Official Forum Member Review - BEN HOGAN GOLF PTx IRON REVIEW

[JBones]

 

 

 

 

 

OFFICIAL BEN HOGAN GOLF PTx IRON REVIEW

 

 

 

It's been a busy year for the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company, and the centerpiece of their 2016 lineup is the new PTx Iron.  Hogan touts these as a "player's game improvement iron," with the philosophy that a game improvement irons should, in fact, help you improve your game and not just forgive you swing sins.

 

Our team of testers is hard at work testing these babies out, and are tasked with finding out if the performance matches the hype.  Go get 'em, men!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

hckymeyer                 Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

Mr_Theoo                  Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

Undershooter30        Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

EthanSterlingPrice    Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

numberonecoog        Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

3puttpaul                  Stage One          Stage Two          Stage Three

 

 

Let us know what you think!

 

Visit Ben Hogan Golfs website HERE

Like Ben Hogan Golf on Facebook HERE

Follow Ben Hogan Golf on Twitter HERE

[3puttpaul]

NOTE: 3PUTTPAUL IS TECHNICALLY IGNORANT! APOLOGIZE FOR THE MIS-PLACED IMAGES. Not sure what I'm doing wrong.  I have place markers in the text to which pictures I'm referring to. Also double click the image to see the entire picture! I'll work on this for stage 2
 
Hi, I'm Paul from MA and I was one of the lucky MSG members selected to test and review the new Hogan PTx irons. Thanks to MSG and the Ben Hogan Company for giving me this opportunity.
As a long time user of Hogan clubs I'm very excited about this opportunity! My last two sets of irons have been Hogan's and I currently play the Hogan Edge Pro- 2002/03. I love these irons and have said several times that "I WILL NEVER GET NEW IRONS UNLESS THEY ARE HOGAN"S". Well that made it difficult to take advantage of any technology advancements as Hogan came off the market a few years later.  SO HALLELUJAH, after 14 years I finally got some clubs I can upgrade too!.
 
My primary objective for the test is to see how the technology improvements over the years will help my worsening golf game. I have certainly maxed out any game improvement features of my current set.
 
Here is some background on my golf history to put things in better perspective for you:

• Compounding the problem of my worsening handicap is that I have two youngish kids at home. We adopted two wonderful kids later on in life. I'm on the Senior Circuit and am way too old for kids my age. I still have Jr High, High school and college to get thru. Neither of my kids is all that interested in golf. My 13 year old son will go to the range with me on occasion if only to placate me.
• I've been playing golf since high school. I think they had wooden shafts when I started! My buddies and I weren't serious as we used it for a drinking game. I got serious about golf when I went into the Army after high school. Go figure, military bases have excellent golf courses at stupid low rates for members. For my money, the Air Force has the best courses.
• Handicap: 12.3 and trending in the wrong direction. Was a low as a 5 way, way back in the day. I'm really inconsistent with typically a few really large numbers on my card.
• Strength of my game has always been my iron play especially the 5 thru 8 irons. Longer irons can be inconsistent so I moved to hybrids and I need to get better from 125 yds. and in.
• I could write a book on my weaknesses in my game but if I have to summarize and prioritize I'd have to say my short game (75 yds. and in) and second is putting. Not a good combination when your trying to go low. I'd rather a 100 yard shot versus a 30 yard. A 30 ft putt versus the 5 footer. I said it in my introduction to MSG - the closer to the whole I get the worse I get. I also need to be more consistent off the tee. I usually hit 3 wood off of any hole that requires a wood...mostly because my driver and me are rarely on speaking terms. More on my driver problems if I get lucky enough to get into a driver test.
• My ball flight tends to be mid to high launch. I selected a pure mid launch profile with the PTx irons hoping to get a lower, more boring ball flight that lands and stops. When hitting the ball well, I play a right to left draw that lands softly.
• A typical miss is an over-cooked hook that keeps going left. Found out something interesting during the Hogan test process. I went to get my current set sized up so I could better fit the PTx irons. My current clubs are set up with a 1 degree flat lie angle when I actually need a 3 degree flat lie angle. The person fitting me indicated this would cause the toe of the club to close on impact causing an over-cooked hook....and I hadn't told him this was my miss. I'm hoping a properly fitted set of PTx irons will minimize this miss.
• What's in the bag:

      1.  Driver (10.5 degree) and 3 wood (15 degree) Callaway  Big Bertha

 

      2.  Hybrid - Callaway X Hot 21 degree

      3.  Irons - Hogan Edge Pro 2002/03, 4 thu PW, steel shafts stiff

      4.  Wedges - Cleveland , 52, 56, 60 degree

      5.  Putter: Odyssey 2 ball - 35 inch

• Swing: I'm told I have a natural smooth swing but it's nothing I've ever analyzed. I tend to hit down on the ball taking rather large divots. I am no friend to the greens keeper. When I get out of sync, notice I said when....I will hit balls 'fat' versus 'thin'. On a bad day my wrists are really sore after a round.

Move to current time:
 
Most of the other testers either had their clubs or knew when their clubs would arrive so I was going crazy not knowing. I finally got FedEx on the phone and tracked the package. They told me it was "out for delivery"  and should be there in a couple of hours1 told my boss sorry but I got to go. As I pulled into my neighborhood I saw the FedEx trucking leaving...when I got to my house....Bingo, we got Bingo! ( All Pats fans understand this reference!)
 
Insert 'Clubs At Door" image here
 
Funny, I just grabbed the box, put it into my car and drove straight to the range! I opened the box in my trunk at the range
 
Wow, these irons are sweet looking! The same classic Hogan style with a modern touch!  It was love at first sight!
 
 
 
They are very similar looking to my current set but you can tell they have moved the weight around. Here are some side by side club photos' to compare. Please note I purposely left my current set dirty to enhance the effect.... ... honestly I'm a bit embarrassed by this!.
 
The first side by side view is of the old 5 iron and the new PTx 26 degree, 
 
 
 
Insert 3 pictures here: 5_26 Face, Back, Heel close ups.
 
The next club in the side by side view is the old Pitching wedge, identified as an E wedge back then and the 46 degree PTx iron
 
Insert 3 pictures here: E_46 Face, Hozel  and Heel closeups
 
I had so  much excitement about hitting that first ball....and 'chuck'....not a good start! The second swing was perfect! It felt pure, went right where I wanted it. Awesome. I can immediately tell that the feel and feedback you get is way improved from my old set. Never hit a ball as pure as that in the remainder of the 2 buckets I hit. Got lots of work to do for sure but I already know that 'feeling' I'll be chasing with every swing going forward. The weather at the range wasn't very good. Wind blowing in your face hard and a slight drizzle. No way to judge how far things were going. I just wanted to hit them.
 
My initial impressions would be I don't have much of the right to left draw of my usual flight particularly with the high angle irons. It's a game improvement iron so it makes sense. It will be interesting to see if this holds over the long run. It would completely change how I play if it does making the transition to these clubs more difficult. The ball flight does seem to be lower than my current irons and I didn't seem to hit many if any over cooked - hooks. Can't tell what  the impact of the wind was to all this. Can't wait to hit these again!

[3puttpaul]

Ben Hogan PTx Iron - Official MGS Forum Stage 2 Review - Paul Barker:

 

Hi It's Paul again ready for the stage 2 review. Sorry it took me so long to get to this point but work trips and a family vacation have gotten in the way. To refresh your memory here are a few details from my stage 1 review:

• Currently play Hogan Edge Pro 2002 model irons and LUV them! Have always said I'd only replace them with another set of Hogans.
• 12.3 handicap and trending northward! Mid Irons are my strength and putting is the weakest part of my game.
• Ball flight path is mid to high launch with a slight draw that lands softly.
• Primary objective of this test for me is to see what 16 years of new golf club technology can do for my iron play. Also I'd like to get to a more mid launch shot. That lower boring ball flight.
• For stage 1 I primarily focused on direction and ball flight. Did't worry about distances just yet. That will be stage 2 focus. 

Using the Hogan Online fitting system I was sized up with their mid launch profile. My irons start at 22⁰ and increases 4⁰ up to 46⁰

 

 

My immediate impressions of the first time I hit the PTx irons were:

 

" They are very similar in look to my older set but I can tell they have moved some weight around in the new design. I don't have as much right to left draw in my ball flight. It's a shot improvement iron so I think that makes sense? It will be interesting to see if this changes as I go thru the test as it would mean a change in the way I play which could mean a lot more work to transition to these clubs full time. The ball flight is lower than current set and I didn't seem to hit those really bad snap hooks that are my typical miss. Can't wait to hit these again!"

 

Move to current day:

 

So I've had the Hogan PTx irons for several weeks now. Been to the range a dozen times (including stage activities) and played three rounds of golf. Doesn't sound like a lot but I'm usually lucky to get to the range once or twice a month with my schedule. I can go 2-3 weeks without playing a round so this additional work is taking me back to the day when I used to be a range rat and hit ball after ball. I actually got some blisters on my hands from hitting which hasn't happened in years. 

 

Oh, one side benefit of participating in this test that I already shared with the other testers. Somehow I convinced my wife that my current golf bag is old, dirty and doesn't provide the protection the new clubs deserve. She told me to go get a new bag!.....she said it awfully fast....I think she's cheating on me....But hey a NEW BAG!!! Ended up getting the Sun Mountain C130 - 2017 Edition. Really Nice!!!! Here is the new PTx irons in the new bag. 

 

    

 

Much of my stage 2 review will focus around the range activities versus the actual rounds of golf as that's where I've spent most of my time. I'll summarize the rounds as well and provide a score but I will need many more rounds on the course in order to give final grades.  

 

Phase 1- Range:

 

This is the part of the test process that interests me. I really enjoy hitting ball after ball, changing a variable and seeing what happens. It's the engineer in me. I have a standard process when I go to the range. After loosening up I hit a few wedges to get some feel. Then I start with the higher lofted irons and work down from there. I try to have an objective for every shot I take. At the end of the session I like to vary the irons and play out some actual scenarios that you might see on the course. You know.."this putt is to win the Masters" shots. Hey I can dream can't I! For this test I had to add the step of identifying the distances I could hit each club. 

 

Unfortunately, the range I use isn't the best set-up for identifying specific distances. They have flags out there but the range is poorly marked and not yet set up for GPS functionality. COMING SOON THEY KEEP SAYING!   In the first stage of this test, I just hit balls at the range to judge direction and ball flight.  I paid attention to how far they were flying but it wasn't really the primary objective. Now with stage two I need to focus on distance.

Because of the poor marking of the range, I decided to use a comparison method in trying to figure out the distances.  My current Hogan Edge PRO irons match up nicely with the Hogan PTx irons.  See the attached PDF below. Only the older Apex Edge Pro – 4 iron doesn't match up but with only a 1 degree difference.  

 

Ben Hogan PTx Iron Stage 2_Chart 1.pdf

 

Process:

 

For each club I'd hit 5-10 balls with the older APEX Edge model and at least 25 with the new PTx iron it compared to. Not sure this was the best way of doing this but it seemed reasonable to me. I kept track of distances, ball flight, accuracy and dispersion of well struck as well as the poorly hit shots. Unfortunately there is a lot more data relating to ‘poorly hit shots' than I would prefer. Sometimes I'd get through the entire set in a single range event. That's a lot of work for someone that isn't used to hitting that many balls at a time. I know what you are thinking….all you are doing is estimating this stuff. Yes, but I figure that I know my current irons so well that using a comparison method to the appropriate PTx iron I should be able to get close. Close enough to take it out on the course for real 'production' testing.

I will admit I have spent much more time on the higher irons (34⁰, 38⁰, 42⁰, 46⁰) because let's face it; I follow the ‘path of least resistance' rule and know I will hit these better. It is also easier to ‘estimate' all the data points I'm trying to monitor. Unfortunately the results also reflect the added work with the higher lofted clubs. I'm fairly comfortable with them but not close with the lower angle clubs. I've now repeated this process 4 or 5 times thru the set and have come up with the first set of distances and comments. I've summarized this by adding this information into the next PDF attachment. It includes some comments specifically to the PTx iron set. 

 

Ben Hogan PTx Iron Stage 2_chrt 2.pdf

 

Stage 2 - Phase 2: Course work

 

With this information, I went out to play my first round with the new Hogan PTx irons. Played a favorite of mine called Waverly Oaks in Plymouth MA which is south of Boston just before getting to Cape Cod. Plymouth has several excellent golf courses and it would be a great place for a guy's golf trip. You could also bring the family and do the whole Plymouth Rock/Plantation history and Cape Cod thing and get in some great golf. Let me know if anyone wants more information on this. Waverly Oaks is a Brian Silva designed course, par 72, 7100 yds from the tips. We typically play the second set of tees which is a more manageable 6600 yds. This set of tees has a 126 slope. There are many elevation changes so the course is challenging and requires proper club selection.  It was given 4.5 stars by Golf Digest and has won other awards. I was playing with my regular golf partners Rick and Tim. They have played many rounds with me so it would be interesting to see if they have any feedback for me. A few summary comments from this round.

• Bad day off the tee so I found myself hitting more hybrids and longer irons than I'd like.
• Putted great (for me!) so I made up a few lost shots I made in the fairway.
• HIT EVERY PAR 3 IN REGULATION. Can't remember when I did that the last time. The most memorable shot was on the Par 3 – 14^th (163 yds), I hit a wind and elevation aided 42⁰ to about 8 ft. Missed the putt for birdie. But my takeaway from this hole was I made the correct decision for club selection considering the wind and elevation impacts.
• In general it was really difficult to keep figuring out which club to hit. I didn't have my numbers written down….D'uh, so I took longer than normal for club selection. Both Rick and Tim commented to that point after the round.  I am so used to thinking in terms of 5,6 or 7 iron versus 30⁰, 34⁰, 38⁰. I need to work on this!!
• My iron play aligned with my experiences on the range. I was pretty happy with the higher loft irons and it is clear I need to work on the 22⁰ thru 30⁰. 
• I think my initial list of distances for the PTx irons is close. For some reason I'm not getting the same distance improvement with the 42⁰ as I am with the other irons in the set. I need to monitor that and maybe get that club checked out at the local pro shop. 
• Final score of 88 wasn't all that bad considering the new irons and how poorly I hit off the tee. I was pleasantly surprised at  how I hit the PTx irons. Yes I hit some poor shots with them but nothing that caused me more than 1 stroke.

