I think the others are 2 gram weights vs the 18 gram
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Ben Hogan VKTR Hybrids Review Thread
Mine arrived yesterday but I am on the road until tonight. The box was damaged pretty badly but my wife checked the club to make sure it was unharmed (yes, fortunately). It will receive plenty of use this weekend as I'll be playing in some fairly big money games with a large group. Nothing better than testing a club under the gun.
I will get into my swing more when I can give an initial review but I am someone who does not benefit from the push to lower and lower spin. I grew up in the balata and persimmon era and you had to learn how to live with (and control) the spin on those balls. Hence the idea that Hogan made the VKTR to spin more than some of the other current designs has me very excited. Additionally the hybrid will be replacing my 4 iron which is my 195-200 club and is one of the two most used full swing clubs in my bag and one from which I ask a lot.
I will get into my swing more when I can give an initial review but I am someone who does not benefit from the push to lower and lower spin. I grew up in the balata and persimmon era and you had to learn how to live with (and control) the spin on those balls. Hence the idea that Hogan made the VKTR to spin more than some of the other current designs has me very excited. Additionally the hybrid will be replacing my 4 iron which is my 195-200 club and is one of the two most used full swing clubs in my bag and one from which I ask a lot.
loving the updates so far guys! hopefully mine will get here soon. i'm headed to alabama tomorrow, and might be able to play one round of golf while i'm up there. when i get back in week after next i'll put this thing through a lot more testing.
This is a very brief review of the VKTR club which I only had a chance to hit a few time, as you can see. A full review will be done in about a week when I get back and have a chance to get to a range and put it through it's paces.
The VKTR measures about 40.25 inches in length. the face is tapered (meaning taller toe than heel) which I thought was going to be noticeable at address but I didn't notice anything different from my Ping G25. It has the typical Hogan blue grip with a red end cap that feels so comfortable when you grip it. I got the IRoD shaft, 77 grams (according to the UST site) in a f3 (R) flex, 1*up. It has a firm feel even when you waggle it. Hogan built the club with the graphics down and looking at it at address, it's like looking down a steel shafted club however this shaft has a graphite weave imprinted just below the grip extending 8 inches downward. The club has 4 weight ports with 2 gram weights in all but the bottom which has an 18 gram weight. I didn't move the weights around and kept it like it was received with the 18 gram weight in the bottom port.
Ok, I explained what the club looks like now it's performance. I only had a chance to hit it about a half dozen times and as you can see by my hits, I don't have this club dialed in yet. What is amazing but I can't show you is that even as poorly as I hit these shots, the ball went dead straight. The flight is not high, kind of like a mid flight. I don't know if moving the weight to the rear of the club would help in getting a higher shot, that's one of the things I'm going to look at when I test these to see how much difference moving the weights around.
In closing (until I submit a full review), it really sets-up almost like an iron. The only time I hit it out of the rough I didn't have any issues. The deep face made getting the ball out fairly easy. My thoughts after using this club is that if it will make my initial crappy swings go straight, I can only imagine when it could do with a good swing behind it. I aim to find out!!!
Kevin
Callaway Junkie
Pretty cool hybrids. Hit the 20 degree at Golfsmith tonight. I liked the weight and look at address. Feel was good as well. Not enough to make me consider replacing my Callaway Apex though.
Sorry guys, was going to hit the range but had a crazy day at work (still going unfortunately) that kept me from getting to the course. Will be getting in range time for sure tomorrow and at least one more time this weekend before a round Sunday.
Will have more feedback other than it is a real looker and it doesn't seem as small as I first thought when I have taken some practice swings.
Will have more feedback other than it is a real looker and it doesn't seem as small as I first thought when I have taken some practice swings.
yisssssssss
mine came in today!!! unfortunately i'm trying to tie up some loose ends at work before leaving to go out of town in the next couple hours, so no pics and no testing for a little while.
before i launch into anything, a thousand thanks to THP and Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company for this opportunity!
some initial thoughts upon unboxing. the box is really cool. i absolutely love the branding inside. so classy. it's a stark contrast to the boxing from another brand i have in my office that is more "kitschy" and "cutesy/funny." these are serious clubs for the serious golfer, and i love that. the head seems to have a little oil on it, kinda cool. i'll try to get a pic up in a few days, but i think my favorite thing so far is the headcover. man this thing is classy! if i am forced to nitpick anything, it's that the paintfill in the grooves isn't consistent all the way across. but who cares?
i received the 21* with aldila nv 85 s flex. standard length, lie and grip. setting up with the club in my office, the head is noticeably smaller than what i am used to seeing in my j15 4h (23*). the shape is similar to the apex, or even adams pro. the high toe design is not at all noticeable at address, which honestly was my biggest concern and detractor from the initial pics. a couple waggles and this thing feels good.
i'll start the review keeping the hogan grip on, but i know i'll eventually swap it out for a lamkin utx. i need a little more sweat management lol.
i find the weights really intriguing. i'm going to hit 3-5 shots with all configurations and report back with the eye test results. my gut tells me i'll go with the "Neutral Balance" configuration, which is placing the heavy weight in the center back location to promote a higher ball flight and increased spin. the fade configuration intrigues me, but i don't want to sacrifice launch. i could see myself trying to buy another heavy weight to achieve high launch, forgiveness and fade bias.
