2020 Official Member Review: Ben Hogan Icon & PTX Pro/Icon Combo Irons

[StrokerAce]

The Ben Hogan Company started in 1953. It was well known throughout the company that there was nobody that expected perfection more than Mr. Hogan; to say he was iconic is an understatement.

Today, I hope you are as excited as me, to watch these gents make Mr. Hogan proud as they test the newest clubs with his name on them.

Testing the Icons will be:
@Erik-M
@downlowkey

Testing the combos will be:
@joen
@deejaid
@bens197
@Sluggo42

Hit 'em well gents!  Just like Mr. Hogan did, we expect perfection. 

[Erik-M]

 

Ben Hogan Icon Irons 8/23/2020

 

Ben Hogan Icon Irons Black – Official MGS Forum Review by Erik-M

I am 36 years old and have been playing golf since I was about 18.  I am a full-feel player as I have never had a golf lesson. My main way of practicing is by hitting golf balls in my yard and trying different ways to hit the ball straight.  I have been hovering around a 5 handicap, as of late I have seen my iron game improve dramatically.  I live in Wakefield, Michigan where we only have a couple months of playing weather. Golfers from other regions might not describe much of it as "playing weather".  I have a long swing, maybe attributed to playing college baseball. I hit the ball high and far with my typical miss being a pull draw. I would say my biggest asset is my length off the tee and my touch around the greens.  I would never had said my irons. Previous clubs were Titleist 712 AP2 with 7.0 project x rifle shafts. I was not fitted for them. Until this set of Hogan’s, I have never owned brand new clubs.  Nearly all my clubs have come from eBay.  To fit these clubs, I used what my specs should be based on my miss and what I was trying to feel in my golf swing. Here is a look at my ap2.

The day I got the Hogan’s delivered was a hard day to show up to work.  With a little pep talk from other mygolfspyers, I was able to pull through an entire 10-hour shift. When I arrived home, they still weren’t there, so I jumped in the shower and when I got out I saw the box:

The Ben Hogan Icon irons don’t offer a whole lot for technology.  They are touted as a great-looking Blade geared towards a decent player looking to shape shots.  They are said to be forged to give the player plenty of feedback.  They come in two finishes. The black, which I chose, as well as chrome. Going in, I was expecting to have stinging fingers for a while until I could hone in my strike.  Little did I know that the feel and sound of these would be something I never imagined!

 

I honestly have never thought of using Hogan irons, I was under the impression that you had to be an elite ball striker in order to even try to take a set of Ben Hogan irons onto the course. I have only known one person to play them and he was on that level of ball striking.

 

I chose to go .5” long on the kbs tour v steel x-stiff shafts. I did so because my old set were cut to half inch long and I could find the bottom of the swing better.  I also went 1-degree flatter because I felt I was burying the heel of my old set into the ground hitting the dead pull. I didn’t know what it would take to get these in my bag, so I was just going into this with an open mind. I am flexible with what a club needs to give and I was just looking for something that sounded and felt good! Enter Ben Hogan Icon Black!

My test model was based on hundreds of balls hit in my yard, as well as several rounds on the golf course.  Our area does not have driving ranges or practice facilities.  I do have access to skytrak but with the COVID situation, it was hard to justify putting others and myself at risk to use it. When I did, it seemed to hate my swing.  My on-course and skytrak yardages don’t match up.

Looks= 10 out of 10 points 

The Shape of these clubs is more subtle than they appear in pictures, as the head package is much smaller in real life, which I prefer. The white Ben Hogan logo set into the black head is at another level. The only thing that took a minute to get used to was the hosel. On the long irons, it is almost as big as the face, but after swinging them a couple times, completely vanished to me. This finish on the black irons is a huge help for glare which bothered me on my ap2s. They are definitely the most attractive club I have ever owned!