I've had two additional rounds as well and in each case you could see that I'm getting more comfortable with the new irons. Evidenced by the lowering scores. A few more summary comments on the course work

 

• Confidence is really improving with the higher lofted clubs  based on the results on the course. Lets face it that is where it really matter. 
• Accuracy is improving. Again hit every par 3 in regulation in the second round  (again Waverly Oaks). That was two rounds in a row! Don't think I ever did that before.
• Control - Not at a point yet where I am confident working the ball. I'm playing a lot more right to left draw than my older clubs. Not sure what is causing this. I can control it with the higher lofted irons but the lower I go the more draw. 
• Ball flight: More of the lower boring flight path but can launch the higher lofted irons higher if needed. Lower irons are improving but still not consistent
• I'm seeing the ball  (when hit well) stop fairly consistently on the greens. As I'm seeing more draw generally, the ball tends to spin left upon impact to the green. Grading:

 

Here are a few pictures from some courses I played after Waverly Oaks:

 

First is from Kebo Valley in Bar Harbor Maine

 

 

Next is from The Algonquin Course in St Andrews....not that St Andrews. This one is in New Brunswick Canada. I'll do course reviews of both of these shortly. 

 

 

 

I'm getting a bit wordy on this so I'm going to move onto the Performance Rating questions and scoring I've been asked to answer.

 

 

Performance at the Range

Describe the following:

● Accuracy – Are you able to consistently hit your target?  Yes with the higher lofted irons. Not so much with the lower lofted irons. Really struggling with the 22/26 degree clubs

● Distance – How does the club compare to other products strictly from a distance perspective? Getting 5-9 more yds. on each club. Toe hit's and mis-hits are getting more distance as well. I have to play another 5-15 yds. draw as well depending upon which club I am using.

● Trajectory Characteristics – Does the ball launch high or low, or somewhere in-between? Do you find it more or less difficult to get the ball in the air? Mid launch profile. Easy to hit 46/42/38 irons higher if desired. 

● Forgiveness – What happens when you miss-hit the ball? How much distance is lost? Does the ball still remain between the trees? Toe hit s are getting 85% of the desired distance and are straight to a slight fade. One miss-hit is a thin shot. This also goes straight and long. Not bad. The over cooked hook is still a problem. 

● Control – Are you able to make the ball do what you want it to (within the limitations of your own abilities). Can you launch high or low when you need to? Are you able to move the ball right to left or left to right? High lofted irons are easy to hit high or low. I play a right to left draw and I have to plan for more draw with these clubs.  I never was one to play a right to left iron shot so I don't try that at all. 

 

Range Score: (8 of 10 points)

 

 

Performance on the Course

Describe the following:

● Accuracy – How well did you hit the greens? Were you often right/left/short/long?  I was pretty happy with the course work so far. Same as the range, the high lofted irons I'm getting really comfortable with. Longer irons I'm struggling with a low, hook.  In two of the rounds I played I hit EVERY par 3 GREEN. These were with mid to short irons. One 26⁰ to 25 feet.  I was happy that I was making good club selection decisions. I tended to be longer than short when it came to irons from the fairway to the green. 

● Distance – How does the product compare to other products strictly from a distance perspective? Same as the range. Getting more distance when hit well. 

● Consistency – Consistency with higher lofted irons is pretty solid. Not so much with lower lofted. This is a real problem for my scoring. No confidence with what I consider my 4,5, 6 irons. 

● Shot Shaping – If the course you play requires a certain type of ball flight for certain holes, were you able to hit this shot within reason for your skill level? I am pretty much a one trick pony with irons. I hit right to left draws unless I shank something. These clubs enhance my draw quite a bit as you go up in clubs. 

● Top action on the green– When hit well, the ball will hit and stop fairly well as compared to my current set of clubs. As I'm putting draw spin on the ball, it does tend to spin left a bit. If I over draw it obviously it just rolls and rolls. 

 

Course Score: (25 of 30 points)

 

​Performance Notes

●     How did it perform?  The clubs are really solid. I am seeing generally 5-9 yds of added length with each club when struck well. 

●     Were you pleased with how the club(s) performed? In general yes. I am seeing more right to left draw than I'd hoped. Not sure if its just me or the shafts.

●     Please compare and contrast it to what you are currently playing? Better feel from the PTx irons. I know exactly where I hit the ball on the club face. More forgiving with toe hits getting close to 85% of the distance.

●     What factors were you pleased with? Accuracy of the higher lofted irons. Lower more boring ball flight. 

●     How did it compare to your current gamer(s)? I need to play more right to left draw than with my older set. I need more work on this to control it better. I'm also getting at least 5 to 9 yards more distance than the comparable lofted club in my current set. 

●     Did you notice better production on the range or on the course more? On the range. I've done more work there. 

●     Could you use it in both settings? Yes!

●     What factors did you find lacking? I prefer a grip that has some sort of alignment features. 

●     What improvements would you like to see? I need to improve with the longer irons. I really am ssssttttrrrruuuugggglllliinngggg!

●     What would you do away with? My piss poor short game

 

 

Subjective

Looks

●     General shape – Thin profile, Less is better approach. Not a lot of extra bulk! Classic Hogan look with a modern touch.

●     Graphics – Hogan branded. Not flashy

●     Other unique details – Irons are identified via loft angles vs. standard # iron. I'm still trying to get used to this. Not sure if I like this or not.

●     How does it come together visually? – Very well. It has the sleek look I like in an iron. 

●     How does it compare to other products in its category?- Very Well. It looks like a top of the line club. Those that prefer the more modern club look may not like this but I do.
 

Looks Score: (19 of 20 points)

 

 

Sound and Feel

●     I like the sound of the club. Well struck, middle of the club face hits have that crisp sound. Mis-hits sound a bit duller. It's pretty consistent across all clubs.

●     The ‘feel' is extraordinary! Much improved from my older irons. I can tell immediately where I hit the ball. I think this is one of the strongest benefits of this new iron.

●     As comparted to my existing clubs, the Ptx irons sound better and provide more ‘feel' feedback than the older Apex Edge irons. I think this is the technology advancement I was looking for when I first started this test!

 

Sound and Feel Score: (18 of 20 points)

 

 

How likely would you be to purchase this product? 

● Why or why not?

This is a tricky question. I don't think I would purchase this EXACT iron profile for me knowing what I know now. I would purchase Hogan PTx irons with a different profile. The Hogan quality, look and feel is excellent and more than I expected. 

I really like the 34/38/42/46⁰ irons and are hitting them consistently. I'm getting close on the 30⁰. I think I am more likely to look at moving the lofts around a bit. I would want to add the Hogan 50⁰ (gap )wedge into the set set to cover a gap in my distances with my sand wedge. Through this test I learned I have a gap in the 120 - 130 range. Then I might take out the 22⁰ iron and put in a easier hitting hybrid or try the Hogan  HI irons to cover that. 

 

LOP Score: (16 of 20 points)

 

Subjective Notes

I'm really excited that Hogan is producing clubs again. My overall impression is really positive for these new Hogan PTx irons. From the classic Hogan look, improved feel and performance. I'm consistently getting 5 to 9 more yards per club and the overall shot dispersion is better than my current clubs. I am struggling to get the ball off the ground with the lower lofted angles and I need to work on controlling the right to left draw on some of the clubs but that will come with time. I'm not entirely sold on the shafts just yet. I'm considering changing to a stiffer shaft as I think that might help with minimizing the draw effect. I wanted to complete the test with the shafts that were ‘fitted' to me. I'll probably work the rest of this season with the existing shafts to give them some more time. 

 

Regarding the identification of the irons using the loft angles versus the numbering system. It is different and does cause confusion on the course. I understand the reasoning but I'm not sure if I like this. I think Hogan should provide a bag tag with the irons to the golfer can mark down the distances. Over time I'm sure this will be less of a problem but it is frustrating sometimes. will learn 

 

Conclusion

 

Testing the Hogan PTx irons has been a real treat for me. I enjoy the technical aspect of this as well as hitting ball after ball. In my stage 1 review I stated that one of my objectives with this test was to determine what 14 years of club technology will do for my game. Well, I've determined that I can get extra distance and more feel with the new clubs. I've learned that shaft technology is just as important when fitting new clubs. Probably the most important think I learned is that even the best new irons can't make up for a poor swing or poor decisions. That's all on me!

 

TOTAL SCORE: 84/100 points

 

I would recommend these clubs to those golfers that are looking for a high quality, high performance iron that provides outstanding feel. Also for those that are looking for more forgiveness.

 

Thanks MSG AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY!

 

[3puttpaul]

Hey there, its 3puttpaul back for the Ben Hogan PTx Iron Stage 3 review.

From my second stage review you should realize that I am a big fan of the Hogan brand. I think it represents quality and true performance. I've been playing Hogan irons for years and years and I'm hooked.

However, I am still struggling with these irons a bit, most notably the lower lofted (22 and 26 degree) irons. I'm a believer that it takes two full seasons to really work thru the kinks of a new iron set so I'm not giving up. 

The stage 3 review consists of 5 questions to be answered so let's have at it.

 

The Five Questions

1. Will this product go in your bag? Why or why not? 

Yes this product will go in the bag! I'm getting more distance with each club and my shot dispersion is better than my older set. I may change out the 22 degree with a hybrid if I keep struggling with it. I also need to fill the 120 to 130 yard gap I have in my bag now and I'll get the Hogan PTX – 50 degree wedge to fill this out. I noted in my stage 2 review that I was getting more right to left draw with these irons but I'm figuring out that this is due more to an unintended change in my swing. It's impacting my woods as well so it isn't the irons. One other change I will consider is swapping out the shafts but that won't be until I truly convince myself that will help. Again I'm thinking the ‘problems' are more my swing than anything else.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this product? Why?

I recommend the Hogan PTx irons to the player looking for a high quality, great looking forged club. It is for those that are looking for exceptional feedback. I keep getting asked if this is a Game Improvement iron. If I really think about it, I think these are a hybrid of a Game Improvement and Players iron. Certainly the scoring irons (higher lofts) I would consider game improvement. Easy to hit, great feedback, forgiving on miss-hits but as I work my way down to the longer irons, it's more of a players iron. You need to be a solid striker of the ball to hit these well. Again you also have to consider that my swing flaws are more the problem. 

 

3. How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of [brand]?

I wouldn't say that that this product test (PTX irons) changed my impression of the Hogan brand. I would say it validated my already existing view of Hogan as a brand. High Quality, High Performance, Great Feel, Great Looking! Hogan is first class! 

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

I don't yet have a firm position on the labeling of the irons, using loft angles versus standard numbering system. I'm trying to be ‘open' about the concept. When I read the literature on this it makes sense however living by the old adage…..can't teach an old dog a new trick. I think if I was new to golfing and got introduced to this concept from the beginning it would be easier to adopt this.  Hogan should provide a bag tag with each set (standard) to assist the golfer in transitioning to this method. Maybe there are some other tools that can be introduced as well. 

 

I would also recommend an upgrade to the standard grips that are provided. This is a really personal issue so what I prefer may not be valid for the larger audience but I'm not a big fan of these grips. Maybe offer a few different types as part of the online fitting tool.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

I'm a big fan of the look and feel.  Hogan kept a similar classic look as there earlier models but added a few modern touches. Keep it that way. Don't modify the look unless there are sound technological reasons to do so. 

 

So that completes my Stage 3 review and the Hogan PTx iron testing (formally) but I will be ‘testing' these irons going forward for sure. I still have a lot to learn about them especially the lower lofted irons. 

I can't thank the Hogan Company and MGS enough for this fantastic opportunity. My objectives for the test were all met (see earlier reviews). These are now my standard irons and I'll be playing them for a long time……with maybe a tweak or two by adding a gap wedge and hybrid to my line-up. I'll gladly answer additional questions from the wider MSG audience! Thanks and take care!  

 

 

[hckymeyer]

Greetings MGS community!  First off a big thank you to Ben Hogan Golf and MGS for this review opportunity.  Getting shiny new things is always fun, then you realize all the work you have to put in to give these a thorough review.  I'll do my best to put them through the paces and we'll see how it turns out.

 

 

A little about my golf game.  I currently play to a 4.0 handicap.  My low this season (and all time) is a 3.8 which was two revisions ago.  If you've heard the term "Jack of all trades, master of none" that is how I would describe my game.  I love hitting driver, I'm longer than some but shorter than others.  I go rounds hitting a ton of greens on the approach, then I'll go and miss a bunch.  Sometimes I get up and down, other times not so much.  I'll go rounds draining everything inside 10 feet, then a couple days ago I 3 putted from 5 feet for a bogey.  If everything is working I'm pretty decent, usually I have just enough working to shoot high 70's or low 80's.  I've also heard my game described as "boring".  When it's on I tend to drive in the fairway, hit the green and 2 putt.  Not a lot of birdies but a ton of pars.

 

Typically I like to play a straight ball flight and it's usually fairly high.  A baby cut or draw is not out of the question, I just don't always know which it will be.  I can also miss both ways on a bad swing.  A snap hook or balloon fade (think 747 banking for a turn) come around from time to time as well.  If I have one tendency I'd say it's the fat shot.  I'm a digger so every so often instead of a nice clean divot I get something that resembles a beaver pelt someone tried to cut with a pair of plastic playdough scissors.  

 

My swing is usually pretty aggressive with a quick tempo.  I'm not great at taking a little off shots so I usually will take a club that's a little shorter and go after it.  I haven't had time to get a good video, but I'll make sure to include one for stage 2.