as you can probably see from my signature, my current setup at the top end of my bag is 9.5* driver, 17* fairway wood, and 23* hybrid before moving into the 25* 5-iron. i play my carry distances to 230 driver, 215 fw, and 195 hybo. this 21* hogan vktr will present an interesting gapping decision for me. do i pull the fw out of the bag and play a 2 hybrid setup? do i pull my 5i since it gaps pretty close to my 4h, and i'm honestly pretty inconsistent with it? or do i pull something from the bottom of my bag? i'm leaning toward puling the 5i, and leaning on the 4h to cover a wide range of distances.
what do i use my hybrids for? tee shots on short, tight holes or forced layups where i can't chance getting a hot fw tee shot that goes over 240. tee shots on long par 3s over 200 yards. layups on par 5s where there is a lot of trouble, or a risk of going over if i crush a fw (still waiting for that day lol).
what do i not use my hybrids for? hitting out of any kind of rough. i'm just not strong enough to get the club through very well, so i always take my medicine instead of forcing one out. chipping around greens. i just don't practice it enough to have any idea how the ball will react, so i never do this. punch outs. i don't try to manipulate the trajectory of a hybrid to keep it low. i want my hybrids to fly high and land softly, so that's all i'm ever trying to do with them.
how many times a round do i hit hybrid? obviously it's course dependent. in my round earlier this week, i hit hybrid into 3 of the 4 par 5s and no other time. at the course i play most often, i will hit hybrid 2-3 times max.
i will be playing in a few days with uzumati, so he can take a few swipes and offer his feedback too. can't wait to put this thing through the ringer!
mine came in today!!! unfortunately i'm trying to tie up some loose ends at work before leaving to go out of town in the next couple hours, so no pics and no testing for a little while.
before i launch into anything, a thousand thanks to THP and Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company for this opportunity!
some initial thoughts upon unboxing. the box is really cool. i absolutely love the branding inside. so classy. it's a stark contrast to the boxing from another brand i have in my office that is more "kitschy" and "cutesy/funny." these are serious clubs for the serious golfer, and i love that. the head seems to have a little oil on it, kinda cool. i'll try to get a pic up in a few days, but i think my favorite thing so far is the headcover. man this thing is classy! if i am forced to nitpick anything, it's that the paintfill in the grooves isn't consistent all the way across. but who cares?
i received the 21* with aldila nv 85 s flex. standard length, lie and grip. setting up with the club in my office, the head is noticeably smaller than what i am used to seeing in my j15 4h (23*). the shape is similar to the apex, or even adams pro. the high toe design is not at all noticeable at address, which honestly was my biggest concern and detractor from the initial pics. a couple waggles and this thing feels good.
i'll start the review keeping the hogan grip on, but i know i'll eventually swap it out for a lamkin utx. i need a little more sweat management lol.
i find the weights really intriguing. i'm going to hit 3-5 shots with all configurations and report back with the eye test results. my gut tells me i'll go with the "Neutral Balance" configuration, which is placing the heavy weight in the center back location to promote a higher ball flight and increased spin. the fade configuration intrigues me, but i don't want to sacrifice launch. i could see myself trying to buy another heavy weight to achieve high launch, forgiveness and fade bias.
as you can probably see from my signature, my current setup at the top end of my bag is 9.5* driver, 17* fairway wood, and 23* hybrid before moving into the 25* 5-iron. i play my carry distances to 230 driver, 215 fw, and 195 hybo. this 21* hogan vktr will present an interesting gapping decision for me. do i pull the fw out of the bag and play a 2 hybrid setup? do i pull my 5i since it gaps pretty close to my 4h, and i'm honestly pretty inconsistent with it? or do i pull something from the bottom of my bag? i'm leaning toward puling the 5i, and leaning on the 4h to cover a wide range of distances.
what do i use my hybrids for? tee shots on short, tight holes or forced layups where i can't chance getting a hot fw tee shot that goes over 240. tee shots on long par 3s over 200 yards. layups on par 5s where there is a lot of trouble, or a risk of going over if i crush a fw (still waiting for that day lol).
what do i not use my hybrids for? hitting out of any kind of rough. i'm just not strong enough to get the club through very well, so i always take my medicine instead of forcing one out. chipping around greens. i just don't practice it enough to have any idea how the ball will react, so i never do this. punch outs. i don't try to manipulate the trajectory of a hybrid to keep it low. i want my hybrids to fly high and land softly, so that's all i'm ever trying to do with them.
how many times a round do i hit hybrid? obviously it's course dependent. in my round earlier this week, i hit hybrid into 3 of the 4 par 5s and no other time. at the course i play most often, i will hit hybrid 2-3 times max.
i will be playing in a few days with uzumati, so he can take a few swipes and offer his feedback too. can't wait to put this thing through the ringer!
I'll wait on pictures since there are several good ones already on this thread and mine would not add much. But I had my first opportunity to put the VKTR through its paces yesterday.
First, a little about me. I currently play to around a 4, have been as low as a 2 but with 5 kids and a job, practice time is limited. The majority of my rounds are 9 holers with some combination of the kids but I do play 18 holes early every Sunday morning.
Currently (as shown in my signature) I carry no hybrids as I have not really found one I like. I grew up playing long before modern hybrids were reintroduced to the game so I am used to playing a higher lofted fairway wood as a trouble club (to this day I have a 24* persimmon club with heavy sole weight that I will carry depending on the course). Maybe because I already play a draw, many of the more game improvement clubs go left for me and I never found the player's type (like the Adams Pro series) much more forgiving than a 4 iron.
