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Official Form Member Review: Ben Hogan Ft. Worth hi Long Irons


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Ben Hogan Ft. Worth hi Long Irons

 

 

 

Wha's a long iron replacement, but not a hybrid? And not a "utility" club? And definitely not a driving iron?

 

Well, it's a niche product, but a niche that seems to be growing this year.  In this review, our crack, hand-picked review team will test out and give their thoughts on the Ben Hogan Ft. Worth hi long iron.  Hogan says these irons are designed to be more forgiving than the long irons in their Ft. Worth 15 set, and we want to find out how well they fit into our testers' bags.

 

As a treat, we've recruited three MGS veterans who reviewed the Ft Worth 15 iron and wedge set last year to get their comparative perspective - along with three new reviewers to give a fresh looksee.  

 

:et's get this party started!

 

Here are the veteran testers:

 

Jmikecpa:                           Stage 1                     Stage 2                  Stage 3

 

Sschaffer24                        Stage 1                     Stage 2                  Stage 3

 

Mike Z                                Stage 1                     Stage 2                  Stage 3

 

 

And the new testers:

 

jacustomgolf                      Stage 1                    Stage 2                   Stage 3

 

chershey                            Stage 1                    Stage 2                   Stage 3

 

Bryan S                              Stage 1                    Stage 2                   Stage 3

 

 

And awayyyyy we go......

 

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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JMIKECPA Stage 1 – Ft.  Worth 15 Hi Review

 

First off, a big thank you to Ben Hogan and MGS for this opportunity to test Hogan equipment.  I was fortunate last year to be part of the Ft. Worth 15 and TK wedge testing and very happy to give these a try.  My only gripe last year was that the longer Ft. Worth 15 irons were tough to hit consistently; at least for me.

 

A little bit about myself.  I am a former college athlete that played baseball and golf at a smaller D1 school in Philly.  I currently work as a senior executive that builds, develops and operates casinos and resorts so I spend a lot of time in the air all over the world.  I played competitive golf for most of my 20's and paired back my schedule when my son was born 10 years ago.  My competitive schedule was completely non-existent by the time the second and third child arrived.  These days I most play club events and some charity golf with an eye on maybe giving competitive golf another shot before father time catches up to me.  I first got to scratch in my mid teens and have played at scratch to a plus for most of the time since then.  Right now I am battling some issues with my right elbow that is severely limiting my ability to play at a level I am accustomed to, but still trying to get the most out of my game on a weekly basis.  The biggest issue that I have right now is a choice between playing and practicing; unfortunately practicing full shots has all but gone out the window for this season.  Most of my current practice time is spent chipping and putting when I do get some time to work on my game.

 

I will use a quote from my pro to sum up my current game.  “You are a lot like John Daly, hit it a mile, have a great short game and prone to make 10 at any given time….from the middle of the fairway.”  That is a fairly accurate with the current state of my game, but something to improve upon if I can get healthy.  I have worked over the past few years to shorten my swing a bit and can still get long on occasion.   I also play a lot by feel and by that I mean that I can hit many different shots for the same distance.  The main reason is that I learned to play with a “starter” set and only had the odd numbered irons.  To this day I have trouble answering people when they ask what I would hit from 165 as that could be four or five clubs depending on the shot that I am hitting.  Lately the answer has unfortunately been a low punch six from the trees.   Have I mentioned my weakness right now is driving accuracy???

 

So now onto the questions:

 

Handicap/average score:  Currently +0.2 and trending higher

 

Strengths of your game:  Short game and distance

 

Weakness of your game: Driving accuracy

 

Typical ball flight: High, but working on lower

 

Typical miss: High right

Current comparable equipment: Callaway X Utility, Adams Dhy, Tour Edge Exotics CBh Pro

 

Swing tempo: Smooth with a lot of speed at the bottom

 

Driver swing speed: 116mph to 118mph

 

What makes you love the game: The challenge of the game and simply that I can play it with my children for many years to come

 

How long have you been golfing: 37 years and counting.  Started with my Grandparents when I was 2 years old.

 

What is in my bag:

Driver:  Titleist 915D2 9.5* Oban Kiyoshi Black 05

Fairway: Titleist 915fd 15* Oban Devotion 7 06

Hybrid:  Adams Red 20* Matrix Altus Tour X

Irons:  Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 22* - 46* Recoil 110 F5

Wedges:  Callaway MD3 Lucky Clover 52* & 58* TTDG S200 Tour Issue

                 Callaway MD PM Grind 64* KBS Tour 125

Putter:  Scotty Cameron Newport 2 Dual Balance 35”

What region do you play out of: Long Island NY and my home club is Inwood Country Club

 

Are you a tinkerer or a set and forget it type:  I tinker way too much these days searching for the holy grail that will fix my swing flaws.  Starting to get out of that mode and work more on my game than my equipment.  I just took my first lesson in close to a decade this week instead of buying new gear.

 

What I am hoping to get out of these clubs are simply long irons that I can manage around the course.  I have never been a stellar long iron player and have tended to sway more towards hybrids over the last several years.  My current club has a lot of wind and 20 to 30mph on any given day is the norm.  Not the optimum conditions to hit a club that is meant to fly high and hard to flight.  I know that the idea behind these irons is a higher flight, but can they be controlled is the main question that will decide whether these stay in the bag or not.

 

The last question that I have delayed answering is how does equipment get into my bag?   The answer is quite simple in that I have to like the looks of it and it obviously has to perform.  Clubs can perform and give me the best numbers, but if it does not look right then it is out for me.  I have played irons that look very similar in design for the last decade or so; which includes my current Hogan Ft. Worth 15s.  I am also a big proponent of feel; which I know is very subjective.  To me a club has to have a certain feel to me and I can generally tell within a few swings whether it is a winner or not for me.

 

If you have any questions or areas that you would like some feedback on please just fire away and I will do my best to answer.

 

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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 Ft. Worth 15 Hi – Official MGS Forum Review by Jmikecpa

First, I would like to thank Ben Hogan and MGS for this great opportunity to test these irons.  I have really enjoyed the testing that I have been fortunate enough to be selected for and this time around was just as much fun.

 

In Stage 1 I touched a bit on myself and my game so no need to expand upon those points, but will add some updates.  Over the past two months my game has gone in the wrong direction due to injury and lack of practice time.  My index has gone from +0.6 to a 1.5 as of today….just not good, but on a better note I now get two shots a round which is a welcome change.   I think that for the most part I am past the injury to my elbow for the time being and now need to work on getting some range time in between rounds.  It has been a slow build this year with going from playing one round every 7 to 10 days, then two rounds in that time, then playing back to back days and now finally fully cleared to play as much as I can.  For the most part this year is just a lost season for me golf wise and the club championship run will have to wait another season.

 

Right now the main part of my game that is lacking is just consistency in all areas except for putting.  Normally I drive the ball very well and have no fear in hitting driver at any time regardless of how tight a hole may be.  My iron play is solid with a typical high draw that I have been hitting for a long time.  Lately I have been prone to hit some weak cuts and not striking the irons very crisply at all which is what is leading to either a few blow up holes a round or turning a good tee ball into a disastrous number.  To sum up my golf lately this past weekend is the perfect example.  On Saturday I had a good warm up and then it went downhill immediately with every bad break one could get hitting me in the same round coupled with mediocre ball striking and boom a terrible 80.  Got out again Sunday morning and hit it terrible on the range.  Went out and shot -4 on the front in the rain.  I added 4 more pars and a kick in birdie on the back before getting called off the course by the head pro.

And yes this is about what I felt like!

 

https://youtu.be/r95a3p8Os-w

 

I have never really been a strong long iron player; however I have been working the past few years to get better with that aspect of my game.  In that past several years I have begun to gravitate back towards playing long irons and in that time Adams DHy, Adams Pro Dhy, Callaway X Utility Protos and Tour Edge Exotics CBh Pro long irons have all graced my bag.  The main reason for my switch is another aspect that Hogan has hit on this year with the VKTR hybrids….most of the new hybrid products fly just too darn far.  For most this is a welcome benefit of a hybrid, but for me I want something that is going to go the distance that I expect it to each and every time.  The last few years it seems that I was getting distance out of my higher lofted hybrids (23* & 24*) that would fly anywhere from 215 yards to 240 yards with pretty much the same swing.  Nothing like the 215 yard swing going 235 yards to the OB behind the green which I have done three times this year at my club on the 4th hole. That particular hybrid will never see the light of day again.

 

For this testing Ben Hogan was kind enough to send me the Ft. Worth Hi irons in 22*, 26* and 30* and match the same specs and shaft as my Ft. Worth 15 irons that I tested last year.  My irons are standard loft and length with UST Mamiya Recoil 110's in an F5 flex.  The irons that these replaced were the Ft. Worth 15's of the same lofts and specs.  For the most part the 26* and 30* Ft. Worth 15 irons were fine for my game, but the 22* only came out if I really needed to hit a low bullet.

 

So now onto the fun part of the review and how these performed.

 

Performance at the Range

The day these arrived they came right out of the box and into the bag.  The first thing that I noticed is that they look like a kinder, friendlier version of the Ft. Worth 15's.  By this I mean the face is a bit larger, top line a little thicker while still blending into the overall line very well.  These just inspire confidence for me since they fit my eye and inside I know there is just that little extra help that inspired confidence in a long iron.

 

Accuracy

On the range these were perfect from the first swing.  The Hi irons perform very similar to the Ft. Worth 15's and I got along with them from the first swing.  Not sure what else I can say other than I knew after two swings with the 22* that I had something special in the bag.  I really found out early on that these are just point and shoot like the rest of the set…..precision is back!

 

Distance

This for me is the most important part of any iron that I have in my bag with consistency being the key.  As I pointed out above I need to know just how far a club will fly on a consistent basis and then manage from there.  In this category the Ft. Worth 15 Hi were stellar.  A nice pure swing with the 22* produced a consistent carry of 220 yards, 26* was 198 yards and 30* was 186 yards.  Not only did these fit what I needed in top end my bag, but the 12 yard increments is what I see in the rest of my clubs so these slotted in just fine.

 

 

Trajectory

The irons fly higher than their Ft. Worth 15 counterparts, but not as much as I would have thought.  My view is that I can control trajectory very well with these…low when I need it….high when I need it….but overall a bit higher than the Ft. Worth 15s with the same stock swing.  Most important aspect is that they did not balloon on any shot that I tried to hit and are very stable in the wind.

 

Forgiveness

This is an area that surprised me quite a bit for a club that at the end of the day is well still pretty much a blade.  Toe and heal shots are punished some, but not nearly as much as I would have thought.  I saw a loss of 5-7 yards on poor strikes while the ball flight and direction held the intended lines.  With that being said I would still put these in the better players category of irons.  They are not as penal as the Ft. Worth 15 long irons but I also would not give them to a high handicap player that is an inconsistent ball striker.

 

Range Score: (10 out of 10 points)

 

Performance on the Course

For the on course portion I will try and combine all the areas into one comprehensive review.  I recently joined a new club for this year and the layout is rather unique in that it is a par 71 with a 37-34 split and has all three par 5's on the front 9 in consecutive holes.  Combine that with a long 231 yard par 3, two shorter par 4's (327 yards and 351 yards) and all of a sudden long irons have become a more integral part of my game.  I should also note that my club is on the bay and very windy most days which makes the use of hybrids a tough call just due to the fact that they are hard to knock down for me.  With that said how did these perform on the course?

