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

[golfish! 759]

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. 

[goaliewales14 1,340]

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.

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!

[twyatt700 734]

It’s finally here!! Just in time for my in laws to be here for 4 days which means no escape to the range
It sure is pretty though


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[twyatt700 734]

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


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[golfish! 759]

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! 

 

 

 

[twyatt700 734]

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!


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[twyatt700 734]

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.

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


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[Nolan220 667]

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. 

[ChitownM2 314]

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!

[jb0330 262]

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.


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[golfish! 759]

So I forgot to attach the 3W tag for my shotscope to the club before taking it out for the first time on Thanksgiving morning. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depends on how you look at it) I was not hitting it well on the range and did not have the confidence to put it in play. Dispersion on shots was all over the place and I was having trouble finding the center. Could be the longer length as compared to my 3H or the difference in the shaft flex ( I play a stiff flex on my 3H as compared to the R flex I received on my 3W) or just that I have not gotten used to the club yet. I hit it one time off the tee during my round and cold topped it so I put it away for the rest of the round. Was playing $2 nassau with my friends so I could not be out there testing a new club! I did spend some time on the range after to see if I could get some comparison with my 3H. Based on numbers given by my launch monitor, I was getting average 190 carry on my 3H compared to 180 on the Hogan 3W. Again probably because I am not confident with this club yet and swinging it slower to get better contact. I did notice that when I choked down on the club a bit I got better impact with higher carry numbers. The R flex of the club definitely feels more whippy/floppy than my 3H. I will keep trying to get better with the stock setup for a bit longer before re-shafting to a stiff flex if I don't see any improvement. Purpose of the 3W for me is to get consistently longer carry than my 3H so we will see. 

Also for any of the other 3W testers, did your club have what looks like a dent in the area seen in the picture below? It is right on the crease of the bottom portion of the speed slot where the chrome paint meets the black paint. This was before hitting the club. It looks to be just cosmetic and should not affect performance but still would be a concern if I were purchasing the club for myself.

I will be playing a round tomorrow with the 3W tag attached to the club with some extra warm up prior so hopefully will get to share some course results in the next update.

[longdrivenate 102]

The UiHi arrived just before the Thanksgiving holiday. Unboxed it and my excitement levels went through the roof. This thing looks clean. Couldn't wait to get out to the range and give it a feel. Finally got that chance yesterday. Gave it 10-15 swings on the range before playing a round with it in the bag. I didn't have a launch monitor or the time to really do any deep experimenting or reviewing with it, but here are some first impressions that stuck with me:

1. Very easy (for me) to hit off the tee. WhenI could tee the ball up a little bit, I found it very easy to find the center of the face and to hit low trajectory stingers that penetrated through the wind and rolled forever. Exactly what I was hoping for in that regard. It felt pure and as if the sweet spot was much bigger than on my Taylormade P790 3i or the P790 UDI (which I've tried in the past but returned because I struggled to hit it clean so often). I immediately had a lot of confidence teeing it up and I used it on four holes during the round where I wanted to hit a fairway finder - success with all four. 

2. Very hard (for me) to hit from anywhere but the teebox. When hitting it from the fairway (or just not off a tee), I was having a really hard time elevating the ball. I don't know exactly why...I kinda think it might have to do with the amount of offset (there is noticeably more than on my irons) causing me to shut the face, but unless I tried to hit a fade, I kept hitting tumbling draw/hook shots that struggled to get more than 5 feet off the ground and quickly topspun themselves into the ground. Yes they rolled quite a ways still, but they were ugly and I had very little control. After my round I went to the range to experiment a little bit more and I found that if I tried to hit an exaggerated fade, I was able to hit the ball more purely and elevate it better but even those were still low flying stinger type shots. They could be very helpful for advancing the ball down the fairway on a long hole, but I don't see many situations where this thing is going to be practical for hitting into a green on an approach shot...you just can't hit the ball very high at all no matter what you do. 