My bag configuration right now is very solid except for the 4 iron slot. Even with my swingspeed (I'm back up to around 102-103 with the driver), I really cannot launch my 4 iron high enough off the fairway to hold the green. Of course, the 4 iron is useless from the rough. My 7 wood is lethal but it only has one type of ball flight - high draw and it too does not work from the rough.
Enter the VKTR - I have the 24* with the stiff Irod shaft at 1* upright. As I noted previously, I was thrilled to see that Hogan promised more spin as the low spin hybrids just do not fit what I want (which is a distinct yardage with a good amount of spin).
My initial review can be summed up pretty simply:
1) I have never hit a hybrid that feels this good. It is absolutely addictive.
2) In both range work and on the course, I hit the ball dead straight. Honestly I had difficulty moving it - that was really unusual and I'll be interested to see if that continues.
3) For me, the ball flight was mid to mid low and I usually hit everything else relatively high. I'll play a little more today with varying ball position to affect the flight but given the consistency with which I hit it yesterday, I'm loathe to vary it too much.
4) The more spin is claim is real. I was hoping for a 200 yard club which is exactly what this provides. We had about one inch of rain the night before our round yesterday. The tee shots I hit with the VKTR were within a yard or two of the ballmark in the fairway - actually a little sideways. The one I hit into a green from 200 yards actually spun back but that was a green that slopes back to front so maybe not the best test.
All in all, by far the best hybrid I have tried. Off to play another 9 with my sons - pretty excited to see what the VKTR does today.
First, a little about me. I currently play to around a 4, have been as low as a 2 but with 5 kids and a job, practice time is limited. The majority of my rounds are 9 holers with some combination of the kids but I do play 18 holes early every Sunday morning.
Currently (as shown in my signature) I carry no hybrids as I have not really found one I like. I grew up playing long before modern hybrids were reintroduced to the game so I am used to playing a higher lofted fairway wood as a trouble club (to this day I have a 24* persimmon club with heavy sole weight that I will carry depending on the course). Maybe because I already play a draw, many of the more game improvement clubs go left for me and I never found the player's type (like the Adams Pro series) much more forgiving than a 4 iron.
My bag configuration right now is very solid except for the 4 iron slot. Even with my swingspeed (I'm back up to around 102-103 with the driver), I really cannot launch my 4 iron high enough off the fairway to hold the green. Of course, the 4 iron is useless from the rough. My 7 wood is lethal but it only has one type of ball flight - high draw and it too does not work from the rough.
Enter the VKTR - I have the 24* with the stiff Irod shaft at 1* upright. As I noted previously, I was thrilled to see that Hogan promised more spin as the low spin hybrids just do not fit what I want (which is a distinct yardage with a good amount of spin).
My initial review can be summed up pretty simply:
1) I have never hit a hybrid that feels this good. It is absolutely addictive.
2) In both range work and on the course, I hit the ball dead straight. Honestly I had difficulty moving it - that was really unusual and I'll be interested to see if that continues.
3) For me, the ball flight was mid to mid low and I usually hit everything else relatively high. I'll play a little more today with varying ball position to affect the flight but given the consistency with which I hit it yesterday, I'm loathe to vary it too much.
4) The more spin is claim is real. I was hoping for a 200 yard club which is exactly what this provides. We had about one inch of rain the night before our round yesterday. The tee shots I hit with the VKTR were within a yard or two of the ballmark in the fairway - actually a little sideways. The one I hit into a green from 200 yards actually spun back but that was a green that slopes back to front so maybe not the best test.
All in all, by far the best hybrid I have tried. Off to play another 9 with my sons - pretty excited to see what the VKTR does today.
Got range time in today finally, about 12 swings with this club head to head with my old X2 Hot 22* Hybrid.
I was hitting at a flag that was 178 away, and was coming up just short of it with both clubs. I couldn't tell by eyeballing it, but the Hogan seem to be pretty close to the same distance with range balls. A little surprising since the VKTR is 0.5" shorter and 1* lower in loft. I hit a couple near the heel and they had a little left to right flight, but nothing overly penal.
The sound/feel of these is fantastic. A solid thwack vs the more tingy sound of the X2 Hot. Flight was a little lower, but nothing to be concerned about. Tomorrow I will play with moving the weights, but I will put this in play in place of the X2 Hot when I play on Monday. Really Really REALLY impressed with this club right now. Looks are a 10, feel/sound is a 10, and results so far are on par with what has been my favorite hybrid of the past 5 years. I will be looking for this to be my 185 yard club on the course.
I was hitting at a flag that was 178 away, and was coming up just short of it with both clubs. I couldn't tell by eyeballing it, but the Hogan seem to be pretty close to the same distance with range balls. A little surprising since the VKTR is 0.5" shorter and 1* lower in loft. I hit a couple near the heel and they had a little left to right flight, but nothing overly penal.
The sound/feel of these is fantastic. A solid thwack vs the more tingy sound of the X2 Hot. Flight was a little lower, but nothing to be concerned about. Tomorrow I will play with moving the weights, but I will put this in play in place of the X2 Hot when I play on Monday. Really Really REALLY impressed with this club right now. Looks are a 10, feel/sound is a 10, and results so far are on par with what has been my favorite hybrid of the past 5 years. I will be looking for this to be my 185 yard club on the course.
