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2020 Official Member Review: Ben Hogan Golf ComPany-VKTR+, UiHi and GS53 FW


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18 minutes ago, jb0330 said:

Ben Hogan UiHi 18* Utility Iron

I meant to get this out yesterday but my honey to do list was longer than I thought it was. Anywho, I haven't swung the UiHi at a ball just yet but wanted to share a few of my first impressions.

First and foremost thank you MGS and Ben Hogan for this opportunity to do this!  

So this club is sexy or at least I think so. I could have club goggles on, who knows lol. I love the lines, very straight forward and not over the top. Looking down from the top I get the, I can hit this club feel, which I know plays a factor for me in my ability to hit a club or not. The club feels a little too light for my liking so after I play on Friday I am going to ping my buddy to see if he has time on Saturday for me to swing up to his house and get it on his swing weight. I already need to adjust my current Irons back to a D2ish. No matter what the swing weight is on the UiHi I will play in for a bit to see my yards and control to have a baseboard before I switch it.

I typically use midsize grips, did any of the other testers feel like the standard was bigger than a normal standard? Or am I losing my mind LOL. So this might be another switch I do just to get me normal with the rest of my clubs. 

The only thing so far that I don't like is it seems to be very upright. if I want the club to be anywhere close to flush with the ground I have to Bryson my arms up and straight a good amount. Who knows I have seen a few videos online that say with my swing maybe I should have it up to straighten me out a bit. 

I will update y'all after my round on Friday!!

 

2 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

Curious to see what you come up with here, as I have some initial thoughts about modifications but want to hold off until a range session or two. 

I feel like the grip seems bigger because of the shaft length. The shaft gets thicker the further you move from the clubhead, and this is likely the longest steel shafted club in the bag. With less shaft cut from the butt end, the grip goes on a thicker part of the shaft.

 

 

I think most iron shafts stop the taper at some point short of where the grip goes on so they should be a constant diameter unless you're cutting to a length that is way out of the normal range.

 

That said, this Lamkin Z5 grip is a 0.580" core grip and those KBS shafts in the utility irons are all 0.600" butt shafts so it is going to be a bit thicker than a normal standard due to the rubber in the grip being thicker having been intended for a smaller diameter shaft. Don't quote me on this, but I think that amounts to 1 extra wrap.

 

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Fellow Spies!!  My 3w came and as a special treat, here is an unboxing video for you all!

 

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max
3 Wood: Taylormade SIM
3 Utility Iron: Srixon U85
4i – 5i: Taylormade P790
6i – AW: Taylormade P770
SW: Taylormade MG3 TW Grind
LW: Taylormade Hi-Toe 3 Low Bounce
Putter: PXG Battle Ready One & Done

 

 

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and I'm still waiting... 🙄 Should be here tomorrow!

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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So I also received mine last week.  

Headcover is super nice.  Club looks great at address - the toe is nice and high.  

Ill post some more pictures in comparisons later on.  Thanks Hogan

:taylormade-small:  M3 460 9.5* - ACCRA TZ6 M5

:callaway-small:  X2 Hot Pro - 15* Aldila Tour Green X

TaylorMade Jetspeed 19* w Matrix HM9

Mizuno MP-63 4-P Project X 6.0

Cleveland RTX4 - 50, 54, 60

  :odyssey-small:  Toulon Portland w P2 React Grip

:titelist-small: 2019 Players 4 -  :titelist-small: Pro V1

 

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5 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

 

Curious to see what you come up with here, as I have some initial thoughts about modifications but want to hold off until a range session or two. 

I feel like the grip seems bigger because of the shaft length. The shaft gets thicker the further you move from the clubhead, and this is likely the longest steel shafted club in the bag. With less shaft cut from the butt end, the grip goes on a thicker part of the shaft.

 

 

This is very valid didn't even think about it being a LONG iron shaft. I need to see if its the same length as my 3 Hybrid. 