3. Relatively easy to shape shots with it. I really liked this aspect of the club (especially off the tee). I'm not a great golfer and not someone who thinks much about shaping shots, but my home course has a lot of holes where it is beneficial if you can, so I experimented a little during the round and found it much easier to draw or fade the ball on command than it has been for me with my 3i, or any driving iron I've played before. 

It's only one day of use and I want to play and test it a lot more but my initial impression is that I would be inclined to keep it in the bag as something I can use off the tee when I absolutely need to hit a fairway or for windy/firm days when I need to flight the ball down off the tee. Don't see it getting much use outside of those situations though...unless I get better at golf or learn how to hit it from the fairway better. 

More to come soon...

[Crowev01 368]

. Finally made it to the course tonight to take this 3 wood on its maiden voyage. First impressions: this club just drips class. From the beautiful stamping on the bottom to the mirror navy blue finish up top, it feels classic. Definitely true to the original Hogan brand. Its kind of heavy, and when you swing it, it almost feels like the head belongs where it is in the swing path. It's like a big old Cadillac made new that when you get behind the wheel you shake your head and say that's a Cadillac? 

Footage of me leaving 2nd tee box: 

I have been scared to hit this thing all week it's beautiful. I have been telling myself to just put a good, honest swing on it the first time and everything will be fine. No screaming digs or frightened stabs, just a good, smooth swing. First contact: this thing took off like a scalded dog. 265 on my first shot off the tee. On the fifth hole, I went to 3 wood hill, a flat rise about 250 out to give it a few more rips. As many testers have already mentioned, there is a fair amount of draw bias on this thing. My first shot was a big beautiful draw when I usually fade, and my first two shots off of the turf were both pulled considerably, but the range was right. I lined up another and really connected. 

So after just a couple of uses, the club is performing. The shaft handles nice and ballflight is ideal. After I got back to the clubhouse on the 6th, I hit 6 balls down the 7th fairway before dark. The 2 pc. Soft feel were middle performers, the Pro V were the two farthest and Maxfli Tour X rounded out the set. Tight group, all within 20 yards of each other, farthest shot 271. 

So far its outperforming my current gamer considerably, but my current 3 wood is 22 years old. The X-Stiff Tensei Blue shaft is way more suited to my swing than the Hawkeye UL graphite shaft of yore. 

I'm loving this thing so far. I'll keep you guys up to date on the progress. 

[josmi15 1,732]

I received my 3 Wood last week and took it immediately to an outdoor range. It snowed the next day. I’ve since had one other indoor session, but based on data I’ve compiled so far. WOW. I’ve more testing to do, I want to be as thorough as I can. I honestly forgot how fun creating excel spreadsheets can be


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[scooterhd2 504]

Put together another really nice round. This time I was just playing a goat track of a course that is just a fun set up. Has a few wonky holes. Some shorter par 4s. It's only a par 70. Shot a 74 today. Previously low on this course is a 78. 

I used the UiHi on 4 tee shots. Technically hit 3/4 fairways, but the miss was just two yards off to the left and left me a PW into the green that I just barely had to draw to avoid some tree limbs. Distances were once again a bit short of were I'd like to be. I could see some of these shots rolling out forever in the dry Arizona fairways in the summer, but right now we are just coming off reseeding, the courses are being watered, the grass is let to grow. As we've seen from the previously launch monitor stats, I'm not getting the best carry on the UiHi, so I'd like every yard of roll out that I can get.

Regardless, I scored really well today. Odd that 2 rounds with the UiHi are my best two rounds ever. That might be speaking to my overall game that I need to hit some more conservative shots on certain holes and the UiHi, while not overwhelming me, has yet to screw me.  

[oaks 213]

So I haven’t been able to get this out to the course but I did hit a few balls in the yard and the club feels as good as my CBX119.  
 

Here are some comparison pictures.   Also, the headcover is extremely classy!

[Nolan220 667]

Went to the Range today on my lunch break and it was really windy today but a majority of the balls on the Ben Hogan were fading. I been hitting a draw lately and when I switch back to my TM I was hitting a draw again.. 