Now have 45 more holes of feedback - 36 holes of which were money games so a bit of pressure, I hit the VKTR almost 20 times in those 45 holes which is more than I normally would but I wanted the chance to provide more input to THP.
I'll keep my takeaways short for everyone:
1) Ball flight remained uncannily straight. I really had to work to move the ball (which is fine with me).
2) Even playing with ball position, trajectory remained low for what I would expect for a 24* hybrid. I hit my playing partners Adams Idea as a comparison and hit an absolute moonshot so it has not just been my swing the past few days.
3) Even though I hit it lower than other hybrids, the spin is good enough to hold a green. I had 190 uphill to clear a bunker with only about 30 feet of green behind it - cleared the bunker with the shot and held the green easily. If I had hit it that trajectory with my 4 iron, I would have been through the green 5-10 yards.
4) Forgiveness is not huge with this hybrid. I've been hitting it close to center and performance there is remarkably consistent - enough so that my playing partners have begun to comment upon it. However I got one about 3/4" out on the toe and lost at least 15 yards although trajectory was similar to a well struck shot.
5) I'm not really particular about grips except that I do not like Tour Velvets. If I have a choice, I will play with GP Tour Wraps. Most of the last 45 holes have been in high temperatures (80s) with sweaty hands and I had no problem with the stock Hogan grip.
6) Headcover is very attractive but I have had issues with it sliding off when in the bag.
7) The V sole seemed to have little to no effect on my shots. I did not like them on the Hogan or Srixon irons but on the hybrid, it has not been noticeable.
For my game, I cannot imagine a better hybrid. Please ask some questions!
I'll keep my takeaways short for everyone:
1) Ball flight remained uncannily straight. I really had to work to move the ball (which is fine with me).
2) Even playing with ball position, trajectory remained low for what I would expect for a 24* hybrid. I hit my playing partners Adams Idea as a comparison and hit an absolute moonshot so it has not just been my swing the past few days.
3) Even though I hit it lower than other hybrids, the spin is good enough to hold a green. I had 190 uphill to clear a bunker with only about 30 feet of green behind it - cleared the bunker with the shot and held the green easily. If I had hit it that trajectory with my 4 iron, I would have been through the green 5-10 yards.
4) Forgiveness is not huge with this hybrid. I've been hitting it close to center and performance there is remarkably consistent - enough so that my playing partners have begun to comment upon it. However I got one about 3/4" out on the toe and lost at least 15 yards although trajectory was similar to a well struck shot.
5) I'm not really particular about grips except that I do not like Tour Velvets. If I have a choice, I will play with GP Tour Wraps. Most of the last 45 holes have been in high temperatures (80s) with sweaty hands and I had no problem with the stock Hogan grip.
6) Headcover is very attractive but I have had issues with it sliding off when in the bag.
7) The V sole seemed to have little to no effect on my shots. I did not like them on the Hogan or Srixon irons but on the hybrid, it has not been noticeable.
For my game, I cannot imagine a better hybrid. Please ask some questions!
Got out for my 2nd range session and hit this a bit more. I started off getting quite a few heel shots with a left to right flight. Distance loss was probably 10-15 yards vs what I would consider a decent strike. These were at least 1/2" from center and probably more like 3/4".
I played with the weight and moved it to the rear position from the bottom position and saw slightly higher flight (eyeballing 3-4 yards). Was also a bit straighter for me. As I started hitting the ball better I started hitting some tight little draws. The sound/feel of this club is fantastic. I quit hitting my X2 Hot because I really just wanted to hit this club.
I would compare this club to the Callaway Apex and Adams Red as much more iron like than fairway wood like. It makes sense as precision is the name of the game for the new Ben Hogan company.
Couple side thoughts:
- The wrench looks nice and works fine, but is not my favorite, it is similar to the Callaway tool I had and I much prefer a Taylormade model that I picked up that is a T shape instead of smaller on one end.
- The face and sole of the club still look really nice, but the weight ports tend to pick up quite a bit of debris. Not a big deal, but for those of us with a little OCD you will want a brush or a tee to clean stuff out.
More tomorrow when I actually get this out on the course for a round. Should hit this several times in different situations.
I played with the weight and moved it to the rear position from the bottom position and saw slightly higher flight (eyeballing 3-4 yards). Was also a bit straighter for me. As I started hitting the ball better I started hitting some tight little draws. The sound/feel of this club is fantastic. I quit hitting my X2 Hot because I really just wanted to hit this club.
I would compare this club to the Callaway Apex and Adams Red as much more iron like than fairway wood like. It makes sense as precision is the name of the game for the new Ben Hogan company.
Couple side thoughts:
- The wrench looks nice and works fine, but is not my favorite, it is similar to the Callaway tool I had and I much prefer a Taylormade model that I picked up that is a T shape instead of smaller on one end.
- The face and sole of the club still look really nice, but the weight ports tend to pick up quite a bit of debris. Not a big deal, but for those of us with a little OCD you will want a brush or a tee to clean stuff out.
More tomorrow when I actually get this out on the course for a round. Should hit this several times in different situations.
Mancest,
I'm currently gaming a Adams Red. Other than both being more iron like, how would you compare the VKTR to the Red?