 

I'm currently 37 years old and I've been hitting golf balls since I was 5 or 6 years old.  My dad had an old set of Spalding blades in the shed and myself and the neighbor kids would all grab an iron and hit balls in our back yard.  As I got into elementary school and junior high I started playing at the local course.  I had 2 buddies and myself that had memberships and we would get dropped off in the morning and play golf all day.  None of us were very good, but we loved the game and it was a great way to spend the summers.  I played golf in high school, but I wasn't serious about it.  It was just something to do in the off season from hockey.  After high school I pretty much gave up golf until after college.  I played a few times here and there, but all I wanted to do was play hockey so golf wasn't my priority.  After college I started playing again a couple times a month at best, but the golf bug was hitting me hard and I really wanted to play more.  5 years ago we moved to our current house which is on a golf course.  I talked the wife into getting a golf cart the first summer we were here and I've played 50-80 rounds a summer ever since.  I'm pretty much consumed by golf at all times these days.  

 

My current bag is a bit weird by most standards.  I have driver, 4 hybrids, 4 irons, 4 wedges and a putter.  I just found the hybrids to be much more consistent and easy to hit compared to my 4 & 5 irons, then I found the Scor wedges and replaced my PW on down with those.  The Hogan setup is going to add in an extra club between 6i and PW compared to what I have now so I'll be taking out the longest hybrid.  Anyway I play TMaG Speedblade irons in the 6i-9i, then Scor wedges at 45, 50, 54 & 58. KBS C-Taper S+ in all of those clubs.

 

My Hogan setup is 22°-46° with KBS Tour V in X flex soft stepped once.  I took some comparison shots so you can see the differences.  My Speedblade 6i measures 26° so here is that vs the Hogan.

 

 

You can see the Hogan is a little narrower on both the top and bottom with a slightly smaller face as well.  I'll be curious to see how the forgiveness is compared to the Speedblade.

 

Here is my 45° Scor compared to the 46° Hogan.

 

 

A lot of similarities between the clubs on this one.  The soles are almost the same, but the Scor is just a little more compact with a slightly narrower topline.  

 

Overall I'm very excited to put these in to play.  I'm really looking to see if they can still give me the forgiveness of the Speedblades with the accuracy of the Scor's.  If they can pull it off I'll be jumping on the bandwagon, but we shall see.

 

Please let me know if anyone has specific questions for the review or anything else they'd like to see!

 

Update 7/25/16

 

Was at the park today with the kids and managed to grab a couple quick swing with the Hogan 38 degree.  No warm up, glove or golf shoes, but you can get the jist of my swing in all it's glory!

 

First up is a face on shot...

 

 

Then we have down the line...

 

 

I tried to edit one into slow motion but I can't get it to work right.  And yes I know there is much to fix with my swing, but I don't have the time and it's more or less functional for me.  So I just play it and have fun!

[hckymeyer]

Hogan PTx Irons - Official MGS Forum Review by Hckymeyer

 

 

Hello MGS, here is my stage 2 review for the Hogan PTx irons.  The specs of the Hogans that I requested are 22°-46° in 4° gaps with KBS Tour V shafts in X-flex soft stepped once.  My current clubs that these are up against is kind of a weird bag setup.  I play 4 hybrids, 4 irons and 4 wedges.  So the overlap here is the 22° Hogan iron compared to my 25° Adams Super LS hybrid.  Then 26°-42° Hogans are up against TMaG Speedblades 6i-9i and the 46° Hogan would be the replacement for my 45° Scor wedge.

 

First off I didn't grow up in the Hogan era.  I'm 37 years old and while I know the Hogan name and his legacy, he was before my time as a golfer.  I have an immense respect for his abilities as a player and ambassador of the game, but I have no experience with his previous clubs and no attachment to the Hogan name as it pertains to equipment.  That said I've been gaming Scor wedges for 2 seasons now so I have pretty high expectations for these irons with the switch from Scor to Hogan as a company.

 

I've outlined my game and included some swing video in stage 1, but for the most part I feel like I'm pretty decent at most things, but don't truly excel at any one part of the game.  Driving is probably my biggest attribute and 100yds and in where I need the most work.  I'm a fair striker of the golf ball when it comes to irons, typically my miss is a fat shot that fades right and short.  I have a small over the top move in my swing so the other miss is a dead pull left.  As of the time of writing this review I'm a 4.3 handicap and trending back down to 3.7.  When my game is on I'll shoot mid 70's.  I don't make a ton of birdies, but I will par you to death.  I've been told my game is "boring" when it's working (hit the fairway, hit the green or close to it, then up and down or 2 putts for a par)  Don't worry though, when it's not working I'll be mid to low 80's and scrambling to save my life.

 

 

 

Performance at the Range

 

This is a hard one for me.  I'm not a range rat.  To me a range is only used for 3 things.  Lessons, practicing a swing change, and warming up before a round.  I've never done the first two and I actually make it to the range before a round maybe 20% of the time.  So I've only hit the Hogans on the range twice and both times were as a warm up before a round.  With that said I'll take a stab at this.

 

• Accuracy - They go exactly where your swing takes them.  Aim at the target and put a good swing on the ball and that's where your ball goes.  Swing poorly and the result will match.
• Distance - This is too hard to measure on a range.  First you are using range balls, they don't go as far as your gamers will.  2nd the target yardages are more of a suggestion than an actual measurement.  Our range is probably 30 yards deep, so without taking a laser with you the posted yardages mean next to nothing.  I will say that I felt they went similar distances to my current clubs
• Trajectory - I'm a high ball hitter.  Even with C-Tapers in my Speedblades my ball is near vertical when it comes down.  The Hogan's even with a higher launching shaft in the Tour-V fly on a much lower trajectory.  For me I would call it a mid-trajectory and I was very happy with it.
• Forgiveness - This is also hard to judge on a range.  I felt these are less forgiving than my Speedblades, but I was very surprised with how far the ball still traveled on a miss hit.
• Control - I've never hit a cut or draw on purpose.  I play a straight ball and see what happens.  I do try to flight it higher and lower though and I was able to do that with the Hogans.  Overall they worked as well as I expected.

Range Score: 6 out of 10

 

Performance on the Course

 

• Accuracy - This one is a tough one for me.  When I started hitting these I was trending in a not fun direction.  I think we all know the feeling, you could be swinging a shovel at a softball and not make center contact.  It's not a fun feeling.  Then I fell down and sprained my left thumb on a guys golf weekend.  Without incriminating myself too much I'll just say it happened sometime between 2am and 4am and leave it at that.  The past couple weeks though I've been playing much better and accuracy has improved.  I still don't think they are as forgiving as my Speedblades though.  They go the direction you swing them in and I haven't had any surprises in the accuracy department
• Distance - I've been very happy with the distance they travel, and also with the distance control.  I originally stopped playing my Speedblade PW because every once in a while I'd get a jumper that would fly 15-20yds farther than I normally hit them.  With the Hogans the distance is very consistent and predictable.  Loft for Loft they also go just as far as my Speedblades.  I have a 26° Hogan that match lofts with my Speedblade 6i.  They both go the same distance.  If you count through the Hogan set though the 26 would be a 5i.  That's one of the things I love about the Hogans, with no club numbers on the bottom it's impossible to loft jack the setup.  You know exactly what you are getting.
• Consistency - I've been very happy with the consistency of these irons.  There aren't any 'hot spots' on the face where all of the sudden you pick up 10 yards when you weren't planning on it.  Mis-hits also travel much farther than I was expecting.  I've chunked a few shots that I though would be 30 yds short and they ended up only 10 yds short of the expected distance.
• Shot Shaping - Like I mentioned before I'm not a shot shaper.  I've been able to flight them up and down and other's that I've let hit them can shape their normal shots.  Overall I'd say they do just fine in this dept, it's just not part of my game

Course Score: 24 out of 30

 

 

Performance Notes

 

Overall I've been fairly happy with the performance on the course.  There has been a learning curve when it comes to picking a club, but once I was able to equate the lofts of the Hogan's to the numbers on the Speedblades that stopped being an issue.  Hogan bills these as a game improvement iron and while I can't disagree with that, I would say these are on the players end of the GI spectrum.  Compared to the Speedblades it's a tough call.  They aren't quite as forgiving, but they are forgiving enough.  They are a much more compact design and I like that when looking down at the club.  Where I think these really shine though is in the distance gapping area.  Loft for loft in my old set I have 5 clubs from 6i (26°) to my 45° score.  With the Hogan I now have 6 clubs to cover the same loft gaps.  The 6, 7 & 8 match up with the 26, 30 & 34 Hogans.  Then I have when I think of a 8.5 and 9.5 irons.  It gives me more options around the 150yd distance and I've been able to take normal swings instead of trying to step on a shot or take a little off.  

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

These irons look fantastic.  The badging is subtle, the toplines are not bloated and the finish is all class.  If you like the look of a classic golf club these are for you.  If you want to see the technology in your irons (looking at you Cobra and Taylormade) then you might want to go a different direction.  The grips and ferrules create a nice color scheme without being over the top as well.  Overall this is one good looking club.  I'm only taking one point off for not having blue ferrules and not being a sexy blade.

 

Looks Score: 19 out of 20

 

 

Sound and Feel

 

For me the sound of a club should be like Children.  If they behave and sit quietly you shouldn't notice them.  This matches up with the Hogans, as I sit here and type this review I can't remember what the sound is like.  For me that's perfect, it means it's just right.  Feel wise these are up there with any forged club I've ever hit.  The sweet spot feels like butter and mis-hits give you just enough feedback to feel where it went wrong without having to drop the club and shake your hands from a sting.  Hogan got everything right in this dept for me.

 

Sound and Feel Score: 20 out of 20

 

Likelihood of Purchase

 

This is another tough one.  We all know the first rule of sales is to not sell out of your own pocket.  For this section though that's exactly what I'm being asked to do.  These irons aren't cheap.  Sure we aren't talking about PXG money, and the pricing is in line for a nice forged iron, but there are so many great clubs out there for less money that's it's hard to justify the cost.  So personally I don't think I would ever buy them outright.  I'm also thrifty and look for deals so if the right set of used ones came along at a good price I'd be very tempted.  So do I think the clubs are priced correctly for the market and their quality? Yes.  Would I spend my own money on them? No.

 

LOP Score: 5 out of 20 (had to give a few points in case I win the lottery)

 

 

Conclusion

 

Overall I like these irons.  They aren't exactly how I'd like them yet, but hopefully I can make some changes for Stage 3.  I'm planning on swapping the shafts and grips to the the same ones I currently game.  I'm also going to double check the lie angles and make a few tweaks.  That said I could easily continue to play them as is.  The looks and feel are spectacular.  I'm absolutely in love with the distance gapping I get compared to the Speedblades.  The only knock I have on these clubs is that I wish they were a little bit more forgiving.  I have a feeling though that the more I play them and hit good shots the more confident I will become with them.  I'm building that mental rolodex of past success that gives you confidence in your ability to play a certain shot.  Once I have those in the bank it get's easier to do it again.

 

I'll end it with this thought.  I had only played these irons for a round or two before I went a 5 day guy's golf trip for a tournament.  I decided to leave them at home and take the Speedblades with.  Since then I've played a couple more rounds with them and this weekend is our club championship.  I'm leaving the Hogans in the bag for the club champ and that should say plenty about how I'm doing with them.

 

Total Score:  74 out of 100

 

[hckymeyer]

Stage Three - The Follow Up & Value Question.

 

The Five Questions

1. Will this product go in your bag? Why or why not?

At this point in the time the Hogans are not in my bag and I have no immediate plans to put them back in.  I'm not sure if it's the familiarity that I have with the Speedblades, the added forgiveness that they have, the shafts that are in them or some other small thing, but I hit them so much better than the Hogans.  I gave it 5 or so rounds to get used to them and then I went through 10 rounds of not hitting greens, but still scoring OK because I was getting up and down.  Since I've switched back to the Speedblades I easily hit an additional 3-5 greens per round.  I'm getting birdie putts instead of par putts.  All of my regular playing partners have asked how come I didn't switch back sooner.

 

2. To whom, if anyone, would you recommend this product? Why?

I think this would be a great set of irons for someone who is already a pretty good ball striker, but wants a little added forgiveness.  Someone in the market for AP2's, Apex Pro's or the Mizzy forged lineup should absolutely look at these.  I'm very much in the camp of playing the most forgiving iron I can look at though and for me these irons made the game harder, not easier.

 

3. How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of [brand]?

These irons did not change my impression of the Hogan brand, but rather reinforced the good image I already had.  These irons are a great product.  They look fantastic and for the most part they deliver on what they were stated to be.  I already play Scor and Hogan wedges and have no plans to switch from those.  

 

4. What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation of this model?

I wouldn't change a thing with the actual product.  I would change the marketing a little bit.  I don't think these should be advertised so strongly as GI irons.  To me it's a players CB iron.  It's a very good one, but it's not a GI offering in my opinion.  I'd also like to see a wider range of stock shaft offerings in the next generation.  I didn't get along great with the Tour-V shaft.  So many OEM's are offering a wide selection of zero upcharge shafts.  I think Hogan needs to do the same.

 

5. What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

The 2 features on the PTx that I loved the most are the ability to get any loft and the V-Sole.  I think one of the biggest reasons I played these irons as long as I did was the gapping.  I absolutely loved the additional clubs and tighter gapping on the scoring end of the bag.  The V-Sole is also fantastic.  It's doesn't matter what lie you have, the V-Sole provides great turf interaction and allows you to play a variety of shots.

 

Conclusion

 

At the end of the day the Hogan PTx irons are a great set of sticks, if you are in the market for a players CB iron they should be high on your list to test out.  If you are really looking for a GI iron to provide some added forgiveness than I think there are better options out there.  I'm currently a 4.7 handicap.  Last revision I was a 3.7 and I'm currently trending to a 3.5 after a couple of great rounds with the Speedblades.  On paper these irons should be great for me, but in the real world we just didn't get along.