 

In a word the Ft. Worth 15's Hi irons performed brilliantly!  I played my first round with them the day after they arrived and it was love at first strike.  To really put them to the test I hit the 22* off the tee on holes #1 and #2 without any issues.  Hit the 22* into the par 5 3rd, 26* into the par 5 4th and 5th.  Then hit the 22* again on the par 3 7th.  Just on the front 9 these got a workout.  All shots performed as I expected in terms of flight and distance with the exception of the tee shot on 7 that I got a little bit on the toe.  That shot was on the front right of the green with an outside birdie look but an easy two putt par.

 

The main aspect of these clubs that I have enjoyed is the predictability of trajectory and distance.  The carry, roll and flight are the same swing after swing.  Add this to the ability for these irons to be flighted a bit higher or lower and I had something that was just perfect for my game.  I also noticed that these irons are very neutral in their flight and a cut or a draw are very manageable when needed, but mostly just want to fly straight.

 

There was one thing that I discovered as I played the irons a little bit more over the past month and that was there is a second gear in these clubs.  Not sure if this is due to the hollow forging or not, but if I need to get a little more out of these clubs it is there.  I figured this out playing a tournament and needed the six iron to get over some trees but need to fly it 197 yards.  I figured I would give it a go since the miss would have been in the front bunker with an easy up and down for par.  Much to my surprise the ball flew to the middle of the green and stopped.  After the round I hit some balls on the range with my Swing Caddie and sure enough there was an extra 10 -12 yards in these clubs when needed.  As with my stock swing the distance is still predictable and a really nice bonus to know that there is something extra when needed. 

 

Overall on the course these performed just as I had hoped they would.  I just can't stress enough how consistent they performed across the board.  I know with these irons what I am going to get if I cut it a bit to take a few yards off, turn it over for a going draw, knock it down or flight it high….just point and shoot.

   

Course Score: (29 of 30 points)

 

Performance Notes

I think I have summed up well how this performed for me and it is a winner.  With that said I have tried many other clubs that would fit into this class so the question is why do I like these and not the other long iron replacements I have tried?

 

Compared to the Adams Dhy and Pro DHy:  When the Adams line came out they were the best that I could find as long iron replacements, but yet more akin to a hybrid than iron.  The Adams clubs I have are the Pro DHy 21* with an Aldila Tour Blue 85x and DHy 24* with a Steelfiber i95s.  I would say that the pros for the Adams compared to Hogan is the versatility…you can hit the Adams clubs from just about anywhere due to their more hybrid shape.  The cons are two fold with the first being feel and the second being flight.  The feel on the Adams DHys is somewhat lacking and at best a dull thud at impact.  As for flight they just want to go high and long, which is not the worst thing except for when long puts you OB or in trouble.  The lack of consistent distance was what eventually led me to banish them to the club room in the basement.  The other big issue with the Adams clubs was the lofts and that they really did not fit with the set that I was playing at the time which also happened to be Adams clubs as well.  The 24* should have slotted in nice as a 4 iron but flew 10 yards further than the Adams 4 iron, same for the 21* three iron.  This caused me to try and hit three quarter shots and baby the clubs which took a lot of practice and talent, neither of which I have an abundance of.

 

Compared to the Callaway X Utility Protos:  I have the Callaway X Utility Proto irons in 21* and 24* which compliment my set of Apex Pro irons very well.  Overall I just could never get used to the look of the X utilities and the sole sticking out at address was just not for me.  The wide sole also did not seem to handle some of the normal lies I saw at my club. Out of the rough the Callaways were just not very good at all and could not even be compared to the Ft. Worth 15 HI.  At best I was mildly consistent with the X utility irons and when I hit them well I loved the result.  Get a little loose with the swing and it was just terrible. 

 

In the end the Hogans just performed well all around for me and were a great extension of the Ft. Worth 15 line.  I play a lot of golf with the same group of guys and two of them told me that if I ever decide to take these out of the bag that I should have my head examined and for once I have a set of long irons that will not be part of a rotation.  

 

Subjective

Looks

These irons are just flat out gorgeous and blend with the rest of the set very well.  Other than the wider sole they are hard to distinguish from their Ft. Worth 15 counterparts.  The classic Hogan look was brought into these clubs and they hide their technology really well.  Compared to some of the other utility irons that I have played these are tops in terms of looks.  With the Ft. Worth 15 Hi I just feel like I am hitting a normal bladed long iron while in my mind I know that they have more forgiveness than I need. 

 

 

Looks Score: (19 of 20 points)

 

Sound and Feel

In terms of sound and feel Hogan really hit it out of the park in this area.  The Ft. Worth 15's are as pure of an iron as I have ever hit and the claims for the Hi were that they put that same feel into a hollow forged iron; which I thought was quite frankly a claim they should not have made.  Well, Hogan proved me wrong and there is really only a slight difference in the feel between these and the solid forged versions.  There is a nice click on well struck shots and a feeling that can only be described as pure.  The feedback is solid and I know when I strike a shot exactly where I hit it on the club face.

 

Sound and Feel Score: (19 of 20 points)

Likelihood of Purchase

I was planning to pull the trigger on these just before I got the email from MGS.  These are right in my wheelhouse in terms of what I need in a long iron and would have bought them on my own.  As a side note I also just bought the VKTR hybrid after some swings on the simulator with it.  It is a nice compliment to the rest of the set and just flat out performs.  Right now I am all in on the Hogan brand and do not see that changing in the near future.

 

LOP Score: (20 of 20 points)

 

Questions & Answers.

Please let me know if you have any questions that I have not answered and I will be happy to do my best to answer them.

 

Conclusion

So Ben Hogan Golf told me that these irons would be easier to hit, feel like my current Ft. Worth 15s and give me the performance that I was missing?  They did that and much more with the new Ft. Worth 15 Hi irons.  Overall I could not be happier with the performance, fit and finish and look of these irons.  I can honestly say there is not one thing that I would change about the irons to improve upon what Hogan has created.  I will also add that they have done such a good job blending these into the Ft. Worth line that most people that play with me think that I am playing a full set of blades throughout the bag and I do nothing to tell them differently.  With the state of my game right now I will take any advantage that I can in match play.

 

Total Score: 97 out of 100 

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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Stage 3 Reserved

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

Link to comment
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Stage One - Introduction to Sschaffer24 and the Ben Hogan Ft. Worth Hi Irons.

 

I've retyped this sentence about thirty or forty times now trying to find the perfect way to start this piece. I think we have all done that though, haven't we? We are tasked with writing something, whether it be a paper in school, something for your employer or maybe your opinion on a really cool looking piece of golf equipment that you just so happen to have some experience with.

 

No matter the reason, we all have sat in my chair trying to find the right words to start with, for some it's easier than others, and here's what gets me. I'm a perfectionist. So writing and I don't usually get along so well without a few cracks at it. Perfection is an interesting idea isn't it? I think it's something that everyone would like to achieve in various parts of their lives. If you look closely we can see it all around us. The products we use, the homes we live in, the rules we live by and the decisions we make. They're all meant to guide us to the perfect position in our lives.

 

I like to think of this when I'm considering a new golf club. To me every OEM defines perfect differently. Let's do this together for a minute. Stop reading, close your eyes and imagine the perfect club. What does it do? What's it look like? What makes it perfect?

 

Here are my answers:

  • Bright and beautiful chrome finish.

  • Minimal offset.

  • Thin top line.

  • Consistent trajectory.

  • Enough spin to hold a green, yet low enough to let it fly.

  • Supreme attention to detail.

  • Total visual package (ferrule, grip, shaft, heads, stamping all flow smoothly together).

  • Extremely forgiving all over the face.

  • As soft as a hot knife through butter off the face.

  • Distance. It has to go far.

  • Accurate. I like to throw darts.

  • Quality. I want something to last me years.

  • Workability. I have to be able to shape the ball.

  • Confidence. I have to feel inspired.

 

So now that we have this standard in front of us, let's check out what Ben Hogan Golf has for their take on this answer.

 

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Here's my task. Over the next few weeks I have to determine whether my definition of the perfect golf club meets what Ben Hogan has to offer. As many of you know, I have experience with the brand and a lot of expectations for what these irons have to offer. Even though I gave the history I do (and still game the irons) I promise all of the readers to approach this review with as much of an unbiased eye as I can, and will accurately let all of you see how these irons work as a direct replacement for the traditional long irons as well as my hybrid I am replacing.

 

To get an idea of what kind of guy will be giving you these pieces of information, let me tell you a little about myself.

 

I've been an avid golfer over the last four or five years of my life. By avid, I mean that I spend most of my free time either reading, practicing, playing or talking about golf. I have plans on retiring and traveling the world playing as many courses as I can someday, my father, who introduced me to the game, actually moved to Myrtle Beach partially for the game.

 

So it's in my blood.

 

I take lessons biweekly from one of the best coaches in my area and try to understand the game as best I can. I have a tendency to be pretty hard on myself, but I always stay in the game. The strongest parts of my game are absolutely my accuracy, putting and chipping. My long game is easily my worst. I tend to be very inconsistent in the top end of the bag and have trouble with the distance needed from 160 plus and feel that these new irons really have a chance to help me with that end of my game. Needless to say, if these can become a consistent and accurate club for me, I expect my handicap to drop.

 

2016-06-23 21.01.37.jpg

 

Now that I've rambled, here are the questions.

 

  • Handicap/Average score? I hover around a 15 or so.

  • Strengths of your game? Easily my short game.

  • Weakness of your game? DISTANCE! Anything outside 160.

  • Typical ball flight? I work it both ways. Tend towards the draw.

  • Typical miss? Short left.

  • Current comparable equipment? Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 long irons.

  • Swing tempo? Smooth take away, aggressive transition.

  • Driver Swing Speed? Right around 100 MPH.

  • What makes you love the game? I challenge myself directly in every way on every swing. It lets me unplug and be totally focused on just one thing.

  • How long have you been golfing? My whole life technically, but truly only about 5 years.

  • What kind of golfer are you? I would love to be a bomb and gouge type ofplayer. But in reality I'm more of a placement golfer. I'm really good at hitting targets and controlling distances. But only to a certain point.

  • What's in your bag? Ping G30 LS Tech (8.6* loft) with 44in Paderson Kevlar Green Shaft. SLDR 14* 3W. Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15 23, 27, 30, 33, 37, 41, 45, 49. Edel 52, 56, 60 Wedges. Edel Williamette Putter with custom engraving and “Chef's Choice” artwork.

  • I was fit for my G30, SLDR by my swing coach, and was fit by a master fitter for my Edel short game clubs. My Ben Hogan clubs were something I tested for MGS last season, and have been firmly entrenched since!

  • What region do you play out of? I play out of the northeast. DuBois, PA to be exact. Think small town, rural Pennsylvania with elevation changes and lots of trees.

  • Are you a tinkerer or set and forget it type? I would love to ladder option. But unfortunately I can't stick with one thing. Always on the hunt. Only exception are the Edel clubs, which honestly are ridiculously good.

 

2016-06-23 20.17.42.jpg

2016-06-23 20.17.27.jpg

 

So, here's where we are folks. You've gotten to know me a little bit, and we were able to even play a little game together! Over the next few weeks my sole golfing attention will be to not only give an impression on what these Hogan Hi Irons have to offer, but to compare them to their thinner soled, more squat brethren.

 

2016-06-23 20.56.13.jpg

 

Anyone want to place bets on the outcome? I expect a few surprises to pop up along the way, and for things to fall a little different than most expect. We will soon see.

 

To all reading this, please feel free to respond/reach out with any questions or requests for my testing. Remember, this review is for all of us, not just myself. I want to give back to the community in the best way I can.

 

Thank you Barbajo, Bones and all at MyGolfSpy for the opportunity. Let's do this!

2016-06-23 21.11.49.jpg

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: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.