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I'm currently gaming a Adams Red. Other than both being more iron like, how would you compare the VKTR to the Red?
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The Red is slightly longer heel to toe. I haven't hit a similar loft on them (VKTR 23* and Red 26*), but they are similarly shaped (VKTR is a little Boxier) and I disliked having to clean out the sole of the Red. I think the VKTR has more adjustability for flight with the 4 ports vs what can be adjusted on the Red (3 ports all in the sole if I recall correctly).
I don't remember the sound on the Red, but the VKTR is the best feeling club I have hit. Just absolutely love it, and man it is a stunner. I am really thinking about ordering a 26 or 27* to put in the 5I spot, but want to get this out for a couple rounds first.
I don't remember the sound on the Red, but the VKTR is the best feeling club I have hit. Just absolutely love it, and man it is a stunner. I am really thinking about ordering a 26 or 27* to put in the 5I spot, but want to get this out for a couple rounds first.
range session before, a round with some shots, and a range session after. I had my c- game today so all of this should be filtered through that.
first some side by side pics with my bstone j15 4h (23*). vktr is the smaller one and is 21*.
next to uzumati's apex the shape and size are almost identical. sorry I didn't get a pic of that comparison.
first range session and 18 holes were all standard, weight in the bottom meaning more penetrating.
on the range, this did not fly any farther than my 4h. it's not a distance monster. it was a little more consistent side to side, however. but missed were pretty penal, so I am not sure about forgiveness. there is an interesting whistling sound in a practice swing, and a nice solid feeling at impact. for the most part you know when you caught it and when you missed.
I hit it 3 times in 18 holes. first time was 260 out on a par 5. ball below feet, had to carry a bunker at 191. hit it pretty good, obviously had cut shape. ended up in the front greenside bunker. it went every bit of 230. that's huge for me.
the other two times were ok, but didn't draw at all. I echo the sentiments that in the stock setup it is tough to work.
in the range session after the round I was tired, but wanted to test the weight movement. I hit it standard again, and saw pretty much the same. good, but not forgiving and not any different from well struck 4h.
I switched the weights to rear, so high and more forgiving. first few shots were high and straight and felt really solid. but misses came up even shorter interestingly. maybe the added spin? I did like this a lot.
then I switched to draw. I did see some right to left, but the ball didn't fly as far and the misses were all over the place.
I hope to figure out the swing issues, and maybe put this one through some more quality trials.
if I'm injecting myself into this review, this is not a club I am in love with yet. mostly because I don't know what it is going to do. what shape can I pull off? how far will it carry? what is the total? after this much time with it, those questions remain unanswered.
more to come
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first some side by side pics with my bstone j15 4h (23*). vktr is the smaller one and is 21*.
next to uzumati's apex the shape and size are almost identical. sorry I didn't get a pic of that comparison.
first range session and 18 holes were all standard, weight in the bottom meaning more penetrating.
on the range, this did not fly any farther than my 4h. it's not a distance monster. it was a little more consistent side to side, however. but missed were pretty penal, so I am not sure about forgiveness. there is an interesting whistling sound in a practice swing, and a nice solid feeling at impact. for the most part you know when you caught it and when you missed.
I hit it 3 times in 18 holes. first time was 260 out on a par 5. ball below feet, had to carry a bunker at 191. hit it pretty good, obviously had cut shape. ended up in the front greenside bunker. it went every bit of 230. that's huge for me.
the other two times were ok, but didn't draw at all. I echo the sentiments that in the stock setup it is tough to work.
in the range session after the round I was tired, but wanted to test the weight movement. I hit it standard again, and saw pretty much the same. good, but not forgiving and not any different from well struck 4h.
I switched the weights to rear, so high and more forgiving. first few shots were high and straight and felt really solid. but misses came up even shorter interestingly. maybe the added spin? I did like this a lot.
then I switched to draw. I did see some right to left, but the ball didn't fly as far and the misses were all over the place.
I hope to figure out the swing issues, and maybe put this one through some more quality trials.
if I'm injecting myself into this review, this is not a club I am in love with yet. mostly because I don't know what it is going to do. what shape can I pull off? how far will it carry? what is the total? after this much time with it, those questions remain unanswered.
more to come
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dustin8538
Well-known member
So I have not had the chance to give this a lenghty review but heres what I have so far....
I am testing the 20 degree model with a Adilia NV Stiff shaft
I currently am testing heads up against my TM Aeroburner TP 19 degree
Looks
This is a gorgeous club to look at with the gloss black finish and the contrating matte black finish towards the face. However I feel like the face is deep and kind of off putting in a way. I like to look down at a small head profile with a shallow face but this is easy to overcome though. It sits slightly closed at address but can be manipulated easily to get the desired look.
Feel
When struck in the center of the face it comes with off with a good thud. Nothing loud or obnoxious, kind of tingy in a good way. When mis hit you definitley get feedback and know where you missed it. The club head feels light in your hands and throughout the swing. I would like to see a little bit more weight added in the head.
Performance
As per the the Hogan website it launches high and sits soft. But for me that means a loss of distance. I am having difficulties in hitting the low shot when needed and the ball tends to baloon on me. On windy days this would not be good. Out of the fairway it hits like a dream and out of the rough I think it excels. With the deep face it just seems to get down in the rough and pop the ball right out. I can work the ball both ways in the neutral position but the draw seems to be more prevelant. I have not moved the weights around yet so maybe that will help eliminate the draw.