2020 TESTER Ben Hogan UiHi 18* Utility Iron

Driver:     - Anser - 8.5* - Fujikara Red Blur 005 XStiff - Standard L/L

3W:     - SQ Sumo - Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Stiff - Standard L/L

Hybrid 3:     - Machspeed - UST Mamiya AXIVCore XStiff -Standard L/L

Irons:      - Idea Black CB3  4-GW - KBS Tour Stiff+ - Standard L/L

Wedges:    - Vokey 52*, 54*, 60* - True Temper Wedge - Standard L/L

Putter:     - Versa Blade - 35in

Ball:      NXT Tour

Bag:  - Ultra Light Cart Bag  

Loc: USA/MD

Handicap: 13

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Let's see if this composite picture works out. I didn't want to upload a bunch of full size shots, and it gave me a chance to play with a program. The club looks really sweet, I hope I get to it soon. I have run into a complication, in that I have potentially been exposed to COVID, and I woke up this morning feeling rather poor. I got tested today (2.5 hour wait), and it will be 2-4 days before I hear the results. I'm not going out anywhere until I know, and then only if I am negative. If I am positive it will be too long in quarantine to do a timely review, in which case I'll ask the boss to pick a new tester, and I'll ship the club along.

Hogan VKTR+ hybrid new.jpg

Moose, my cat, is Siamese

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Just now, Siamese Moose said:

Let's see if this composite picture works out. I didn't want to upload a bunch of full size shots, and it gave me a chance to play with a program. The club looks really sweet, I hope I get to it soon. I have run into a complication, in that I have potentially been exposed to COVID, and I woke up this morning feeling rather poor. I got tested today (2.5 hour wait), and it will be 2-4 days before I hear the results. I'm not going out anywhere until I know, and then only if I am negative. If I am positive it will be too long in quarantine to do a timely review, in which case I'll ask the boss to pick a new tester, and I'll ship the club along.

Hogan VKTR+ hybrid new.jpg

hopefully you get better ! 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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Went out to the range today, to hit a small bucket with my 5 iron and the 3 UiHi. Got into a quick groove with the 5 iron, hitting shots carrying 185-190. 

Switched over to the UiHi and struggled mightily to find the center of the face. Carry distances and height were abysmal. Much like I saw on the course yesterday. Maybe worse since I was hitting without a tee. Finally, I choked down about an inch, and started hitting some flush. Got into a little groove on the last dozen or so balls, hitting low bullets that were flying 190-195. Some of these range balls are terrible and barely have dimples and sort of knuckle and drop straight down, so I'm not going to read too much into it. Ultimately, I saw a better ball flight than I did on the course, got a much better carry distance, and hit some very playable shots that would have quite a bit of roll out. Definitely have a little more confidence putting it into play. 

Current thoughts are - would love to see this 1/2 shorter and with a graphite shaft. Might help me find the middle while retaining speed. 

20201123_132235.jpg.8f3a0f099535042b8ba39a03611ae24c.jpg

 

 

 

GARSEN GRIP TESTER

  • Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x
  • Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S
  • Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s
  • Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x
  • Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low
  • Putter: YES Abbie!
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Was able to take advantage of the day off work and play some mountain golf in north Georgia today. Full write up coming tomorrow but so far I’m loving the hybrid. I’ve found it fitting my 4 iron to 3 wood gap perfectly with a more penetrating ball flight compared to my current hybrid gamer. C5257F9B-47B2-41EB-9FBE-54D795A604D4-D96CF07E-07EC-44D9-9C0F-E4F42D3BB7FA.jpg


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:taylormade-small: M6, 4H 22.0

:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal Pro, 4-PW, Nippon Modus 105

:taylormade-small: MG3 52, 56, 60, SB - Black

:odyssey-small: White Hot OG #7

Vice Golf Pro Plus

:Arccos: Smart Sensors

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Hit up the launch monitor today with the UiHi and a hybrid of mine that I call my "driving hybrid". It's not a club that I currently bag, but was the first hybrid that I got along with. Very anti-left, and great off the tee.

The Apex has been shortened one inch from standard down to 39 inches, playing 3/4 of an inch shorter than the UiHi. I've added a +4 grip to neutralize the right hand some. Both of these modifications reduce the swing weight, so I have substituted a 12 gram weight in the head versus the standard 6 gram. Low launch, low spin, 85 gram evenflow black is a touch heavier than standard as well. Ultimately, we get low launch, great control and a flatter lie angle to keep it from hooking. Of course sacrificing some speed, height, and carry to do so.

 

apex.jpg.55f38f808e7e70fc36aec9021498c47c.jpg

 

I figured this would be my most similar club to the UiHi in terms of ball flight and potential use on the course. I needed little warmup for the hybrid. I know that club well and turned the monitor on after 2 hits. I captured my next 10 shots without removals.

