Ben Hogan GS53 Max Driver Review

So as I continue to play the GS53 Max and get more comfortable with it, the one thing that stands out to me is forgiveness. I have been able to play 3 rounds with this in the past few weeks. One round was windy (seemed like there was wind in your face on every hole), the second was a chilly day to start, then warmed up nicely, yesterday was a mid to upper 40's degree day. On the 3 different days, this club experienced many different swings, some toe, some heel and a few center face. All in all, the ball flight was a higher mid flight but straight. The toe shots kept their line and distance loss was not very substantial. The heel strikes would produce a nice little cut/fade. Center strikes, the ball just jumped and produced some very good distance. The wayward shots with this have all been due to my lazy swing (blocking shots to the right or coming over the top). Overall distance has been neck and neck with the original GS53 for me. So it will continue to be fun putting both through their paces to see which one finally wins the starting spot. For now, the Max is the front runner due to the dispersion but it is a close race.
 
So as I continue to play the GS53 Max and get more comfortable with it, the one thing that stands out to me is forgiveness. I have been able to play 3 rounds with this in the past few weeks. One round was windy (seemed like there was wind in your face on every hole), the second was a chilly day to start, then warmed up nicely, yesterday was a mid to upper 40's degree day. On the 3 different days, this club experienced many different swings, some toe, some heel and a few center face. All in all, the ball flight was a higher mid flight but straight. The toe shots kept their line and distance loss was not very substantial. The heel strikes would produce a nice little cut/fade. Center strikes, the ball just jumped and produced some very good distance. The wayward shots with this have all been due to my lazy swing (blocking shots to the right or coming over the top). Overall distance has been neck and neck with the original GS53 for me. So it will continue to be fun putting both through their paces to see which one finally wins the starting spot. For now, the Max is the front runner due to the dispersion but it is a close race.


It sounds like your experience with the 2 Ben Hogan drivers has been quite similar to mine. I went back to the orignal for the past couple of weeks due to familiarity since I had a tournament this past weekend. The Max is back in the bag for today's round and will play it exclusively for at least a couple of weeks to make a determination about which is better for me in the long run. I agree with you about the dispersion on the Max being better. As far as distance, with my somewhat limited experience with the Max (probably 10 or so rounds), on both pure strikes and mishits, I give the advantage to the original so far.
 
It sounds like your experience with the 2 Ben Hogan drivers has been quite similar to mine. I went back to the orignal for the past couple of weeks due to familiarity since I had a tournament this past weekend. The Max is back in the bag for today's round and will play it exclusively for at least a couple of weeks to make a determination about which is better for me in the long run. I agree with you about the dispersion on the Max being better. As far as distance, with my somewhat limited experience with the Max (probably 10 or so rounds), on both pure strikes and mishits, I give the advantage to the original so far.

Plus, the sound of the original :love:, it would get that nod. It should be a fun ride pitting these two against each other for the upcoming rounds!
 
So as I continue to play the GS53 Max and get more comfortable with it, the one thing that stands out to me is forgiveness. I have been able to play 3 rounds with this in the past few weeks. One round was windy (seemed like there was wind in your face on every hole), the second was a chilly day to start, then warmed up nicely, yesterday was a mid to upper 40's degree day. On the 3 different days, this club experienced many different swings, some toe, some heel and a few center face. All in all, the ball flight was a higher mid flight but straight. The toe shots kept their line and distance loss was not very substantial. The heel strikes would produce a nice little cut/fade. Center strikes, the ball just jumped and produced some very good distance. The wayward shots with this have all been due to my lazy swing (blocking shots to the right or coming over the top). Overall distance has been neck and neck with the original GS53 for me. So it will continue to be fun putting both through their paces to see which one finally wins the starting spot. For now, the Max is the front runner due to the dispersion but it is a close race.
You were hitting it well during our round @jbuck31 ! It was a fairway finder for you, and I can't wait to see how it plays out as you get into some warmer weather.
 
I'm starting to actually hit a driver again. Not just duff dribble it into the desert off the tee box. Maybe it's time to revisit what I can do with my GS53 Max.
 
Plus, the sound of the original :love:, it would get that nod. It should be a fun ride pitting these two against each other for the upcoming rounds!

Absolutely! The sound of the original is nothing short of amazing!!
 