I like to hit a hybrid off the tee with a more penetrating flight and gain some roll and this club really does not allow that for me. Its a hit and stop. However into a green this club is money and you can really aim at some tight pins with confidence.
Overall this club is a really good performer. Right now it is not moving my current gamer out of the bag but time will tell after some more testing.
I am testing the 20 degree model with a Adilia NV Stiff shaft
I currently am testing heads up against my TM Aeroburner TP 19 degree
Looks
This is a gorgeous club to look at with the gloss black finish and the contrating matte black finish towards the face. However I feel like the face is deep and kind of off putting in a way. I like to look down at a small head profile with a shallow face but this is easy to overcome though. It sits slightly closed at address but can be manipulated easily to get the desired look.
Feel
When struck in the center of the face it comes with off with a good thud. Nothing loud or obnoxious, kind of tingy in a good way. When mis hit you definitley get feedback and know where you missed it. The club head feels light in your hands and throughout the swing. I would like to see a little bit more weight added in the head.
Performance
As per the the Hogan website it launches high and sits soft. But for me that means a loss of distance. I am having difficulties in hitting the low shot when needed and the ball tends to baloon on me. On windy days this would not be good. Out of the fairway it hits like a dream and out of the rough I think it excels. With the deep face it just seems to get down in the rough and pop the ball right out. I can work the ball both ways in the neutral position but the draw seems to be more prevelant. I have not moved the weights around yet so maybe that will help eliminate the draw.
I like to hit a hybrid off the tee with a more penetrating flight and gain some roll and this club really does not allow that for me. Its a hit and stop. However into a green this club is money and you can really aim at some tight pins with confidence.
Overall this club is a really good performer. Right now it is not moving my current gamer out of the bag but time will tell after some more testing.
About to get on the course and hit a few balls on the range before hand. Swing feels better as got pretty consistent flight, but noticed I scratched up the face a little...
Bound to happen but still bummed
Playing in about 74 deg and a 15-20 mph wind. Weight will be in the rear for the entire round and will get thoughts up when I get home.
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Bound to happen but still bummed
Playing in about 74 deg and a 15-20 mph wind. Weight will be in the rear for the entire round and will get thoughts up when I get home.
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OK, just got home from the round, grilling some kebobs on America's 240th birthday and getting around to typing up my thoughts. The 4H for me is truly a utility club and is really my go to for a lot of shots when I am not quite sure what to do. I used it slightly more than usual today but not once did I think it was the wrong choice. Total shots with the 23* VKTR = 7, 2 approach shots into the green, 1 was a punch out, the other 4 were layups on par 5s.
Shot 1: 162 yards out, into a 15-20 mph wind. Hit it well, but not nutted and left myself just off the green and was able to get up and down.
Shot 2: Layup shot into the wind, slight pull but hit it 167 yards that left me a short iron into the green and another par.
Shot 3: Another layup shot, total top. Not even all of the forgiveness in the Catholic Church could have saved that one, so no way to judge anything other than it was a garbage swing.
Shot 4: Behind a tree, hit a quarter punch out that went 125 yards. Stayed low just like I wanted, not a shot I was comfortable hitting with my old hybrid.
Shot 5: lay up out of bunker with a flat lie into that same 15-20 mph wind I caught it a little heavy but it went 135 yards. Not ideal, but from hitting it chunky and into the wind not a bad result and I was able to to get on the green with my next shot.
Shot 6: Best shot of the day for me regardless of club, approach shot from 162 yards a little up hill into the wind. Hit it pure and was pin high after a nice mid high flight. My number for that shot was 185, club landed just on the green and rolled out maybe 3 yards. This is with an E6, so not a urethane covered ball so this club can stop on the green.
Shot 7: Layup shot with the same wind behind me. Hit it heel side but it went 183 with a 5 yard fade. I would attribute 15 yards or so of that to the wind, so definitely lost some yardage, but it was not well struck.
Overall REALLY pleased with this club. After one round I feel really comfortable hitting a variety of shots with the VKTR. I think this is more versatile than my old hybrid, it isn't as long, but I think the 6th shot I hit would have gone 10-15 yards longer, and possibly could have gone farther as that is the type of swing that would leave me scratching my head how I just hit it 20 yards farther than I expected.
Plan will be to get at least 1 range session in this week and 2 rounds in next weekend before getting this on a launch monitor to see the numbers compared to other hybrids and test out the different weight configurations. Please feel free to ask me any questions, will be responding as much as possible.
Shot 1: 162 yards out, into a 15-20 mph wind. Hit it well, but not nutted and left myself just off the green and was able to get up and down.
Shot 2: Layup shot into the wind, slight pull but hit it 167 yards that left me a short iron into the green and another par.
Shot 3: Another layup shot, total top. Not even all of the forgiveness in the Catholic Church could have saved that one, so no way to judge anything other than it was a garbage swing.
Shot 4: Behind a tree, hit a quarter punch out that went 125 yards. Stayed low just like I wanted, not a shot I was comfortable hitting with my old hybrid.
Shot 5: lay up out of bunker with a flat lie into that same 15-20 mph wind I caught it a little heavy but it went 135 yards. Not ideal, but from hitting it chunky and into the wind not a bad result and I was able to to get on the green with my next shot.