Sound & Feel= 9 out of 10 points

I started my testing with the pitching wedge in my yard. The very first shot I hit I said, “WOW” audibly and I was alone in my yard and thought “Did I really just say that out loud?” It is the dullest, non clicky sound I have ever heard in a golf club! Dull is good. I had a friend say, “it sounds like you’re just hitting a soft ball with a solid piece of metal”. I had to hit a bunch of shots with the 4 iron to get the same feel, though.  I initially felt like I was hitting the end of a wooden bat in 30-degree weather. I found I had a swing flaw as I would hit every shot on the toe, where there were no grooves, but that’s not a Hogan defect, that’s an Erik defect. Once I figured it out, it has been a dream! I feel it was a blessing in disguise as I am hitting the ball better than I ever have in my life.

Basic Characteristics=18 out of 20 points

To make this fair, I judged these irons based on what they are, a good sounding and feeling blade.  Accuracy is spot on.  I have never felt so sure of the shot I was trying to play and knowing that the swing I put on the ball created the outcome. I gained around 10 yards per club than I was getting on my ap2’s.  In part due to the 1-degree stronger loft in each iron and having them closer to the specs that I need.  The TRAJ is something you would see someone on the range hitting and thinking “man that’s ideal trajectory.” Forgiveness is what I expected, on off-center hits you do lose some distance, but not as much as I expected.  I was looking at 5-ish yrds. The un-grooved toe is a horrendous feel, but it also lets you know, “Hey… hit the club face!”  From swing one I never questioned control. I feel like I advanced to a whole new league with control.  I will say that out of the rough, you will need to judge the lie.  I have experienced my first true flyer with these clubs. Speaking on control, I can hit a nice 2-yard draw as well as an 8 yard cut without out much work! Here’s a 203-yard 5 iron cut into the wind landing hole high and sticking like glue. 

 

 

On-Course / LM Performance=28 out of 30 points

The Icon Irons on-course performance was all I expected and more.  I got what I put into the swings I made.  Standing over the ball in a tournament with the pressure on, I was able to deliver the shot I was intending better than I had before.  I think the smaller face, for me, made me focus more and take pride in a well struck ball. I have shot my best round of golf ever with them. I have had my longest birdie streak with them, 7 in a row. I have had my best back to back rounds of 67 and 70. I found myself trying different shots just to play the clubs as much as possible and I started using a little P Wedge runner shot from the fringe. I really have found no flaws with the clubs. If anything, it helped me fix some of my own flaws!

Miscellaneous=10 out of 10 points

Something small that might not matter to others, but I have found exciting is that when people see the irons in my bag, everyone has a positive comment about them. It also makes me feel like I am a credible golfer when people say, “that’s a small face!

Play it or Trade it=20 out of 20 points

Play it, 100%.  I will be playing these irons for a very long time!  It will take something huge for me to make a change.  I think the asking price is a nice bonus.  I can easily see these going for double what Ben Hogan is selling them for.  I think if a player doesn’t at least consider these if they are looking at getting a nice set of beautiful blades in their bag, then they are surely missing out!  

Conclusion

Ben Hogan has created a product that is stunning to look at, has an amazing feel while playing, and performs like no other set of irons.  If you are in the market for handsome blades that truly perform, don’t look past Ben Hogan Icon Irons.  You will not be disappointed.

 

Final Score=95 out of 100 points

 

Out with the old!

In with the NEW!!

[downlowkey]

Ben Hogan ICON Black – Official MGS Forum Review by downlowkey

Intro

My sincere thanks to Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Co. and MyGolfSpy for this wonderful opportunity. It has been a blast getting to know these Ben Hogan ICON Black irons and sharing the experience with the best golf community around.

I'm a Tex-pat residing on the Colorado Front Range, in an idyllic Denver suburb called Louisville (Pleasantville). The air is quite thin up here at 5500 feet. If you have never played at altitude, my advice is don't try it. You'll never enjoy golf at sea level again.

My first experience with a real set of golf clubs was lightly used Hogan EDGEs. I was a High School freshman just trying to make the JV team in a very competitive program. Over the next four years, I absolutely wore the grooves off trying to earn a top spot on the team. My daily routine was pretty straightforward, hit range balls until my hands bled. I learned a great deal about life, the game and myself in the process. More than anything, I developed both a love for competition and the discipline necessary to have success. Over the past 25 years most of my golf revolved around tournament settings (HS, College, Professional, USGA Amateur Champs).

