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Ben Hogan GS53 Driver and Fairway Woods

SuperStroke
My Hogan was paired with the UST V2 Black 7F5. My gamer was a Cobra F9 w/UST Attas Punch and like Nerdy, my ShaftUp teammate, my miss is high right and then right of right.

Danny worked quickly changing my setup alike Nerdy also my shoulders were open causing me to cut right across the ball. Danny noticed this immediately and adjusted us accordingly and we started hitting some drives on the range. I decidedly nervous and this showed on the range as I was not swinging my best.

As we ventured out on the beautiful Olympia Fields North course which is amazing by the way if you didn’t follow along your loss because it is stunning hole after stunning hole! I started getting use to the driver about 6 holes in and it started to shine!

I believe it was 6 or 7 and it was tight par 4 tree lined and I hit a beautiful little 5 yard fade about 275yd buttoned! The first thing I notice with this driver as has been stated over and over is the sound. It just enforces that you just crushed it, it’s pleasing and you know you middles it! I hit a number of these and it got better and better as we went along.

I will share more as the my experience grows with this sick combo!



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Hit some balls in the backyard and my contact is moving from heel to middle. As everyone has said already heel contact is very forgiving and over the past two days I wore the heel out but some changes that Danny gave me this is what I’m seeing now. I have yet to test the toe but give me some time!


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After some initial struggles with the GS53, the last several rounds have been great. I did make some setup adjustments, and combined with getting my factory HZRDUS Smoke back. I had an issue after I got back with my factory shaft. Either the epoxy broke loose in the adapter or the ferrule slipped. Regardless, I was without the ProjectX for several weeks. I improvised with with my Aldila Rogue 130MSI. Apparently, not a great combo but it was all I had to work with. The numbers and results were atrocious. My confidence is building with it now. I'm hitting longer, straighter shots than I have hit with this driver to date. I now have multiple 300yd drives with it. Proving it's probably not going to be on the LD tour, but is capable of hanging with any production driver on the market. I still struggle with the occasional off-center hits, however with the new shaft center of face hits are more what I've come to expect. Overall, it might just be a keeper after all!
 
Qwkz51;n8879571 said:
After some initial struggles with the GS53, the last several rounds have been great. I did make some setup adjustments, and combined with getting my factory HZRDUS Smoke back. I had an issue after I got back with my factory shaft. Either the epoxy broke loose in the adapter or the ferrule slipped. Regardless, I was without the ProjectX for several weeks. I improvised with with my Aldila Rogue 130MSI. Apparently, not a great combo but it was all I had to work with. The numbers and results were atrocious. My confidence is building with it now. I'm hitting longer, straighter shots than I have hit with this driver to date. I now have multiple 300yd drives with it. Proving it's probably not going to be on the LD tour, but is capable of hanging with any production driver on the market. I still struggle with the occasional off-center hits, however with the new shaft center of face hits are more what I've come to expect. Overall, it might just be a keeper after all!
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We need to get back and play Wildcat again. You’d destroy that course if you keep it in bounds
 
Had the absolute best driving round of my life today! I’ve settled in so much and have complete confidence in this driver (the Lin-Q shaft has a lot to do with that too haha)... bu other than 2 holes where I hit my driving iron, I hit 12 of 13 fairways today with the Hogan and averaged 283.7 yds according to Arrcos. Shortest drive was a low heel miss that still went 262

since selling the M5 my confidence with this club is through the roof. There’s no point on me looking for another driver/shaft combo for years. I’ve had more 300 yard drives the last 2 months then probably my whole life up til then

Certain holes on my home courses i used to play it safe off the tee. Now i pull driver and expect to find the fairway every time
 
LLIB;n8879583 said:
We need to get back and play Wildcat again. You’d destroy that course if you keep it in bounds
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Hopefully we can do that soon. I'll try not to throw my driver next time... I wasn't too wild, a couple of holes really made the difference between playing my normal round and extending by a few shots.
 