Then I switched to the UiHi, and really struggled for a handful of balls. Not sure if it is the weight, or length, but something throws me off. More than just the obvious difficulty of loft. Eventually, I switched back to the choked down grip that worked better for me on the range yesterday, and then I started to find the clubface again. I then turned the monitor on and captured 10 shots with one removal on a nasty pull hook. All shots with both clubs were from the deck.

 

lm.jpg.0a0af92882d0bda61325d208911bd38a.jpg

 

Clubhead speed and ball speed are pretty similar. Kudos to the UiHi for having the better smash factor. That's pretty impressive for an iron. Especially with the Apex being shorter and my impression that I found the sweet spot better with the hybrid. I also kept the UiHi more on line and with less side spin, although the Apex did its job of being anti left. 

Ultimately, I am not launching the ball high enough to maximize distance. From a fitting perspective, more loft would help. Bending 2 degrees weak might help. A 4 UiHi might be a better option. Lighter, higher launching graphite shaft could help. But on the flip side, continuing to work with the 3 UiHi and improving my delivery would likely translate to better shots throughout the bag. I am obviously committed to testing the UiHi and am curious to see what else I can get out of it. 

GARSEN GRIP TESTER

  • Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x
  • Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S
  • Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s
  • Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x
  • Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low
  • Putter: YES Abbie!
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So as promised yesterday, here is my first impressions full write up. 

 

Let's start with the unboxing first impressions. Man, oh man am I a sucker for a good headcover or what and Ben Hogan did not disappoint on this one. The classic white and blue primary colors with red accents. The Ben Hogan logo just pops on top to finish it off. Having the headweight sticker still on the plastic wrap was also a nice touch. The grip is going for a similar look to Golf Pride's MCC but is all one material and feels like it's made of cheap material, but more on the grip later. 

 

Now on to the first range session. After going through my typical warm up I dove into a full testing session of the hybrid. I started with 10 balls just to get a feel of the club (which came with a couple shanks) then went into a head to head test in comparison to my Taylormade M6 21 degree hybrid. 5 balls with each to start with my 85-90% swing focusing on finding the center of the face. Instantly, I noticed how much more penetrating of a ball flight the Hogan had. Obviously this is partly due to the stronger lofted VKRT+, but even when I tried to keep my hybrid lower the ball flight was probably launching 5-10 degrees higher than the VKTR+. Besides the more penetrating ball flight, I noticed I was getting about 15-20 yards further carry with the VKTR+. Carry average at 215 compared to 195 with my M6. 

 

Things that I love about the VKTR+:

  • The look at address is great. Minimal offset and high face looks inviting and comfortable to hit
  • The head shape feels like a true hybrid between and iron and wood unlike the Taylormade M6 rescue which feels like wood condensed down
  • Ball flight is awesome to watch and is easily repeatable

IMG_2011.jpg.bc2c8641e7d481296483f3dc4b7c7e7d.jpg

A few quick hitters on room for improvement on the Hybrid at first opening

  • The Ben Hogan branded grip while a good look is obviously made of cheaper material and needs replacement immediately upon getting the club. Whether you're a cord fan or a MCC fan or even a Wynn Grip fan (gross), they're all much better options than the standard grip.
  • The paint on the bottom of the VKTR+ seems to be wearing off rather quickly compared to my M6 which has 20+ rounds on it

IMG_2012.jpg.4f00333aeec9d17c7db166c2438e470a.jpg

I was able to play my first round yesterday and while I only used the VKTR+ once, it was a 228 yard missile down the middle. Looking forward to a round on Friday to test further.

