I've played a couple of rounds with them, which I am also including information from, don't think this review is predicated on that last, single range session. I used it to get distances and try the accuracy testing I wanted to do.) Mishits are much less harsh than the MP33's and 37's I used to play. They also travel a little closer to normal distance than the blades I've played in the past. That, to me is more than a good thing, it's a GREAT accomplishment by an equipment company to make a blade that looks like a blade and plays more like a players cavity.

 

MID IRONS SCORE: 92/100

 

LONG IRONS(21, 25)

DSC_1113_zpsdrnqiqrm.jpg

(25 post adjustment)

 

The long irons, the bane of many golfers existence. I, myself, haven't carried an iron above a 5 iron in a LOOOOONG time. I've played 2 hybrids at the top end of my bag as long as I can remember. Those 2 hybrids are an 18 degree and 20 (bent to 21.5 degrees) Adams LSP. But, for the purposes of this review, I did receive a 21 and 25 degree iron, which replaced a traditional 3 and 4 iron (for the build's purpose. My last few sets only went to a 4 iron, not a 3 iron).

 

I carry hybrids because, to me, they're much more forgiving and easier to hit. I also have had a gap from my former 5 iron to my 21.5 degree hybrid in that time as well. I don't need an in between club at my home course very often, and my 21.5 is a club I use off of several tee boxes because I hit it well and more importantly, reliably.

 

Going back to blades, I believed, would still be a tough adjustment. The 25 degree iron, after spec'ing out my current set, fell almost directly between the gap I had in my old set. My 21.5 degree club was a 220 club and my 5 iron was a 195 club I could stretch to 200. That's a 20-25 yard gap. With this new setup, I subtracted 1 wedge from the bottom end of the bag, which would allow me to add at the top end of the bag. What does that mean? I had a filler club that, should it hit the distance gaps, would fill the gap I have played around for a while now.

 

I got on trackman (not at my home course, because they don't have one, so I managed to pay my way into using one nearby). I had to get a number for this club (and where I got the numbers for all of the others that are posted above. I did pay for this usage, but I needed it to get reliable distances). Do I need this club often? At home, no. Away, I never know what I'll need honestly. So I hit it. The gap wasn't 12 yards. No, it was a measly 10 yards. I had a 204 average club. But, you know what? It was consistent. I consistently hit the distance. Granted I didn't hit the target every time, but the distance was a number I could work with. I was around 30% at that distance. But that's fine too, I don't play professional golf and it's not a high percentage shot I'll be taking that often anyway. I just want to have the option there. Another thing I wanted to see if it could do was allow me to hit the low runner (stinger). No, it's not a 2 iron, but I do have several places at my home course where I can hit this shot off the tee and get home with a mid iron at most on par 4's for when the driver is acting up and I want to play something safer. It did splendidly at this. I could hit the low runner and it was pretty straight too (slight draw which I can live with because it runs more) and it rolled for days. That dog will definitely hunt.

 

A 3 iron (the 21 degree iron in this case) isn't a club I can see myself using a whole lot, if I'm being honest. I just hit that 21.5 degree hybrid so well. That said, I did want to hit stingers with it. I could do that and then some. 215 after roll consistently? Yeah, it was feasible. I hit full normal shots as well, and while the accuracy was around 15% with it, the misses were still playable. Forced carry? I don't know that I'd trust it, but wide open with a little room for error, yeah, I'd hit this club all day. I will likely throw it in the bag at a few courses near me because of the low runner I described. It would allow me to reliably keep it in play and still have a chance at scoring on many holes I play, depending of course on the tees I'd be playing from and the course length. I will be bagging the 25 degree iron though because the dropping of a wedge allows it and it does give me a shot I've been missing for a long time at my home course off the tee (#1 is one I could hit this shot on and have a wedge left into the green for sure, of course I do it now with a 5 iron, but this would put me with a full 63 degree wedge in when I execute the shot).

