Ben Hogan VKTR Hybrids Review Thread

[buckeyewalt]

You guys are making it hard not to buy one. At the Hogan event the BH rep told me I should get an 18* but I'm wondering about that. My 3W is 15/16* and my last iron is 21*. 18* more or less has me splitting the difference between the two clubs but 17* retains the 4* gaps (working off my irons).

Depends on how well you hit your 4 iron. My 3 wood is 15* so my 19* hybrid is just perfect. I like to have a little loft on it just because a lot of my hit will be coming out of the rough. Don't know if you had a chance to test any of the clubs, but that IRoD shaft is for real.

 

[mancest]

You guys are making it hard not to buy one. At the Hogan event the BH rep told me I should get an 18* but I'm wondering about that. My 3W is 15/16* and my last iron is 21*. 18* more or less has me splitting the difference between the two clubs but 17* retains the 4* gaps (working off my irons).

I think you would be fine with either, but don't think the 4* gap is quite as important going from I to H.

I had another frustrating day with my swing, but hit this club pretty dang well on all swings. The V Sole helped me out when I caught one heavy and otherwise the VKTR performed great.

 

[McLovin]

Depends on how well you hit your 4 iron. My 3 wood is 15* so my 19* hybrid is just perfect. I like to have a little loft on it just because a lot of my hit will be coming out of the rough. Don't know if you had a chance to test any of the clubs, but that IRoD shaft is for real.

my thoughts exactly. I actually wanted the iRoD, but the aldila shaft has been stellar


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[aslxa]

You guys are making it hard not to buy one. At the Hogan event the BH rep told me I should get an 18* but I'm wondering about that. My 3W is 15/16* and my last iron is 21*. 18* more or less has me splitting the difference between the two clubs but 17* retains the 4* gaps (working off my irons).

I will say that for me, this launches pretty low. It is higher than my 4 iron but not anywhere near my 7 wood. Some of my playing partners have suggested getting the 20* VKTR since I hit the 24* so well but I think I would lose too much distance at that loft because of the launch.

 

[buckeyewalt]

I will say that for me, this launches pretty low. It is higher than my 4 iron but not anywhere near my 7 wood. Some of my playing partners have suggested getting the 20* VKTR since I hit the 24* so well but I think I would lose too much distance at that loft because of the launch.

Have you tried putting the weight in the back port for added height?

 

[aslxa]

Have you tried putting the weight in the back port for added height?

I did and only saw a minimal increase - thought it affected the feel a bit for the worse so I moved it back. Pretty much everyone who has hit it has expressed surprise at the lower ballflight given that most (all?) of today's hybrids are designed to hit the ball high.

 

[McLovin]

I did and only saw a minimal increase - thought it affected the feel a bit for the worse so I moved it back. Pretty much everyone who has hit it has expressed surprise at the lower ballflight given that most (all?) of today's hybrids are designed to hit the ball high.

interesting. my experience is that the weight change made a big difference. did any of the other people you let try it move the weights around?


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[mancest]

Ben Hogan VKTR Hybrids Review Thread

I did and only saw a minimal increase - thought it affected the feel a bit for the worse so I moved it back. Pretty much everyone who has hit it has expressed surprise at the lower ballflight given that most (all?) of today's hybrids are designed to hit the ball high.

I saw what I would guesstimate at about 8-10ft in additional peak height on the ball by moving the 18g weight from the standard bottom position to the rear port. This is eyeballing it, and I keep meaning to get it on a launch monitor but my time has been limited.

For my swing speed I don't think I would go much lower than 22*, that is just my guess and assumption but I would worry that I would see diminishing returns on distance. Realistically that would be where my 4H would end and I would transition into a 7w or something similar so it makes sense for my bag make up.

For higher swing speed players should not be any issue as I think they would prefer this to the more fairway styled hybrids as it would not have the left bias and bump up against their fairway wood.

Overall, the more I play this club the more I like it, 2 of these as 4/5 I replacements give me distance control and a true rescue type club that can hit multiple shots then a 7w or a 19* or so distance type hybrid would be the perfect fit in my bag.

 

[greg19]

I'm late to the review game and for that I want to apologize. I have played this club my last 6 or so rounds and I have to say...I am impressed. I am not a hybrid player, I was just never comfortable hitting them. Topping it, hitting low screaming line drives that usually just ended up being a huge slice. I basically had no faith in hitting a hybrid so when faced with a 175-180yard shot, I just didn't have the club in my bag. Long par 3 killed me (180+ yards is a long par 3 to me). There was a definite need in my bag for a club of that distance. After going through the fitting I was fitted for a 20 degree with the UST iRoD 75 (F3). Upon arrival and on the course, here were my thoughts:

Packaging - I have to say that I think nobody does a better job with their packaging than the Ben Hogan Company. You open up the box and are hit with a great display of colors...red, white, and blue with the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company prominently displayed in the middle. The bottom of the box features a classic Ben Hogan quote. The hybrid is well packed and protected. It's so much nicer than the generic plain, brown box most clubs ship in. If the attention to detail in the packaging of the club is any indication of the club itself, I know i'm going to be in for a treat!