After spending a lot more time with the Max over the past month, I have come to the conclusion that the original GS53 is the better driver for me. The Max is a solid driver but I just hit the original better and like the looks and sound/feel of it better. Get more average distance with it and the dispersion difference is close enough to not make me give up the distance gains. The original is a little more versatile for me also in that I can flight it up or down easier and more consistently as well working it R to L and L to R easier.

I did take the Project X Smoke Black shaft out of the Max and put it in the original about a week ago and that combo seems to work very well for me. Never was a big Project X shaft fan in the past but this one may be changing my mind.
 
I picked up the G53 Max as a Father’s Day gift. After a bit of a “courtship (3-4 rounds) I absolutely love it. It gives me a more penetrating flight than previous driver. I’ve found that my mis-hits are better than old driver and best-hits are way better.
 
Alright, I might have to demo one of these in the next month since by bag is currently driverless.
 
I can't wait to get my hands on this one. I may sell my Mavrik and M2 with this incoming.
 
The sound is..............I'm going to have to think a bit on how to describe it.

If this is mad libs, I would go with slightly more muted than G425
 
If this is mad libs, I would go with slightly more muted than G425

Don't think I've heard a G425 yet so maybe.

I want to say it sounds heavy, but that's a terrible sound word and I'm going to do better.
 
I haven't heard the new driver yet, but have hit the G425 indoors. It's interesting they would go that direction with the sound considering the original driver was one of the best sounding, most satisfying titanium drivers I've ever hit.
 
Distance is not going to be an issue, at all, like at all. Which was my biggest preconceived fear for this guy.

Not as easy to elevate as I was expecting either which isn't necessarily a bad thing.
 
Last Sunday I put the Max and the 3-wood back in the bag to see how they would fare with some swing changes I've been trying to make. I'm working on shortening the backswing, eliminating a flying right elbow, and stopping an over-the-top start of the downswing. (Whew!!!). I had shelved the Hogans thinking the Helium Stiff was too firm for me, based on the wild slices I would get from time to time. I've since figured out that those were coming from the over-the-top move.

Bottom line: Much different and better performance than I was getting with them earlier. No slices at all, wild or not. Higher ball flight than I was getting with my Srixon drivers, which for me is a good thing. Very good distance.

Going to re-grip them with my preferred CP2 Wrap. They're going to stick around for a while.
 
I wanted to give a little feedback on this club that I was lucky to receive at the Ben Hogan Experience.

I've only had this for a week now but have been able to get in 18 holes post event back home, plus a range session. It's tough to give feedback without taking into consideration my own struggles with driver in general but I'll try to leave that out of it. I'm fighting some setup/alignment issues and I think some inconsistencies with the Helium shaft.

Let's first address the big knock that I've heard about this head, SOUND.

Yes, it's on the louder side. I've actually come to find it doesn't sound bad if struck anywhere near the center of the face, it's a louder powerful sound but not offensive. I was on the range next to a guy that had a Ping G425 and dear God that brings loud and obnoxious to new levels. I found myself waiting for him to hit so the sound didn't disrupt me while swinging. I was actually cringing every time he hit one because it hurt my ears. I mention this because the GS53 Max sounds way better than the Ping. So if you don't find the Ping offensive then you will have no issues with the Hogan.
 
I was fortunate to receive a new Ben Hogan GS35 Max as part of last weeks Ben Hogan Experience down in Myrtle Beach.

My driver order was done at 10.5 with a regular flex helium shaft and 44". Same length and loft as my current PXG 0211 driver but with a different shaft brand. I played it down at Myrtle Beach of course and gave it some quality time at home this past weekend, both at the driving range and playing 18 at Cog Hill #3 on Sunday. I did try out the Hogan GS53 in a Tensei Blue shaft earlier this year through the Hogan trial program, but decided that was not the driver for me and returned it and stuck with my 0211 which I quite like. This last week was my first experience with the Max.

Some of my golf history before my comments: I am both old and new to the game. I have played golf on and off for years. Never frequently enough to get good at it, but always enjoyed it. At the beginning of this year, I decided to play more and put some work into it and it is paying off, though slowly. I am a 25 handicapper, down from 35 in March and broke 100 for the first time this year and did that 3 more times this year so it's starting to click. For the most part, like all high handicappers I give up strokes mostly with duffed/bladed chips and 3 putts. I'm not a super long hitter, about 165 yards with a 6 iron.