 

Overall, the clubs did what I asked them to do. Was the result always pretty? Well, no on full shots. But that said, I also haven't carried an iron longer than a 5 iron in a while so it will be something I have to work on as well. That said, I am willing to put that work in because it gives me versatility in the game. And these perform, again, more like a players cavity due to the repositioned mass due to design. Overall, I'd say the long irons are a success, and are very playable from an amateur perspective. For a person that takes the game seriously, and is a blade player, I'd highly recommend giving the long irons a definite shot. They're more playable than any blade I've ever hit, regardless of who's name was on it (I listed several brands above for reference).

 

 

http://vid844.photobucket.com/albums/ab2/ColbyEvans/3DB241AD-9DDC-4B9C-8479-7BF9560A9748_zpsmx09mhgd.mp4

(I believe this was the 25, sorry, forgot which 3 clubs I videoed swings of. I do remember this one was pured)(last one, tried to embed it too)

 

LONG IRON SCORE: 88/100 (This number reflects as much of my performance as it does the club's).

TOTAL PERFORMANCE SCORE: 92.5/100

 

SUBJECTIVE:

 

LOOKS

Initially when I got these clubs in hand, I did notice one thing. They were much more round in profile than I was used to, especially from the blades I've played in the past. They had a much more round toe. The clubs also all had a much narrower sole than any blade I've ever played due to the v-sole design. The sole didn't concern me all that much, I've never been a large proponent of bounce in the first place. That would seem contrarian to the swing type I have (a digger), but I've always preferred less bounce with a blunt leading edge. The leading edge on these isn't sharp, but it's not as blunt as I've seen either, sort of a tweener type. That is what I'm sure others will notice when they see them in person, or at least the type of player that will be initially looking at this type of iron will anyway. Not to say others shouldn't look at this type of iron, as like I said in my review, they're very playable. But what I'm sure is the target demographic, at the least for the irons, will notice it. You will also notice these have a little more offset than the typical blade iron does. I worried about that a little up close as well. But, at address in your stance, the offset isn't nearly as noticeable and the fit and finish of the club allows it to blend well. If offset concerns you, I challenge you to hit them before determining from the looks alone it's too much.

DSC_1110_zpsglztfevw.jpg

(58 degree hogan in front, 60 degree hand ground I ground from a blank wedge head, 60 degree Carnahan with the lime ferrule)

 

DSC_1111_zpss8rvxvoe.jpg

(one of the mid irons, I apologize for not remembering which loft it was)

 

 

 

SOUND/FEEL:

This, for me is an important aspect. Out of the box, these clubs are soft. I'm not talking internet lingo “BUTTAH”. They're not exactly mush. I must admit, when I had the grips off to extend them, I did dowel these clubs. It's something I've always done. I do it to mute clubs down and make them feel more solid at impact. It reduces vibrations a good bit, especially on mishits. The story is much the same here with that process, the clubs were muted a good bit. That, however, could be due to the shafts as well. I've never hit the Modus3. I do know the Super Peenings and the 950GH I've hit in the past from Nippon were a tad harsh (not like the C-Taper where mishits feel like an old honeycomb Easton softball bat and sound like it too), but the Nippons I've hit in the past have felt a little more harsh and were louder. That's what I attribute the slight change in feel to as well post doweling, softening the shaft feel more than the head feel. These heads are soft forgings, I can tell you that from bending them on the Mitchell machine. They bent with 1 hand. So I know the heads are soft forgings, and doweling removed the harshness/loud feel from the shafts. Hopefully in the full swing video I posted, you can hear how solid the impact sound is now. They're incredibly solid and, just like Mr. Hogan's slogan inside the box says “A well struck golf shot goes up the shaft, right through your hands and into your heart”.