The past few seasons have been plagued by injury, some quite serious. I also turned 40 at the end of last year and my elbows are starting to protest the millions of divots on the swingometer. In addition to the pain of aging, the situation in the World right now has caused me to reassess my golf goals. I don't currently have any competitive aspirations and actually let my official handicap lapse for the first time a couple months ago (last official index +2.2). Nonetheless, I'm currently playing more golf than I have in a very long time. The game feels pretty tidy but my focus has become much more conceptual. Instead of my reality hinging on a number at the end of the day, I simply appreciate the opportunity to be creative, decisive and hopefully graceful. That is truly how I see golf right now - an opportunity.

For those less interested in the esoteric conceptual rhythms, my typical shot shape is a lazy little draw. The flinch is an anti-chunk mentality that comes out a groove or two low, and about a club short. Pertinent 2020 season stats for those considering a full quiver of ICONs: Fwy (68%); GIR (77%) The competitor: Adams IDEA MB2 4-PW w/ Matrix Ozik Program 130 6.5, that I would rate as strong... to very strong.

First Impressions

Let's get this out the way right now - the Ben Hogan ICONs are muscle back blades. None of the wonderful things I subsequently have to say about the way they look or feel is going to change the punishing physics behind these graduated lumps of carbon steel. So if you don't regularly hit it out of the middle and score is the primary metric on which you hang your hat, the rest of this review is not going to be particularly useful.

Modern Meets Classic: Traditional lofts, thin top line, compact head, boxed toe and minimal offset are all hallmarks of traditional blades and characteristics that the ICONs possess in spades. Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Co. has purportedly designed a number of useful features into these otherwise classic heads.

Mind The Gap: With consistent 4 degree loft gapping and variable graduated lengths, the ICONs throw a big blanket over the 4-PW yardage spectrum. This is the standard Mr. Hogan adopted for his own personal equipment and the one on which he consistently staked his reputation as a premiere club maker.

The Holy Mass: The leaned out perimeter running around the back of the ICONs has allowed the engineers more latitude to gradually raise the center of mass as loft increases throughout the set. The goal is optimal launch, spin and dispersion in a seamless progression.

V-SOLE: There are a probably roughly a dozen different specialized wedge grinds on the market. Why wouldn't you want the same versatility in the rest of your irons? In a game where no two lies are identical, Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Co. claims their patented high bounce leading edge and softened trailing edge will help golfers successfully extract their ball from a variety of lies. In this case, "V" stands for versatile.

Well that product rundown from the marketing team certainly reads like my own personal wish list, but the real answers are always waiting in the dirt. Over the past 6 weeks, I have pounded thousands of range balls and played hundreds of holes with the ICONS. To be completely honest, I really wanted to make these clubs work for me and I've worked hard to make that a reality.

My area of the country was buttoned up pretty tight when our review team was asked to submit specs so a proper fitting wasn't really an option. Thankfully I have been fit for all my clubs several times in the past and have a pretty good idea what will and won't work well for me. I moved to graphite shafts a few seasons back but Ben Hogan doesn't offer a suitable graphite build option for me, so I went with a standard/standard stiff KBS Tour V setup. I'm not the kind of player who participates in conversations where we compare 7-iron carry distance. But I will happily chat all day about trajectory control, shot shape, consistency and feel. My current set of gamers adequately check all those boxes and the ICONs will have to outperform them to earn a spot in the bag.

Looks (10 out of 10)

This is the most elegant set of irons I have ever laid eyes on. Full stop. In the past I thought all kinds of clubs 'look good', but these ICONs look good in a more classical sense. They exude beauty in a way that I have never felt about another set of clubs. And I have bagged some real lookers over the years. The DBM finish is flawless and presents absolutely zero face glare. From the gold BH sunburst to the classic white Ben Hogan signature, all of the badges and paint fills seem intentional and understated. These clubs are incredibly tasteful and I am confident that Mr. Hogan would be pleased to have his name adorning them.