What I like about the Max:

  • Cosmetics. Very nice looking piece of gear. The carbon fiber top...just barely visible through the dark tinted top of the club is downright sexy and I also like the small Hogan logo on the top for alignment. Just the right size to my eye and just a hint of sparkle when the sun hits it right. I even like the Hogan Headcover, but did have to shelve it, at least for a while for a Caledonia/True Blue headcover I bought last week.
  • Forgiveness. This driver is absolutely more forgiving than my 0211 and I need that. Off center hits are flying straighter and longer for me. Particularly strikes closer to the heel.
  • Distance. I have not done any formal measuring but I am pretty certain the Hogan is at least 10 yards longer for me than the 0211. I think this is due in large part to that extra forgiveness that I discussed above. A slice is still my usual bad driver shot and I hit those too with the Max, but with practice, I find myself hitting fewer of those than I used to. There was a time I am ashamed to say that I didn't even carry a driver because it was only a tool for self flagellation for me, but I am increasingly confident with that club now. I was 11/14 fairways hit with the driver on Sunday!
What I don't like about the Max:

  • I found the adjustment sleeve to be a bit confusing. I know it gives an extra measure of flexibility but I had some trouble figuring it out. After some head scratching, I did notice that the adjustment wrench for the club had a web address on it. In a TINY font. I was able to dial that up to get instructions that helped me get it set up the way I wanted. I pushed it up to 11.5 degrees loft and haven't messed with it since. Does anyone else get uncomfortable torqueing that wrench as much as it requires to get it to click? I'm always afraid I'm going to break it :LOL:
Conclusion: It's staying in my bag for sure. Something shiny and new may catch my eye down the road. As someone who is always willing to throw money at a problem, new gear is always a possibility :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 
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I was fortunate to receive a new Ben Hogan GS35 Max as part of last weeks Ben Hogan Experience down in Myrtle Beach.

My driver order was done at 10.5 with a regular flex helium shaft and 44". Same length and loft as my current PXG 0211 driver but with a different shaft brand. I played it down at Myrtle Beach of course and gave it some quality time at home this past weekend, both at the driving range and playing 18 at Cog Hill #3 on Sunday. I did try out the Hogan GS53 in a Tensei Blue shaft earlier this year through the Hogan trial program, but decided that was not the driver for me and returned it and stuck with my 0211 which I quite like. This last week was my first experience with the Max.

Some of my golf history before my comments: I am both old and new to the game. I have played golf on and off for years. Never frequently enough to get good at it, but always enjoyed it. At the beginning of this year, I decided to play more and put some work into it and it is paying off, though slowly. I am a 25 handicapper, down from 35 in March and broke 100 for the first time this year and did that 3 more times this year so it's starting to click. For the most part, like all high handicappers I give up strokes mostly with duffed/bladed chips and 3 putts. I'm not a super long hitter, about 165 yards with a 6 iron.

What I like about the Max:

  • Cosmetics. Very nice looking piece of gear. The carbon fiber top...just barely visible through the dark tinted top of the club is downright sexy and I also like the small Hogan logo on the top for alignment. Just the right size to my eye and just a hint of sparkle when the sun hits it right. I even like the Hogan Headcover, but did have to shelve it, at least for a while for a Caledonia/True Blue headcover I bought last week.
  • Forgiveness. This driver is absolutely more forgiving than my 0211 and I need that. Off center hits are flying straighter and longer for me. Particularly strikes closer to the heel.
  • Distance. I have not done any formal measuring but I am pretty certain the Hogan is at least 10 yards longer for me than the 0211. I think this is due in large part to that extra forgiveness that I discussed above. A slice is still my usual bad driver shot and I hit those too with the Max, but with practice, I find myself hitting fewer of those than I used to. There was a time I am ashamed to say that I didn't even carry a driver because it was only a tool for self flagellation for me, but I am increasingly confident with that club now. I was 11/14 fairways hit with the driver on Sunday!
What I don't like about the Max:

  • I found the adjustment sleeve to be a bit confusing. I know it gives an extra measure of flexibility but I had some trouble figuring it out. After some head scratching, I did notice that the adjustment wrench for the club had a web address on it. In a TINY font. I was able to dial that up to get to an instructional video that helped me get it set up the way I wanted. I pushed it up to 12 degrees loft and haven't messed with it since. Does anyone else get uncomfortable torqueing that wrench as much as it requires to get it to click? I'm always afraid I'm going to break it :LOL:
Conclusion: It's staying in my bag for sure. Something shiny and new may catch my eye down the road. As someone who is always willing to throw money at a problem, new gear is always a possibility :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
Good thoughts. Yes the adjustment sleeve is confusing. The Hogan site has a really good document though and it's now downloaded on my phone.