 

LIKELIHOOD OF PURCHASE:

The big question. The coupe de gras. Would I purchase these clubs? If I'm being honest, sight unseen and only with online pictures to rely on plus a HoganFit fitting? No way I'd purchase a full set. I prefer to at least look at a club and see it prior to purchasing it. The next question would become is there a money back guarantee? There is the Hogan Promise, which is try them for 30 days and if you don't like them, return them for a full refund. That, my friends, is faith in your product. Would I order a full set? I doubt that, because $2k is a lot of coin to drop on a set of irons, sight unseen, when you're the only one working with 4 mouths to feed. I make good money, yes, and I buy a lot of clubs, yes. There is a guarantee, yes. But I would order a select few clubs to start with to evaluate. I can assure you, though, once I did that and had the results I had (after I adjusted them, not prior) I'd be ordering others. That said, if the result was my initial result, where they were badly misfit, they'd be going back. This is where my improvement on the HoganFit process comes into play. Now, they are in the PGA Superstore, and I haven't checked my local location yet to see if they are carrying them yet. So that changes the dynamic some as well. I WOULD be able to hit them first, and I WOULD have someone there to take the order at the proper length. Folks, that's a critical part of the process. If you don't have somewhere you can hit them, I would strongly advise anyone considering purchasing to currently disregard the HoganFit result to a point. Shaft recommendation, listen, loft setup, listen, but please, prior to ordering, check your current specs and find the clubs that fall in line, loft wise, and order based off of your current fitted lengths. It will save you the disgruntled feeling I had.

 

With that said, if I could have tried them instead of ordering online blind, my LOP is around 85/100(it's still a lot of coin). Ordering blind online, ordering a full set goes down to about 65/100 (I would put ordering 3 clubs to try at a 75/100, as the cynic in me would still be skeptical about it).

 

TOTAL SUBJECTIVE SCORE: (Average of try before buy and the total performance score above): 87.25/100

 

CONCLUSION:

 

DSC_1107_zps5pbgnl4n.jpg

Folks, this has been a process. I know several of you wanted to be a part of this review. I wanted to badly as well, and when I was selected I was in shock. I'm still thankful to both MyGolfSpy and Ben Hogan Golf for this opportunity. I have had the irons in play for a few rounds since adjusting them and have hit the range more since getting these than I have since my little guy was born. This past Saturday, I shot a very respectable +8, 79 in which I left 5 birdie putts hanging on the lip or lipping out, and took a penalty on 18 when we couldn't determine if my ball was stolen or it rolled away (it was stopped in the fairway when we drove down in the hole to let my uncle hit his shot and the group in front of us had to drive back by the fairway very near my ball to end their round).

 

I have run the gamut on clubs played. I've played boxed sets and I've played the high end clubs and everything in between. I have played blades, and have played plenty of them. Mizuno and Miura being what I'd say are universally thought of as the top tier in both USDM and JDM clubs. I would place these clubs right there with them in terms of feel, and honestly, forgiveness on these Hogans surpasses that of both brands, IMO. I've found nothing to dislike about the clubs after adjusting them to fit. And I honestly don't know that if you blindfolded someone they could tell you the difference in feel among the 3.

 

I hold no animosity toward Ben Hogan Golf for the issue I had with the clubs as they were sent. They wanted me to honestly evaluate the clubs and the HoganFit process and the above is exactly that. A 100% open and honest evaluation of the clubs and the process. I realize some of you will say that “you got the clubs for free, why wouldn't the review be good and have no negativity”. Well, I also believe in the mission statement of MyGolfSpy. I have donated to the cause (which I encourage anyone out there reading that hasn't done so to do, because that is what fuels this site which in turn affords us, the readers, these opportunities to give 100% open and truthful reviews, by allowing this site to exist). Were I to evaluate the clubs as they were sent, the scores would've been very low. That, to me, wasn't fair of me to do nor in the interest of this site, nor would it be fair to Ben Hogan Golf, Terry Kohler and everyone that has worked so hard to bring us these clubs and revitalize one of the most iconic names in golf. I was capable of doing the modifications where these clubs would fit me, and I chose to do so to give these a fair shake at finding a spot in my bag. Is that to say that I manipulated the result? That's for you to determine. I gave you my opinion and the basis for what I did as far as modifying the clubs, and I gave you an honest look at the clubs prior and decided they would be scored post adjusting them to fit. I have shot 2 rounds in the 70's with these and the first round I played was in the low 80's. I am happy to report I have put these in my bag and will be playing these clubs. I did not enter because I wanted a free set of irons (who doesn't want that, but that's not why I submitted my name to be a reviewer). No, I wanted to put the new kid on the block through the paces for what I expect from a club from a performance aspect. I'm a gear head and as such, I also undertook the modifications of said clubs. And I gave 110% effort to this review throughout the process. It is my hope that my review will at the least turn some heads at Hogan Golf and get them to at the least look into tweaking their HoganFit process. Hopefully, this came through in the text of this review. Any questions, please ask.