[Mr_Theoo]

 

STAGE 1

 

I was introduced to golf when I was very young after my dad came back from Korea. At that time me and golf did not get along very well minus the driving range where I tried to hit it as far as i could. I took up the game seriously about 4 years ago when a friend of mine was trying to learn because his boss suggested it would be good for business. After our first trip to the range with our Walmart box specials we were hooked. In my second season I started taking lessons at GolfTEC. I've been there since and have seen my game transform each year.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zh9xOR0iHmE

 

 

I currently play off a 26 handicap but I would say my ability to strike the ball is much better than a 26. Whenever someone ask my handicap they're shocked because of how well I hit the ball. Notice I said hit, not play lol. I would call myself a calm golfer. Things that seem to anger a majority of golfers like slow play don't get it me. I feel it shows in my game as well as I don't hang onto bad shots very long.

 

I have a few strengths to my game My distance is one for sure, I'm not crazy long but I have a good advantage off the tee and into longer holes because I can hit shorter clubs into greens. As I've gotten better I'm able to take advantage of it. I would also say the ability to hit the ball quite high is a strength. Being able to go over trees when I'm in trouble is very useful as well as knowing most mid and short iron shots are going to stop nicely on the green

 

Bunkers and touch shots are a big weakness of my game. I would say from about 70 yards to 20 I really struggle. I think it has to do with not being able to practice them as much as my full swing. Once I get around the green I'm much better as of late because I do practice and hit many more of those types of shots.

 

My typical ball flight is a push draw, I like this shot because it helps me take on side of the course out of play when I'm striking it well. My normal miss is a block, but when the wheels fall off it ends up being a bad snap hook. I live with the block because it still takes the left side out of course and doesn't hurt me as much as the snap hook. A lot of my misses also come from poor alignment at times. I tend to rush when I'm not playing well and it makes me aim too far right.

 

My current WITB is:

• Driver is SLDR 12º set to 11.5º w/ a Graphite Design Tour ADDI 7x.

• Irons are  2014 TMAG Tour Prefered  MCs w/ Project X Flighted 6.0s hard stepped. 0.5 inch long 2.5 upright.

• Wedges are 52º 56º 60º Nike forged w/ KBS C-Taper X flex soft-stepped. These are the oldest clubs in my bag. I have had them since I started playing 4 years ago. I want to replace them but I'm too timid to take them out.  

• Putter is Nike Method 001

I'm a mix of a tinkering and a leave it alone type of player. While I don't change clubs very often I will always change for the better. I rarely turn down the chance to try a new club in search of it helping my game out. Even if that means scores may dip a little for a short time. I love doing fittings to try new stuff and see where I can take my game to.

 

 

Im very excited to test the Hogan PTx Irons. From just taking them out of the box I got giddy about them. I ordered very similar specs as my current irons the only difference is everything but the 4 iron is 1 degree weaker. I was very pleased to see that they attached a spec sheet and it matched what I had requested. You never know if someone is going to be lazy when doing their job and take shortcuts.

 

 

 

Big thanks to MGS and Hogan Golf for putting this all together! If there are any specific questions or types of pictures you'd like to see don't hesitate to ask.

 

Can't wait to see how these bad boys perform!!

 

[Mr_Theoo]

 

I took up the game seriously about 4 years ago when a friend of mine was trying to learn because his boss suggested it would be good for business. After our first trip to the range with our Walmart box specials, we were hooked. In my second season, I started taking lessons at GolfTEC. I've been there since and have seen my game transform each year.  I currently play off a 26 handicap but I would say my ability to strike the ball is much better than a 26. Whenever someone asks my handicap they're shocked because of how well I hit the ball. Notice I said hit, not play lol.

Currently, in the bag, I have 2014 Taylormade MCs 4-P which was fitted for me. Shafts are PX Flighted 6.0, 0.5 inches over standard and they are hard stepped once. I use the Golf Pride MC+4 grips.

The Ben Hogan name doesn't mean a whole lot to me. I didn't grow up playing this game like so many of you. I was introduced to it during the Tiger Era. So why was I so excited about these clubs you might ask? It is because of their looks and claim of forgiveness. It seems right now many of the major OEMs aren't making very many irons that offer forgiveness without adding massive amounts of offset or look like shovels. The Hogan PTx is all of that for me.

 

 

Performance

 

Performance for a club is split into two categories: Range and GolfCourse. The point of this split is to show what happens when you go all out (range)

and what happens when you're actually playing. How does the product perform for your playing style? Does it hide deficiencies? Does it accentuate a strength? Or take things in another direction?

 

Performance at the Range

 

Most of my range time was during my lessons inside of GolfTEC. There we got data from the foresight launch monitor. Balls used during my lessons are Callaway Chrome Soft a ball I have used many times and was actually my gamer for about half the season last year. When it came to hitting target with the Hogans was simply put a breeze. They responded to my swing very well even though the shafts were very different than my MCs.

With the shafts not being a good fit for me I thought distance might be an issue. I was wrong, distance was right where I wanted these to be. With how my swing has been performing as of late a 7 iron for me is about 170-175. I was able to hit the 34º that long with ease. For the most part, these irons launch right where I'd like to see. Maybe a hair high but that has more to do with my swing that the clubs. The only ones I had issues with were the 4 & 5 irons. For some reason, these were hard to get my normal height on, something felt amiss. During my lesson my coach hit them and he said the long irons felt heavier to him. After a few more balls hit we figured out that they felt very tip stiff.

Hogan touted these as forgiving irons and I agree 100%. For me, forgiveness was on par with any other player type CB iron I've hit. Just the right amount I look for. Mis-hits fly nicely but come up a bit short. The miss out of the toe for me performed great which I was happy about the most. I felt my control with these irons were as good, and maybe even better than my MCs. I had no issue hitting my stock draw with these. As well as some of my other go-to shots like a cut or a low punch.

Range Score: 14/20

 

 

Performance on the Course

 

Unfortunately, I have only been able to play with these once so far. But in that one round, I made sure to get the most experience I could with them. I teed off with the long irons just so I could have another iron shot into the green. I dropped multiple balls from different distances to have more chances to hit them. On the shorter par 3s, I played the 46º to challenge myself into controlling distance with these. I would say accuracy on the course may have been better than on the range because of how many uneven lies I found myself in while playing. I usually struggle with the ball above the feet lie but these handled it better than I expected. Could be from the V-sole or the built in forgiveness. Who knows, but I know they have boosted my confidence when faced with nonflat lies.

Distance is a hard one for me on the course because I'm trying to play more shots than trying to hit to the yardage I get from my rangefinder. I can say that when I needed to hit them to a number they answered the call. As well as dial it back to hit a controlled shot into a green. As on the range I have no issue hitting my stock draw, but because of how tip stiff these felt to me I thought I may run into some trouble when it came to hitting a punch shot with the 4 or 5 iron but the PTx proved me wrong.

 

Course Score: 12/20

 

 

Subjective

 

Looks

 

Right out of the box I fell in love the head shapes. Nice and compact but when you look down at it the topline is maybe a little thick to some but I like the look of it. Hogan says these are game improvement irons. To me, that phrase screams massive offset. These have barely any offset which is something I was excited to see when I took them out of the box. The total package comes together very well. The deep blue grips with the red caps and the satin finish on the heads make these look timeless. The Ben Hogan signature on the grips is a nice finishing touch.

 

Comparing these to my MCs I like the looks of these much more. The blade length is much more compact throughout the set. With the MCs, it is just in the shorter irons where you get this look.

 

Looks Score: 20/20

 

Sound and Feel

To me, these clubs feel just right. At impact, there is a soft quiet click when you hit the center and a nice feedback snap when you catch them too far on the toe or heel. These may very well be the best feeling irons I've hit in a long time. There were sometimes where it didn't feel or sound like I hit a ball at all.

Sound and Feel Score: 20/20

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

How likely would you be to purchase this product?

If I was in the market for new clubs these would be at the top of my list. Before I got them I wouldn't have placed them there. Mainly due to accessibility, these aren't in stores yet so I would have had to find a way to get my hands on these and then get fitted for them. But if I went for a fitting and they had these I could easily see myself wanting to try them instead many of the other OEM brands. I like to be different and these are definitely different than what the big boys are putting out. When Hogan came back last year I was a little put off by their prices but now seeing how much Taylormade & Callaway are charging for their player models I feel these fall right in line with them.

 

LOP Score: 11/20 (only because I wasn't planning on changing irons any time soon)

 

So here is where I will put the disappointments at. first being the shafts I'm not really a KBS kinda guy. I play c-tapers in my wedges but that's about it. I'm not a fan of their counterbalanced feel. To me, it threw my tempo off which made me have to dial back when on the course. The second thing I didn't like were the grips. They felt a bit harsh to me and like I had to really hold on and grip tighter. I think I was just too used to my multi compounds and these are polar opposites of them. All that being said I saw flashes of performance that showed me that these could be a really special set of irons that will live in my bag for a long time.

 

Overall I think Hogan is on the right track with these irons. The take the elements you want in game improvement and put them into something a serious player would want. Even though I've only had a short experience with the Hogan name I can now call myself a fan of the brand. Some of the components may not fit me or my game but that didn't take away from how much enjoyment I got out of hitting these clubs. I can only see myself growing to love these more once a shaft and grip change are made. So stay tuned for stage 3 where I hope to have not only more time with this current setup but also get fitted for new shafts and lie angles.

 

Total Score: 77

 

[Mr_Theoo]

Stage 3 - Reserved 

[Undershooter]

Thank you to Mygolfspy and Hogan for giving me the opportunity to test these irons and review them for everyone else. Any questions or observations are welcome, as I want to help everyone understand and know as much about these clubs without actually hitting them, as I can.

Some Backstory

A little about myself, I'm 28 years old and currently live in MS. I'm a former college baseball player and had to find something competitive to take its place when I gave it up. That is where golf stepped in. I've played since I could walk but not very consistently. I would play a lot for a summer or two then not play at all for a year or two. Basically, I didn't play at all during college then as soon as I started back, I never gave it up again. I generally play on the weekends and every once in a while I will try and practice or catch 9 during the week but that usually only happens once or twice per month.
Handicap wise I'm generally between +1 and -2 and currently sit at 0.4 according to ghin. Strengths of my game are probably my length and imagination. I'm a very streaky putter and can be very good with any certain part of my game on any given day. I'd say my iron game is very solid and I've been told it's a strength of mine. My weakness is probably my "big miss" and the fact that I will hit a ball OB here and there or in a hazard. In my defense, it's not always easy to keep your driver going where you want it when you're swinging at 120mph. Not to mention that little white ball likes to hide from you. My length gives me an advantage a lot of the time and I can get overly aggressive which hurts me. Normal ball flight for me is high with a little cut on it.
Typically my miss depends on how well I'm swinging it at the time. If things are normal or if I'm not playing great, then my cut will turn into a big cut or slice. However if I'm playing really well and my swing is locked in, then the miss is a little over the top pull. It usually doesn't hurt me much if that's my miss.
Something that I've worked hard on recently is my tempo. It used to be very fast with a swing that went way passed parallel and a late release. This meant very high launch and spin numbers. Recently I've tried to get everything in a more controlled state so that my tempo is more repeatable. I would still classify it as quick though.

My Sticks

Finally... enough about me and on to equipment. I'm a big club junky/ho and have no problem admitting it. I used to be a lot worse but have chilled out in the last year or so. We've been asked to compare our current equipment to the what we are testing, but I'm not sure how comparable my current and recent equipment is to the Hogan PTx irons. They are probably not even targeted at me if we want to be totally honest. I would probably be more in route for the Ft Worth if I had to guess what Hogan were thinking when designing the clubs. My most recent clubs are a combo set of Mizuno MP59s 4-6 iron and MP69s 7i-pw with Project X 6.5 shafts. Before that, a combo set of 2014 Taylormade TP MCs 3-7 iron and 2011 TP MBs 8i-pw with DG X7s. The set before that was Nike VR Pro Combo 3 and 4 irons and VR Pro blades 5i-pw shafted with DG X7s. Anyone seeing a trend? Yes, I like blades/MBs. I can't help myself . They just look so good! And for the most part, I was a good enough ball striker to play them. Lately, I've been thinking that with the small amount I get to practice a blade or muscleback may not be weapon for me.

My current full WITB for those interested: http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/13000-undershooters-zero-brand-loyalty-bag-updated-42116/page-2

The Hogans

To be totally honest with you guys and myself, I didn't know what to expect when I was picked to test these clubs. I was half expecting a box of shovels to arrive on the front door. Instead, what arrived was a perfectly packaged box of sweet looking cavity backs. Every club was pristinely put in its place with care, like I was the only one they were ever going to make a club for and ship to.



Yes the profile was bigger than my current clubs, but we aren't talking about miles different. These are still players clubs in my eyes. I would say the best I could compare them to profile wise would be Titleist AP2s. While the thickness at address can be noticed, it hasn't bothered me at all and I can't see anything but the topline. The cavity is small enough back there where you'll never see it at address.



When looking at the sole of the irons you notice the dual bounce/grind that Ben Hogan and SCOR before them are known for.



Another visual thing of note is in the long irons. The 23*, 27*, and 31* all have a little grey spot out on the toe where the Tungsten weight is housed.



My set is madeup of 23*-47* in 4* increments which do not totally match my MP59/MP69s. The PW in that set starts at 46* but my tinkering ass figured that these would be longer(distance wise) than my muscleback MP69s so I went a degree weak from the start. We'll see if my ‘redneck guessology' pays off in the end .
Other than the loft differences, everything else should be similar between my old set and the new Hogans. The lie angles are the same and I thought the lengths were the same but it seems I miscalculated the math for the length. These are a 1/4 inch shorter than my MPs but that isn't the end of the world. As for the shaft in these babies, it's the KBS TourV 120 in X flex. A shaft of which I have no history or knowledge so we'll see how that goes.