 
Good thoughts. Yes the adjustment sleeve is confusing. The Hogan site has a really good document though and it's now downloaded on my phone.

ooo, I think I misread the hosel the whole time I've had this thing. I thought I was playing it at 8, but I think i was playing it at 9. had some concerns that it was still a little high on launch and got a little spinny in certain shots. This might be a positive development. 🧐
 
This weekend I was able to get out for a round with my new GS53 Max from the Ben Hogan Experience. It was very likely the last round for me for this season, so I thought I would share my thoughts now and then try to follow up in the coming weeks with some data on the Skytrak.

I've been playing a Mavrik 9* with EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 Stiff and I got my GS53 Max also 9* with a HZRDUS Smoke Black 6.0 Stiff. I didn't notice any significant differences off the tee from my usual performance of late - I hit my typical number of fairways, normal distances for this time of year, and I had a few bad ones that sprayed way offline - my fault, bad swings. But like some of the previous commenters, I did notice the GS53 Max's SOUND and FORGIVENESS that were very apparent on one of my nemesis holes at my club, the 10th tee. Not a difficult hole, but the tee shot has water to the right and OB to the left. I hit this one off the toe with a loud TING however it started on line with only a slight draw and ended on the left side of the fairway. I think with the Mavrik, as I've done many times before, that would have ended up in or near the hedges lining the OB. As I walked off the tee box, my buddy half-jokingly said he was checking that my club was still intact because it sounded like it had shattered when I hit the ball! So yes, the sound, especially on miss-hits, can be very loud and 'tingy' is the best word that I can come up with. But those miss-hits do not seem to be as punishing if you can live with the sound.

One other thing to note is that I also had to look up the handy 'Flight Control Settings' and do some tinkering with the loft/lie sleeve adjuster. The driver came on the N- setting, but I found as I set the club down at address to set my grip, the toe kept wanting to close. I thought that a 'forgiving' 'Max' driver may have some draw bias to it however I didn't see any mention of it on the BH website or in any reviews. Anyways, I ended up changing the adapter setting to LOW which decreases the loft by 1* but opens the face angle by 2*. Seemed to correct the toe wanting to close on me and I had no noticeable difference playing it at 8*.
 
This weekend I was able to get out for a round with my new GS53 Max from the Ben Hogan Experience. It was very likely the last round for me for this season, so I thought I would share my thoughts now and then try to follow up in the coming weeks with some data on the Skytrak.

I've been playing a Mavrik 9* with EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 Stiff and I got my GS53 Max also 9* with a HZRDUS Smoke Black 6.0 Stiff. I didn't notice any significant differences off the tee from my usual performance of late - I hit my typical number of fairways, normal distances for this time of year, and I had a few bad ones that sprayed way offline - my fault, bad swings. But like some of the previous commenters, I did notice the GS53 Max's SOUND and FORGIVENESS that were very apparent on one of my nemesis holes at my club, the 10th tee. Not a difficult hole, but the tee shot has water to the right and OB to the left. I hit this one off the toe with a loud TING however it started on line with only a slight draw and ended on the left side of the fairway. I think with the Mavrik, as I've done many times before, that would have ended up in or near the hedges lining the OB. As I walked off the tee box, my buddy half-jokingly said he was checking that my club was still intact because it sounded like it had shattered when I hit the ball! So yes, the sound, especially on miss-hits, can be very loud and 'tingy' is the best word that I can come up with. But those miss-hits do not seem to be as punishing if you can live with the sound.

One other thing to note is that I also had to look up the handy 'Flight Control Settings' and do some tinkering with the loft/lie sleeve adjuster. The driver came on the N- setting, but I found as I set the club down at address to set my grip, the toe kept wanting to close. I thought that a 'forgiving' 'Max' driver may have some draw bias to it however I didn't see any mention of it on the BH website or in any reviews. Anyways, I ended up changing the adapter setting to LOW which decreases the loft by 1* but opens the face angle by 2*. Seemed to correct the toe wanting to close on me and I had no noticeable difference playing it at 8*.
good stuff. hopefully for a range session with a club wrench soon. (y)
 
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