Sound & Feel (10 out of 10)

Throughout the review period, I have hinted at the sound and feel of the ICONs with terms like marshmallow, forged wool and stealth tech. The reality is that I have struggled to come up with words to do truly them justice in this scoring category. The feeling of flush contact has been finely tuned with this lineup. The sound of ball impact almost disappears amidst the thrush of V-SOLE carving through the turf. And my God are they soft! I have actually had to stop range session on several occasions due to runaway compounding mirth. You know how your strength seems to leave you when you're laughing? Well my tolerance with these ICONs is about 10 pure shots before I have to rest a beat because I'm on the verge of laughing out loud. Balls a couple grooves high or low along the centerline still feel fine but those groovy feelings fade quickly when shots venture much toward the toe or heel.

Basic Characteristics (19 out of 20 points)

For this category, it seems only fair to score the ICONs relatively against other blades. I believe my prior gamers to be a best-in-class blade design that perfectly fit my game and subsequently feel comfortable comparing the two in categories like accuracy, trajectory, versatility and consistency.

Accuracy: The ICONs are an improvement. I've been on a 6 week flag hunt and bagged way more than my fair share of kick-in birds. And this has invariably been the case with every club from 6-iron to PW.

Trajectory: I think this is one of the categories where V-SOLE has a tangible impact. The bounce on the leading edge makes the club dip through the turf ever so neatly. In the old days, a custom shop could 'kill' the leading edge on a blade and my MB2s do have a touch of that kill grind. The ICON V-SOLE is a kill grind on steroids and makes hitting knockdowns a breeze. For me, trajectory is the foundation of keeping the ball hole high and the ICONs have a noticeable edge in this category.

Versatility: I could go on all day about the creativity that the ICONs allow, so I'll try to wrap up the potential platitudes as succinctly as possible. Can you work the ball with virtually any golf club? Yes - but with a compact design like the ICON it takes so much less effort. I feel like Bob Ross with these clubs in the bag. There is so much mass behind the sweet spot - really punchy. In particular, fades have been easier for me to squeeze out of these slightly heel biased heads. I really enjoy taking on the ideal shot in most approach scenarios I face on the course and the ICONs let me paint any picture I can imagine.

Consistency: This is the category where blades pay dividends for my game. I don't care if my clubs fly the longest, but I do count on them to produce reliable results. Severely penal hazards aside, I believe modern architecture is generally kinder to misses 30 feet short opposed to those 30 feet long. It is disconcerting to fly a ball over the green and not know why it happened. The ICONs don't hold any surprises in this category - the output matches the input. Depending on your skill level, that could be viewed as a terrible bargain. For me, it is a reassuring certainty. And for my typical thin miss, the results are totally adequate and often work out a little better than expected.

On-Course Performance (28 out of 30 points)

My home course doesn't mow fairways every day. No problem for the ICONs. The rough similarly gets pretty gnarly. Also not a problem for the ICONs. I'm confident the compact heads and V-SOLE can handle any lie. I have hit some really nice shots with the 4-iron but it cannot be described as forgiving and I do my best to avoid the butter knife. In general, the 5-iron thru PW do exactly what I ask of them. My short game toolbox covers 56 degree up to 9-iron and I think the bump and run is an area where muscle backs typically have an advantage. The V-SOLE has been a bit of an adjustment on shots around the green. I like to play toe down runners and the 19 degree bounce reacts differently with turf. The toe tends to crank open and leave shots short and right. I've made some adjustments and started getting better results but it has taken some getting used to. In general, the ICONs have held up incredibly well under pressure and I relish every opportunity to carve a divot out of the turf but they have also cost me a few shots around the green.

Miscellaneous (9 out of 10 points)

I had to get pretty nitpicky to come up with reasons to deduct miscellaneous points from Ben Hogan on the ICONs. There was one tiny area that QC could have been marginally tighter. The acetone cleanup turn on my ferrules wasn't perfect and there are some spots where the gloss finish varies slightly. That's it - they are otherwise faultless. I put them on the loft and lie machine and every club was dead nuts on spec.