My Outlook of Things to Come

I really don't know how I'm going to like these or get used to them long term. They look good and even though they aren't what I'm used to, I don't seem to mind. There is no bad feeling when I stand over the ball, only confidence. The shafts do concern me a little because they aren't exactly the same type of profile I'm used to.



I have hit them but I'm not going to get into what it's like so you'll have to wait for stage 2 of the review .

I do have one interesting tid bit of interest info though. The day I got the clubs I was super excited and couldn't wait to hit them. I was working close to one of my courses and decided to go straight there after work. What do I find when I arrive.... A course that's closed for maintenance (we do this one week per year at all 3 course). I was so upset because the closer of my other 2 courses was 35 min away at minimum plus its 6 pm!
Well I called around and found a local muni that was still selling range balls. I got a bag of them and went out there to see what these babies were made of.

Btw I actually had some random guy stop and admire them for a minute and ask me about them. He hadn't heard that Hogan was back in business, but was impressed by how they looked. I explained the story of how they came to be, who they are, and he said he'd have to check them out. SCOR one for Ben Hogan golf! Sorry for the crappy pun but I'm running on fumes at this point in the review.



Anyway... I loosened up a bit and took some dry swings before lining up for the first shot. This place has a range where you have two greens short of the water, left and right at under 100 yards. Then behind that, the range turns into a pond and the targets are buoys out in the water. Naturally the balls float, I'm sure you've all seen the type.
So, I take aim at the closest buoy with my first ball and let her fly! These buoys aren't big mind you, maybe 6" wide and 24" tall. Wouldn't you know it, I hit the damn thing dead center. Well then... That's one way to get a relationship started!


Now the real question is, do I play with them in the club championship this weekend after only having them a week?! haha

The video quality isn't as good on youtube as it was on my phone so sorry about that. I'll try to get a better one for stage 2!

[Undershooter]

Introduction

Golf is a game I've played for most of my life but in spurts. Not until the last 4 or 5 years have I gotten serious about the game enough to make it the sport I played most and put my time into. In those last 5 or so years I also became part of this website that we all frequent so often. At the time I was new to the equipment side of the game and wanted to give myself the most information possible. I wanted every opportunity to be a decent player. I'm sure some of you remember how clueless I was when I first became a part of these forums. I was constantly asking questions and wanting opinions on this vs that etc. Things have come a long way since then, as has my game.
Currently I come in as a +0.7 handicap and who almost exclusively plays what most would refer to as players clubs. The irons I will be coming from are a combination set of Mizuno MP59 and MP69 irons. The 4-6 irons are MP59s and the 7i-PW are MP69s. They are 1* upright and are shafted with Project X 6.5s.
I have always loved the history of golf and thus am very familiar with the Ben Hogan name. I am too young to have much experience with their equipment from years passed but I knew that their irons were great tools. Which is fitting considering how legendary Mr Hogan was as a ball striker.
I was so excited to test the Ben Hogan PTx irons. I thought it was perfect for a player such as myself. They were touted as irons that offer help on mishits yet they still have the feel and appearance of a players iron.
I was/am hoping that these irons help me take the next step forward in my game.
My Ben Hogan PTx irons are 23*-47* in 4* increments with the same lie angles as the Mizzies and shafted with KBS TourV 120X


Performance at the range
I'd like to start off by saying that I am anything but a range rat these days. I barely even warm up on the range even in competitive rounds. So I don't spend a ton of time out there and it should be noted as such.

Accuracy- These have been pretty much point and click for me. Hell I hit the first target I ever aimed at! Now, I don't mean I hit a fairway or green on my first shot. I literally hit the buoy I was aiming at on the range with my first full swing. If that isn't an introduction then I don't know what is.
Distance- This surprised me a bit but these clubs were not particularly long for me. I figured that they would go further than my Mizuno's because half of the MPs were muscle backs. I was wrong. It was my fault for tinkering with this. The Hogan Fit system recommended 22*-46* and that is exactly what I should have gotten. Instead I chose 23*-47*. By my calculations, that would make these go the same distance as my previous irons. If someone is wanting a set of PTx irons that go farther then just order the stronger lofted set. The distance is there if that is what you are after.
Trajectory characteristics- This partly due to the shaft but I have found these to launch very high. They definitely get the ball up in the air quickly and it stays up there. During one range session I got a chance to hit these side by side with some Edel cavity backs. The Edel's had the same shafts as mine so it was an apples to apples comparison. The PTx irons launched higher than the Edel's did for both myself and the owner of the Edel irons.
Forgiveness- I'm not coming from something with a lot of forgiveness. So to me, these are like walking around with band aids for your golf swing. They seem to react very well with toe hits and the ball seems to want to go straight. Distance is lost on mishits but I couldn't believe how far a few of my poorer strikes have gone. There is definitely enough forgiveness to keep you out of trouble.
Control- I'm still able to hit cuts and draws like I was before but I can tell that the ball wants to go straighter than it did when I was playing my Mizzies. To me, this is a good thing. How many people do you hear complaining about hitting the ball too straight? Not many. And those that do either have a screw loose or just need to sit down and be quiet haha. The only thing I haven't been able to do with these is lower the ball flight a lot. I think this is more of a product of the shaft than the club head though. These shafts are not the best fit for my swing.

Range Score: 8/10
These aren't distance monsters with jacked lofts so lets not pretend like they are. You get the loft you ask for and that is all. Thus only and 8/10 for Range Score.


Performance on the Course
For those that didn't know, these probably didn't arrive during the best time of the season for testing. I got them 1 week before the first of our 3 Club Championships. After that I did get a week off followed by Club Championship numero 2. I had 2 choices. The First being to test them while I could and then play my Mizzies when it mattered. The Second being to go all in and see how these babies held up under pressure. I opted to go with option 2 and I'm glad I did.

Since I have gotten the PTx irons from Hogan I have played some of, if not the best golf of my life. I'm not sure if it's the fact I have the PTx's in the bag or the small swing adjustment shortly after getting them. I suspect it's a combination of both but I cannot argue with the results.
The accuracy has been spot on. When I make a good swing or even miss by just a little, the ball is going to end up close to where I want it to. What's even better, I still have the ability to shape shots when I need to with them but I haven't wanted to often. I like that I can set up directly at my target and go. If it fades or I hit a pull then I know the miss won't be THAT bad. One particular shot that comes to mind was last weekend during our Second Club Championship. I had been swinging it poorly that day and was relieved when I saw I had a full 47* into the 17th green. It was a simple shot and just like the rest of the day I found a way to mess it up by coming WAY over the top of it. I was mad enough at myself that I didn't even watch to see where it went. When I got up to the green, the ball was still less than 30 feet from the stick. I couldn't believe this after such a poor swing.
The only thing I haven't been able to dial in completely with the Hogan PTx irons are the distances. Part of the reason for this has to be the shaft being a poor fit for me. Every once and while I will still leave one a club short or fly my intended target. I think this is due to not knowing how much I can go after these. Its hard to control distance when you are constantly trying keep your natural swing in check.

Course Score: 28/30
These would be nearing perfect if they were a degree stronger lofted and if I could 100% figure out the distance control. I feel like the shaft is to blame for the latter though.


Performance Notes
I really have loved the way these clubs have played for me. When comparing it to my Mizzuno's, I would say these definitely get the ball into the air quicker and have more forgiveness. You can't work the ball as much with them but most golfers, even scratch golfers don't need to be able to turn it THAT much. Production was good for the clubs on the both the range and the course, but I feel these shine best on the course where you get more real world play. Improvements that could be made probably include hitting the ball for me and then finding it. Just kidding of course. I guess the PTx's could always be more forgiving and go further but it seems any time you do that you would need to make them bigger and less playable. As a low handicapper, that is not something I want. The issue of the clubs not going as far is my only real gripe and that is partly on me for choosing the lofts I did. It is rare that I get ahold of something that lives up to the hype that I've given it in my own mind. These have done that for me so far. Fingers crossed that they continue to do so.


Subjective

Looks
When seeing pictures of these online I was worried that they would be large and "game improvement" sized clubs. It only made sense to me since they are sort of marketed that way. Upon arrival I noticed that I was way off and that they appear more like a players iron with a slightly thicker top line. I don't love the top line but I don't mind it either as it is not overly thick. The general shape is pleasing and the small amount of offset makes these a club that I think a wide range of players could fit into. You could buy these clubs as a 20-30 handicap and as you improve, grow into them. Its hard to compare the PTx irons to others because it doesn't exactly fit into just 1 category. It's a bit of a players and game improvement iron rolled into one. The PTx has the best of both worlds with the negatives of neither. To me that makes it winner.

Looks Score: 18/20 (Well its not a blade. I can't help I have impeccable taste and standards . I'll say that they are about as good looking as they could be for a cavity back)


Sound and Feel
The 35-47* irons all have a nice feel to them. Others I have seen, compared them to Nike forgings but they feel softer than that to me. I'd probably put them in the same ballpark as Bridgestone. They sound nice as well. The 23-31* on the other hand have an unusual sound for an iron. Its almost a tink or ping noise. It's a little too loud and click-y feeling for my liking. I guess the combination of being hollow mixed with the tungsten inserts in the toe give it this effect. This is probably my biggest grip about these clubs other than the shafts which don't fit me. With my complaining aside, if I have to put up with the sound for the results I'm getting than I'll shut up and go about my business. The funny sound is well worth the added forgiveness.

Sound and Feel Score: 14/20 (9/10 for the 35-47* and 5/10 for the 23-31*)


Likelihood of Purchase
Interestingly I would probably never have bought these new if I hadn't been selected to test them. I buy a lot of golf equipment but rarely is it new and rarely am I not getting a stupid good deal. So prior to testing I would have said 2/20. Now that I've tried them though, I'm not sure I can say the same thing. Hypothetically, if my set turned up missing or were stolen then I'm fairly certain that I would be shedding a tear for my poor wallet and shelling out for these bad boys. I've just been hitting them that well.

LOP Score: 17/20


Subjective notes
There you have it. In my opinion they look good, half of them sound good and they perform great. If I have to put up with the noise of the longer irons then so be it to get the results. That is about the only thing that Ben Hogan Golf could improve on. The sound of the long irons is just a hair off. That's me nitpicking because this is a review. If one of my golf buddies had asked me about it. I would prolly say "yea it isn't my favorite sound but its not a big deal." For those that play hybrids, you probably won't mind it at all. It isn't overly loud and it doesn't feel bad either. Just a little click-y. My overall impression of looks and sound a positive one.

Q&A From the Forum Members

Q#1:
This is from the Hogan site: "The first game improvement iron that gives you the confidence and forgiveness you desire, with the feel, precision and consistency you refuse to give up"
Not sure how many of you play 'game improvement' irons but how do you feel about this? Would you classify these as 'game improvement' If you had to put a handicap range on these what would be your estimate?"
A#1:
I don't play game improvement irons and the closest I have come in my life are a set of Top Flite Tour Midsize irons I played back in high school. Everything I play is usually a combo set of some kind. Cavity backs mixed with some kind of muscle back/blades. So players irons for me. With that being said, I feel like these do exactly what Hogan has described that they do. There is plenty of feel and feedback yet also confidence that mishits will be forgiven and covered up. To me these are the perfect mix of players iron and "game improvement." If I had to call it one or the other than it's a player's iron that offers game improvement and forgiveness.

Q#2:
How is the forgiveness on off-center hits? Is it a big loss of yardage/accuracy?
A#2:
There is a lot of forgiveness yet you still know when you miss hit them. The iron lets you know that you didn't get it all yet it still helps the ball get to where its supposed to be. Or at least close to where its closed to be. Now if you completely miss the grooves its not gonna magically appear next to the hole, but there is help there. I would say these are as forgiving as the profile of the iron allows them to be. Its no "max game improvement" iron but it isn't masquerading as such either.

Q#3:
What's your dispersion like? Are most of your shots within the same area?
A#3:
I'm not sure why or how but my shot dispersion has been as good with these irons as ever at any point, with any clubs in my life. I'm still figuring out the yardages but left to right they are point and click assuming I do the majority of my job.

Q#4:
You all got personalized lofts. Do you like the lofts on the irons versus the iron number? How do you determine which club to use if you are used to grabbing a numbered iron versus one with a loft on it? Are the lofts accurate in relation to the distance you hit your numbered irons? How long did it take for you to get used to the loft numbers?
A#4:
When I walk up to my bag to pull a club I know right away which loft is the iron I wanted. I really never had a learning curve or had to think about it. I guess the tinkerer in me automatically equates the loft with the club it replaced. I like the lofts because it keeps people from clubbing off me as easily without doing the math . The lofts are close to the clubs they replaced distance wise but I wish I had gone 22*-46* instead of my current set up because I lost a little yardage. That was overthinking on my part. Not Hogans fault. Also poorly fit shafts are partly to contribute.

Q#5:
From the Hogan site: "In the lower lofts, however, a progressive hollow construction ensures higher ball flights, while the thicker face technology delivers a steeper landing angle with more spin to hold the green on your long approaches."
Do you notice any difference in the 'scoring' clubs (P/9i/8i/7i) versus the lower lofted clubs? (6i/5i/4i) Do they feel different? Sound different? Is what is being advertised above correct?
A#5:
They feel slightly different. They aren't quite as soft as the scoring clubs. The sound is definitely louder and sometimes sounds more hybrid like than iron like. I think this is due to the tungsten and hollow head design. I don't love this but the added forgiveness makes up for it. The long irons are definitely very easy to hit. If I have to put up with a different sound then so be it.

Q#6:
I realize the shafts make a big difference in ball flight but how are the trajectories with the shafts you ordered? High? Ballooning? Piercing?
A#6:
The KBS TourV 120X is a bad fit for me. I'm hitting moon shots with them. They would probably suit a majority of golfers better than myself but I'm used to some of the lowest launching and spinning shafts available. A lighter, mid launch shaft that is mid/low spin was never going to work. To give you an idea of an apples to apples comparison, I hit these vs some Edel cavity back with the same shafts. Both the owner of the Edel's and myself found the ball flight to be a little higher with the PTx irons. They tend to want to go straighter than the Edel irons as well.