Qwkz51;n8879571 said:
After some initial struggles with the GS53, the last several rounds have been great. I did make some setup adjustments, and combined with getting my factory HZRDUS Smoke back. I had an issue after I got back with my factory shaft. Either the epoxy broke loose in the adapter or the ferrule slipped. Regardless, I was without the ProjectX for several weeks. I improvised with with my Aldila Rogue 130MSI. Apparently, not a great combo but it was all I had to work with. The numbers and results were atrocious. My confidence is building with it now. I'm hitting longer, straighter shots than I have hit with this driver to date. I now have multiple 300yd drives with it. Proving it's probably not going to be on the LD tour, but is capable of hanging with any production driver on the market. I still struggle with the occasional off-center hits, however with the new shaft center of face hits are more what I've come to expect. Overall, it might just be a keeper after all!
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I mention it in the review that will go up this next week, but on my time with it, it doesn’t have the peak ball speeds I’ve seen with a couple others on the market, but it also doesn’t have the deep valleys they tend to on misses. So the average with the GS53 ended up very impressive.
 
If anyone is looking to try one of these drivers at a huge discount - take a look at the THP marketplace...i can probably help you out. :act-up:
 
Outstanding review James! Your findings pretty much mimic what I have seen in the 2 months or so that I have been playing it.
 
Great review James! I agree with the sound and everyone that I've got to play with has mentioned the sound. The results for be have been really good so far and it kicked the TS2 out of the bag.
 
Great review. I think a lot of people would be really surprised with this driver if they give it a chance.
 
Thanks guys!
 
Jman;n8881229 said:
Bump for those who missed it.

Some data in here that those who doubt the head (I was one admittedly) might like to see...

Numbers dont lie
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I think that's basically what several of us are seeing too. Great review btw! Do you contribute the initial falloff in performance some of us see(and you?) is attributed to the changes from the status quo?(445cc, speed slot, variable face, etc) Or just random bad luck/swings?

I played today started okay, completely crapped the bed after the turn and continued to leak oil all the way to 18. 18 was mashed, leaving me 155 to go on a par 5. It's so good when its center cut... And really unforgiving when it's off center. I really feel like for whatever reason, I had a really hard time getting it back to square when I first got this driver.
 
Great review, James!

I really want to try this driver, but I've been checking their website periodically for over a month and have never seen a Smoke 6.5 demo available. I wish they'd put a few more in circulation since the demand seems to be so high.
 
Qwkz51;n8881440 said:
I think that's basically what several of us are seeing too. Great review btw! Do you contribute the initial falloff in performance some of us see(and you?) is attributed to the changes from the status quo?(445cc, speed slot, variable face, etc) Or just random bad luck/swings?

I played today started okay, completely crapped the bed after the turn and continued to leak oil all the way to 18. 18 was mashed, leaving me 155 to go on a par 5. It's so good when its center cut... And really unforgiving when it's off center. I really feel like for whatever reason, I had a really hard time getting it back to square when I first got this driver.
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I think its just the nature of golf. I will say, it took me time mentally to adjust to the look of a traditionally shaped driver because we have been so inundated with modern looks, so that is perhaps a part of it. Other than the size, tech wise this one doesn't do anything any other doesn't in some way, so it always comes back to individual swing. Its why I always go for ONE MORE session before I finish a review though.
 
MrMom;n8881504 said:
Great review, James!

I really want to try this driver, but I've been checking their website periodically for over a month and have never seen a Smoke 6.5 demo available. I wish they'd put a few more in circulation since the demand seems to be so high.
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Thank you!

I'd LOVE to try one in that combo.

I'm honestly also just curious how low spin the 9.0 head would be as well.
 
Thanks to THP and Ben Hogan for this opportunity. It’s been a fun experience so far....

Since the Hogan Experience, I haven’t been able to play or practice much due to moving and other responsibilities. However, I have extensively tested the driver, 4 wood and hybrids the last 2 weeks and my results have been a mixed bag.

The driver....
My ss is around 100.
9* loft with Helium stiff shaft. Also tested with the Tensei blue. My normal shot shape is a fade. So far this club has been a miss for me. Center face strikes are true and long. However, toe and heel strikes went right and considerably short. The club head has a tinny sound that takes a bit getting used to but isn’t terrible. The shape is pleasant and easy to address the ball squarely. In short, I believe it takes a consistent strike in a small area of this club to make it competitive with others. The forgiveness to me is lacking. I will continue to tinker with this club though because good strikes provided some nice results. Other shaft options will be utilized.