In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade M2 (2017) w/ Project X T1100 HZRDUS Handcrafted 65x 
Strong 3 wood: Taylormade M1 15* w/ ProjectX T1100 HZRDUS handcrafted 75x
3 Hybrid: Adams PRO 18* w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4 Hybrid: Adams PRO 20* (bent to 21*) w/ KBS Tour Hybrid S flex tipped 1/2"
4-AW: TaylorMade P770 w/ Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Black Onyx S400

SW: 56* Scratch Tour Dept(CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
LW: 60* Scratch Tour Department (CC grooves) w/ Dynamic Gold Spinner
XW: 64* Cally XForged Vintage w/ DG X100 8 iron tiger stepped
Putter: Nike Method Prototype 006 at 34"

Have a ton of back-ups in all categories, but there are always 14 clubs in the bag that differ depending on the course and set-up. Bomb and gouge. Yes, I'm a club gigolo.

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And....we're off!

 

Sschaffer24's Unboxing is up!  Click here

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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And our 2nd Hogan unboxing is up, courtesy of Sncgolf03...

 

Click here

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Great post Sncgolf!

 

Nice angles on the irons!

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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So pretty... Must.Resist.Price tag.....

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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So pretty... Must.Resist.Price tag.....

 

Reviews are important. It's amazing when you look for reviews on these clubs. I can't find anything besides the extremely premature ones that came out in late January.

 

Around PA? I'd be happy to let you hit them...

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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Beautiful...

 

Great write ups on your first impressions guys!

What's In the Bag

Driver - :callaway-small: GBB 

Hybrids  :cleveland-small: Halo XL Halo 18* & :cobra-small: T-Rail 20*

Irons  :cobra-small: T-Rail 2.0

Wedges :ping-small: 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58*

Putter     :scotty-small:

Ball :callaway-logo-1:

Bag Datrek DG Lite  

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Reviews are important. It's amazing when you look for reviews on these clubs. I can't find anything besides the extremely premature ones that came out in late January.

 

Around PA? I'd be happy to let you hit them...

A very generous offer my friend but unfortunately I'm all the way down is MS.

It's prolly all for the best though, after hitting your 9 iron I would most likely go running down the fairway calling it "my precious." haha

 

Great write ups guys!

Driver- Tmag 2017 M2 tour issue 8.5* actual loft 7.8* w/ HZRDS Green PVD 70TX"
Fairway Metal- Taylormade SLDR Mini Driver 12* w/ Fujikura Rombax TP95-X"

Utility- Mizuno MPH5 1 iron w/ Aldila RIP 85X (depending on course/ conditions)

Irons- Mizuno MP- FLI HI 2i w/ Aldila Proto ByYou 100X
          Mizuno MP59 4i-6I w/ PX 6.5

          Mizuno MP69 7i-PW w/ PX 6.5

Wedges- Scratch 8620 Driver/Slider set.  50*, 54* bent to 55* and 60*

Putter- Taylormade Spider Tour w/ flow neck
Ball- Bridgestone Tour B X

Bag- Sun Mountain C130 Supercharged

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What an awesome start! We'll have more unboxing threads ready for you on Monday. 

 

Great work guys!!!

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Great job guys, looking forward to the reviews. I'm glad they're not currently available in LH for the sake of my bank account.