The Club - Upon removing the club from the box you immediately notice the head cover. It's a beautiful leather red, white, and blue cover with the Ben Hogan name once again proudly displayed. The cover fits it perfectly. Not too big, not too small...it's just right. It comes off and on easily but stays securely on. In keeping with the red, white, and blue theme the handled is fitted with a stunning blue Ben Hogan Performance grip with a red endcap. The UST iRoD shaft looks brilliant with it's metallic finish and eye catching graphics. The head shape is very appealing to me. I much prefer the smaller head side vs a smooshed fairway wood. There is just something about standing over the ball with that head shape that gives me confidence. The moveable weight system is easy to follow and set. Moving the weight, you can set for a draw or fade and also for a penetrating flight or a steeper landing angle.

On The Course - As I stated in my opening paragraph there is a definite distance missing from my bag, a club that I could hit consistently 170-185 yards. I tried it first by hitting long approaches to par 5's from the fairway. I set up over the ball expecting the worst, the same old topping or line drive slice. Upon making contact I was met with just a fantastic "clinking" sound and watched as my ball soared high and straight. It was one of those shots that feel like you didn't even hit the ball because it was so solid. I said to myself, "No way did you just hit that". Since there was nobody playing behind me I dropped another ball..same result, high and straight. I was in love with the noise the club made when striking the ball. I zero'd out the gps on my watch and walked up to my balls (easy to find since they were both still sitting in the middle of the fairway). 172 and 176 yards respectively, leaving me with a short pitch to the grren from very favorable lies. Next up was hitting into long (for me) par 3's. The first chance I got was an 181 yard shot from a slightly elevated tee. I figured i'd hit it off the deck since that was how I hit it so well from the fairway. Normally I would have to hit a soft 3 wood (with no idea where it was going) or hit a 5 iron (which is my 155yard club) and lay up. I had some confidence from my experience on the par 5 so i gave it a good, solid swing. Once again it was a towering shot heading straight to the green. It was a little left but it hit the green, took a few short hops and then slowly rolled to a stop. I'd love to have a Cinderella ending to that and say that it was a tap in birdie but that wasn't the case. I still had plenty of work to but I accomplished what I was hoping the club would do for me. I reached a previously unreachable par 3 in regulation.

Notable shots from other rounds - I played in a scramble over the weekend and we were faced with a 172 yard par 3. I pulled out my now trusty Ben Hogan VKTR hybrid and knocked inside of 2 feet for an easy tap in birdie. Playing a round today and faced with a 167 yard green from an elevated tee. That's a little shorter than I can hit the club so I choked down on it. Another beautiful towering shot that hit the green, bounced and rolled within 5 feet for yet another birdie (which are rare for me). In the rough with low hanging trees. Took a nice half back swing and follow through and kept it low getting me back onto the fairway leaving me with a short pitch to the green.

In Conclusion - I never thought I would find a hybrid that I could hit consistently and with confidence. I was wrong. This Ben Hogan VKTR hybrid has exceeded my expectations and has a solid spot in my bag. The looks, the feel, the performance...this club has it all. I have been looking at different lofts to replace some of my other irons because I like it so much. This club just wants to go straight! I look forward to maybe moving the weights around (but am hesitant because I hit it so well in the draw biased setting I put it in) and trying it from lies such as fairway bunkers and even tight lies around the green where i could use it as a sort of bump and run. I have no doubts that the club will perform, it just does. Thanks to Ben Hogan and THP for the opportunity to test this club and add it to my bag. It is a game changer!

If anyone has any questions, I'll do my best to answer. I'm not real technical but i'll do my best to explain!

https://vimeo.com/176234633

 

[aslxa]

So I did hit the VKTR yesterday afternoon on Trackman as I wanted to see the difference in launch with the largest weight moved all the way back versus having in the bottom (which is the standard configuration). The peak height was consistently 3-4 feet higher and carry was 2-4 yards longer - spin was just a bit less also with the weight back. I'm really comfortable with the standard configuration so I moved it back. I also had the pro, who has hit it previously, hit in the different configuations and his launch/peak height changed just the same as mine.

 

[aslxa]

interesting. my experience is that the weight change made a big difference. did any of the other people you let try it move the weights around?


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I did and none of them saw much of a change (but they did when we played with the draw/fade weighting). For several, mostly lower swingspeed players, the launch was way too low in any configuration.