Q#7:
How are they out of the rough? Or a fairway bunker? Does the "V" sole make a difference?
A#7:
I've loved the turf interaction with these. They don't dig at all yet they don't feel like you are swinging something that's gonna bounce off of the ground either. I guess that's the V sole for you. Part of the reason that the on the course score is better than the range score is because of the V sole. I feel like the course/real world is where they shine. I haven't been in any fairway bunkers yet  so can't comment on that.

Q#8:
What do you think of the grips? Would you change them? Keep them?
A#8:
The grips aren't for me. They will be coming off soon. I haven't noticed it being a major issue on the course but I still am not a fan. Other than the Hogan logo and blue color anyway. That makes them look cool.


Summary
With the recent events of Nike stopping to make golf clubs I find us at a weird place in the equipment industry. Things are changing and hopefully for the positive. Maybe this means good things for smaller companies such as Ben Hogan Golf. I know that they have been around for a long time under different names such as SCOR golf and Eidolon golf and have always made quality products. I was really hoping that the Hogan PTx's worked well for me. I've done other reviews previously and wanted to like products but just couldn't lie to myself when they didn't. Just like everyone, not everything works for me and when it doesn't I don't have a problem saying that they don't fit. Well with the exceptions of the shafts, these clubs do work for me. I've had many conversations with people at the golf course about them. They all seemed to like the look of the new Hogan PTx's and a few even tried them out with good results. Hopefully these will be a hit for Ben Hogan golf. I can only recommend to golfers to give them an honest chance because for me they have been nothing short of fantastic. They may not wow you with crazy distance but that isn't what we need from an iron. We need pin point accuracy, forgiveness on miss hits and the ability to hit more greens. These clubs do all of those things extremely well. Its very fitting that Hogan golf labeled the PTx irons as "game improvement" because they have improved this golfers game. I would like to note that +0.7 is the best handicap revision I have ever had! I came in as a 0.4 handicap prior to receiving these clubs and my last revision was +0.7 which is a very big jump for me in only a month.
Thanks again Ben Hogan Golf and MyGolfSpy for letting me review the PTx irons!

Final Score: 85/100


Things to come
I will be changing out the shafts and grips before the follow up to the review(Stage 3). Lets see how good things can really get with these irons!

 

[Undershooter]

Stage 3 - Reserved

[EthanSterlingPrice]

Stage one: Introduction and Questionnaire. 

First off I'd like to give a huge thank you to everyone here at MyGolfSpy for another great testing opportunity and to Mr. Koehler and the rest of his staff at Ben Hogan Golf Company for producing these beautiful clubs.  Before we get to the good stuff please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Ethan Price, I'm from Central Texas and shoot in the low 70's.  I've been playing golf for around 8 years and have been a forum member for a little over a year now and look forward to plenty more.

 

Now we have a quick questionnaire to do before we can get to the review in stage 2 so let's get started.

 

Q.  What kind of golfer are you?

A.  I like both recreational and competitive play.  As far as my game I'd say accuracy over power.

 

Q.  What makes you love the game?

A.  Probably the difficulty and how rewarding it is when you play a shot well.

 

Q.  What are the strengths of your game?

A.  I would say keeping the ball in play and my wedge game.

 

Q.  What are the weaknesses of your game?

A.  Definitely putting but it's improving

 

Q.  What is your typical ball flight?

A.  Medium to medium-high

 

Q.  What is your typical miss?

A.  Left

 

Q.  Current comparable equipment?

A.  Nike Vapor Pro Combo irons 4-PW

 

Q.  What is you swing tempo?

A.  Smooth

 

Q.  What is your driver swing speed ?

A.  105 mph

 

Q.  What is in your bag?

A.  Nike Vapor Pro driver

     Nike VRS Speed 15 degree 3-wood

     Adams Idea Proto utility iron 

     Nike Vapor Pro Combo irons 4-PW

     Nike VR Pro wedges 54 and 58 degrees

     Nike method converge B1l01putter

 

Q.  How did you chose your equipment?

A.  Research and testing things out to see what worked and what did not, my Coach is a Nike        athlete so that helped a lot.

 

Q.  What region do you play out of?

A.  The south, Texas to be specific

 

Q.  Are you a tinkerer or a set it and forget it type?

A.  I would have to say a bit of both,when I first get equipment I'll tweak it till it gets me the best results but after that I normally leave it alone, I'll tweak more though if I fell I can get better performance though.

 

Well everyone, that's all for the first stage, if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask, and I look forward to stage 2. Thanks!

[EthanSterlingPrice]

#PrecisionIsBack

 

When the Ben Hogan Equipment Company announced its return to the market last year, it did so knowing it had high expectations to live up to. The release of the Ft. Worth 15 Irons and TK wedges proved that the company was committed to producing high quality clubs and quickly gained a following. While the Ft. Worth 15's were hailed as a great players iron, for their precision and craftsmanship, some players wanted more forgiveness. Fast forward one year later and we have the Hogan PTx Irons touted as the company's most advanced offering to date with the forgiveness players wanted and the precision they expected.

 

When the Ben Hogan Equipment Company announced its return to the market I was exstatic, growing up learning to play golf in Central Texas, Hogan was the player I looked up to and tried to emulate as much as possible. Being given the opportunity to test the PTx irons has meant a lot to me and I come into this review with an open mind but also the expectation that these clubs will meet the standards the Hogan name has come to represent.

 

Unboxing:

 

The first thing I noticed when I received the irons was the attention to detail on the packaging.

 

 

I've come to expect most golf company's to send clubs in a plain cardboard box, wrapped in a couple of layers of bubble wrap and stuffed loosely in the box so that my new clubs would get tossed around during delivery. The PTx also came in a plain cardboard box, but that's where the typical club shipment stopped. The Hogan company paid close attention to detail. After opening the box I found that the clubs were individually wrapped and placed into their own slots. This kept them from hitting each other during shipment. This made me feel that this company really cares about their product.

 

Looks:

 

 

Looking at these irons the first thought that comes to mind is the true craftsmanship. Hogan absolutely nailed the visual aspect of this club, in my opinion. If your wanting a classic forged look these are definitely going to catch your eye. The profile is slightly larger at address then the Ft. Worth 15's, inspiring a bit of confidence without looking clunky. I've always preferred blade irons over the cavity backs but, I really like the way these look.

Score:20/20

 

Performance:

 

 

Accuracy - Hogan places this at the core of its design. This is where these clubs truly shine. I had to take a little time to tune in my distances and trajectories, but once they were dialed in I had no problems hitting my numbers. I haven't noticed any distance gaps through the set. The penetrating trajectory helps the ball to stay on line and avoid the effects of the wind. Shot shaping is relatively easy, the ball will go high, low, draw and fade with a good swing. Draw players might take note that these clubs did occasionally overturn when I wasn't careful but that's also been my tendency for a long time. Overall I would definitely place these clubs at the top their in accuracy.

Score:9/10

 

Distance - Given the company's stance on the other OEM's "race for the longest 6-iron" I wasn't expecting much if any distance gains from these clubs and while they definitely aren't the longest set I've used they weren't slouches either. well struck shots were on par with my old set and longer irons had a slight distance gain due to higher carry and better contact, but what the clubs didn't get in distance were easily made up for in distance control.

Score:7/10

 

Trajectory - Ben Hogan uses a system called PreciseLoft to sort players into one of four launch profiles that determine the lofts of irons and help to optimize trajectory. I was given the mid-launch profile which consisted of lofts 22, 26, 30, 34, 38, 42, and 46 degrees which has worked very well for me so far. As I said in the accuracy section, the short and mid irons have a penetrating mid trajectory that cuts through the wind very well while the long irons are fairly easy to get up in the air which is nice for shorter hitters like myself. I love the trajectory of these irons and think anyone looking for a medium penetrating trajectory would be very pleased.

Score:8/10

 

Forgiveness - Fairly forgiving on mis-hits, with minimal distance loss and good direction, but I would still put these leaning more towards the players club category then I would game improvement. Overall I'd say you get what you put in with these clubs.

Score:8/10

 

Total Performance Score:32/40

Sound and Feel - One of the best I've used in this category. Low-key sound and muted impact feel are very appealing to me and reminiscent of older forgings with the benefit of new technology. Feedback on misses is distinct but not harsh

Score:18/20

 

Likelihood of Purchase - The PTx Irons are a terrific club but the price tag will push away a lot of players that could probably benefit from them, however, this is also a set that I could see having a shelf life that could justify the price. Between the quality and overall performance I think this set fits into the category of getting what you pay for and I would definitely purchase this set if I was in the market.

Score:18/20

 

Final Score:88/100

 

Conclusion

I came into this review with extremely high expectations for these irons and they have not disappointed me in the least. For now, they have definitely earned a place in my bag. If your looking for a Players iron with a premium on precision, a touch of forgiveness and a ton of class I'd definitely give these a good, long look.

[EthanSterlingPrice]

After plenty of time with these irons it's time to post the final results of my experience with the Ben Hogan PTx Irons.  We have a few final questions to answer and I'm not a big fan of long goodbye's so lets get right to it.

 

Will this product go in your bag?

 

That is a definite YES!  Aside from being some of the sharpest looking irons I've ever tried, they're also some of the most consistent swing-to-swing I've used.  They just match my game and I have truly grown fond of them.

 

Who would you recommend these to?

 

As I have said throughout the review, these irons are for a player who values accuracy over having the longest 6-iron, and they aren't going to cover up a poor swing as much as other sets.  So I would recommend them to decent ball strikers who don't struggle with length and who are looking for a middle ground between a gamer's set and a game improvement set.

 

 

How, if at all, did this product change your overall impression of the brand?

 

I think this set has proven to me that the Ben Hogan Equipment Company is fully committed to representing their namesake the best they can with quality golf clubs.  I initially worried that they would not be able to continuously build upon their early success, but I am very happy to have been proven wrong.  I suppose my impression has been reaffirmed or slightly improved.

 

 

What feature would you change or eliminate from the next generation or model?

 

There is very little I would change about these clubs that could not be fixed in the after-market.  I will eventually switch out the grips and shafts, but stock grips and shafts rarely fit many players anyways.  I'm going to say that nothing comes to mind.

 

 

What feature do you really like, and would most like to see continued or evolved in future models?

 

While most of the OEM's have fallen into the trend of maxing out distances, Ben Hogan has ignored the pressure and focused on feel and consistency, something I think the market has neglected in the last few seasons.  If they can continue their mantra of  "precision", they have the chance to separate themselves from the competition and maybe even be the ones setting the trends.

 

Overall it's been a real privilege to put these clubs to the test and I look forward to seeing what Ben Hogan Equipment brings out in the future, until then you'll find me on the range, I'll be the one with the Hogans.

 

[numberonecoog]

REVIEW PART 1

 

First off let me say thanks to MGS and The Hogan Company

I was expecting these to show up at anytime. One of the other reviewers recieved theirs and when I got off work I sped home. When I rolled up the drive way I saw a little brown box. I sprinted up the stairs grabbed the box and opened the door. I ran to the extra bed room and heard a whimpering. I totally forgot to let the dogs out in my excitement. I had to quit opening the clubs and let the dogs out of their kennels and put them outside. Whoops! Heres a few pictures from opening. 

 

 

 

I live in Dallas and try to get on the course once a week. I also go practice 2-3 times a week. I am 26 years old and have been playing since I was 17. When I was in college, I didnt take the game too seriously because money was tight,and I couldnt afford to play very often. That all changed when I took a job at a top 100 club fitting facility. They also had some of the top teachers in the Houston area. Working around such great golfers and instructors I couldnt help get better. While working there, I shot my all time best round of a 75. I was training to pass my PAT when I got an offer to work for the Houston Texans.

 

I took that job and since then the handicap has gone up. When you aren't at the range and getting instruction every day, that tends to happen. After shooting in the 70's, I now shoot in the mid 80's. Since then my swing has “evolved”. Luckily, I have kept my swing speed which hovers around 100-105. If I really step on it, I have touched 108. I never like going there and, honestly, when I hit 108 it was on accident. I hit my swing speed with a fairly quick tempo. It is almost too fast, and I can't control it. When that happens, I catch it thin. It will go straight but not very high. I lose distance and it is incredibly frustrating. My other miss is a push. It will start right and stay right. It wont turn right it will just stay right. This is very evident when you put a driver in my hand. I feel my scores would be better if I could keep the ball on the course. It is frustrating hitting your 3^rd shot from the tee box. Where I “shine” is when you put me 30 or less yards from the green and a wedge in my hand. If you need a chip or pitch, I am your guy. When my ball striking is on I play a nice draw. On some other days a nice cut is what I have going on.It can change from day to day but it is consistent all day long.

 

This test is going to be very interesting for me. I currently really like my irons. I play the Cleveland 588 CB. I think they are one of the best looking irons around. They provide forgiveness while also giving me the ability to flight the ball. They have s300 shafts in them and I play 4-PW. Since Hogan uses the loft system, I will be giving the lofts of all my irons here

4- 24*

5- 27*

6- 31*

7- 35*

8- 39*

9- 43*

P- 47

For the Hogans, I decided to not match my irons loft wise. I really want to test the consistent gaping theory of Hogan. I honestly don't care if I gain or lose yards. Since Hogan wants consistent gaping I decided to go with this set up:

 

22

26

30

34

38

42

46

You will notice every club is stronger than the one they “match”. This was the configuration that fit my wedge set up. Since I play a 50/54/58 wedge set up, I wanted to keep the 4 degree gaping in all of the clubs. The gaping theory makes sense to me so why not use it?