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Dormie Custom Headcovers.
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Ben Hogan Fli-Hi Long Irons – Official MGS Forum Review by Sschaffer24

 

2016-08-03 17.31.39.jpg

 

Hello again fellas! As i'm sitting here struggling for words, something hits me. My perspective of this game has changed so much over the time I've been a member here at MyGolfSpy. So when I am asked to give a player biography, I find it hard not to take a step back and dedicate a huge portion of that description to MyGolfSpy and this community.

 

Less than five years ago I wouldn't be writing this. I wouldn't even be on this website reading these reviews and participating in these threads. I wouldn't have know what Ben Hogan, Mizuno, Ping, Callaway, Taylormade or any of these brands were doing.

 

Five years ago I would have been just your typical young guy. Fast forward five years and not only am I a committed member of this community, but I have the amazing opportunity to not only review one item for them, but to come back a second time!

 

So thank you MGS. I've learned a ton in my time on this site, had my eyes opened a few times and best of all have made some friends along the way. These threads are just an example of what this place has to offer. I truly have been shaped as a golfer in every sense of the word by this place and continue to work every chance I can to get better and become a better member of this community.

 

As for myself, My name is Shawn and I live in DuBois, Pennsylvania. I am 25, and am an avid golfer. If someone from the forum would walk into my life and ask the people around me what I enjoy more than anything in life, their answer would be to be on the golf course. I tend to hover around a 15 handicap (largely due to a lack of distance in my long game) and since I have gamed the Hogan Ft. Worth 15's since my original testing, these new long irons will be a direct comparison to what the 15's have to offer. They are the exact same length and lie as my current set, and also are shafted with the KBS C-Taper in stiff that my gamers have.

 

Performance

 

Performance at the Range

 

Describe the following:

  • Accuracy – These irons are basically point and shoot just like their older brothers. The only difference is with a little less shot shape on mishits.
  • Distance – These seem to have added a full club length or more to my yardages.
  • Trajectory Characteristics – There irons have a towering ball flight. The most important part though is that these are NOT spin crazy. The 15's can get that way for me, but these seem to be much more piercing.
  • Forgiveness – Much more forgiving than the 15's. Wild impact on the face will still give you a wild result, but generally speaking these irons fly straighter, higher, with lower spin and further compared to the 15's in all strikes except for out of the middle. Those tend to be similar.
  • Control – Oh control. My favorite thing about my 15's. I feel like a sniper out on the range with these things. I like to imagine myself is a half-sized, more round and right handed Bubba Watson while I'm out there. Shaping the ball is fun for me, and hitting a cut then a draw and so on on every shot is something I find natural. (The Bubba comparison is a joke by the way.)

 

 

Range Score: (9 Out of 10 points)

 

2016-08-03 17.37.53.jpg

 

Performance on the Course

 

Describe the following:

  • Accuracy – My typical miss is left, and these tend to play into that. With the 15's I found I had to play a cut more often than not due to my swing with the longer irons, but with the Hi's, they are just as responsive to shaping as the rest of my bag.
  • Distance – Same performance as on the range. Easily a club further.
  • Consistency – Consistency is another way to say forgiveness in my book. These irons respond really well to not putting the best swing on the ball time in and time out. What I've gained with the Hi's is being able to step up to the ball and know that if I put in 80% of my best, I will get a suitable result. In golf that's an important feeling to have.
  • Shot Shaping – These irons are very responsive to shot shaping. I've had no issues at all with guiding my ball. These do want to fly a little straighter than the 15's, and also don't require a cut like the 15's do.
  • Carry vs Roll – These irons do a good bit of both! A huge improvement for me out of these irons is in their lower spin characteristics versus the Ft. Worth's. These irons give me my desired carry distance and will bite into a green if they're soft/medium, but if you hit it short into a green with some speed, these will hop and run out 10 yards or so. Which is perfect for my game and my lack of distance.

 

 

Course Score: (27 Out of 30 points)

 

2016-08-03 17.29.24.jpg

 

Performance Notes

 

The first question for me to answer here is “how did it perform?” My answer? Like a Hogan iron should. That's the natural response my mind has when that's asked of me. I realized though, that answer isn't something everyone is familiar with. And that's a shame. These irons, from start to finish, really are just a phenomenal set of tools to take with you.

 

 

Put it to you this way, looking back through history at some of the most successful companies in our country, what are their similarities? Usually in a marketplace the most successful companies are also the most disruptive. Let's think about this for a minute.

 

 

What are all of the other OEM's chasing? Shovels. Jacked lofts. Stretched out lengths. More long irons. Deceptive marketing. Does anyone want me to keep going? Or are we all nodding along to that and shaking our heads in disgust?

 

 

Let's look at Hogan for a second. What are they doing as a company? Well, their first line of irons they released are blades. Long iron replacements, a mid-handicap iron and a traditionally shaped hybrid with very little frills. They don't do big box stores (at least not that I know of), don't ride the marketing train and seem to show a genuine love for their product and this game.

 

 

That shows in their product. When someone has the chance to put one of these clubs into their bag they will know what I'm referring to. If anyone reading this wants an iron that feels amazing, is forgiving pretty much anywhere there's a groove and looks every bit the part of their current gamers these irons are worth your consideration.

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

I have to admit I'm half tempted to just copy and paste my writing from my Fort Worth 15 review for this section. These irons are really just so similar to each other! Here are differences. The head is slightly larger. Maybe 25% at most. But not noticeable at address when going from one iron to the next. Offset seems to be exactly the same.

 

For a players iron the Ft. Worth tends to have more offset than typical, but these aren't an offender at all with what they have. The badging and design is just as classically beautiful as the original Fort Worth irons were, except with a little more meat on the bones than their older brother.

 

The total package as it's presented to the golfer is near perfection. The little details are really what makes these irons shine. The black and red ferrule, paint fill in the head, stamping and so on are all just so beautifully blended together.

 

These are the type of club that you look at and say “wow! I can't believe these are meant to be forgiving AND beautiful!”. Hogan really has delivered on that idea.

 

Looks Score: (19 Out of 20 points)

 

2016-08-03 17.21.45.jpg

 

Sound and Feel

 

This is about as subjective as it gets! Describing a feeling in a way that connects with your audience is a tough thing to do. But let's do it! These irons feel very similar to the Ft. Worth's with one noticeable exception. While they offer a similarly pleasant and soft feel off the face, they have noticeably more heft behind them at impact. My guess is that's due to a more stable clubface, but that resides in me as a “heavier” feeling, and possibly a little muted compared to the 15's. They're not clicky or loud by any stretch.

 

I can definitely tell when I've mishit this iron. It has less harshness through the entire club when compared to the 15's, but it's a noticeably different sound more than anything. That perfectly struck shot is just such a distinct sound. These irons showcase the differences perfectly.

 

I would rank these irons in terms of feel just below the Ft. Worth's on my list, and both of those fall just a hair below a Mizuno blade. Overall they feel fantastic, with just a tad less “butter” than the Ft. Worth's.

 

 

Sound and Feel Score: (17 Out of 20 points)

 

2016-08-03 17.30.05.jpg

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

This is a tough question for me. After having these irons in the bag for a while, they are firmly planted in the bag. With that being said, I don't know if I would have pulled the trigger on these without the testing simply because I don't have an overwhelming hatred of Hybrids like some do. I find those clubs every bit as workable and more forgiving than a long iron, so my first instinct would have been to look into those first, especially considering my overall lack of distance.

 

After my experience with these however, I can't help but love the aspects that truly make these a players iron. I'm going to lose that in the Hybrids and to me, that justifies this score. I've come to realize that sometimes you truly can have the best of both worlds!

 

 

   LOP Score: (15 Out of 20 points)

 

Subjective Notes

 

This is like the adult version of the Fort Worth. It's a little bigger, a little thicker and a little wider than the comparably slim 15's. Where it adds in size however, it displays much more forgiveness and control, a more responsive ball flight and better return on what you put into your strike.

 

These irons really capture the throwback attitude of Ben Hogan as well as the classic lines that we all want out of our irons. I can't say enough just how satisfying the feel is and to be able to look down at this and the Fort Worth side by side with not much of a difference is a testament to how well Hogan has executed this design.

2016-08-03 17.28.18.jpg

 

Conclusion

 

We are at the end friends. As everyone can see these irons have really found a soft spot in my heart. I've noticed that I'm playing some of my best golf since I've received these Fli-Hi's to test and that has so much to do with the dramatic improvement in spin reduction and overall distance these have created for me. For anyone out there who struggles with the long game, these irons have to be on your list. You really bring the performance of a short to mid iron into the long irons as well as the same level of confidence.

Imagine the way you feel out on the course when you step up to the ball 100 yards from the pin and dead center in the fairway. What does that feel like? Where's your confidence? For most of us, we are in our peak confidence state in that setting. 100 yards and in should be a golfer's money zone.

 

People look for the holy grail in this sport all of the time. One tiny change here or there, one tweak of a loft or lie angle, and we all think that suddenly we will become the next Jimmy Walker. Unfortunately for us, that isn't the case. What we CAN do as golfers is honestly analyze our game and determine where we are weakest.

 

The question needs to be “what is costing me the highest percentage of strokes on a per round basis?” and my answer to that question is distance and control with my long irons. These Hogan's seem to be the answer. With stunning good looks, above and beyond forgiveness and a company who displays a love for their product behind them, Hogan sure has a winner on their hands.

 

I would heartily recommend to anyone looking for help in their long game to check these out. You won't be disappointed.

 

Total Score: 87

: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.

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

:titelist-small: Pro-V1 Golf Ball.

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Stage 3 Reserved

: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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I want to start this portion of the project by saying “thank you” to MGS, the people at MGS who make the site and reviews work and the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company.

 

In sharing the information in this post, my goal is to help you decide how the conclusions I arrive at later on will translate to your game and to what extent they might.

 

I'm 46 years old and have been playing golf since I was 12.  Golf has played a big role in my life.  I worked as a caddie, bag room attendant, pro shop assistant and grounds crew member (I cut the holes for a summer and that was REALLY fun and I am sure I was anonymously hated at least a few times) over the course of 7 or so years as a youth.  I went to college on an Evans Scholarship.  And maybe the think that is most important to me now, golf is a bond I share with my Dad.

 

I grew up playing a Donald Ross course and the club I belong to today is a Donald Ross course.  Looking back, learning the game on a Ross course definitely has an effect on how I play the game.   Fairly tight, small greens that slope back to front.  I learned to miss short of the green or pin and to play all different kinds of chips from around the green.  I believe it forced me to tend to be a “feel” player.  I also became good at taking my medicine and punching out of trouble.

 

I'm between a high 6 and high 7 index most of the time.  My driver swing speed in in the 105 mph range indoor on mt SkyTrak.  I suspect its a little higher on the course.  After completing a swing rebuild a couple of years ago.  I went from trying to hit draws to playing a baby fade.  The reason for that is that draws are to hooks as kittens are to cats.  My kitten had turned into a huge cat.  And I grew to really hate that cat.

 

Which brings me to my general aversion to typical hybrids.  I call them “hook wands”.  I have never met a hybrid I did not hit left.  And since I hate left, I hate hybrids.  And since I have never had too much of a problem hitting long irons (I carried a 1-iron until about years ago and I could hit it).  I also tend to hit the ball pretty high so again there hasn't been much of a need for a hybrid.  Hybrids are also U.G.L.Y. 

 

I played most of my life with Hogan blades.  Apex II. Redlines, PC, Grind, 1999 and 2006 models to be exact.  Then, as my swing devolved forcing me into the aforementioned rebuild and the Hogan name was nowhere to be found on a golf club (thanks, Calloway) I bought a set of Titleist AP2's.  I never really got to a better place than détente with them.  I mention this to highlight the fact that a club has to look “right” for me to feel comfortable with it in my bag.