IMG_2026.jpg.f3e980a54890ea14eb309a64a29d59d3.jpg

:cobra-small: RadSpeed 10.5, Motore X F1 60 X-Stiff

:cobra-small: RadSpeed 14, Motore X F1 60 Stiff

:taylormade-small: M6, 4H 22.0

:mizuno-small: JPX 921 Hot Metal Pro, 4-PW, Nippon Modus 105

:taylormade-small: MG3 52, 56, 60, SB - Black

:odyssey-small: White Hot OG #7

Vice Golf Pro Plus

:Arccos: Smart Sensors

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Little night range session .. sounds nice ! 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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If I can't hit the club yet, I can still give it the close inspection. I don't do much club building any more, but I still have all of the gear, though my frequency analyzer doesn't seem to be working right (I'll work on that again later). VKTR+ 3 hybrid, loft spec 18°, measured 18°, lie spec 57.5°, measured 57° (certainly within the limits of my gauge). Length: Spec 40.75", measured 40.5" (I know there are multiple ways of measuring, so I am sure this is just a difference in equipment). Swingweight: Spec: D3, measured D5. Grip: Lamkin Z5, spec is standard, measured at +1/32". The shaft is remarkably consistent in all planes, +/- 2 cpm, though the 253 cpm number I got seems well off (would make it a soft L flex). I plan to check the analyzer some more tomorrow. Head weight (per the label) is 239.0g, total club weight is 362g. 

These are just numbers for geeks (like me). The key takeaway is everything is within spec, though I was a little surprised at the swingweight, though the higher value probably suits me better. Now if my corona test will just come back negative, I'll get out and hit the thing!

Moose, my cat, is Siamese

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41 minutes ago, Siamese Moose said:

If I can't hit the club yet, I can still give it the close inspection. I don't do much club building any more, but I still have all of the gear, though my frequency analyzer doesn't seem to be working right (I'll work on that again later). VKTR+ 3 hybrid, loft spec 18°, measured 18°, lie spec 57.5°, measured 57° (certainly within the limits of my gauge). Length: Spec 40.75", measured 40.5" (I know there are multiple ways of measuring, so I am sure this is just a difference in equipment). Swingweight: Spec: D3, measured D5. Grip: Lamkin Z5, spec is standard, measured at +1/32". The shaft is remarkably consistent in all planes, +/- 2 cpm, though the 253 cpm number I got seems well off (would make it a soft L flex). I plan to check the analyzer some more tomorrow. Head weight (per the label) is 239.0g, total club weight is 362g. 

These are just numbers for geeks (like me). The key takeaway is everything is within spec, though I was a little surprised at the swingweight, though the higher value probably suits me better. Now if my corona test will just come back negative, I'll get out and hit the thing!

This is interesting thanks man hope your feeling better 

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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On 11/23/2020 at 11:37 AM, Siamese Moose said:

Let's see if this composite picture works out. I didn't want to upload a bunch of full size shots, and it gave me a chance to play with a program. The club looks really sweet, I hope I get to it soon. I have run into a complication, in that I have potentially been exposed to COVID, and I woke up this morning feeling rather poor. I got tested today (2.5 hour wait), and it will be 2-4 days before I hear the results. I'm not going out anywhere until I know, and then only if I am negative. If I am positive it will be too long in quarantine to do a timely review, in which case I'll ask the boss to pick a new tester, and I'll ship the club along.

Hogan VKTR+ hybrid new.jpg

Hope your test comes back negative so you can get out and test! (that sounds weird off the tongue lol)

On 11/23/2020 at 2:21 PM, scooterhd2 said:

Went out to the range today, to hit a small bucket with my 5 iron and the 3 UiHi. Got into a quick groove with the 5 iron, hitting shots carrying 185-190. 

Switched over to the UiHi and struggled mightily to find the center of the face. Carry distances and height were abysmal. Much like I saw on the course yesterday. Maybe worse since I was hitting without a tee. Finally, I choked down about an inch, and started hitting some flush. Got into a little groove on the last dozen or so balls, hitting low bullets that were flying 190-195. Some of these range balls are terrible and barely have dimples and sort of knuckle and drop straight down, so I'm not going to read too much into it. Ultimately, I saw a better ball flight than I did on the course, got a much better carry distance, and hit some very playable shots that would have quite a bit of roll out. Definitely have a little more confidence putting it into play. 

Current thoughts are - would love to see this 1/2 shorter and with a graphite shaft. Might help me find the middle while retaining speed. 

20201123_132235.jpg.8f3a0f099535042b8ba39a03611ae24c.jpg

 

 

 

What is your reasoning for the graphite shaft to find the center a bit better? Is it due to shaft flexes being different or something inherent to a graphite shaft compared to a steel shaft? I thought at this point with technology it was just a preference?