 

[McLovin]

I did and none of them saw much of a change (but they did when we played with the draw/fade weighting). For several, mostly lower swingspeed players, the launch was way too low in any configuration.

cool. good job on getting feedback from other people. i can absolutely see slower swing speeds not getting enough out of a profile like this, because i would think slower swing speeds would also struggle with long irons in general. given that these are very much an iron replacement, that makes sense in my mind.

 

[greg19]

Sounds like this club is working just as it is meant to, according to the video with Terry.

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This club is as advertised. It gives me a consistent distance that I was missing from my bag that I can hit from almost any lie...and it just goes straight!

 

[greg19]

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.

In catching up with there views it seems that those of us that were chosen all have the same thought, that we are looking at other lofts to put in the bag because this club is just so easy to hit, feels so great when hitting it, and is just so predictable! This club is amazing!

 

[Par5zN2]

I didn't enter the contest to test these because I was lucky to be selected for the Hogan Experience (which was fantastic), but after reading the reviews here, I wish I had entered. The Hogan PTx irons that I'm carrying now are amazing, a VKTR Hybrid would be the perfect addition to my bag!

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

I'm on my seasonal kick of switching out my 5h and these are really interesting to me. I'm curious how forgiving they really are, and my main concern is the price. That's a lot of dough for a hybrid, at least one I can't use trade ins on.

So let me ask those who have it this. Is this club worth the extra $150 I'd spend instead of picking up something like the XR Pro? Why/why not?

 

[McLovin]

I'm on my seasonal kick of switching out my 5h and these are really interesting to me. I'm curious how forgiving they really are, and my main concern is the price. That's a lot of dough for a hybrid, at least one I can't use trade ins on.

So let me ask those who have it this. Is this club worth the extra $150 I'd spend instead of picking up something like the XR Pro? Why/why not?

it's tough for me to say since i haven't spent any time with the xr pro. based on what i have read about the xr line, i was under the impression that it is a distance-focused line with lots of forgiveness. if that's the case, i would say that the vktr hybrids are not in that same profile.

you have a j15 3h in your signature. this vktr has replaced my j15 4h. the vktr is 21*, the j15 was 23*. the vktr might be just a bit longer than the j15, but not by much. but the vktr is significantly more consistent, has a smaller footprint, and acts much more like an iron whereas the j15 in hindsight was more of a fairway wood.

is it worth the money? for me, yes. i am seriously considering investing in a 5h, and i am not considering any other hybrid because of how well these perform as iron replacements. it really comes down to what you want out of a hybrid. and i'll say this: i didn't know this is what i wanted out of a hybrid until i tested this hybrid. the closest thing i tried in a similar profile was the adams pro, and it was an abortion, so i stayed away from that profile. but this vktr is a really special club.

 

[greg19]

I'm on my seasonal kick of switching out my 5h and these are really interesting to me. I'm curious how forgiving they really are, and my main concern is the price. That's a lot of dough for a hybrid, at least one I can't use trade ins on.

So let me ask those who have it this. Is this club worth the extra $150 I'd spend instead of picking up something like the XR Pro? Why/why not?

I understand your concern with the price but I think it just boils down to what you are looking to get from the hybrid. Do you love your current hybrid and does it do everything you want it to do? If that's the case I would say no. If it isn't broke then don't try and fix it. For me, the club solved 2 problems.

1. Before trying this club I was never able to hit a hybrid consistently. Topped shots, thinned shots, sliced shots. I don't know what it is with this hybrid but when I take a nice,easy swing with it the balls just goes. The ball flight is just so consistent!

2. This club fills a distance need in my bag that I was missing. My iron sets only goes to a 5 iron so i needed a club that could chew up around 175-180 yards without hurting me. I tried others with mixed results...5 wood, 7 wood, Heavenwood, other hybrids but there was just no consistency with them. The Hogan VKTR for me, is automatic.

If you're just chasing distance then I would say no, it's not worth the $150. If you hit your club consistently and are happy pleased with it then once again my answer would be no. If you are like me and struggled with consistent ball flight and not having confidence when standing over it then yes, go for it.

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

I'm looking for a 5i replacement that plays like an iron. I want something with a smaller head with more forgiveness than my 5i. I mention the XR Pro because it has a smaller head and forgiveness. The Apex hybo probably fits in that category as well.

I currently have the TEE EX 9 as a 5h, but I'm not really jiving with it right now. I'm finding it too head heavy.

At any rate, is anyone able to comment on the forgiveness of this club versus the XR Pro or Apex? In the alternative, how easy is this club to hit your desired ball flight and target on a scale from 1 - 10?

 

[tequila4kapp]

I'm looking for a 5i replacement that plays like an iron. I want something with a smaller head with more forgiveness than my 5i. I mention the XR Pro because it has a smaller head and forgiveness. The Apex hybo probably fits in that category as well.

I currently have the TEE EX 9 as a 5h, but I'm not really jiving with it right now. I'm finding it too head heavy.