 

Right now I have in the bag:

Ping Anser Driver, 8.5* Diamana ‘ahina X flex shaft

Adams Super S 15* 3 wood stock stiff shaft

Ben Hogan Fw-15 in 22, 26, 30, 34, 38 and 42 degree lofts with KBS Tour V stiff (22, 26 and 30 being pulled for purposes of the review)

Ben Hogan TK-15 46, 50, 54, 58, 62 wedges (same shafts)

Putter Du jour that will be well served to learn how to swim

 

So, what do I expect out of these clubs?  Let me tell you why I bought one well before I knew there was a review opportunity.  I had a gap in my bag between a 3 wood and 22* iron (think 4-iron).  A hybrid was out and a 5-wood was out because of the narrow fairways and extremely penal rough where I play.  I wanted something that would:

  • Be useful from a number of different lies
  • Be more forgiving than a blade ( I wanted the miss to be a more playable shot)
  • Be useful off the tee
  • Look at least somewhat traditional
  • Give a good (but not too high) ball flight
  • Be able to be kept low for punch outs
  • Not go uncontrollably left

That list is my set of expectations for the review clubs with one addition - I have to retain the playability of the club that is being removed from the bag.  These have to be a clear plus to stay.

 

I looked at a lot of options (Titleist 712U was on the list for a long time) and really only made my decision after discussing the clubs and options with a Hogan representative.  I bought a 20* model bent to 19*.

 

I'm not going to get into a review at this point.  It's not time and my review will have a lot to do with the clubs as a long iron alternative and not as a “utility” club.

 

I will share, though, that it's second round in my bag I was about 6 inches away from a double eagle using that club.  It's fair to say I got off to a good start with the FR-Hi iron.

 

Let me know if I can answer any questions or if there is some information that I can provide on a comparative basis that you would like to see in my review.

 

Here's a few shots of the clubs next to their FW-15 counterpart:

post-55440-0-77214500-1467396135_thumb.j

post-55440-0-01021000-1467396170_thumb.j

 

Here's a few pictures of them on their own

post-55440-0-41558300-1467396224_thumb.j

post-55440-0-15780000-1467396246_thumb.j

post-55440-0-49486000-1467396866_thumb.j

 

 

And here's a picture of the result of a 30* FW-Hi shot out of heavy, wet rough from 170 yards (it stopped on a pretty firm green):

post-55440-0-49448200-1467396605.jpg

:

 

 

 

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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Ben Hogan FW-HI Irons Official MGS Forum Review by Mike Z

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Player Biography

These irons (22, 26 and 30 degree) are being reviewed and evaluated next to the same lofts in FW-15 irons.  In order to get in the bag on a permanent basis, the HI's will have to out-perform the 15's.  I'm not afraid of long irons at all.  In fact there are times I would rather have a ling iron in my hand than a mid-iron. 

 

I waited anxiously as the Ben Hogan brand got re-launched and was interested in what they were doing.  I played Hogan Apex in various forms for most of my playing career.  So each new product (except for hybrids – I detest hybrids) is something that I want to put my eyes on.  I became really interested in the HI irons because I wanted to fill a gap between my 3-wood and 22 degree iron.  There are 2 spots on my home course where that becomes important. 

 

I hit the ball fairly high, so the HI flight wasn't why I was interested.  It is because of the added forgiveness and the lower loft available.

These are the clubs I am reviewing along with their counterparts:

 

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 Performance

Performance at the Range

Describe the following:

  • Accuracy – These irons are fairly accurate.  They tend to want to draw a little or a little more than the 15's in my bag.  Though the degree of “left” in the HI's isn't at all unmanageable.  From someone who detests hybrids because of their “left” that should let you know that while it's there on the HI irons, it's not intrusive.  I definitely would not and will not rule then out of my bag for it,
  • Distance – This is where things get interesting for me.  I was honestly expecting a little more distance loft-to-loft than the 15's.  I expected it because in my minds clubs like the Titleist 712U had a hot face (kind of like the SGI clubs out there that are what I call hand-cannons).  The HI's don't have that.  They are almost identical in terms of distance to their counterparts.  I took a screen shot of my launch monitor of a shot that I thought was representative of the overall with each club and its counterpart.  Here is how they compare:

 

 

30-degree 15:

lm1.png

 

 

30 degree HI

lm2.png

26 - degree FW

lm3.png

 

26-degree HI

lm4.png

22-degree 15
lm5.png

 

22-degree HI (a hair thin)  - I am going to refer to this later

lm6.png

 

 

22 Degree HI  (my best swinng of the day – this is probably about 4 yards longer than it should be apples to apples)

lm7.png

 

 

 

  • Trajectory Characteristics – The above numbers tell the story here.  The HI's launch about 2 degrees higher than the 15's.  And even with a little less spin, the ball flies a lit higher.  When hit with the HI's the ball wants to go up.  And even with a thin shot, there isn't much of a launch penalty.  The thin shot above was a groove low in the words of Johnny Miller.
  •  Forgiveness – Stupid easy to hit.  If you hit the ball anywhere there are scoring lines the ball goes relatively straight without a drastic loss of ball speed.  One exception to this will be discussed below and that is a ball struck high on the face.  I will go into the playability of that aspect in a moment but for now the takeaway is that to me the ball seems to balloon and lose a good amount of distance,
  •  Control – The surprising thing to me is t how much the ball could be worked.  My expectations were a kind of straight flight in the direction of the face at impact.  These clubs will give you a fair amount of sidespin when you ask for it.  Not as much as the 15's but enough.  They won't be kicked out of the bag for being too hard to work.  The notable exception is that it is almost impossible for me to hit these low.  Even a punch-shot wants to climb.

 

 Range Score: (8.5 out of 10 points)  There's a lot to like about these clubs.  I'd be tempted to score them higher if it weren't for my massive expectations and the difficulties I have hitting these low.

 

 

FW-HI pulled out a bit

IMG_1556.JPG

Performance on the Course

Describe the following:

  • Accuracy – Not much is different here than the range impressions.  One addition is that the turf interaction was about identical comparing the HI's to the 15's.  I expected the HI's to be a little challenging out of the rough but they weren't.  Even with the wider sole they got through the rough pretty well. 
  • Distance – The experience with these clubs on the course is about the same as what I saw on the range with one (huge in my opinion) exception.  Off of a tee, the HI's were for me easily one club shorter than their counterpart with a high ball flight.  The effect is more pronounced with the 30 and 26 degree than the 22 (maybe only a half a club) degree but the effect is there. This is noticeable and material to me as a golfer.  If you are considering these irons then you need to consider testing these from both turf and from a tee.  Your experience may differ especially if you don't hit the ball as high as me,  I would not recommend crossing them off of your list because of this, but you should be aware of the possibility of an issue and find out how it affects you if at all,.
  • Consistency – Same thing here as with the range and noting the issue I had off the tee.  Except fo a high on the face hit, the HI's were remarkable consistent shot to shot and because of their forgiveness probably eek out an advantage over the 15's in this category. 
  • Shot Shaping – Again, not much different between the range and course in this category.  A punch out of trouble requires a bit of added attention if you need to keep the ball low. 
  • Carry vs Roll – I am going to reply on the launch monitor data above to tell most of the story here.  On the course the HI's spun less than the 15's but the fact that the ball was coming down on a steeper angle pretty much offset the lesser spin. 

Course Score: (23 Out of 30 points – I penalized these pretty severely for their performance off of a tee)

 

Performance Notes

I like the way these clubs perform in all but one area.  And even in that area it's not that the club performed poorly, it's that they performed differently than I expected.  I had some other people try these clubs and the results were generally positive.  I got comments like “the ball jumps off the club” quite a bit.    

Subjective

Looks

These clubs look like a player's club.  For the extra size, its astonishing to me how well the clubs look at address.  I would have trouble telling the HI's from the 15''s from the address position and the 15's are gorgeous to me at address.  From the front and back of the head they are also had to tell from their siblings.  These look a little clunky to me from the sole, but not enough to dissuade me from liking them.  Look quick enough at the bag and you aren't going to notice. 

Looks Score: (19 Out of 20 points)

IMG_1616.JPG

 

Sound and Feel

Things get a little murky here for me.  I SOOOOO want the feel from a classic Hogan blade that anything else just doesn't do it for me.  With that said, I think due allowance has to be made for the fact that these are meant to be forgiving clubs and just aren't going to feel or sound like a blade.  The feel and sound could best be described as muted.  Both are pleasant.  Does it make sense to you if I said that the feel and sound are about 80% of what you would expect from the 15's?  I do want to make one thing clear – both the sound and the feel will let you know how you hit the ball.  I suppose that the feedback is the important part here so no worries.  Another thing I will note is that the impact never sounds “cracky” like the sound you get hitting a “hand cannon” (for those of you old enough think 1980's era Wilson Ultra off of a cast cavity back)

 

 

Sound and Feel Score: (18 Out of 20 points)

 

Likelihood of Purchase

I would definitely purchase this product.  They are good at what they are supposed to be good at.  They are a long iron replacement that plays like a long iron, albeit a more forgiving one.  Knowing what I know now I would not end up with up to a 30 degree.  The ball flight is just too high for me and almost undesirable off of a tee.  I would have at most 2 of these in my bag.  Most of that has to do with how high I hit the ball and not needing or wanting the extra height.

 

 

LOP Score: (18 of 20 points)

 

Subjective Notes

Throughout this review I have posted pictures from a recent trip.  I was VERY fortunate to be able to cross St. Andrews off of my bucket list.  I'm not saying this to brag.  I am saying this to set the stage for laying out my thinking of what clubs to take with me and which to leave home. 

This trip was a once on a lifetime trip and I thought long and hard about which clubs to take.  Should I take the HI's?  They're really easy to hit and spin less than the 15's.  Is the flight going to be too high for the elements over there?  What did I really want more?  Forgiveness or playability? 

Turns out that the 22, 26 and 30 degree HI's stayed home.  I was too concerned about the height of the shots in the Scottish wind.  But that's not the end of the story.  As I disclosed in Stage I, I already owned one of these clubs (20 degree bent to 19).  That club made the trip with me and took the place of my 22 degree FW 15.  My thinking was that as the lofts lowered the “tee penalty” got lower and also at that low of loft the effect of the wind was already as low as I was going to be able to get it.  In hindsight, the 22 and 26 degree models would have been fine as the tight lies all but eliminated a high on the face hit. 

I went into all of that to say this: I had a FW-HI with me and I was happy I had it.  I was a little nervous teeing off on #1 at the Old Course so I didn't make a perfect swing, but the technology in the club gave me a perfect result.  Thank you to the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company and the designers of the FW-HI's for rewarding my trust with 120 yard in from the center of the fairway.

 

IMG_1572.JPG

 

Questions & Answers.

I am going to leave this spot open as a place to address direct questions that the MGS community may have.  As I see them I will add them here and answer them. 

 

 

Conclusion

I perhaps jumped the gun and told my story a little early.  So at this point I all I have left to say is that if you are looking at a long iron replacement for the purpose of getting something easier to hit than what you have but want it to look like a genuine long iron then you owe it to yourself to put these on the “try” list.  If you are looking for extra distance then you probably need to look elsewhere.  I commend Hogan for creating these clubs for a specific purpose and creating something that fits the purpose exactly.

 

Lastly I want to thank Hogan and MGS for the opportunity, My experimentation continues and the decisions I made about what to ta with me to Scotland aren't necessarily final with respect to what I am putting in the bag permanently. 