Driver -  :taylormade-small: M1 9.5* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X

Fairway -   :taylormade-small: M1 5W 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X

Hybrids -   :ping-small: G25 4H 23*

Irons -  :mizuno-small: JPX 850 Forged 4-PW w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S

Wedges - :mizuno-small: S5 50*07, 54*12, 58*12 w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S

Putter - Oddyssey Metal-X #7 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 2.0

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A very generous offer my friend but unfortunately I'm all the way down is MS.

It's prolly all for the best though, after hitting your 9 iron I would most likely go running down the fairway calling it "my precious." haha

 

Great write ups guys!

No problem! I'm fortunate enough to have these clubs in my possession so I'm happy to offer that!

 

And Jbill, you could always just go the other way and buy RH and force yourself to learn? Hahaha.

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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No problem! I'm fortunate enough to have these clubs in my possession so I'm happy to offer that!

 

And Jbill, you could always just go the other way and buy RH and force yourself to learn? Hahaha.

I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered it.

Driver -  :taylormade-small: M1 9.5* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X

Fairway -   :taylormade-small: M1 5W 19* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 70X

Hybrids -   :ping-small: G25 4H 23*

Irons -  :mizuno-small: JPX 850 Forged 4-PW w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S

Wedges - :mizuno-small: S5 50*07, 54*12, 58*12 w/ Nippon N.S. Pro 1150S

Putter - Oddyssey Metal-X #7 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 2.0

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A very generous offer my friend but unfortunately I'm all the way down is MS.

It's prolly all for the best though, after hitting your 9 iron I would most likely go running down the fairway calling it "my precious." haha

 

Great write ups guys!

Bummer I Just moved from Mississippi back home to Wisconsin. I would've let you hit them there!

WITB:

 

Ping G30 9* (set to 10*)- Ping Tour 60 X

 

Ping G20 15* - Aldila RIP Alpha 80 X

 

Cobra Bio Cell Pro 19* (set to 20*) - Graphite Design Deep Impact 80H X

 

Adams CMB 4-GW - TT Dynamic Gold Tour X100

 

Cobra Trusty Rusty 55* and 61* - TT S200

 

Taylormade New Spider Mallet 35"

 

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Bummer I Just moved from Mississippi back home to Wisconsin. I would've let you hit them there!

 

We're going to have to schedule an upper Midwest MGS get-together and check these bad boys out!  How's late July sound?  I'm thinking Zinger's home course at Troy Burne, Hudson, WI....

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Hey I'm in Milwaukee right now - was thinking of prowling the streets Sncgolf's house. :)

 

Great start guys, clubs look awesome. 

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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Just left the LPGA Chamionship and Gerina Pillar has the TK15 wedges in play this week. She is working with the rest of the irons and hopes to have them in play in a few weeks.

WITB 2024

   Qi10 LS 9* HZRDUS RDX Smoke Blue 60g 6.5

   M5 15* Evenflow Black 75g 6.5

   Sim Ti 22* HZRDUS Red 75g 6.5

   Sim2 Rescue 22* Diamana Thump 100x

   X Forged CB 5 - PW MMT 105 TX 

   Jaws Raw 50*, 54* & 58* TTDG "OG" Spinner

   Toulon Madison BGT Fire 34.75"

   Z Star Diamond

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Mike that's awesome! It's really cool to see these clubs getting some tour play. Pretty cool.

 

Don't forget about a northeast MGS get together! The guys in PA/Ohio/NY/NJ need to plan a get together!

 

And thank you Rev! I'm logging more rounds with these bad boys a few times a week! Interesting stuff...

:titelist-small: TS3 8.75 with HZRDOUS Yellow and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:callaway-small: XR 16 3W & 5W with HZRDOUS Red shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:srixon-small: U65 4i with Fujikura MCI shaft and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: AP3 5-PW with Accra Tour 110i shafts and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:titelist-small: SM7 50F, 54S and 60M grinds with Dynamic Gold 120 Tour Issue S400 and Black MicroPerf Best Grips.

:bettinardi-1: Queen B #6 with 34" Stability Shaft and P2 Aware Tour Grip.

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

Jones Utility Golf Bag.

Dormie Custom Headcovers.
Bushnell Pro X2 Laser Rangefinder.

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