4 hours ago, Siamese Moose said:

If I can't hit the club yet, I can still give it the close inspection. I don't do much club building any more, but I still have all of the gear, though my frequency analyzer doesn't seem to be working right (I'll work on that again later). VKTR+ 3 hybrid, loft spec 18°, measured 18°, lie spec 57.5°, measured 57° (certainly within the limits of my gauge). Length: Spec 40.75", measured 40.5" (I know there are multiple ways of measuring, so I am sure this is just a difference in equipment). Swingweight: Spec: D3, measured D5. Grip: Lamkin Z5, spec is standard, measured at +1/32". The shaft is remarkably consistent in all planes, +/- 2 cpm, though the 253 cpm number I got seems well off (would make it a soft L flex). I plan to check the analyzer some more tomorrow. Head weight (per the label) is 239.0g, total club weight is 362g. 

These are just numbers for geeks (like me). The key takeaway is everything is within spec, though I was a little surprised at the swingweight, though the higher value probably suits me better. Now if my corona test will just come back negative, I'll get out and hit the thing!

253 CPM makes a soft L flex? What is the range of numbers for the flexes? I'm sure I could just google it but I figure since you have experience building clubs, you would have more first hand knowledge. 

Driver : :taylormade-small: SIM2 Max 9* MC Kuro Kago Silver 60 Stiff

Woods : :benhogan-small: GS53 3 Wood 14* Mitsubish Tensei Blue 73g Regular

Hybrids: sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 949X Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 

Irons : sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 699 Pro Black 5-AW 1* flat KBS Tour V 90 Stiff Shafts 

Wedges : File:Kirkland Signature logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons 52, 56, 60 

Putter : :taylormade-small:Spider Red

Bag : datrek-brand_1456761019__86876.original.jpg.7c24f9ae71c7730ce29a828226731487.jpg lightweight cart bag | motocaddy.jpg.258c0b46e60c2804fc6b1f64bca0aef3.jpgDry Series Bag

Ball :  :taylormade-small: TP5 PIX (2019) | Screen-Shot-2017-07-20-at-7_24.05-AM-300x118.png.9f1c4cb1d62511ee40a05bd6d5795f97.png ProV1x (2021)

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SoCal, USA

Right handed HDCP 16.4

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253 CPM makes a soft L flex? What is the range of numbers for the flexes? I'm sure I could just google it but I figure since you have experience building clubs, you would have more first hand knowledge. 

The relationship between frequency and flex is also dependent on the length of the club. For a hybrid length club, 253 would indeed fall in the L-flex range.

https://images.app.goo.gl/pukR8sWLogRwJ5E29


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------------------------------

Driver:   Titleist TSr2 11 - UST Helium 5F3

Fairway: Titleist TS2 16.5 and 21 - Evenflow Riptide CB R

Irons: Titleist U505 4U and T300 5-GW - Aerotech SteelFiber i80 R

Wedges:  Cleveland Black RTX ZipCore 54 and Full Face 58 - True Temper Dynamic Gold Wedge 

Putter:  Odyssey TriHot 5K TripleWide

Bag:  Titleist 15 Cart

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7 hours ago, golfish! said:

Hope your test comes back negative so you can get out and test! (that sounds weird off the tongue lol)

253 CPM makes a soft L flex? What is the range of numbers for the flexes? I'm sure I could just google it but I figure since you have experience building clubs, you would have more first hand knowledge. 

As gbtrsc said, based on the club length the frequency for an R ought to be more like 275. However, I should add that this was tested with the grip ON. I haven't tested with this grip model before, so it's quite possible that there's a lot of damping going on. I don't want to pull the grip until after I've used the club a bit, but I will go back and test with the grip off sometime soon. I should have realized that before my original post, but it's been a while since I used the frequency analyzer. My brain is rusty.

To finish on a positive note, my COVID test came back NEGATIVE. Yay! Plus, since I never had a fever I do not need to further isolate (per Ohio guidelines). It took 33 hours from when they took my sample to when the email arrived. I'm a retired analytical chemist, so I understand testing protocols and schedules. I'm really impressed by that speed!

 I'll test the club soon, maybe at the range tomorrow. Today is out, as the rain is hammering down right now in Cincinnati.

Moose, my cat, is Siamese

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10 hours ago, golfish! said:

What is your reasoning for the graphite shaft to find the center a bit better? Is it due to shaft flexes being different or something inherent to a graphite shaft compared to a steel shaft? I thought at this point with technology it was just a preference?

My first preference is to shorten the shaft. That is what would generally help to find the center. 