Play it or Trade it? (20 out of 20)

Play.All.Day. I'm never getting rid of these beautiful buttery blades. At my skill level, there are no drastic ball striking gains to be realized. But in addition to performing marginally better than my prior gamers, the Ben Hogan ICONs offers less tangible benefits that hit me right in the feels. And good feelings is what I'm all about these days. I am proud to play these clubs and it has nothing to do with them being blades and everything to do with the name etched on the back.

Conclusion

Why do you play golf? What do you want out of golf? What are you willing to put into golf? These are the questions every golfer should ask themselves. But they may hold deeper answers for individuals that have deliberated whether they have the constitution to wield muscle back blades. I have tried to put the cutlery in the closet during a few periods when the launch monitor teased with longer, higher and straighter. But my own answers to those questions have inevitably drawn me back to the bare bones aesthetic. Over the entirety of my life in golf, no clubs have assured me that I was on the correct path more so than the Ben Hogan ICONs.

Final Score (96 out of 100)

[joen]

Hogan PTX Pro/Icon Combo Iron Set - Official MGS Forum Review by JOEN

A big thank you to Hogan golf and mygolfspy for the opportunity to test these clubs. I am very grateful. 

Introduction
First, a little about myself.  I am 50 years old and have been playing this game for forty years. My handicap can fluctuate from 1.8 to 4.8. I have never been able to get to scratch despite my best efforts. According to Shot By Shot, a strokes gained app that I have used over the past two years, here is how my game breaks down into a handicap:

As you can see, the weak part of my game are the approach shots.  I typically get 148 yards of carry from my seven iron.  I hit a small draw with my irons and a bigger draw with my driver. My miss is to the left, and I do fear the left side of the golf course as a result. My current set, prior to testing, are Mizuno JPX 850 irons 7 through gap wedge. The five and six are the Cleveland Launcher HB irons.  I have been professionally fit twice before, and both fittings gave me the exact same recommendations. Standard length clubs, standard grip size, and two degrees flat. I did not get fit for the Hogan’s given the current situation in the world; however, I felt comfortable going forward with these current specs. 

First Impressions

The dog immediately approved of the Hogan irons. He was a little upset that there was not a milk bone in the box like the packages that come from 1-800 pet meds. Hogan cannot be faulted for this oversight. 

The irons are beautiful in my opinion.  Such a classy looking golf club. I think Ben Hogan himself would be proud. 
 

 

I was a little concerned when I noticed that my seven iron was missing some paint fill. Lack of quality control in this area immediately made me wonder what else was lacking that was not visible (inconsistent lofts, lie angles, etc.) to the naked eye.  It certainly seemed to me that someone took a shortcut in the quest for perfection.

I chose the combo set because I had already crafted a combo set for myself.  I was very excited to see how a professionally produced set would measure up.  I wanted consistent gapping between the clubs, and most importantly, no hot spots on any of the clubs which would produce inconsistent yardages.  Inconsistent distances will not be tolerated by this tester.  My other important….although a bit subjective…..factor is how the clubs feel when hitting a shot. 

Most of my testing was done on course, and a little was done indoors on my Skytrak. 

Grading

Looks (10 out of 10 points)
These clubs are stunning. I don’t want to sound like a Hogan fan boy, but they have a timeless shape.  These are the Bo Derek of irons. Graphics are not obnoxious, just the right amount of pop. No gaudy colors. The combination set blends well together in my opinion.  These clubs are just as nice looking as anything else on the market.  I believe Hogan has hit a homerun with these clubs. The only problem I see with the business model of direct to consumer is the lack of shaft options at this point in time. The grips that come standard were a little weird feeling at first, but I have gotten used to the sensation.