 

Well, I am off to put these through the wringer. Please ask me any and every question you can think of. I am just a normal guy like most of you here. I play this game because it can never be beaten. No matter who you are, the game can not be perfected. A lot of guys have come very close, but everyone knows they can be better than they are. I am here for this community so give me anything you can throw at me!

[numberonecoog]

[Hogan PTX Irons] – Official MGS Forum Review by numberonecoog

Player Biography

Just to start off let me thank Hogan and MGS again for giving me this opportunity.

I have been playing golf for about 9 years and at one point was a decent stick. My lowest round is 75. I was even practicing to take my PAT. I got a job offer I couldnt refuse and had to take that instead. These days I dont play as much as I used to so my scores have started to creep up. I am usually in the mid 80's I will peek into the high 80's and the low 80's. The Hogans are going up against the incumbent Cleveland 588cb. As you may know Hogan does not use traditional club numbering. They only use lofts. They allow you to choose any lofts you like. They want to make sure all players have proper gaping between irons. In many modern irons you see an inconsistent gaping through a set. Rather than matching my current irons I decided to test this constant gaping theory. I felt I was here to test the Hogan irons not compare the Hogans to my current irons. With that being said I got a set of 22-46 with 4 degree gaping between irons.

 

 

Performance

Performance at the Range

 

When I got these I unpacked them and took them straight out to the range. I tend to spend quite a bit of time on the  range. I like the calm and relaxation of the range. I can throw in some headphones and really focus. With that being said I couldnt put in headphones because I wanted to hear these and feel these. I really wanted to focus on a few things when I was out for the first time with these.

 

1. Accuracy

2. Turf Interaction

3. Distance

I may not have had my best swing that day because I wasnt hitting the Hogans or my Clevelands like I wanted to. Thats just fine though because it allowed me to check out the mishits and how forgiving these clubs were. When I caught one pure it went about 5-10 yards longer than when I mishit it. That being said the misses were consistent. I hate when a mishit flies very short and way off line. In this case it was shorter (expected) but consistent. Mishits all landed close to one another. I love this and allows me to prepare just in case. I know that the club will fly short 5 yards and have a fade on it. If have trouble that way I know I should club up or try harder to avoid that area with my aim.

 

Most of my range sessions are actually at the PGA Superstore. This allowed me to have quite a few simulator sessions. I know these are not 100% accurate but it did allow me to compare apples to apples. I took my 22,38,46 degree Hogans and my 24,39,47 degree Clevelands to the simulator for a show down. As you can see the Hogans are stronger. To my surprise the distance on the Hogans was actually shorter on the 38 and 46 by about half a club. I was able to explain this a couple of ways. First off was the amount of spin I was getting with the Hogans. They had brand new grooves and were creating a ton of spin compared to the Clevelands. The clubs also flew much higher than the Clevelands. Again this had to do with the amount of spin but I am sure the shaft difference had something to do with it as well. I was going from a DG S300 to a KBS Tour V 110. It was lighter and higher launching. One thing I did like more than the Clevelands was the consistency. I could tell you EXACTLY where the Hogans were going. Everything flew within 5 yards of each other and landed in a nice neat area. The Clevelands were a little sporadic. I did appreciate this and honestly I am willing to give up distance for consistency. One feature I wanted to test on these at the range was the V-Sole. In my two outdoor range sessions I have found this very interesting. I found it to be very efficent on getting through the dry Texas soil. It reminds me quite a bit of the Srixon sole. I found I was able to “stick it” more with these irons on the range.

 

Range Score: 8 (Out of 10 points) It loses points for being shorter despite having stronger lofts but it gains it right back for consistency

 

 

Performance on the Course

Ill be 100 percent honest with you about a week before I got these the wheels had started to come off my swing. I couldnt keep a drive on the reservation. When you cant keep a drive in play it can make an iron review a little difficult. When I did find a part of the course that wasnt covered in trees these clubs were mind blowingly good. This swing I was fighting was leading to a big cut on the ball. The good thing was these clubs flew true. I knew I could aim left and the ball would cut right back to the right. It was so consistent. I couldnt believe it. Bad swings flew consistent. Good shots flew consistent. What else could I want? I decided since I cant keep a driver in the fairway I was going to cheat a little and take driver out of play. I went over to the local 9 hole par 3 course. This allowed me to hit the irons and see how they performed. When sitting on the tee box with the irons I had some confidence. Considering this was only day 7 of having them I was very happy. As I took them to the range more I became more and more comfortable with the shot shape I would hit. I figured out the swing hitch after some range time and thats when these clubs went to the next level.

 

When I first got these clubs I was surprised to see that the club that most closely matched my Clevelands was actually 5-10 yards short despite being 2 degrees stronger in loft. I first noticed this out on the range but was able to confirm it at the course. Despite this, They were consistent. I knew the 38 degree was going to go 145. When I figured out the swing flaw that popped up,the clubs were starting to go normal distances again. I have played 5 rounds on a full 18 and 2 on a par 3 course. On the par 3 course I was hitting greens at a fairly good rate. I was making balls dance like I never had before. I was making golf balls back up 10-15 feet. When they didnt dance back they were putting craters the green. Here in Texas thats a HUGE deal. On municipal courses that I play, plush and soft greens are not the norm. I usually have to play a little roll out no matter the ball. With these it was actually back from its pitch mark. I was beyond impressed. After a few weeks I was used to them and able to hit them much better. When that happened I was getting closer to the 150 I got with my Clevelands.

 

Another thing for me when it comes to irons is being able to flight them properly. I want to be able to hit it low or high. These irons like to hit it high but if I needed to I could play the ball back and get the ball to fly low. These clubs have some offset but that doesnt mean you cant work the ball. Left or right these clubs handle it. Im not much of a shot shaper. I dont like moving it side to side. I will try to fly it lower though especially in Dallas with our large amounts of wind. When I wanted to do that the clubs did exactly as I planned

 

 

Course Score: 27 (Out of 30 points)

 

 

Performance Notes

As far as overall performance goes, It was great. After a week or two of getting comfortable with them my GIRs are slowly increasing. When I hit a fairway I have the confidence that Im going to hit the green. If I dont hit the green I will be close. I wont get the occasional flyer. When I mishit it I will get a consistent distance.

 

Basically the TL:DR is the clubs fly high,straight and consistent.

 

 

 

Subjective

Looks

Look, they are pretty. Gorgeous chrome goodness. Its not a giant cavity back but its not a blade either. I took the ones from the rack at a PGA Superstore and compared it to other irons. The closest match I found was the Cobra King LTD CB. As far as offset goes this club has some but its no Ping G Max. Its a nice compact CB with a little bit of offset. Think of most of the player CB irons and this falls in line with those. I hate doing this because it is incredible nit picky but I would change a couple of things about the irons looks. The cavity on the longer irons is smooth with paint. On the short irons there is some milling lines. The inconsistency drives me a little crazy. Its nit picky but hey thats why they ask us to do these.

Looks Score: 18 (Out of 20 points)

 

 

Sound and Feel

This is probably the most interesting aspect of these irons for me. The sound on these irons is very unique. The Hogans have a titanium face and a hollow body. If youre thinking that sounds a lot like the build of a hybrid, I thought the same thing. In the longer irons this is very noticeable. It really sounds like a hybrid. It really threw me off the first few times. Im not saying its bad its just.....different. The short irons sound more iron like. These dont have that mushy soft Mizuno or Miura sound. Its more clicky. Again not bad. Sounds better than a M2. Its a forged clicky. Barb described it perfect to me. He said it is more clicky like a Nike forging. I cant argue with that at all.

 

With that said they are oh so soft. I wanted to see just how soft these could feel. I bought a sleeve of Wilson Staff Duo balls. It was like hitting a marshmallow with a warm stick of butter. Go to the kitchen and try that. Ill wait......Ok thanks for returning. Howd that feel? Wonderful huh? Thats what it feels to hit a Duo with a PTX iron. With a harder golf ball like my e5 it still felt great. One thing you may see from some other reviewers is a hatred of the grip. Not me. I love it. Its soft but feels tacky. The caveat on this is the grip has got to be pretty clean. I lost my glove for a hole but was still able to swing these pretty well. I have done that with other clubs and it was awful. Honestly the grip may be one of my favorite parts of this club. I kind of want to email Hogan and get them on all of my clubs.I also love the fact you know when you mishit it. You can feel a mishit but it doesnt hurt. It doesnt punish you too much but does let you know something wasnt right.

 

When hit pure I will put these up against anything in terms of feel. The sound on the long iron is a little weird but they still feel nice

Sound and Feel Score: 17 (Out of 20 points) They only lose points because the long irons and short irons sound so different

 

 

Likelihood of Purchase

This is the hardest part of this review. Are these irons worth $169 a club? Yes I would say they are. I dont have $169 per club to shell out. I dont pay a ton for my golf clubs. My driver was $85 my wedges were $50 each. My hybrid is from Goodwill. If I had the money I would buy these. I dont have the money so my LOP is low. I have a hard time giving Hogan a bad score here because I cant afford them. They are worth what they are charging. It is in line with most forged CB irons.

 

LOP Score: 20 (Out of 20 points)

 

 

Subjective Notes

The looks of these clubs is off the charts. They offer forgiveness and do an amazing job of hiding it. Hogan seems to have figured something out. Companies have been trying to do this for years. I think Hogan has it pretty close. Since I can be a little nit picky I would make the short iron cavities look just like the long iron cavites. It just looks cleaner. I think the biggest thing to improve with this club comes in the sound department. The inconsistency in sound between the long and short irons is weird. Im not sure how to fix it but that would be what I would change the most.

 

Questions & Answers.

 

I said I chose these lofts to test the theory of the consistent gaping. It is paying off. I am able to pull a hybrid and possibly add a scoring club. I could also add a longer club. I have toyed with adding a mini driver to be more consistent off the tee. This would allow me to use the now most consistent club in my bag. My Hogan PTX irons.Another thing you may be wondering about is figuring out the distance with the loft and remembering 150 is my 38 and not my 8. I didnt find myself pulling my 34 when I needed my 38 but I would have to stop and pull out my fingers to make sure i Was grabbing my "8 iron". After a few range trips youll have it down. Another feature that I briefly touched on but wanted to go a little deeper on is the v sole. I can tell a difference between the Hogans and my Clevelands. These seem to cut through the grass perfectly. They also are great from the fairway bunker. Its almost like cheating. The sole works as intended.

 

 

Conclusion

Like I said earlier these clubs are a strong step towards a perfect golf club. They offer forgiveness,good looks, and consistency. They could improve the sound of the clubs but if it meant changing the performance of the club I wouldnt do it. I have a little more practice to determine if I am finalizing them in the bag. If these are any indicator of how the Hogan brand will continue forward. I cant wait to see what the new CEO will bring to the company

 

Total Score: 90 (Add up all 5 categories and present a total score)

If you want something new you wont waste your time looking at these I promise.

 

[numberonecoog]

When I sit down to do this final review the biggest question is “Do they make the bag?”. The answer is simply yes,they will go in the bag in fact they already are. Honestly I like them a lot and they feel great. I also appreciate the consistency they give me. That was the biggest thing for me. They are much more consistent than my Clevelands were. I wouldnt call them a game improvement iron but I do get more forgiveness over the 588cb. The shafts could use some improvement but Hogan does give you some other options. The KBS Tour V 110 gave me the lighter weight I was looking for but they are throwing them a little higher than I prefer. I also have always been big on gapping my wedges to my PW. The loft numbers instead of club numbers allows me to do this easily.

 

Again I cant say this enough but the clubs fly true. Whatever they are doing they are doing it right. Despite what I have heard from other reviewers I want them to also keep the grips. Others complain of no grip but I have experienced the opposite. I really like these and want them on all of my clubs. The blade length is also great. Nice compact head while having some offset to boost confidence. Its no absurd by any means but it is there. Finally I think they need to stick with the v sole. It cuts through the grass nicely. On my clubs you can also see were the v sole has given me some breaks. Most of the little scrape start at the face and go until it hits the ridge in the club.

 

This club has a large spectrum of people they could fit but honestly I think I am the perfect candidate for these irons. I am a mid-low handicapper. I hover around a 9.5-10.5. If a player is around this handicap and wants a nice forged set of irons I would advocate for these. I will be the first to admit I dont always hit the ball dead center every time. These give me feedback when I dont but dont punish the ball too much.

 

Now with that being said there are definitely somethings that could use improvement. The biggest thing to fix is to change the sound of the long irons. The 22,26,30 irons sound like a hybrid. Its just weird. I dont know how to change it without affecting the performance but there has to be a way. Also in the looks department the cavities between the long and short irons looks different. Long irons it is smooth while in the short irons it looks milled. I know thats ticky tacky but thats why they have us be reviewers.

 

With this being Hogans second iron set It can be difficult to decide if this helps or hurts the brand. These irons certaintly dont make me hate Hogan. I will be interested in future releases as well. The vktr hybrid interests me. The only negative thought would be the price of the clubs. That's not to say these clubs are not worth what they asking I just have a hard time believing someone is going to see the price tag and not decide to go with a cheaper forged option (Mizuno JPX forged, Apex Pro, Srixon 745).

 

Overall if you want to plop down the 1200 dollars for a custom fitting and custom irons you would be hard pressed to find a better option than these. Are they for a scratch golfer who hates offset and wants a blade? No of course not, but if youre like most golfers who dont quite find the time to go out and play every day but still like the finer things in life, youd be hard pressed to find a better set of irons.

 

Thanks again to MGS and The Ben Hogan Company for the chance to review these irons. Ask me all the questions you want! 

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

First round of Stage 1's are up -- we have some doozies!!!

[fozcycle]

We have some very excited golfers out there........

[Undershooter]

Part 1 is up on my review. I'm going to try and add a video as well. Let me know if yall have questions or observations please!

[StrokerAce]

Hi, I'm Paul from MA and I was one of the lucky MSG members selected to test and review the new Hogan PTx irons. Thanks to MSG and the Ben Hogan Company for giving me this opportunity.