Total Score: (86.5 out of 100 points)

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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Stage 3 Reserved

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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Again I want to thank MGS for this great test.  I am currently in Urbana, IL and playing out of the Urbana Country Club.  I am carrying a +2.3 index and usually can play close to it.  I have been playing golf for almost 30 years (I'm 32) and played college golf at St. Bonaventure University.

 

My game resides around ball striking and being able to get up and down.  I have a very low ball flight so testing the Ft Worth Hi's will hopefully improve that.  I do not lack for distance, my current driver swing speed is 117 and can reach the low 120's if I need it to.  I love pressure situations and my game tends to get better in those moments.  Amazing what a little focus can do.  I have a US Amateur qualifier coming up on July 12 and these will be in the bag for that along with the SNELL MTB.

 

My shot shape is a natural draw and that is a shot I am very comfortable with.  I can hit the cut if needed, but it is not something I like to do. 

 

Now onto my initial impression of the FT Worth Hi's.  When I got the clubs I was very excited.  They came in a regular club box or so I thought.  Once you open the box you find it is very nicely packed and has the Ben Hogan colors and logo throughout.  A very classy touch is the quote on the inside of the box under the clubs.  Once I got the clubs out I could tell I was going to hit them very well.  The way they felt in my hands and set up to a ball felt great.  I couldn't wait to get them onto the course. 

 

Lucky for me I was able to play with them and my first shot with them was from 245 with the 20*.  I was very surprised and the flight of the ball.  Not my usual low bullet, but a very nice hi boring shot.  It ended up on the front fringe and needless to say I could not have been happier with how they felt.  I have been hitting them off of the tee and fairway lies.  So far they have been great.  Everyone that see's them is asking where to get them.  I am playing hopefully (rain) 3 rounds this weekend and then 4 the following (36 each day) and then 36 on July 12.  I will give an update after each weekend and have stage 2 up after then.  If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

Driver: Callaway Rogue 9*

FW: Sub 70 Pro 4 wood

Hybrid: Sub 70 949 Hybrid 19*

Irons:  Sub 70 

659 CB 4 - 6 Black

639 MB 7 - PW

Wedges: Sub 70

JB - 50* 54* & 60*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x
Handicap index:  +3.9

Instagram: joshandersongolf

Twitter: @jacustomgolf

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Ft. Worth Hi - Official Forum Review by Jacustomgolf

 

Currently in the bag (one change since the SNELL review)

 

Titleist 915 D2 10.5*

Titlesit 913 Fd 15*

Ft. Worth Hi 20*, 23* & 27*

Titleist AP 2 712 6-PW

Cleveland 588 RTX 50*, 54* & 60*

 

A very mixed bag for sure.  The last time I played my swing was back.  I really think it has to do with taking full swings.  I have been trying to get too cute with shots and making less than full swings.  I just need to hit greens and the putts will fall and that is what I started to do.  I was taking the proper club to find the green (not necessarily get me close) and it worked out nicely. 

 

I tend to play a more aggressive round of golf and I had gotten away from that.  Playing smart golf just does not usually work well for me.  I do not know why, but swinging for the aggressive play usually works out better for me.  The course I play was built in 1922 and is tree lined and tight.  This being said you can still find ways to cut corners and hit driver if you want to play that way.  I like to.  The course has its share of easy and hard holes.  I would say that they do not even out, and there are more easy holes than hard holes thanks to a lack of hazards on the back 9.  I know playing this course will make my game better in the long run, although my job may not. 

 

Performance

 

Performance on the course

 

Distance - These irons have all the distance that I need.  I have not been able to get onto a launch monitor due to work, but I hope to here in the near future.  The best shot I hit with my Ft. Worth Hi 20* was a tee shot.  I actually love this club off the tee.  Our 12th hole is a 415 yard par 4 dog leg left, down hill landing area, tree lined with a creek in front of the green.  You can hit driver thru the fairway leaving no shot and you can lay up too short leaving no shot.  I use my 20* here and I have had as little as 125 yards in.  The other irons (23* & 27*) are just as good.  The ball jumps off the face for me and even on miss hits they are still near the green.  From a fairway lie my yardages are 20* - 230 yards, 23* - 220 yards and 27* - 205 yards.  Very good for this guy.

 

Consistency - The Ft. Worth Hi irons are very consistent.  Nice high (high for me) ball flight and I can work the ball either direction, usually. I have great confidence when I get to hit these irons.  The way they feel in my hands, I knew as soon as I took them out of the box that they were going to be a great club.  The ball out of the fairway has a nice high trajectory and is very soft when landing.  Out of the rough the clubs get the ball airborne and we all know this is harder to do for long irons.  Another area I have found them great is punch shots.  Very good at staying below limbs (7') our trees are mostly trimmed up so you can try and hit good recovery shots.  There is something to say for a club that keeps producing results.

 

Feel - Like I said above. For me I knew these were going to be good right out of the box.  The club just feels good to me.  I have not had a stinger yet with these irons, could be that its always 90*+ when I play too, but for now I am going to say its the clubs, and yes some of my shots should have rang up through my arms.  On good shots you know you hit it well.  The feeling is awesome, for me its how a golf shot should feel.  This is where these clubs win over my Titleist AP 2's.

 

Carry - The Ft. Worth Hi's are a winner when it comes to carry for me.  I had a hard time getting my longer irons in the air.  These irons get the ball up and for me that is huge.  To carry the 20* 230 yards and have it stop on the green is a great asset to my game.  Before these irons I was trying to hit a soft cut with a hybrid, not my shot.  Now I can just swing and know the ball has enough height on it to stop.  I do not know all of the technology in these irons, but for me it is night and day between them and my AP2 712's. 

 

Performance on the course score - 47-50 (yes I love these irons)

 

Notes:

 

These irons are simply amazing for me.  To be able to hit lower lofted clubs in the air again (keep in mind I do not hit a moon ball with these, but its a lot higher than what I had) is simply a very good feeling.  I know I will keep these in the bag the rest of the year and probably take a serious look at filling out the rest of my set with Hogans. 

 

Looks & Durability

 

These irons came in a plan brown box, or so I thought.  Once I cut the tape away, the box opened to the nice Hogan red, white and blue.  A very nice quote on the inside as well was a great touch.  Now the clubs look just as good as I had hoped.  I show them to people and they think they are awesome.  Some even have thought they were still the older Hogans.  They are not.  I have only had these a few months, but so far the clubs are holding up as to be expected.  No dings no usually scratching. I feel right now these clubs are winning on the looks, thinner top line, not an overly large sole. And a compact look at address. Give them a year in the bag to fill out the durability, but right now they are winners.

 

Looks & Durability Score - 13 - 15

 

Sound and Feel

 

I am going to say that for irons they have a very crisp sound.  Its the sound a well struck ball should make.  Not sharp, not loud.  Its a sound that says I just hit a golf shot.  Its a sound that your playing partners comment on after you strike it.  The clubs let everyone know that is what a golf shot should sound like.  The feel aspect goes right along with sound for me.  Just a nice solid feel.  There is nothing like the sound and feel of a well struck golf shot, and these Ft. Worth Hi's hit the mark in this category.

 

Sound & Feel Score - 13 - 15

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

The Ft. Worth Hi's are long irons only.  That being said I would be more than willing to look and fill out the mid and short irons with a Hogan product.  As far as the Ft. Worth Hi's I would recommend them to anyone who has a higher swing speed and is looking for more forgiveness in a long iron.  Yes they are expensive, yes they are not that easy to find (big box stores), but a little help from the Hogan team and you will be set up very nicely.  If I did not own these long irons and I hit them, I would order a set.  And I will probably order the PXi's this winter. 

 

Likelihood of Purchase Score - 17 - 20

 

Conclusion and Final Score

 

I love these irons.  What can I say.  They work for me.  I hit the ball higher than I ever have with long irons and it has brought a part of the game to me that I was long searching for.  I never found it with hybrids (too big and chunky).  And I never had a set of irons that I felt as comfortable with.  If the rest of the Ft. Worth irons feel as good as these then they have some winners in my mind.  I know these Ft. Worth Hi's will stay in my bag for years to come.  They simply are better for my long game.  When I can set up from 220 yards and be confident I am going to hit the green, that is what I want and that is where I can get lower scores.  I know I have only had these a few weeks, but I know when something will stay in my bag. 

 

Total Score - 90 - 100

 

I will keep updating photos as the summer goes along. 

 

 

 

 

Driver: Callaway Rogue 9*

FW: Sub 70 Pro 4 wood

Hybrid: Sub 70 949 Hybrid 19*

Irons:  Sub 70 

659 CB 4 - 6 Black

639 MB 7 - PW

Wedges: Sub 70

JB - 50* 54* & 60*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x
Handicap index:  +3.9

Instagram: joshandersongolf

Twitter: @jacustomgolf

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Stage 3 Reserved

Driver: Callaway Rogue 9*

FW: Sub 70 Pro 4 wood

Hybrid: Sub 70 949 Hybrid 19*

Irons:  Sub 70 

659 CB 4 - 6 Black

639 MB 7 - PW

Wedges: Sub 70

JB - 50* 54* & 60*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x
Handicap index:  +3.9

Instagram: joshandersongolf

Twitter: @jacustomgolf

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Hi, I'm Chad from South Carolina, and I would like to start by saying I'm honored to be chosen as a tester for the new Ben Hogan Ft Worth Hi irons. Thanks to MGS for the opportunity. Now, on to telling you a little bit about myself.

 

My golfing experience started as a kid, around 5 or 6, going out with my Dad, who's been a single digit handicap for as long as I can remember, and just riding along, hitting shots every once a while, while my Dad lied and told me I was hitting the ball great, as most of us Dads do at that age. I really enjoyed several parts of the game, especially hitting a driver as far as I could (isn't that what it's all about), and participated in the youth golf programs at the course every summer until I was around 12. After that, I'd play occasionally, but I had too many other interests, such as baseball (and girls, can't forget about them) to get serious about it. I came from a very small town in Northern Michigan and our school didn't have a golf team. I had few friends that liked playing and every once in a while we'd go out and just have a good time, not really caring about how badly we shot. The best part of my game was my driving, although I was pretty wild, but I had that grip and rip it mentality and would often hit the ball as far as my Dad and even sometimes a little past him, which I think irked him a bit.

 

When I hit my early 20s, I started to get a little more serious about the game. That's also around the time I started becoming serious about high end golf equipment, vs the Sam's Club specials I had been playing, although those Knight clubs were pretty sweet. I started playing and practicing as much as I could and got my handicap down to respectable 12, then I joined the Air Force. After basic training and my tech school, I began to play again and felt like I had never hit a golf ball before in my life but I stuck with it, playing the base course I was stationed at in South Carolina about 5 days a week. My golf game got better and better and I finally got my handicap down to single digits and was at one point a 6 handicap.

 

I stayed at this level for a long time and was enjoying my golf game, especially when I made the decision to stop losing my temper after a bad shot once I hit my 30s. Then, I reached 35 and found the love of my life whom I married shortly after (thanks eharmony). She had a 3 year old son at the time and we initiated the birthing process (you like how I said that?) to produce a beautiful little girl in 2012. My golfing time became very limited for the next couple of years and my handicap started to soar to new heights. Rounds in the 90s became the norm. Towards the start of 2015 things started to calm down quite a bit and I decided to start getting serious about the game again. I started hitting balls several days a week at a course near work on my lunch break and practiced my short game. I started getting more chances to play again. I also started getting hardcore about my fitness once I turned 40 last year and that helped my game tremendously, especially my club head speed. Now I feel much more confident in my game and trust that when I go out the good shots will greatly outnumber the bad. I'm also working on getting the kids involved in golf so they can go out with me occasionally and I don't feel bad asking my wife if I can play. 