The 4 wood....
Helium shaft in stiff flex.
This one is a big hit! Easy to line up, easy to launch. No surprises on strike. Toe shots draw, heel shots fade. Not a boring ball flight, more of a mid high flight. However, this could be shaft related. Nice sound at impact and the feel is solid. I intend to tinker with this one a bit as well because the tip of this particular shaft is a bit too soft for me. I like the club to feel a bit rigid. I have tested this in the Tensei as well and the feel was marginally better. This is a very nice club!


VKTR hybrids in 18 and 22*
Ust proforce stiff shaft

Outstanding! Solid feel, easy to launch, and I don’t hook these near as much or often as other hybrids I’ve played. I’ve played Titleist 818’s and Nike’s and both were hooking machines without a perfect swing. These are very forgiving. The shaft profile is exactly what I desire in feel and flex. Just rigid enough to feel I’m in control. The 18* is about a 225-230 club and the 22* is about a 210 club. I have not tinkered with the 4 screw in weights (one on bottom and three across the back) as I haven’t felt the need to adjust anything. My ball flight is straight to a slight, wonderful draw. Hitting a high draw with this is a thing of beauty!

Now the shaft options for the woods...
IMO both the Helium and Tensei shafts are good options. I believe the Helium benefits the slow/moderate swing player who likes a timing shaft. It’s a soft tip that’ll produce a higher launch.
The Tensei will be the better choice for most players. It’s a little stiffer with a marginally lower ball flight yet still easy to hit off the tee. Very stable. As stated before, my preference in a shaft is pretty rigid so I haven’t found the perfect shafts to compliment the driver or 4 wood heads yet. I have not tested the Hazard Smoke.

Feel free to ask any questions! I’ll continue to post reviews as I accumulate more info in time.


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I’m loving the combo of the GS53 head and the V2 Black 7F5 shaft! I hit 8 of 14 fairways today and hit some of the straightest balls I’ve hit this year! The ones that missed the fairway were long or missed left which is something that I’m not use to. I hit some long straight drives and started getting confidence to use driver on holes I usually wouldn’t! Went for three of the four par fives in two which is no small feat for me. I hit one drive well over 300yds having only a six iron into the second par 5!

I have a video of my swing with the new driver and as soon as I figure out how to upload it to here I will. It really shows the best part of this driver which is the sound, and not my swing! Damn does it sound good when you crush one just a sound that says swing me again! Can’t wait to play again and share some more on my exploits with this beast combo!


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DMoney79;n8882192 said:
I’m loving the combo of the GS53 head and the V2 Black 7F5 shaft! I hit 8 of 14 fairways today and hit some of the straightest balls I’ve hit this year! The ones that missed the fairway were long or missed left which is something that I’m not use to. I hit some long straight drives and started getting confidence to use driver on holes I usually wouldn’t! Went for three of the four par fives in two which is no small feat for me. I hit one drive well over 300yds having only a six iron into the second par 5!

I have a video of my swing with the new driver and as soon as I figure out how to upload it to here I will. It really shows the best part of this driver which is the sound, and not my swing! Damn does it sound good when you crush one just a sound that says swing me again! Can’t wait to play again and share some more on my exploits with this beast combo!


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That's awesome to hear another person finding success with this driver. I found immediate success after putting it in the bag and it's been there ever since. I agree with the sound, and it seems to be a popular opinion so far, it makes such a great sound at impact.
 
OhioGolfer;n8882236 said:
That's awesome to hear another person finding success with this driver. I found immediate success after putting it in the bag and it's been there ever since. I agree with the sound, and it seems to be a popular opinion so far, it makes such a great sound at impact.
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Being fit by Danny helps a lot!!! It’s a different feeling knowing that this setup is fit for you. Needless to say the Cobra is going to be sold and find a new home soon. I have a level of confidence and commitment that I haven’t ever felt in a driver!


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Here is the swing with the GS53/V2 black combo the sound and flight are beautiful!!!
 
DMoney79;n8882319 said:
Being fit by Danny helps a lot!!! It’s a different feeling knowing that this setup is fit for you. Needless to say the Cobra is going to be sold and find a new home soon. I have a level of confidence and commitment that I haven’t ever felt in a driver!


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DMoney79 check the classified section, there is a WTB Cobra post there. Hope all is well!
 
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