At any rate, is anyone able to comment on the forgiveness of this club versus the XR Pro or Apex? In the alternative, how easy is this club to hit your desired ball flight and target on a scale from 1 - 10?

For the price of shipping - $19.99 total, I believe - you can demo the 20*/24* in the stock shaft of your choice for a month. One of those clubs may well be the one you actually need and if not you'd certainly be able to figure out your gappings, assuming the club actually worked for you.

 

[OITW]

I'm looking for a 5i replacement that plays like an iron. I want something with a smaller head with more forgiveness than my 5i. I mention the XR Pro because it has a smaller head and forgiveness. The Apex hybo probably fits in that category as well.

I currently have the TEE EX 9 as a 5h, but I'm not really jiving with it right now. I'm finding it too head heavy.

At any rate, is anyone able to comment on the forgiveness of this club versus the XR Pro or Apex? In the alternative, how easy is this club to hit your desired ball flight and target on a scale from 1 - 10?

Small sample size for me - but i also have the TEE but the weighting felt similar to me and this was more of a beast off the tee vs off the deck but small sample size

 

[Philly Golf Guy]

For the price of shipping - $19.99 total, I believe - you can demo the 20*/24* in the stock shaft of your choice for a month. One of those clubs may well be the one you actually need and if not you'd certainly be able to figure out your gappings, assuming the club actually worked for you.

I saw that and am considering it, but trying to figure out if I just pull the trigger on an XR pro/apex instead.

And I don't like you can't choose whether you get a 20 or 24 (or do you get both and I'm reading it wrong?). I might call to see if I can get the 24 and see what happens.

 

[McLovin]

I'm looking for a 5i replacement that plays like an iron. I want something with a smaller head with more forgiveness than my 5i. I mention the XR Pro because it has a smaller head and forgiveness. The Apex hybo probably fits in that category as well.

At any rate, is anyone able to comment on the forgiveness of this club versus the XR Pro or Apex? In the alternative, how easy is this club to hit your desired ball flight and target on a scale from 1 - 10?

the vktr will be a smaller head with more forgiveness than most irons in a similar player's category. how easy it to hit to my target on a scale of 1-10? from 200-215, i would say it's a 6/10 for me, whereas a 4-iron would be 1/10.

I saw that and am considering it, but trying to figure out if I just pull the trigger on an XR pro/apex instead.

And I don't like you can't choose whether you get a 20 or 24 (or do you get both and I'm reading it wrong?). I might call to see if I can get the 24 and see what happens.

i think calling is a great idea. every post in the forum about dealing with their customer service has really been exemplary.

again, i haven't seen the xr pro in person. i have, however, seen the apex side-by-side with the vktr. they are VERY similar. but i didn't hit them. i know jb is rocking the vktr in his bag right now, and he has gamed apex in the past and may have spent time with the xr pro as well though i don't know for sure. he might be able to offer some comparisons.

 

[mancest]

Personally I would compare the VKTR to the Apex hybrid and the Adams Mini. It is smaller than the Adams Red, and I have only seen the XR Pro in person but never swung it.

Between the XR Pro and the VKTR, I won't chime in on performance characteristics since I can't compare, but for $100 cheaper you do have to do some homework on the XR Pro.

If it is between the Apex and the VKTR (I have a 26* Apex that I will likely end up replacing with a 26* VKTR) I would go VKTR everytime. I like the shaft (Irod) in the VKTR quite a bit more and for an additional $20-30 the option to fine tune the flight with the weight ports makes the VKTR light years ahead in my opinion. The Apex looks good, but I would give the nod to the VKTR.

All of this is coming from a total Callaway homer, but I would highly recommend doing the test drive program through Hogan as the $19.99 can be applied to a purchase if you choose to make one.

 

[aslxa]

I'm looking for a 5i replacement that plays like an iron. I want something with a smaller head with more forgiveness than my 5i. I mention the XR Pro because it has a smaller head and forgiveness. The Apex hybo probably fits in that category as well.

I currently have the TEE EX 9 as a 5h, but I'm not really jiving with it right now. I'm finding it too head heavy.

At any rate, is anyone able to comment on the forgiveness of this club versus the XR Pro or Apex? In the alternative, how easy is this club to hit your desired ball flight and target on a scale from 1 - 10?

I had an XR Pro in the bag previously. The difference to me in the spin rates between the two and the resultant causes in the ballflight. The XR Pro had lower spin rates and was consistently longer but my misses were worse side to side. I get more of a distance hit on the Hogan if I miss center but the ballflight stays remarkably straight which I attribute to the higher spin mostly. Also, I found the XR Pro about a club longer than the comparable iron while the Hogan fits perfectly (the 24* VKTR is the same loft and distance as my 4 iron, just more consistent in distance and launch). For what I wanted in the bag (an iron replacement), it is no contest between the two.