Sound And Feel (9 out of 10 points)
These clubs have a muted crisp feel to them. I love the sensation when you pure a shot. The only thing that bothers me is I have difficulty telling where on the club face I mishit the ball. The solution to that problem?  Don’t mishit the ball. LOL 

Basic Characteristics (20 out of 20 points)

These clubs are dead on accurate. Yardages are repeatable. That goes for the Equalizer wedges I also purchased to make sure I had no gaps between the PW and gap wedge. I get the same distance with these clubs as my previous Mizunos. These are not “distance” clubs.  These are players clubs in my opinion. Trajectory was mid for my golf swing, and that includes the wedges. You are punished for your mishits, but not excessively so.  As I said, these clubs are for players.  These clubs feel automatic in my hands. I can draw or fade these irons on command.  The five iron is a little wonky in my hands, but I have always struggled with a five iron for some unknown reason.   The hybrid, in my hands, truly has an anti left bias built into it.  Very much appreciated as I fear the left side as I previously stated  

On Course Performance (30 out of 30 points)

Now, I have struggled this summer because I took multiple lessons to overhaul a flaw in my swing, and I also took a short game lesson.  I have dropped my handicap a full stroke since using these clubs, but I am not sure it is from the clubs or my lessons starting to pay off.  I have shot a personal best of 68 with the Hogans in hand after shooting a 70 the day before. I had six birdies in my personal best round. I had seven birdie looks inside of fifteen feet (realistic chance in my opinion), and I made six of them. I have had multiple tap in birdies (more than usual) with these clubs during the testing period. My strokes gained handicap has dropped to a 4 from an 11 using these clubs. That is what they call the “proof in the pudding.”

Please note the spin that these clubs produce and the stopping power on the green.  The turf interaction with the V sole is outstanding. V sole is fantastic for wedge shots out of the bunker as well.  I am digging the V sole, although they tend not to dig as much. Apologize for the very bad joke!
 

Miscellaneous (5 out of 10 points)
The missing paint fill from the seven iron really disturbed me. 

Play It Or Trade It (20 out of 20 points)
These clubs will be in my bag for a long time.  You will have to pry them out of my hands. The five iron is the only exception to that comment. It may be replaced with a Hogan hybrid.  I did not deduct points for the five iron, as I feel that is something lacking in my own swing.  The important thing with any club, from your driver to your putter, is that you believe in them.  I believe these clubs......

Conclusion
Don’t overlook these clubs if you are in the market. At this price point and quality, they are a steal.

Final Score (94 out of 100 points)

[deejaid]

 

 

 

 

Medallions. Redlines.  Channelbacks.   These were the clubs I grew up coveting.  Ben Hogan  irons were the pinnacle of forged goodness.  I grew up in the 1980’s beating balls with vintage blades out into the fields of my grandfather's farm in Pennsylvania.   Now in California I can enjoy the game year round and most of my rounds are 9-hole affairs with a set of forged blades and persimmon woods. 

 

I don’t carry an official handicap but average 38-43 shots per nine.  Many of my rounds are solo, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of manicured nature.  As for my game, I have a medium to quick tempo and a long backswing.  My ball flight is high, which I’ve always liked.  The new low spin era of shafts are not my thing.  My 150 yard club is an 8-iron and my typical miss is low and to the right.  I’ve always  been a pretty strong iron player and when I’m hitting greens I’m scoring well.  I really get in trouble if I miss a GIR and I’d say my chipping and bunker play is my biggest weakness.

Using the online HoganFit software it was recommended I use the KBS Tour V flex.  A recent Trackman fitting recommended a Project X 6.0 stiff shaft.   Since I have some nagging elbow pain, I figured graphite shafts would be the way to go.   Hogan shaft choice is quite limited and the only stiff flex graphite shaft was the Recoil 760.  While the graphite shafts definitely helped with the elbow pain, the light weight and active tip section meant I was hitting the toe constantly and it felt as if I had no control over the club head.   Tyler at Ben Hogan Golf was kind enough to have me send the irons back to be reshafted.   I decided to go with the good old fashioned Dynamic Gold X100’s.  I’d say after my experience only make the switch to graphite if you are fitted into them.  The weight difference and tip section torque are too much of a difference to switch to blindly.

 

 

 

First Impressions

With the Player’s Combo Set Irons, Ben Hogan has tried to build the perfect matched set of irons.   The PTx Pro 5-7 irons utilize a proprietary three-piece, multi-material, multi-step forging process featuring a soft 1025 carbon steel body with a forged MS300 face. Tungsten weight is placed in the toe to promote a straighter ball flight, and higher initial launch angles with more spin. The design retains the look of a better player’s iron while blending seamlessly with the Icon 8-PW, which are classic Hogan musclebacks.  