 

So, that's my golfing experience in a nutshell. Golf is one of those things that is always on my mind. I'll be in a conversation with someone and find myself having trouble focusing because I'm thinking about my golf game. I just need to have friends that only talk about golf and I'll be golden.

 

What I hope to get out of these Ben Hogan Ft Worth Hi Irons is more consistency in my long irons, better feel than my current set, and the ability to hit different types of shots. I hit my current Apex CF16 irons fairly well but I do struggle with distance control at times and I'm hoping these sweet looking Hogan long irons will do the job. Also the CF16 irons don't feel anywhere close to as good as the Apex Pro 16 short irons in my set. They feel much better than a pure distance cavity back like the XR irons but they do not give you that buttery pure, forged feel that all golfers long for. The Apex Pro 16 irons also only like one shot shape, straight. While this is great in most situations, I do like to work my irons from time to time and I think the Hogan's may help with this. I'm really looking forward to testing them and finding out.

 

The Questions

●     Handicap/average score? I normally shoot around 80 and don't sway too far away from it.

●     Strengths of your game? I hit a lot of fairways which helps me a lot. I strike my driver very well and usually play smart on the shorter holes hitting an iron or hybrid of the tee. I believe getting off the tee well keeps me from having those dreaded blow up holes.

●     Weakness of your game? Putting, pure and simple. I'm a mess. I've been through 20 different putters these last two years and I'm continuously trying new grips and set ups. I miss more short putts than anyone I know and give a lot of birdies away because of it. I chip well but I can't make the follow on putt which kills my short game. Most of the problems here are in my head.

●     Typical ball flight? I hit the ball fairly high and usually try to play low flight shafts to keep the ball down. While I hit my driver very accurately, I know I produce too much spin and I'm working on that. I also spin my irons too much, often spinning the ball back on greens, but I'm improving in this category as well.

●     Typical miss? My typical miss is my least favorite, and that's the left shot. I hate missing left. I have my irons bent flat to combat this and I'm about to switch to a Ping G LS Tec driver that's fade biased to help with this miss with the driver.

●     Current comparable equipment? I play the Callaway Apex 16 combo set and the long irons are the Apex CF16 which I will be comparing the Hogan irons against.

●     Swing tempo? When I'm playing well, I have a slow backswing with and aggressive transition. This seems to set me up well and keep me on the right plane.

●     Driver swing speed? I've worked hard on this one and was recently tested at 108 which is much higher than I was 6 months ago. Grip and rip it I say.

●     What makes you love the game? I love the integrity of the game, I love the feeling of a pure shot, I love the calmness of being outdoors on a beautiful day doing something I love. I also love playing, and sometimes trash talking with friends. I also love the history of the game and how it's grown into what it is today.

●     How long have you been golfing? I've been golfing for approximately 35 years, but I've only been serious about improving for about the last 18 so eventually I'll be decent I hope. J

●     What kind of golfer are you? I'm a golfer that plays as often as I get chance to and is continuously working on improving.

●     What's your story? I believe I covered that in the intro. I'm just a life-long golfer that loves, loves the game.

●     What is in your bag?

       Cobra King LTD 9* w/Matrix Ozik Black Tie X-Stiff (Soon to be replaced by a Ping G LS Tec w/Tour 65 X-STiff loft setting tbd)
       Cobra King LTD 14.5* w/Matrix Ozik Red Tie Stiff
       Callaway 815 Alpha Hybrid 18* w/Speeder 865 X-Stiff
       Callaway 815 Alpha Hybrid 23* w/Speeder 865 X-Stiff
       Callaway Apex CF16/Pro 16 combo set 4-PW 1* Flat w/Dynamic Gold S300
       Callaway MD3 S-Grind 51* w/Dynamic Gold S300
       Callaway PM Grind Wedge 56* w/KBS Tour V Wedge Flex
       Spider Limited Itsy Bitsy 34" w/Superstroke 2.0

       Nike RZN Black

       Projekt Kozmak Golf Bag

●     How did you choose them? I read countless reviews until I figured out what I would like to try and then hit them all in different golf stores. Once I figured the best specs for them, I pulled the trigger.

●     What region do you play out of? I live in South Carolina and mostly play courses in the Southeast but I do take occasional trips to play. I really enjoy playing golf when I make back to my home state of Michigan because we have some great courses up there.

                        ●     Are you a tinkerer or a set and forget it type? I am way too much of tinkerer. I'm like tinkerer on steroids. I can't stop. I never seem to be happy with my equipment or every aspect of my swing. I'm always trying to find things that                               will help me improve to the point where I sometimes don't give myself the time to get used to what I have. Someone please help. My name is Chad and I'm a tinkerer-aholic. J

 

Here's a few pics to give you an idea of how the Ft Worth Hi Irons look and how they look in the bag. First impressions are that they are beautiful but well see how they perform.

 

IMG_0717.jpg

They arrived in very normal looking box.

IMG_0718.jpg

But when you opened them up the magic began.

IMG_0723.jpg

Very blade like looks with classic lines. I think they are hiding the forgiveness well.

IMG_0725.jpg

I went with the KBS Tour V Stiff shafts and the Hogan OEM grips that I think look great.

IMG_0727.jpg

The V-Sole looks interesting. I can't wait to see the turf interaction.

IMG_0746.jpg

They look so great in the bag. The only issue is that they are making my Callaway irons look bad. If I keep these in the bag after testing, I can definitely see myself changing my short irons out with some of the Hogan irons and wedges. They just look so nice!

 

Well, that it for Stage 1. Feel free to ask any questions. I think it's going to be a lot of fun putting these in play. I'll have a lot more pictures in Stage 2 of how they look next to my Apex CF16 irons and a good review on their initial performance.

 

 

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Once again I'd like to thank MGS for the opportunity to test the Ben Hogan Ft Worth Hi Long irons. I've really enjoyed the testing period thus far and have given these irons every opportunity to win me over. Did they do the job? Well you'll have to read on to find out.

 

As I stated in my Stage 1, I'm Chad from South Carolina and I've been playing golf since I was kid and my handicap is around an 8. I love the game and wish I could play every day, but I also love spending time with my wife, 3 and 9 year old and they take up a lot of my time. If you mix that in with the whole annoying work thing, I really only get to play around once a week, but I keep my game sharp by going to the range almost every day at lunch.

 

For this test, I pitted these irons up against my current long irons. I game the Callaway Apex CF16/Pro combo set, and the long irons these would replace are the Apex CF16 4(21.5*), 5(24*), and 6(27.5*) irons with Dynamic Gold S300 shafts. In choosing the lofts, I went with the 28, 25, and 21 degree irons, all of which are slightly off from my current set. I did this because I was hoping to slightly decrease the gap between my 6 and 7 iron so I went with a slightly weaker loft in the 5 and 6 iron replacements. I went slightly stronger in the 21 degree with hopes of bringing the flight down slightly as I hit the 4 iron fairly high already and I'd hit this more off tee than anywhere else. For the shafts I went with the KBS tour V stiff shafts hoping they would feel and play similarly to my DGs. I also have an 18 and 23 degree Callaway Alpha 815 hybrid to compare the performance of the Hogan's against. As I said in my Stage 1 review the one thing I can say about these irons is that they are some serious lookers, but looks are only skin (or gloriously beautiful steel) deep. The real question is, “how do they perform?”

 

IMG_0744.jpg

 

Performance at the Range

 

I began my relationship with these irons by seeing how they could handle a little range time and hit them up against my Apex irons. I go to the driving range 4 or 5 days a week so I had plenty of time to put them through a thorough gamut of tests. My range time began by just getting used to them. They don't feel as heavy as my current irons, most likely because of the shafts, so I struggled slightly with my tempo when first trying them out, but then I fell into a groove with and really started to appreciate what they could do.

 

Accuracy- After I dialed them in, I started to feel like I could pick a spot on the range and hit directly to that spot. My miss with them was normally left, but in all fairness my miss with my Apex irons is also left, so it wasn't a huge change. I started going back and forth between every one of the Hogan irons and my Apex irons and honestly saw similar results with both. I was hitting both sets very close to my targets the majority of time which is really all I can ask for.

 

Distance- For this category I had a little help judging how far I was hitting the ball by using my trusty ES14 launch monitor using the setup you see below:

 

IMG_0807.JPG

IMG_0818.JPG

 

What I saw was almost identical distances and ball speeds from both sets. Visually, the Hogan's launched slightly higher but not by a considerable amount. It also seemed like the Hogan's were spinning a bit more which is helpful for stopping the ball on the green but also must be taken into consideration when hitting into the wind. The distances were good, as are the distances from my Apex irons, but it was exactly what I would expect for irons at these lofts, no better or worse. I averaged 185 carry with the Apex 5 iron and 183 carry with the 25 degree Hogan for instance. My hybrids on the other hand play much longer than the lofts they are stamped with. My hybrids also seem to flight higher than the Hogan irons as well, but I do have a much easier time hitting low punch shots into the wind with the Hogan and Callaway irons than I can with the hybrids.

 

Forgiveness- Looking down at these blade (albeit large blade) like irons can be a bit intimidating at first. They definitely have a thinner topline than my current set, but then you put a smooth swing on them and look up in shock at how easy to they seem to be to hit high and straight. When I'm not striking the ball well, my mishits tend to be low on the face and these did an outstanding job of still flying long and straight with minimal distance loss. I also feel like my current set does a good job of this as well which is one of the reasons I play them. Once, I found the middle of the clubface with these babies, I longed for that feeling of amazingness that I'll better describe further on in the review. Overall, these pack a ton of forgiveness in very small package. They still don't equal the forgiveness of my hybrids but they aren't far off either and, as I've said, they are much more playable for different kinds of shots than the hybrids.

 

Control- I found that I could hit multiple types of shots with these irons. I could hit them high or low, and cuts or draws seemed easy. I'm also able to do this with my Apex irons but it seemed a little easier with the Hogan's

 

Range Score: 9 (Out of 10 points)

 

Performance on the Course

 

Accuracy – Once I got these to the course, it was really time to put them to the test. I'll start by discussing the performance of the tee. I like to use my 4 iron or hybrids on tight holes to hit the fairway and give me a short to mid iron in to the green. The

Hogan's performed admirably here. I used the 21 and 25 degree off several tees and was able to lace it down the middle more often than not. The 21 degree resulted in a few bad shots when I lost focus but those shots usually where more of a loss of distance than a miss left or right. These performed just as well as my current set of irons and even my hybrids off the tee. Moving on to shots off the ground, the 25 and 28 degree performed terrifically. I struck them well from a variety of lies and the turf interaction was terrific, maybe even a little better than my Apex irons. For some odd reason, I struggled a bit with the 21 degree on these type of shots. The shaft almost seemed a little too long to me, and it was killing some of my confidence in the club. I ended up thinning some shots. I don't have this same issue with my Apex 4 iron. I also did hit some good shots off the turf with the 21 degree but not enough to give me confidence in it. I'd rather play my 23 degree hybrid off most lies than the 21 degree Hogan as the hybrid carries a similar distance and is more forgiving.

 

Distance- This is an easy section for me to review because I track all my rounds with my Game Golf live GPS system. This gives me a fairly accurate idea of how far I hit all of my clubs. Based on what I've seen, these irons fly almost exactly as far as my current set. When I was at my normal 6 iron Apex CF16 distance, I would pull out the 28 degree Hogan Hi iron and give it a solid swing and it didn't let me down. I have no complaints about the distance. I've used utility irons like the Callaway Apex UT irons before and they always seem to be hot off the face and go further, plus spin less, than I expected. No worries about that here. They go how far they are supposed to, which I like.