But that is also going to stiffen the shaft and reduce the clubhead speed. Should also produce lower launch. With the ball flight that I am seeing and the numbers from the launch monitor, shortening the current shaft is really the last thing I want to do.

I need something that launches higher, and more speed would help. That's where a graphite shaft at 95 grams or so should have some increased speed over a 110 gram steel shaft, and something with a more active tip would launch a touch higher. With those benefits, going shorter would be a possibility.

GARSEN GRIP TESTER

  • Driver: PING G400 MAX, Ventus Blue 6x
  • Woods: COBRA F6 Baffler AD DI 8S
  • Hybrid: CALLAWAY Apex Pro, Ventus Blue 8s
  • Irons: SRIXON ZX5 mk2 5-6, ZX7 mk2 7-PW, Modus 120x
  • Wedges: EDEL 50 C grind, 54 V grind, CLEVELAND 60 RTX6 Low
  • Putter: YES Abbie!
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5 hours ago, Siamese Moose said:

As gbtrsc said, based on the club length the frequency for an R ought to be more like 275. However, I should add that this was tested with the grip ON. I haven't tested with this grip model before, so it's quite possible that there's a lot of damping going on. I don't want to pull the grip until after I've used the club a bit, but I will go back and test with the grip off sometime soon. I should have realized that before my original post, but it's been a while since I used the frequency analyzer. My brain is rusty.

To finish on a positive note, my COVID test came back NEGATIVE. Yay! Plus, since I never had a fever I do not need to further isolate (per Ohio guidelines). It took 33 hours from when they took my sample to when the email arrived. I'm a retired analytical chemist, so I understand testing protocols and schedules. I'm really impressed by that speed!

 I'll test the club soon, maybe at the range tomorrow. Today is out, as the rain is hammering down right now in Cincinnati.

Icic so the grip can dampen the frequency and give you a lower reading. Interesting. 

3 hours ago, scooterhd2 said:

My first preference is to shorten the shaft. That is what would generally help to find the center. 

But that is also going to stiffen the shaft and reduce the clubhead speed. Should also produce lower launch. With the ball flight that I am seeing and the numbers from the launch monitor, shortening the current shaft is really the last thing I want to do.

I need something that launches higher, and more speed would help. That's where a graphite shaft at 95 grams or so should have some increased speed over a 110 gram steel shaft, and something with a more active tip would launch a touch higher. With those benefits, going shorter would be a possibility.

Icic so in general you want a lighter shaft to give you more speed. 

Driver : :taylormade-small: SIM2 Max 9* MC Kuro Kago Silver 60 Stiff

Woods : :benhogan-small: GS53 3 Wood 14* Mitsubish Tensei Blue 73g Regular

Hybrids: sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 949X Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 

Irons : sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 699 Pro Black 5-AW 1* flat KBS Tour V 90 Stiff Shafts 

Wedges : File:Kirkland Signature logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons 52, 56, 60 

Putter : :taylormade-small:Spider Red

Bag : datrek-brand_1456761019__86876.original.jpg.7c24f9ae71c7730ce29a828226731487.jpg lightweight cart bag | motocaddy.jpg.258c0b46e60c2804fc6b1f64bca0aef3.jpgDry Series Bag

Ball :  :taylormade-small: TP5 PIX (2019) | Screen-Shot-2017-07-20-at-7_24.05-AM-300x118.png.9f1c4cb1d62511ee40a05bd6d5795f97.png ProV1x (2021)

Rangefinder : 836d5c8b9e44880db86abcd3b735255d.w2480_h836.jpg.bcd4050c642957abbdca7453a6cb0469.jpg ULT-X

Pushcart : motocaddy.jpg.258c0b46e60c2804fc6b1f64bca0aef3.jpgM5 GPS DHC Electric Push Cart

SoCal, USA

Right handed HDCP 16.4

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GS53 Fairway Wood

Unboxing is done and now time for the testing!!  I went my local PGA SS to hit off the simulator. 

The first thing I noticed when hitting the GS53 was that it doesn't have "pop" when it's hit.  Even when it's stuck out the middle, there is just a dull hit.  It makes it seem like there's just no speed coming off the face.

The other thing I noticed was that it was hard to keep the ball from going left.  This is a common problem with woods and hybrids for me.  That is one of the reasons I like to turn down the loft on SIM 3W.  The GS53 did appear to have a significant offset once I set up to the ball that may have been a contributing factor.