Shot 6: Best shot of the day for me regardless of club, approach shot from 162 yards a little up hill into the wind. Hit it pure and was pin high after a nice mid high flight. My number for that shot was 185, club landed just on the green and rolled out maybe 3 yards. This is with an E6, so not a urethane covered ball so this club can stop on the green.
Shot 7: Layup shot with the same wind behind me. Hit it heel side but it went 183 with a 5 yard fade. I would attribute 15 yards or so of that to the wind, so definitely lost some yardage, but it was not well struck.
Overall REALLY pleased with this club. After one round I feel really comfortable hitting a variety of shots with the VKTR. I think this is more versatile than my old hybrid, it isn't as long, but I think the 6th shot I hit would have gone 10-15 yards longer, and possibly could have gone farther as that is the type of swing that would leave me scratching my head how I just hit it 20 yards farther than I expected.
Plan will be to get at least 1 range session in this week and 2 rounds in next weekend before getting this on a launch monitor to see the numbers compared to other hybrids and test out the different weight configurations. Please feel free to ask me any questions, will be responding as much as possible.
Only hit the VKTR once on the course today (more on that later) but was able to spend about an hour on the range with it to tinker with the weights and see how the different configurations affected ballflight. All the weights but one were easy to remove and reinstall (needed quite a bit elbow grease on that one).
As is usual with me, I hit a fade in the draw configuration and a draw in the fade configuration. Anytime I feel a clubhead closing down quickly, which the weight configuration clearly did, I tend to hold off my release. When I gave it some of my playing partners without telling them the configuration they were seeing some changes in ballflight. The change to moving the heavy weight to the back did nominally increase launch but produced a feel that I did not find as solid as the stock configuration.
The head pro was down at the range to meet our group and I let him hit a few. He had the whistling sound during his swing that was described in an earlier post. Maybe this is a problem for higher swingspeeds? He really liked the club performance but was put off by the whistling.
The one shot I hit on the course with it today was worth $120 for our group. We were playing in a modified Stableford game and needed an eagle on a very interesting par 5. It plays pretty short at 500 yards and downhill but has a pond that guards half of the front of the green and then wraps around the left side and then behind most of the green. Also in the front of the green is a small but deadly deep bunker. The far right side of the green is open to run a ball up if you skirt the aforementioned bunker - there is maybe a 20 foot wide window.
Anyway, I hit a nice drive and had 225 down wind and down hill - would have been a perfect 7 wood distance except there was no way I could hold the green down wind and would have ended up in the pond behind the green. Needless to say, I hit the VKTR right through the small slot and it rolled up to 2 feet from the pin. My playing partners from the weekend have christened that club "the laser".
As is usual with me, I hit a fade in the draw configuration and a draw in the fade configuration. Anytime I feel a clubhead closing down quickly, which the weight configuration clearly did, I tend to hold off my release. When I gave it some of my playing partners without telling them the configuration they were seeing some changes in ballflight. The change to moving the heavy weight to the back did nominally increase launch but produced a feel that I did not find as solid as the stock configuration.
The head pro was down at the range to meet our group and I let him hit a few. He had the whistling sound during his swing that was described in an earlier post. Maybe this is a problem for higher swingspeeds? He really liked the club performance but was put off by the whistling.
The one shot I hit on the course with it today was worth $120 for our group. We were playing in a modified Stableford game and needed an eagle on a very interesting par 5. It plays pretty short at 500 yards and downhill but has a pond that guards half of the front of the green and then wraps around the left side and then behind most of the green. Also in the front of the green is a small but deadly deep bunker. The far right side of the green is open to run a ball up if you skirt the aforementioned bunker - there is maybe a 20 foot wide window.
Anyway, I hit a nice drive and had 225 down wind and down hill - would have been a perfect 7 wood distance except there was no way I could hold the green down wind and would have ended up in the pond behind the green. Needless to say, I hit the VKTR right through the small slot and it rolled up to 2 feet from the pin. My playing partners from the weekend have christened that club "the laser".
I went out to the site to try the demo program. I really wanted to try an 18* but the program offers 20* and 24*. I may still do it with the 20* and make some inferences about top end gapping if I reach the point of making a purchase.
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I'll be very interested to see your review.
I don't think you will be disappointed Frank, I was looking at doing the trial before I was amazingly chosen for this testing by THP/Ben Hogan.
Will be interested to hear your thoughts with those lofts if you proceed.
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I really had not had a chance to play with the VKTR much out of the rough this weekend so I spent a 1/2 hour at the range during lunch today. I used the rough next to the range tee area to try the hybrid out of different lies (again I have the 24* with the Irod stiff). On moderate lies, say OK for maybe a 6 iron and up, I was able to advance the ball nicely about 170-180 versus my usual 200. Ballflight was again very straight and slightly lower than my mid-low trajectory out of the fairway. The VKTR also worked for a more punch type shot as I could put it back in the stance a little and hit a nice controlled shot. Like any hybrid however it really cannot dig a ball out of a bad lie - hit a few with top spin even.
The more I use this club, the more I am impressed.
The more I use this club, the more I am impressed.
another round today. had the vktr set up with heavy weight in the bottom so high launch and more forgiveness.
hit the vktr once off a tee and once into a par 5 green out of rough. course design never gave me any other chances.