 

Consistency- This for me is purely down to strike. When I strike these in the center they seem to go the distance I would expect every time. When I strike on parts of the face, that tour pros have never hit, they go 10 yards or more less. As I've mentioned, these are very forgiving, though, and give me similar consistency to my Apex irons.

 

Shot Shaping- This is where these really shined for me over my current set. I felt like they were much easier to work. My normal shot is a draw and I was able to hit those with ease, but I was also able to pull off the fade or cut shot, and I really struggle to do that with my Apex long irons. These worked really well and made me feel like a “player!”

 

Carry vs Roll- I expected these irons to have very little roll out because of their high flying attributes and they didn't let me down, unless I struck them thin of course. The 21 degree had a few mishits that rolled for a mile but the 25 and 28 degree flew high, landed softly, and stopped. I like those type of shots since it's easier for me to control my carry distances than total distance. They spin a little more than my Apex irons so they did great in this category as well.

 

Course Score: 25 (Out of 30 points)

 

Looks

 

I think you already know my feelings in this department. These are some of the sexiest long irons I've had the fortune to gaze upon in a long time. They made the rest of the irons in my bag look like they forgot to put their makeup on and made me consider an entire set of Hogan irons based just on this category alone. I love the smooth lines, thin topline, minimal graphics, and classic looks. They look to me like a blade with a little bit extra on the back side. As the classic song goes, “Baby got back!” Nothing wrong with that.

 

IMG_0730.jpg

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IMG_0735.jpg

IMG_0736.jpg

IMG_0737.jpg

 

Looks Score: 20 (Out of 20 points)

 

Sound and Feel

 

This is another category where these shined. After I hit the first shot pure, I just wanted to hit more. They feel and sound like warm melted glorious butter. My Apex irons feel much better than a pure distance iron, like the XRs, but the difference between the Hogans and Apex irons was pretty dramatic. Mishits still felt like mishits which is what I would want out of a club like this. They weren't quite as harsh as a pure blade (which I've owned in the past), but you can definitely tell when you've missed the sweet spot.

 

Sound and Feel Score: 20 (Out of 20 points)

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

This is a tough one. I really enjoyed these irons and wouldn't mind putting them in the bag, but I also feel like these would fit in best with a full set of Hogan irons. I honestly really like what I'm getting out of my current irons so it would be difficult for me to make a change. If I had a set of blades, or difficult to hit long irons, I would upgrade to these in a second, but it's really difficult for me to make a change right now when I have a great relationship going with the Callaway's. I really would like to try these in a slightly heavier shaft, like the DG S300 as well to give them a fair comparison to my current set.

 

LOP Score: 15 (Out of 20 points)

 

Conclusion

 

So, as I've said, these irons have a lot going for them. I've used them at around 20 range sessions and during 6 rounds of golf and I've hit a lot of great shots with them. They are beautiful and look good in the bag, but I'm struggling a little compensating for the weight differences between my Apex irons and these and I'm also very comfortable with how I hit the Apex CF16 long irons. The 4 iron in the Apex seems easier to hit than the Hogan 21 degree but I do think I could adjust to that. I think I'll give them some more time on the course to make my final decisions, but they really need the other Hogan irons to complement their beauty in the bag.

 

One more shot just to remind you of how good these look:

 

IMG_0723.jpg

 

Total Score: 89 

 

Please feel free to ask me any questions about any part of my testing or the clubs themselves. I'll try to answer as soon as I'm able.

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Stage 3 Reserved 

Titleist TS3 9.5* w/Accra TZ5 65 X-Stiff
Titleist TS3 15* w/Fujikura Ventus 7X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 20* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Callaway Apex19 Hybrid 23* w/Accra TZ5 95X
Titleist 718 CB 5 iron w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist 718 MB 6-PW w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Titleist SM7 Wedges 50*, 54*, 58* w/KBS $Taper X-Stiff
Bettinardi Queen B 10 34.5"
Titleist Pro V1 or Snell MTB-X

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Sorry its a little late, been out of town on business.

 

A big thank you to Hogan and MyGolfSpy for this opportunity.  

 

Here is a little bit about myself.  I have been playing golf for about 25 years now, started when I was 10 and have been fully self taught. I played competitive golf through High school and 2 years of college at a MAC school. After college I got married and now have two kids 3 & 6 years old.  These days I play whenever possible but with family and work commitments its not as much as I would like. When I cannot play I am a practice range junkie. My new handicap as of 7/8/16 is hovering at 3.2. I am not a long hitter but statistically I'm very accurate. 

 

So now onto the questions:

 

Handicap/average score:  Currently 3.2 and been lowering

 

Strengths of your game:  Ball Striking/Accuracy and Putting

 

Weakness of your game: Distance

 

Typical ball flight: High... Very High

 

Typical miss:  Pull Straight Left due to AoA

 

Current comparable equipment: Callaway Apex Pro 15 Irons

 

Swing tempo: Smooth with steep angle of attack.

 

Driver swing speed: 96mph to 98mph

 

What makes you love the game: The integrity of the game, the difficulty, and the serenity of being out there just you vs the course.

 

How long have you been golfing: 25+ years 

 

What is in my bag:

Current Driver: Taylormade R11s 9°, Shaft Rip Phoenom X Flex 60g -1.5"

Current Fairway Wood: 2015 XR Deep 3 Wood 14* - Project X LZ 70 Red

Irons: Callaway Apex Pro 15 Irons 6-PW KBS Tour V Steel Stiff- Up 2 Lie.

 Hogan FTW Hi 20,24,27 KBS Tour V Steel Stiff - Up 2 Lie

Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 52 & 60 

Putter: Rife Legend 2 bar 34"

 

What region do you play out of: Moseley, VA (Just outside Richmond.)

 

Are you a tinkerer or a set and forget it type:  I would have to say I'm a set and forget with just a smidge of tinkering when something new comes my way. I'll get it figured out and fit properly then set and forget.

 

What I am hoping to get out of these clubs: I have traditionally hit long irons exceptionally well. Prior to getting these I carried a Cobra 1 iron and down to a 3 iron in my Apex Pro's. Being shorter off the tee (avg about 235-240), I tend to hit a lot of long Irons. I often play as a single and always get the "You hit the ball so high" comment out of whomever I get paired up with. I'm hoping these provide the same consistency and accuracy with a more piercing flight and release.

 

20160709_070812.jpg

 

The last question is How does equipment get into my bag?   I am normally a stick with what works but when an opportunity arises for me to test something, (Demo Days, New releases, Course events, An opportunity like this.) I am willing to give anything a chance with the pleasant hope that it performs. I do attend a lot of these events but unless I;m blown away I stick with what I have. If I don't have confidence in it I wont swap it for something in my bag. I'm one of those players who is confident with pretty much any lie as I am confident in my swing and equipment. Therefore this is probably why I have had 4 iron sets in 25+ years and only 5 drivers... I'm not going to switch without valid reason.

 

20160709_070838.jpg

 

20160709_070917.jpg

 I'm on vacation next week and the green light to give these beautiful clubs a thorough testing. 

Cobra F7 10.5
2015 XR Deep 3 Wood 14* - Project X LZ 70 Red
Callaway Apex Pro Irons 6-PW C Taper 120 Stiff- Up 2.
Hogan FTW Hi 24,27 KBS Tour V Steel Stiff
Wedges:Callaway Mack Daddy 52 & 60
Putter:Rife Legend 2 bar 34"
Right Handed.
Richmond VA area (Moseley).
5.8USGA Handicap

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Ft. Worth Hi - Official Stage 2 Review  - Bryan*

*My wife took our camera on her business trip and it has my photos on it. She won't be back until 8/9 so I will get photos up as soon as she returns.

 

Irons Currently in the Bag 

Ft. Worth Hi 20*, 24* & 27*

Callaway Apex Pro 5-PW

 

I love long irons and if I could hit them all day I would… I have a Cobra Gravity back 1 iron that I've had for what seems like forever that I hit like Kevin Costner hit the 7 in Tin Cup… its heaven.

 

This is where the problem comes in… ball flight. I typically hit a high trajectory, medium spin shot with my irons so I was curious to see what I would get out of these beautiful irons. I'm picky I would in an ideal world like a medium penetrating flight that I can still put some spin on to check up. In the real world however I hit a higher ball and can put some decent spin on most shots. I love the look of blades and have moved away from “Game improvement” equipment due to the fat/chunky look many are going with. I loved the look of the Callaway Apexes and decided to go that way. Earlier this year I re-shafted my irons to C-Taper 120s after testing them and finding a more desirable ball flight. 

 

Let's see how these stack up.

 

Performance

  

Distance – I started using these at the range first to get a comfortable swing as the shafts seem so much different from my current shafts –C Taper 120 Stiff. The weight is taking some getting used to but the ball contact feels great. I don't have a launch monitor and the closest one is about an hour and a half away so I'm going to be using range and on course distances in this portion, but will get to the launch monitor in the next few weeks. I have kept the clubs grouped together and split the range and course.

 

Performance Questions at the bottom of performance.

 

I started off comparing my 21 degree 3 iron with the 20 degree Ft Worth Hi:

 

-Range: We have a 215 yard pin that I normally hit my 3 iron to so I started with this. I warmed up with my Apex 3 iron and hit 12 balls towards the 215 green. 9/12 landed on the green with a pretty tight dispersion. I figured I was warmed up so I switched up to the Hogan 20 degree. Not going to lie the first 3 shots I hit with it were snap hooks left. The 4th shot I hit was what seemed like a moonshot but it landed about 5 yards short of the green and rolled up on the fringe. I proceeded to hit 11 more shots and disregarded the first 3. The more comfortable I got the more I noticed how high the shots were and it almost seemed like I was ballooning out and losing distance. I hit 7/12 onto the green but 5 of them landed short and rolled on. It had me curious so I moved on to the 4 iron at the range.

 

-Course: At my home course we have 2 holes that the distance fits this club perfectly. I went out during the week a few days and spent some extra time when reaching these holes. The first is a 207 yard par 3 that has a slight elevation. Due to a slow day on the course I stopped and hit 5 balls trying to shape it a little and just see the overall performance on this hole. I hit 3/5 onto the green with 1 as another hook and one that came up about 10 yards short. Since then I have played this hole 11 additional times and am 7/11 on hitting it with the 20 degree. The high ball flight allows for a soft landing and I can put some spin on it if desired. Ball flight height still really has me baffled.

 

The second hole is a 323 yard par 4 that has a hazard about 235 off the tee. Perfect opportunity for this club off the tee. There was no traffic so I sat here for a while. I hit 10 balls with the 20 degree and 2(yellow balls) with my 3 iron to have comparison. I normally have a slight left to right ball flight of 2-3 yards with my 3 iron and to a tee hit my two 3 irons exactly as expected. The 20 degree Ft Worth got me intrigued here, off of a tee I proceeded to hit 5 of 10 with a ~5 yard draw. I still had 2 hooks and a straight left pull, the other two shots were dead center straight. After this hole I knew I wanted some more range time to toy with the draw possibility. Since this day I have played this hole 11 more times and have actually been using the 24 degree Ft worth and hit my target area 10/11 times.

 

Next up was my 23 degree 4 iron vs the 24 degree Ft Worth Hi:

 

-Range: We have a 200 yard green so this was my target for this club. I used the same process starting with my Apex 4 iron and hit 12 balls. Hit 8/12 on the green with 3 of the other 4 going slightly long, last ball I got a bit handsy and sliced it immensely. Next up was the 24 degree Ft Worth, first shot I was hoping was a sign to come; I hit a smooth, solid shot to what looked like 6 inches from the range pin. The next 6 shots however were not as promising, each of them seemed incredibly high and landed 8-10 yards short of the green. I adjusted my alignment and ball position and worked to see if it was something I was doing or had changed, however I continued to hit crazy high shots and they would come up a little short. Hit 3/12 onto the green with 8 being 5+ yards short. Off to the course with this one.