Let's get into some data!  Please note all of these shots were off the deck.

1522552934_1st3WHeadtoHead.jpg.png.ccf2d9974b598d4995a5d42cd688ab42.png

I hate to say this, but the GS53 was destroyed in this head-to-head round when compared to the SIM.  The longest of each hits had a difference of 30 yards!  On average the SIM was 20 yards longer than the GS53.  The shortest hit of the SIM still out drove the best hit of GS53.  Also just a reminder that I dialed back the settings I normally have my SIM at to make this a fair comparison on loft.  

I will say the GS53 is a good club, but based off this initial test, it will be hard to see this club going into my bag.  The GS53 is going on average as far as my 20* driving iron so the gapping wouldn't work.  More testing to come!

Driver: Callaway Rogue ST Max
3 Wood: Taylormade SIM
3 Utility Iron: Srixon U85
4i – 5i: Taylormade P790
6i – AW: Taylormade P770
SW: Taylormade MG3 TW Grind
LW: Taylormade Hi-Toe 3 Low Bounce
Putter: PXG Battle Ready One & Done

 

 

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First impressions are the grip is lacking and it’s a lot slimmer than I was expecting! The length seems a bit long for a 3i and not sure about the shaft. Curious to see how it performs. But I may have to sneak a different shaft in there


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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It finally arrived! Will be playing a morning round tomorrow with some extra practice so will provide some first impressions along with actual play data tomorrow! 

 
20201125_181915.jpg.a943fda532df99e37e8b3d2966420879.jpg20201125_165000.jpg.c7539ebd567e938aafc6bb10f41e2988.jpg
 
 

Driver : :taylormade-small: SIM2 Max 9* MC Kuro Kago Silver 60 Stiff

Woods : :benhogan-small: GS53 3 Wood 14* Mitsubish Tensei Blue 73g Regular

Hybrids: sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 949X Project X HZRDUS RDX Black 

Irons : sub70logo.png.3c207e4e90c1eeca7b9a917b5fa4b848.png 699 Pro Black 5-AW 1* flat KBS Tour V 90 Stiff Shafts 

Wedges : File:Kirkland Signature logo.svg - Wikimedia Commons 52, 56, 60 

Putter : :taylormade-small:Spider Red

Bag : datrek-brand_1456761019__86876.original.jpg.7c24f9ae71c7730ce29a828226731487.jpg lightweight cart bag | motocaddy.jpg.258c0b46e60c2804fc6b1f64bca0aef3.jpgDry Series Bag

Ball :  :taylormade-small: TP5 PIX (2019) | Screen-Shot-2017-07-20-at-7_24.05-AM-300x118.png.9f1c4cb1d62511ee40a05bd6d5795f97.png ProV1x (2021)

Rangefinder : 836d5c8b9e44880db86abcd3b735255d.w2480_h836.jpg.bcd4050c642957abbdca7453a6cb0469.jpg ULT-X

Pushcart : motocaddy.jpg.258c0b46e60c2804fc6b1f64bca0aef3.jpgM5 GPS DHC Electric Push Cart

SoCal, USA

Right handed HDCP 16.4

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I don’t know has the performance will stack up with all these clubs but they all look so premium! BH at least has that going for them! Even if I can hit the UiHi I may just keep it in the bag as a vanity club!


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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GS53 Fairway Wood

Unboxing is done and now time for the testing!!  I went my local PGA SS to hit off the simulator. 
The first thing I noticed when hitting the GS53 was that it doesn't have "pop" when it's hit.  Even when it's stuck out the middle, there is just a dull hit.  It makes it seem like there's just no speed coming off the face.
The other thing I noticed was that it was hard to keep the ball from going left.  This is a common problem with woods and hybrids for me.  That is one of the reasons I like to turn down the loft on SIM 3W.  The GS53 did appear to have a significant offset once I set up to the ball that may have been a contributing factor.
Let's get into some data!  Please note all of these shots were off the deck.
1522552934_1st3WHeadtoHead.jpg.png.ccf2d9974b598d4995a5d42cd688ab42.png
I hate to say this, but the GS53 was destroyed in this head-to-head round when compared to the SIM.  The longest of each hits had a difference of 30 yards!  On average the SIM was 20 yards longer than the GS53.  The shortest hit of the SIM still out drove the best hit of GS53.  Also just a reminder that I dialed back the settings I normally have my SIM at to make this a fair comparison on loft.  
I will say the GS53 is a good club, but based off this initial test, it will be hard to see this club going into my bag.  The GS53 is going on average as far as my 20* driving iron so the gapping wouldn't work.  More testing to come!