The Player’s Combo Set includes your choice of 4-iron; the set matching PTx Pro 4-iron, the UIHI 22* long iron replacement, or the VKTR+ hybrid. Opening the box of Hogan’s I was greeted by a familiar looking club. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks  (9 out of 10 Points)

The Icons may be the best looking irons on the market right now.   Upon first glance perhaps easily mistaken for the 1999 Hogan Apex, the Icon small size head and straight leading edge produce a very pleasing look at address. The design of the club is classic, with the Ben Hogan starburst logo and minimal distractions on the back, this is a design that should age well.  

 

 

 

 

 

The PTx Pro’s blend nicely with the Icons with only a slightly wider sole and a hair thicker top line while maintaining a similar overall shape at address.

 

 

 

 

 

The back of the club is a little busy though, the line around the perimeter mimicking a cavity back which is unnecessary.  While the Icons will still look fresh in a few years I feel the PTx Pro will look dated more quickly.

 

 

 

The overall look is a more classic look than most clubs on the market which for a traditionalist like myself is definitely a plus.  The look of a shiny set of Hogan’s in the bag is one that never gets old.

 

 

 

Sound & Feel (9 out of 10 Points)

Again, the Icons shine in the sound and feel department.   The feel off the face is very soft with a muted sound.   I’ve played forgings from Miura to Kyoei to Macgregor, and these Icons feel better than any of them save the Kyoei which they equal in every regard.  Mishits definitely effect feel negatively, but you immediately know where you missed on the face.

The PTx Pro’s were a pleasant surprise.  While they have the look of a hollow-head Player’s Distance iron, they are solid, and with the Tungsten weighting in the toe the feel was crisp and felt much more solid than  hollow head Player’s Distance irons.  Feedback was again superb, but the feel just could not match the high bar set by the Icon. 

Meanwhile, the UIHI has a hollow feel to it, similar to other manufacturers Player’s Distance irons and didn’t feel nearly as gratifying on a perfect strike.

( UIHI 4-iron on left, PTx Pro 5-iron on right.  Notice the very similar sole width)

 

 

(Top line comparison, left to Right- Icon, Ptx Pro, UIHI)

 

 

Basic Characteristics (17 out of 20 Points)

If you want to hunt some pins, the Player’s Combo set are your clubs.   The Hogan V-Sole is great from any lie and makes the sole feel more compact than it is. A really nice design that I'm glad they carried over from the Ft. Worth.  

While I was pretty sure I’d get a nice high flight with hop n’ stop landings with the Icons, I was really surprised by the performance of the PTx Pro.   They launch effortlessly with good spin on a nice high trajectory and land softly.   Unsurprisingly, the Icons were very accurate and are just what I am looking for in the clubs covering the 125-155 yard range.  And while I’ll say I definitely added yards to my mid irons with the PTx Pro’s, it was their accuracy that had me smiling the most.  

Mishits with the Icons were as expected with a loss of 10 yards or so and a weak fade.  The PTx Pro’s miss resulted in low shots with a definite loss of spin.   The PTx Pro was also a bit tough to keep low.  They just want to fly high.

As for the UIHI, that is the club that let me down most.   The UIHI kept launching lower than the  PTX Pro 5-iron with much less spin.  I’m not sure if it was the fact that Hogan chooses to gap the long irons at 3/4” instead of 1/2’, but I couldn’t get anywhere near the height achieved with the PTx Pro 5-iron, and I hit more than my fair share fat with the UIHI.   If I had it to do again, I would have ordered the stock PTx Pro 4-iron instead of the UIHI.

 

 

 

 

On-Course Performance (25 out of 30 Points)

Once on the course, the clubs performed beautifully.   One concern was the transition between the Icon 8-iron and the PTx Pro 7-iron.  Fortunately, the transition is seamless both visually and in performance.  The heads are very similarly shaped with just a slightly thicker top line on the PTx Pro and distance gapping was spot on.  I had complete confidence standing over the ball with the 5-PW in my hand.