 

-Course: After the range, I decided this club should be my 195 club. I found a few holes (3) where I could tee off with the 24 degree and have a fairway shot with it also. The first hole is a 399 par 4 slightly downhill, my accuracy off the tee with this club is spot on. I hit 3 balls off the tee and they were all in a 2-3 yard cluster in the center. All of them had ball marks about 5-8 feet behind the balls so not getting much roll out of it(probably due to height of shots.) I then proceeded to use the 20 degree for 5 fairway shots from those 3 locations. Hit the green on 4/5 shots but got no release just a very soft landing and check on all 4 shots. The more I hit these the more I think the height of the shots is impacting distance, but I do like the soft landings and checks on the greens.

 

The next is a 188 par 3 so I figured that I would take a nice and easy swing and see how it went. With these clubs I'm finding I need to take full swings if I ease up I tend to get handsy and push/pull. After 4 shots and 4 sprayed misses I decided this hole wasn't for this club, I grabbed my Apex 5 iron and put one on the green.

 

The final hole is a downhill par 4 just over 400 yards, like the first hole I hit this club very well and very high off the tee on all 3 shots, leaving myself between 190-200 yards to the hole. I figured lets stick with it and hit it into the green. 2/3 I landed on the green in my target location. The last I hit right to left and put it in a green side bunker short. Overall I like the feel of the club and the result but the excess high flight doesn't leave me with the confidence I have with my Apexes, but they are very easy to hit and produce good results. Since then I have played 11 rounds and find myself using this club on 1 tee shot consistently and mainly for layups on par 5's.

 

And finally my 26 degree 5 iron vs the 27 degree Ft Worth Hi

 

-Range: The next green on our range is down to 175 yards which I figured would be a bit too short so I used it as a line and wanted to land it just on the back of the green or just over. I hit 12 shots with my 5 iron and like normal landed it just on the other side of the green and bounced a bit (8-10yds) over. Was spot on with line for 11/12 shots with one thick that came up short. On to the 27 degree, the first few swings I hit fat so I kept swinging until I hit a solid shot. This club feels a bit different to me and once I figured that out I hit it amazing. After 5-6 adjustment swings I hit 10/12 on the green and the other two right on line over the green by 3-5 yards. This club has the best feel of the 3 to me and it shows in my performance.  Still produces a extra high flight and I can put some decent spin on it, across the board it is a little shorter than my 5 iron but with the consistency, soft landings and spin potential I really like the results.

 

-Course: There were so many opportunities for this club on the course, I don't hit drive exceptionally far so I have a lot of 170-180 yard shots into mid-range par 4's and it's also a good layup club. I didn't stop on any particular holes and hit a bunch of balls as I found myself using this club on the majority of the holes I used it 11 times in the first round played and find it as one of my go to clubs when 170+ out. The ball flight here is like the others and that is something I will be working on and I plan to re-shaft the other two to see how it affects the results.

 

Performance on the Range

 

●     Accuracy – Line and direction of club has been spot on once I adjusted to the differences between the Ft Worth Hi and current clubs.

●     Distance – Seemed approx. 8-10 yards shorter than Apexes.

●     Trajectory Characteristics – Ball flight is extremely high. Significantly higher than my Apexes.

●     Forgiveness – Seem to hook on mishits or straight left pull, this is different from my Apexes which a mishit seems to produce a left to right ball flight. Seems on par for forgiveness with Apexes as mishits are infrequent.

●     Control – Clubs allow me to shape left and right however no matter how I try to impact trajectory I seem to hit them higher than desired.

 

Range Score -  8/10
 

Performance on the Course

Describe the following:

●     Accuracy – Now have 12 rounds in and 11/12 in the fairway. Tend to be on left side as I have discovered I am comfortable hitting a baby draw with the 20 degree. Tend to be centered with 24,27.

●     Distance – Distance seems to be a small percentage, maybe 3-5% less than my Apexes.

●     Consistency – Distance is consistent and its +/- 5 yards on solid hits. High ball flight gets affected by winds more than desired.

●     Shot Shaping – High ball flight allows me to hit draws/fades and even a hard cut. If I try to hit a hard draw I tend to hook it.

●     Carry vs Roll – Everything I hit is high with soft landings. I have come to be used to this with the steep angle of attack of my swing. Off the tee if would be nice to get a little more roll when desired but I cannot seem to achieve that.

 

Course Score -  25/30

 

Performance Notes:

Consistency – The irons are very consistent accuracy wise but crazy high ball flight with some work-ability. I don't have the confidence in them yet that I do in my Apex irons but the more I play the more I know what to expect. Off the fairway has a high trajectory and is very soft when landing, I can spin when needed which is a necessity.  Off the tee I find accuracy and consistency after discovering the feel and tendencies, would just like the distance I get from my Apex irons.

 

Feel – The impact is amazing but I don't quite have the feel of exactly where I am hitting it on the face. With my Apexes I know clearly if I heel, toe, high/low a shot, it's why I like them so much. Don't get me wrong the solid feel here feels like a well hit shot should.

 

Carry – I am unsure how to answer this one as the ball flight produces an appealing carry, but I achieve a more penetrating ball flight and get a similar landing with my Apex irons. I truly feel that this is due to the shaft difference and will test that in the upcoming weeks. I have little complaints about the Ft Worth Hi's and now that I know what to expect out of them I am enjoying having them in the bag.

 

 I like the impact and the soft landing of the clubs and I really find myself enjoying the 27 degree. I am going to re-shaft the 20 and 24 degree as I got two C Taper shafts on sale last week online. I will update the data with notes as I play more. I don't know that I will like them better than what I have/ am used to but this is a high quality product and I have enjoyed testing them.

 

Looks

 

The irons are beautiful, the sleek lines and shine make me want to buy a whole set of them. As for durability I have hit roughly 500+ balls at the driving range and played 12 rounds with them so far and they are still in great shape. I will continue to update but they look to be very durable thus far. I am not a fan of the Hogan grips and will be changing them when I re-shaft them. Comparably I feel these are as good looking a club as any on the market.

 

Looks Score -  18/20

 

Sound and Feel

 

I am going to say that for irons they have a very solid pop and the contact feels like its rocketing off the face. It's the sound I would expect out of a high quality iron.  The feel is amazing, even on mishits or off center hits it still feels great, I don't have quite the ability to feel the mishits or off centers like I do with my Apexes, but the feel is great on all shots. I like the sound and the impact feel of these clubs but I wish I had a little more feel on the contact location/ impact point.

 

Sound & Feel Score – 15/20

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

I have mixed feelings on this one. I love the look and the impact feel but the ball flight and feel doesn't match up with my Apex irons. Like I said in my earlier section I will be re-shafting these to match my Apex irons and will provide further info with the impact/ flight. Likelihood of purchase is depending on those results I would say this section is an incomplete, but since that's not an option I will assume the shaft change will fix the problems and score according to that.

 

Likelihood of Purchase Score – 17/20

 

Questions & Answers.

Any Questions??

 

Conclusion and Final Score

 

I love the 27 degree the most and I love the look of these Irons, I don't know that I would have given them a shot had I not been selected to test them. I think/hope with the shaft switch that it gives me the small changes that I desire. I know I'm being picky but the Ft Worth Hi's are showing to be a high quality product and I would like to give them every chance to stay in the bag. The consistency I have learned with them and the soft landings on the majority of shots has given me great results, but ball flight is why I switched shafts in my current irons in the first place. Hopefully the small change will do the trick.  I look forward to further testing the 20 & 24 after the change.

 

Total Score – 83/100

Cobra F7 10.5
2015 XR Deep 3 Wood 14* - Project X LZ 70 Red
Callaway Apex Pro Irons 6-PW C Taper 120 Stiff- Up 2.
Hogan FTW Hi 24,27 KBS Tour V Steel Stiff
Wedges:Callaway Mack Daddy 52 & 60
Putter:Rife Legend 2 bar 34"
Right Handed.
Richmond VA area (Moseley).
5.8USGA Handicap

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Stage 3 Reserved

Cobra F7 10.5
2015 XR Deep 3 Wood 14* - Project X LZ 70 Red
Callaway Apex Pro Irons 6-PW C Taper 120 Stiff- Up 2.
Hogan FTW Hi 24,27 KBS Tour V Steel Stiff
Wedges:Callaway Mack Daddy 52 & 60
Putter:Rife Legend 2 bar 34"
Right Handed.
Richmond VA area (Moseley).
5.8USGA Handicap

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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 start! Can't wait to see how these workout for you.

Driver:   :callaway-small: Epic 10.5 set to 9.5 w/ Tour AD-DI 44.5

FW:   :cobra-small: F6 baffler set at 16º

Hybrid:  NONE
Irons:   :taylormade-small:  3i 2014 TP CB  4-PW 2011 TP MC w/ TT S400

Wedges:   :nike-small: 52º :nike-small: 56º  :edel-golf-1: 60 º w/ KBS C-Taper XS Soft-stepped

Putter:   :ping-small: Sigma G Tyne 34 inches Gold dot

 

 

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They really do look beautiful. I'm intrigued as to how they will compare with your CF16 long irons -- I'll keep my eye out for stage 2 :)

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Mini

Hybrids: Adams Tight Lie (3)

Irons: 5-A Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 (56/60)

Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX 1

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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:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

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Those do look sweet... I'm very interested in how these compare with similarly lofted hybrids... and if they are just as easy to hit or if you need to be a fairly good player to hit them.

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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StrokerAce, from what I have seen so far, I hit the 20* Ft Worth Hi as far and Higher than my 19* Adams V2.  I need more time with it, but right now I am seeing the results I wanted. 

Driver: Callaway Rogue 9*

FW: Sub 70 Pro 4 wood

Hybrid: Sub 70 949 Hybrid 19*

Irons:  Sub 70 

659 CB 4 - 6 Black

639 MB 7 - PW

Wedges: Sub 70

JB - 50* 54* & 60*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x
Handicap index:  +3.9

Instagram: joshandersongolf

Twitter: @jacustomgolf

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StrokerAce, from what I have seen so far, I hit the 20* Ft Worth Hi as far and Higher than my 19* Adams V2.  I need more time with it, but right now I am seeing the results I wanted. 

Wow... sounds like Hogan could be on to something here.  Thanks for the follow up and have fun!

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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StrokerAce, from what I have seen so far, I hit the 20* Ft Worth Hi as far and Higher than my 19* Adams V2.  I need more time with it, but right now I am seeing the results I wanted. 

 

This is great -- I'll look forward to reading more over next couple weeks.

 

Also, good luck with US Am qualifier!

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha Mini

Hybrids: Adams Tight Lie (3)

Irons: 5-A Callaway Apex CF 16 Irons

Wedges: Cleveland 588 RTX 2.0 (56/60)

Putter: Odyssey White Hot RX 1

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cc7868, thank you, it will be a test 36 holes one day.  90 guys for 3 spots.

Driver: Callaway Rogue 9*

FW: Sub 70 Pro 4 wood

Hybrid: Sub 70 949 Hybrid 19*

Irons:  Sub 70 

659 CB 4 - 6 Black

639 MB 7 - PW

Wedges: Sub 70

JB - 50* 54* & 60*

Putter: Odyssey White Hot #2
Ball: Titleist Pro-V1x
Handicap index:  +3.9

Instagram: joshandersongolf

Twitter: @jacustomgolf

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Mike Z's Stage 1 is 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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