As a long time user of Hogan clubs I'm very excited about this opportunity! My last two sets of irons have been Hogan's and I currently play the Hogan Edge Pro- 2002/03. I love these irons and have said several times that "I WILL NEVER GET NEW IRONS UNLESS THEY ARE HOGAN"S". Well that made it difficult to take advantage of any technology advancements as Hogan came off the market a few years later.  SO HALLELUJAH, after 14 years I finally got some clubs I can upgrade too!.

 

My primary objective for the test is to see how the technology improvements over the years will help my worsening golf game. I have certainly maxed out any game improvement features of my current set.

 

Here is some background on my golf history to put things in better perspective for you:

 

• Compounding the problem of my worsening handicap is that I have two youngish kids at home. We adopted two wonderful kids later on in life. I'm on the Senior Circuit and am way too old for kids my age. I still have Jr High, High school and college to get thru. Neither of my kids is all that interested in golf. My 13 year old son will go to the range with me on occasion if only to placate me.
• I've been playing golf since high school. I think they had wooden shafts when I started! My buddies and I weren't serious as we used it for a drinking game. I got serious about golf when I went into the Army after high school. Go figure, military bases have excellent golf courses at stupid low rates for members. For my money, the Air Force has the best courses.
• Handicap: 12.3 and trending in the wrong direction. Was a low as a 5 way, way back in the day. I'm really inconsistent with typically a few really large numbers on my card.
• Strength of my game has always been my iron play especially the 5 thru 8 irons. Longer irons can be inconsistent so I moved to hybrids and I need to get better from 125 yds. and in.
• I could write a book on my weaknesses in my game but if I have to summarize and prioritize I'd have to say my short game (75 yds. and in) and second is putting. Not a good combination when your trying to go low. I'd rather a 100 yard shot versus a 30 yard. A 30 ft putt versus the 5 footer. I said it in my introduction to MSG - the closer to the whole I get the worse I get. I also need to be more consistent off the tee. I usually hit 3 wood off of any hole that requires a wood...mostly because my driver and me are rarely on speaking terms. More on my driver problems if I get lucky enough to get into a driver test.
• My ball flight tends to be mid to high launch. I selected a pure mid launch profile with the PTx irons hoping to get a lower, more boring ball flight that lands and stops. When hitting the ball well, I play a right to left draw that lands softly.
• A typical miss is an over-cooked hook that keeps going left. Found out something interesting during the Hogan test process. I went to get my current set sized up so I could better fit the PTx irons. My current clubs are set up with a 1 degree flat lie angle when I actually need a 3 degree flat lie angle. The person fitting me indicated this would cause the toe of the club to close on impact causing an over-cooked hook....and I hadn't told him this was my miss. I'm hoping a properly fitted set of PTx irons will minimize this miss.
• What's in the bag:

      1.  Driver (10.5 degree) and 3 wood (15 degree) Callaway  Big Bertha

 

      2.  Hybrid - Callaway X Hot 21 degree

      3.  Irons - Hogan Edge Pro 2002/03, 4 thu PW, steel shafts stiff

      4.  Wedges - Cleveland , 52, 56, 60 degree

      5.  Putter: Odyssey 2 ball - 35 inch

• Swing: I'm told I have a natural smooth swing but it's nothing I've ever analyzed. I tend to hit down on the ball taking rather large divots. I am no friend to the greens keeper. When I get out of sync, notice I said when....I will hit balls 'fat' versus 'thin'. On a bad day my wrists are really sore after a round.

Move to current time:

 

Most of the other testers either had their clubs or knew when their clubs would arrive so I was going crazy not knowing. I finally got FedEx on the phone and tracked the package. They told me it was "out for delivery"  and should be there in a couple of hours1 told my boss sorry but I got to go. As I pulled into my neighborhood I saw the FedEx trucking leaving...when I got to my house....Bingo, we got Bingo! ( All Pats fans understand this reference!)

 

Insert 'Clubs At Door" image here

 

Funny, I just grabbed the box, put it into my car and drove straight to the range! I opened the box in my trunk at the range

 

Wow, these irons are sweet looking! The same classic Hogan style with a modern touch!  It was love at first sight!

 

  Insert "Love at First site picture"

 

They are very similar looking to my current set but you can tell they have moved the weight around. Here are some side by side club photos' to compare. Please note I purposely left my current set dirty to enhance the effect.... ... honestly I'm a bit embarrassed by this!.

 

The first side by side view is of the old 5 iron and the new PTx 26 degree, 

 

Insert 3 pictures here: 5_26 Face, Back, Heel close ups.

 

The next club in the side by side view is the old Pitching wedge, identified as an E wedge back then and the 46 degree PTx iron

 

Insert 3 pictures here: E_46 Face, Hozel  and Heel closeups

 

I had so  much excitement about hitting that first ball....and 'chuck'....not a good start! The second swing was perfect! It felt pure, went right where I wanted it. Awesome. I can immediately tell that the feel and feedback you get is way improved from my old set. Never hit a ball as pure as that in the remainder of the 2 buckets I hit. Got lots of work to do for sure but I already know that 'feeling' I'll be chasing with every swing going forward. The weather at the range wasn't very good. Wind blowing in your face hard and a slight drizzle. No way to judge how far things were going. I just wanted to hit them.

 

My initial impressions would be I don't have much of the right to left draw of my usual flight particularly with the high angle irons. It's a game improvement iron so it makes sense. It will be interesting to see if this holds over the long run. It would completely change how I play if it does making the transition to these clubs more difficult. The ball flight does seem to be lower than my current irons and I didn't seem to hit many if any over cooked - hooks. Can't tell what  the impact of the wind was to all this. Can't wait to hit these again!

 

Great start Paul!  The pic of you sleeping next to the irons made me laugh out loud and everyone at work looked at me.

 

These look like a SERIOUS upgrade from what you've got in the bag now.  Can't wait to hear how they work for you on the course.

 

Have fun!

[StrokerAce]

Thank you to Mygolfspy and Hogan for giving me the opportunity to test these irons and review them for everyone else. Any questions or observations are welcome, as I want to help everyone understand and know as much about these clubs without actually hitting them, as I can.

 

Some Backstory

 

A little about myself, I'm 28 years old and currently live in MS. I'm a former college baseball player and had to find something competitive to take its place when I gave it up. That is where golf stepped in. I've played since I could walk but not very consistently. I would play a lot for a summer or two then not play at all for a year or two. Basically, I didn't play at all during college then as soon as I started back, I never gave it up again. I generally play on the weekends and every once in a while I will try and practice or catch 9 during the week but that usually only happens once or twice per month.

Handicap wise I'm generally between +1 and -2 and currently sit at 0.4 according to ghin. Strengths of my game are probably my length and imagination. I'm a very streaky putter and can be very good with any certain part of my game on any given day. I'd say my iron game is very solid and I've been told it's a strength of mine. My weakness is probably my "big miss" and the fact that I will hit a ball OB here and there or in a hazard. In my defense, it's not always easy to keep your driver going where you want it when you're swinging at 120mph. Not to mention that little white ball likes to hide from you. My length gives me an advantage a lot of the time and I can get overly aggressive which hurts me. Normal ball flight for me is high with a little cut on it.

Typically my miss depends on how well I'm swinging it at the time. If things are normal or if I'm not playing great, then my cut will turn into a big cut or slice. However if I'm playing really well and my swing is locked in, then the miss is a little over the top pull. It usually doesn't hurt me much if that's my miss.

Something that I've worked hard on recently is my tempo. It used to be very fast with a swing that went way passed parallel and a late release. This meant very high launch and spin numbers. Recently I've tried to get everything in a more controlled state so that my tempo is more repeatable. I would still classify it as quick though.

 

My Sticks

 

Finally... enough about me and on to equipment. I'm a big club junky/ho and have no problem admitting it. I used to be a lot worse but have chilled out in the last year or so. We've been asked to compare our current equipment to the what we are testing, but I'm not sure how comparable my current and recent equipment is to the Hogan PTx irons. They are probably not even targeted at me if we want to be totally honest. I would probably be more in route for the Ft Worth if I had to guess what Hogan were thinking when designing the clubs. My most recent clubs are a combo set of Mizuno MP59s 4-6 iron and MP69s 7i-pw with Project X 6.5 shafts. Before that, a combo set of 2014 Taylormade TP MCs 3-7 iron and 2011 TP MBs 8i-pw with DG X7s. The set before that was Nike VR Pro Combo 3 and 4 irons and VR Pro blades 5i-pw shafted with DG X7s. Anyone seeing a trend? Yes, I like blades/MBs. I can't help myself . They just look so good! And for the most part, I was a good enough ball striker to play them. Lately, I've been thinking that with the small amount I get to practice a blade or muscleback may not be weapon for me.

 

My current full WITB for those interested: http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/13000-undershooters-zero-brand-loyalty-bag-updated-42116/page-2

 

The Hogans

 

To be totally honest with you guys and myself, I didn't know what to expect when I was picked to test these clubs. I was half expecting a box of shovels to arrive on the front door. Instead, what arrived was a perfectly packaged box of sweet looking cavity backs. Every club was pristinely put in its place with care, like I was the only one they were ever going to make a club for and ship to.

 

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Yes the profile was bigger than my current clubs, but we aren't talking about miles different. These are still players clubs in my eyes. I would say the best I could compare them to profile wise would be Titleist AP2s. While the thickness at address can be noticed, it hasn't bothered me at all and I can't see anything but the topline. The cavity is small enough back there where you'll never see it at address.

 

20160713_193116.jpg

 

When looking at the sole of the irons you notice the dual bounce/grind that Ben Hogan and SCOR before them are known for.

 

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Another visual thing of note is in the long irons. The 23*, 27*, and 31* all have a little grey spot out on the toe where the Tungsten weight is housed.

 

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My set is madeup of 23*-47* in 4* increments which do not totally match my MP59/MP69s. The PW in that set starts at 46* but my tinkering ass figured that these would be longer(distance wise) than my muscleback MP69s so I went a degree weak from the start. We'll see if my ‘redneck guessology' pays off in the end .

Other than the loft differences, everything else should be similar between my old set and the new Hogans. The lie angles are the same and I thought the lengths were the same but it seems I miscalculated the math for the length. These are a 1/4 inch shorter than my MPs but that isn't the end of the world. As for the shaft in these babies, it's the KBS TourV 120 in X flex. A shaft of which I have no history or knowledge so we'll see how that goes.

 

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My Outlook of Things to Come

 

I really don't know how I'm going to like these or get used to them long term. They look good and even though they aren't what I'm used to, I don't seem to mind. There is no bad feeling when I stand over the ball, only confidence. The shafts do concern me a little because they aren't exactly the same type of profile I'm used to.

 

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I have hit them but I'm not going to get into what it's like so you'll have to wait for stage 2 of the review .

 

I do have one interesting tid bit of interest info though. The day I got the clubs I was super excited and couldn't wait to hit them. I was working close to one of my courses and decided to go straight there after work. What do I find when I arrive.... A course that's closed for maintenance (we do this one week per year at all 3 course). I was so upset because the closer of my other 2 courses was 35 min away at minimum plus its 6 pm!

Well I called around and found a local muni that was still selling range balls. I got a bag of them and went out there to see what these babies were made of.

 

Btw I actually had some random guy stop and admire them for a minute and ask me about them. He hadn't heard that Hogan was back in business, but was impressed by how they looked. I explained the story of how they came to be, who they are, and he said he'd have to check them out. SCOR one for Ben Hogan golf! Sorry for the crappy pun but I'm running on fumes at this point in the review.

 

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Anyway... I loosened up a bit and took some dry swings before lining up for the first shot. This place has a range where you have two greens short of the water, left and right at under 100 yards. Then behind that, the range turns into a pond and the targets are buoys out in the water. Naturally the balls float, I'm sure you've all seen the type.

So, I take aim at the closest buoy with my first ball and let her fly! These buoys aren't big mind you, maybe 6" wide and 24" tall. Wouldn't you know it, I hit the damn thing dead center. Well then... That's one way to get a relationship started!

 

 

Now the real question is, do I play with them in the club championship this weekend after only having them a week?! haha

 

The video quality isn't as good on youtube as it was on my phone so sorry about that. I'll try to get a better one for stage 2!

 

https://youtu.be/9jj_VRXIHe0

 

C'mon Plano - when you win the Club Championship with these babies you have a story to tell for years around the club!!

[Undershooter]

C'mon Plano - when you win the Club Championship with these babies you have a story to tell for years around the club!!

That's the plan. I'm gonna take them for a spin today and make the decision if its worth it or not to play with them tomorrow. I'll prolly end up playing with them in the first round at least. Sunday... We'll have to wait and see about!

[hckymeyer]

That's the plan. I'm gonna take them for a spin today and make the decision if its worth it or not to play with them tomorrow. I'll prolly end up playing with them in the first round at least. Sunday... We'll have to wait and see about!

I'm leaving Wed for a tourney in Duluth, MN.  Practice round Wed, qualify Thurs, matches Fri and Sat and if you win on Sat you play Sunday.

 

I'm torn about taking them, only 2 rounds played with them so we are still in the "getting to know each other" phase.  One more round early morning Wed at my home course before leaving so that will be the true test I guess.

[StrokerAce]

I'm leaving Wed for a tourney in Duluth, MN.  Practice round Wed, qualify Thurs, matches Fri and Sat and if you win on Sat you play Sunday.

 

I'm torn about taking them, only 2 rounds played with them so we are still in the "getting to know each other" phase.  One more round early morning Wed at my home course before leaving so that will be the true test I guess.

 

No truer test in golf than under pressure.  

Just think how good that review will be ... !!

 

Good luck in your tourney.

[hckymeyer]

Stage 1 is up!

[Undershooter]

Well they are at least in for the first round. Shot 74 today with a "good" triple on 14. Irons did their jobs.

[Mr_Theoo]

Well they are at least in for the first round. Shot 74 today with a "good" triple on 14. Irons did their jobs.

Go big or go home right?