I mean that’s pretty definitive


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Ping G430 Max 9* turned up to 10* in draw setting X-Stiff Ping Tour Chrome 2.0 60

Srixon ZX 3w Ventus Velocore Blue 7s

Ping G425 5w X-Stiff Ping Tour 70 

Srixon ZX5 4-6 Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

Srixon ZX& 7-PW  Modus Tour 105 Stiff 

:cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore 50* 54* 58* TrueTemper Dynamic Gold Spinner

 See the source image Phantom X5 Putter

Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond <>

 

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Just looking at how the club matches up to the look of my gamer which is a TM 2009 rescue club at 19degree the BH is at 18 has a wider face but more compact body. Also the face on the BH seems more closed, need to look into if that is by design. 
4FC07D67-29A4-4A79-9B56-75A9D7AEE7DC.jpeg.31e25d4a12f9cec36bcd9021f1f240a0.jpegD9E0F018-9DF3-46A4-BE4A-ECCA498C25E3.jpeg.0eaaf20b58c397ee86da829b3565cdf1.jpegE7846944-7F60-4657-A80D-7EB1F4C532CE.jpeg.00d18762b28311f11a82974eb15dc130.jpeg8DA6D768-2125-467E-9270-56F40C2E89EE.jpeg.d0f8832e920020fa919e65785e385386.jpeg

:cobra-small: Speedzone Driver Tensei AV Blue or  :ping-small: G400 SFT 10. KBS TD 50 Category 3 shaft 

:cobra-small: King Speedzone Black Yellow Fairway 3 wood Tensei AV Blue 65 

:cobra-small: F9 SpeedBack Black Grey Fairway 5 Wood   :Fuji: ATMOS Tour Spec Blue 7 shaft

:titelist-small: T300 4i-GW - Tensei AV Blue AM2 Regular Flex  or :mizuno-small: JPX 900 Hot Metal 5 - GW Project X Lz 4.5 Regular Flex Graphite 

:ping-small:   Glide 2.0 SS Wedges 54 & 58 

:taylormade-small: TP Red White Ardmore Putter - BGT Stability Tour Black shaft 

:918457628_PrecisionPro:Precision Pro NX7 range finder 

:cobra-small: Ultralight Cart Bag 

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Went to the range tonight to get some numbers on my VKTR+ hybrid and.....temporarily closed. 😭

Was hoping to get in some practice with the club before my round tomorrow morning but it looks like I will be going in cold since the course's range is also closed for the season.  More to report tomorrow!

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Ran over to the driving range today and got some first hits in the UiHi. It is a lot a LOT lighter than I thought it was going to be. I agree with the other testers that it’s a little too long for my skill set to find the middle on the club often. I tried to use the Shot Vision app to get some numbers knowing it wouldn’t be accurate but from the videos I’ve watched on it, it was at least constant with those numbers. It was not today and I am not sure if that was the lighting or what.
<br />
As you can see it was all over the place. I will say that I wasn’t striking them pure every time but it wasn’t this far off. On good hit ball flight was lower than my hybrid which is what I am looking for. Based off the yardage markers at the range I was hitting it close to 230 with a lot of roll. Going to try and upload a slow motion and normal speed with UiHi and normal with my Hybrid.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

IMG_2382.png

2020 TESTER Ben Hogan UiHi 18* Utility Iron

Driver:     - Anser - 8.5* - Fujikara Red Blur 005 XStiff - Standard L/L

3W:     - SQ Sumo - Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana Stiff - Standard L/L

Hybrid 3:     - Machspeed - UST Mamiya AXIVCore XStiff -Standard L/L

Irons:      - Idea Black CB3  4-GW - KBS Tour Stiff+ - Standard L/L

Wedges:    - Vokey 52*, 54*, 60* - True Temper Wedge - Standard L/L

Putter:     - Versa Blade - 35in

Ball:      NXT Tour

Bag:  - Ultra Light Cart Bag  

Loc: USA/MD

Handicap: 13

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