The UIHI ,however, was a bit of a crapshoot.  When hit well it is a 215 yard club for me but I could easily replace that yardage with a persimmon 4-wood and get a higher trajectory. 

 

 

Miscellaneous (8 out of 10 Points)

One of the concerns with a small direct-to-consumer company is the customer service.  Email communication was a bit slow when I contacted them about some Equalizer wedges.  I’d say this is one of the trade offs of buying from a smaller Direct-to-consumer company.  The pitching wedge in my set also had some sloppy assembly with epoxy on the hosel and a slight gap between the hosel and ferrule, which also showed some damage on arrival.

 

 

 

 

 

Play It or Trade It (20 out of 20 points)

Once I ditched the graphite shaft experiment, these clubs came alive.   For someone like me that doesn’t keep up on the latest equipment releases, the Player’s Combo Set is the perfect blend of technology and tradition that can stay in the bag for years to come. 

When it comes to value, none of the big names can touch the Ben Hogan Player’s Combo Set.  With a direct to consumer price of $785 these irons come in $200-$500 cheaper than comparable irons from competitors and equal or exceed performance.

 

 

Conclusion

If you are looking for a set of player’s irons, look no further than the Ben Hogan Player’s Combo Set.  In streamlining their business model, the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Co. has been able to deliver high quality, forged clubs at a significantly lower price than their competitors.

 

 

Final Score (88 out of 100 Points)

 

 

[jayjay0808]

Very nice boys! Enjoy the process!

[scooterhd2]

Congrats! Got this one book marked. Looking forward to hearing about these irons. 

[downlowkey]

I am so stoked to be a part of this great review team of Spies!

Ben Hogan holds a special place in my heart - my sincerest thanks to MyGolfSpy and Ben Hogan Golf for this opportunity.

I am truly honored and cannot wait to start digging answers out of the dirt a' la Mr. Hogan!

[Bdcampbell]

Congrats, I am excited to follow along! Looking forward to reading your reviews. 

[Nunfa0]

Massive congratulations to all the testers, really nice to see some fresh faces amongst some well known names here .

So now you all have to channel your inner Hogan. I recommend watching Follow the Sun and buying an old 1iron to hit. Remember not only are we all watching but Mr Hogan is too....

[Popeye64]

Looking forward to the results.

Sent from my SM-G981U using Tapatalk

[deejaid]

I’m excited and very grateful to MGS for selecting me.  I’ve played everything from the original 1954 Hogan Precision’s, to the 1960 Power Thrust, to the 1968 Bounce Sole, the 2000 Apex Plus, the 2006 Apex, the 2015 Ft. Worth’s and now these beautiful PTX Pro/ Icon combo set.    
 

Can’t wait to get into this review!

[yungkory]

50 minutes ago, downlowkey said:

I am so stoked to be a part of this great review team of Spies!

Ben Hogan holds a special place in my heart - my sincerest thanks to MyGolfSpy and Ben Hogan Golf for this opportunity.

I am truly honored and cannot wait to start digging answers out of the dirt a' la Mr. Hogan!

I can't wait to read more of your golf poetry 

[sirchunksalot]

Congratulations testers for being chosen to review these beautiful irons! I am going to echo the sentiment of @Nunfa0 by saying that it's great to see some established members and some of the newer spies getting an opportunity to review these clubs for the community. Hit them well and it'll be fun to follow along. 

[Shankster]

Oh man!!!  First class group of testers right there!!!  Congrats!!! 

[Erik-M]

So first off, I am so honored to be picked! This will be my first set of brand new irons I've ever owned so I am excited to see what a new club looks like! Lol I'm exceed to put all I got into this review! Once again thanks guys and get ready for too many pictures lol

[Nunfa0]

20 minutes ago, Erik-M said:

So first off, I am so honored to be picked! This will be my first set of brand new irons I've ever owned so I am excited to see what a new club looks like! Lol I'm exceed to put all I got into this review! Once again thanks guys and get ready for too many pictures lol

There can never be too many pictures, go nuts my friend

[JScott]

Congrats. Looking forward to learning!

[bens197]

Congrats fellas!  

[joen]

Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!  I only hope my review can be helpful.  Very excited!