I had 230 into the par 5, which is more than I think I can get out of the best strike on my 21*. but the lie wasn't good enough to hit fw, and the hole layout pretty much forced me to go for it. caught it a little high on the face. it flew 195 and finished about 205. kind of a rainbow type flight, but performed really well.
second time I was distracted in my swing and smothered it so can't really gauge that. although it got me out far enough.
I think what I'm struggling the most with is knowing what shape to expect off the tee. high and straight? fade? draw? that's a big deal for me because I'm usually aiming small with a hybo off the tee. not knowing where it's going to go is adding some undue uncertainty and the results are showing it as I have missed every fairway I've tried to hit off the tee.
the whistling is bizarre. not bad, just no idea what is going on there.
is there a face slot? or speed slot? I'm seeing some paint wear between the face and crown, and I'm assuming it's because there is some flex going on.
I still maintain that this is probably the best looking hybrid I've ever played. I'm thinking about adding a 24* to be a 5i club, and getting rid of my 4h. these are the best iron replacement I've ever tried.
if anyone has questions please ask!
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hit the vktr once off a tee and once into a par 5 green out of rough. course design never gave me any other chances.
I had 230 into the par 5, which is more than I think I can get out of the best strike on my 21*. but the lie wasn't good enough to hit fw, and the hole layout pretty much forced me to go for it. caught it a little high on the face. it flew 195 and finished about 205. kind of a rainbow type flight, but performed really well.
second time I was distracted in my swing and smothered it so can't really gauge that. although it got me out far enough.
I think what I'm struggling the most with is knowing what shape to expect off the tee. high and straight? fade? draw? that's a big deal for me because I'm usually aiming small with a hybo off the tee. not knowing where it's going to go is adding some undue uncertainty and the results are showing it as I have missed every fairway I've tried to hit off the tee.
the whistling is bizarre. not bad, just no idea what is going on there.
is there a face slot? or speed slot? I'm seeing some paint wear between the face and crown, and I'm assuming it's because there is some flex going on.
I still maintain that this is probably the best looking hybrid I've ever played. I'm thinking about adding a 24* to be a 5i club, and getting rid of my 4h. these are the best iron replacement I've ever tried.
if anyone has questions please ask!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
i've found myself thinking a lot about this club lately.
i love the way it looks. it's so classy, very traditional, and nothing distracting. at address it is certainly small, but i really appreciate moving away from a fairway wood disguised as a hybrid. i actually didn't realize that's what was going on with my gamer until i put this into play. now i'm not in love with the look of my gamer anymore.
still looking for that elusive "nutted" shot with it on the golf course. i've hit some really nice shots on the range with it, and the feel is very solid. nothing spongy or "hot" about it, which i appreciate in a club that is more about control and precision than pure distance.
a little more commitment and confidence with the swing and i know this will be lethal. i am missing right with it at the moment because i'm used to hybrids being prone to hooking. the fact that this DOESN'T want to hook (at least for me) i think speaks volumes. i'm a right-to-left guy with everything other than driver. but i want a hybrid to fade a bit because i feel that's more controllable. actually having a club that will do that is really exciting.
the price point is high, but if it keeps performing this well i think i might take the plunge and order a 25* to replace my 5i. something about that many headcovers feels weird, but lower scores (should) trump ego every time.
i love the way it looks. it's so classy, very traditional, and nothing distracting. at address it is certainly small, but i really appreciate moving away from a fairway wood disguised as a hybrid. i actually didn't realize that's what was going on with my gamer until i put this into play. now i'm not in love with the look of my gamer anymore.
still looking for that elusive "nutted" shot with it on the golf course. i've hit some really nice shots on the range with it, and the feel is very solid. nothing spongy or "hot" about it, which i appreciate in a club that is more about control and precision than pure distance.
a little more commitment and confidence with the swing and i know this will be lethal. i am missing right with it at the moment because i'm used to hybrids being prone to hooking. the fact that this DOESN'T want to hook (at least for me) i think speaks volumes. i'm a right-to-left guy with everything other than driver. but i want a hybrid to fade a bit because i feel that's more controllable. actually having a club that will do that is really exciting.
the price point is high, but if it keeps performing this well i think i might take the plunge and order a 25* to replace my 5i. something about that many headcovers feels weird, but lower scores (should) trump ego every time.
Loaned the VKTR out to my brother who is in town this week - I have been chained to the office so I was not able to play with him. He is a fairly long hitter (played baseball in college) but does not get the opportunity to play much golf due to owning his own business. He currently has a 22* XR hybrid which he bombs but complains about the misses to the left as he plays a strong draw.
The VKTR worked pretty well for him with a much more neutral ballflight and he much prefers the VKTR feel and set up over the XR. Even taking into account the 2* difference in loft (his at 22* and the VKTR at 24*), the XR is longer by a club and the misses are less penal distance wise than the VKTR. VKTR misses were far straighter. He said he would happily switch to the VKTR as he saw it as more of an iron replacement club rather than a mini distance oriented fairway wood but the price precludes a purchase.
The VKTR worked pretty well for him with a much more neutral ballflight and he much prefers the VKTR feel and set up over the XR. Even taking into account the 2* difference in loft (his at 22* and the VKTR at 24*), the XR is longer by a club and the misses are less penal distance wise than the VKTR. VKTR misses were far straighter. He said he would happily switch to the VKTR as he saw it as more of an iron replacement club rather than a mini distance oriented fairway wood but the price precludes a purchase.