[scooterhd2 504]

1 hour ago, Nolan220 said:

Went to the Range today on my lunch break and it was really windy today but a majority of the balls on the Ben Hogan were fading. I been hitting a draw lately and when I switch back to my TM I was hitting a draw again.. 

• Do you still think the Hogan has more offset?
• What is your preferred ball flight with a hybrid?
• What direction was the wind and which club do you think reacted more to the wind?

 

Based on looks alone, with more weight on the toe I wouldn't be surprised if the Hogan was more fade prone than most hybrids. I personally like that in a hybrid and hate to see it go left. Curious of the performance in the wind, as the loft and higher COG should present a more penetrating flight. 

 

[Nolan220 667]

5 minutes ago, scooterhd2 said:

• Do you still think the Hogan has more offset?
• What is your preferred ball flight with a hybrid?
• What direction was the wind and which club do you think reacted more to the wind?

 

Based on looks alone, with more weight on the toe I wouldn't be surprised if the Hogan was more fade prone than most hybrids. I personally like that in a hybrid and hate to see it go left. Curious of the performance in the wind, as the loft and higher COG should present a more penetrating flight. 

 

The wind was all over the place but the next ball I picked up my TM 3 hybrid and hit a draw ... at the time the wind was coming towards me so the distance wasn't there don't think the wind played too much of a factor.  I think the BH has more weight on the toe too and more offset then my normal club .. My ball flight is mid to high, I haven't saw to much difference to ball flight between the two clubs. 

 

[golfish! 759]

On 11/28/2020 at 5:59 PM, Crowev01 said:

. Finally made it to the course tonight to take this 3 wood on its maiden voyage. First impressions: this club just drips class. From the beautiful stamping on the bottom to the mirror navy blue finish up top, it feels classic. Definitely true to the original Hogan brand. Its kind of heavy, and when you swing it, it almost feels like the head belongs where it is in the swing path. It's like a big old Cadillac made new that when you get behind the wheel you shake your head and say that's a Cadillac? 

Footage of me leaving 2nd tee box: 

I have been scared to hit this thing all week it's beautiful. I have been telling myself to just put a good, honest swing on it the first time and everything will be fine. No screaming digs or frightened stabs, just a good, smooth swing. First contact: this thing took off like a scalded dog. 265 on my first shot off the tee. On the fifth hole, I went to 3 wood hill, a flat rise about 250 out to give it a few more rips. As many testers have already mentioned, there is a fair amount of draw bias on this thing. My first shot was a big beautiful draw when I usually fade, and my first two shots off of the turf were both pulled considerably, but the range was right. I lined up another and really connected. 

So after just a couple of uses, the club is performing. The shaft handles nice and ballflight is ideal. After I got back to the clubhouse on the 6th, I hit 6 balls down the 7th fairway before dark. The 2 pc. Soft feel were middle performers, the Pro V were the two farthest and Maxfli Tour X rounded out the set. Tight group, all within 20 yards of each other, farthest shot 271. 

So far its outperforming my current gamer considerably, but my current 3 wood is 22 years old. The X-Stiff Tensei Blue shaft is way more suited to my swing than the Hawkeye UL graphite shaft of yore. 

I'm loving this thing so far. I'll keep you guys up to date on the progress. 

Interesting that you think it feels heavy. For me it feels light and a bit on the whippy side compared to my Callaway XR 3H with a stiff flex Project X shaft in it. But again that is all subjective. Also, did you notice any indentation along the seam where the chrome paint meets the black paint in the speed slot area as I have shown in my picture? 

7 hours ago, scooterhd2 said:

• Do you still think the Hogan has more offset?
• What is your preferred ball flight with a hybrid?
• What direction was the wind and which club do you think reacted more to the wind?

 

Based on looks alone, with more weight on the toe I wouldn't be surprised if the Hogan was more fade prone than most hybrids. I personally like that in a hybrid and hate to see it go left. Curious of the performance in the wind, as the loft and higher COG should present a more penetrating flight. 

 

Same here. Common miss on my 3H is a hook (if I'm not topping it lol)