2015 Ben Hogan FT15 Irons and TK15 Wedges: THP Review Thread

[-CRW-]

Mine came in yesterday:

I went with 50/54/58 to continue the 4* gaps like my PTx irons have. I went with the same shaft as my irons - KBS Tour V 120 X.

I took the 58* out for work around the green and my first impressions are these wedges may be the best wedges I've ever tried. I hit all shots with B330-RX balls that are used but in decent condition (out of my 9 year olds shag bag).

I was concerned about the high bounce for tight lies, but had zero issues with it today. The ground was wet and soft so I want to test the bounce in dryer conditions. But so far, so good.

The face of the wedges is very rough. It almost feels like sandpaper when I run my fingers across one of the wedge faces. I know there are some polarizing views on wedge spin and what contributes to spin. That being said I generally produce a decent amount of spin and spin balls back on the regular on partial and full shots. The 58* produced more spin than I've been used to with previous clubs. Even on short chips just off the edge of the green. A ton of one hop and stop chips with limited roll out.

I then moved out to thicker rough. It's Bermuda where I was working with the wedge and the thicker stuff is 4+ inches deep. I still had no problem getting the wedge to produce spin and roll out very little.

Last I moved out to 50 yards and hit from a teeing area. I hit off the turf with no tee to practice roughly half shots. The wedge just flat out performed. The wedges came with midsize grips as requested and the partial shots just wanted to fly straight. The greens were very damp and the balls just landed and stuck or bounced out of their pitch marks only to land and stop within a few inches of where they first struck. There is no doubt that they would have spun back several feet if the greens where a little drier. I didn't get any to hole out but had several within 6 feet which is outstanding for me/my ability.

Overall, the wedge just flat out performed. My hand is injured at the moment and I'm not ready to make full swings just yet. But I do feel like these are much softer feeling than my SM5 Vokeys. I didn't get any irritation in the hand and that's a bonus for me right now.

Hopefully the weather improves here in Texas and my hand heals soon. I'm looking forward to more work with these clubs.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Wow, that's a rave review right there CRW. Jman and Canadan also mentioned in the review thread they saw more spin than they have with other wedges, which in a way is ironic side Hogan's web site sort of downplays the role of tech in getting spin.

 

[McLovin]

Mine came in yesterday:

I went with 50/54/58 to continue the 4* gaps like my PTx irons have. I went with the same shaft as my irons - KBS Tour V 120 X.

I took the 58* out for work around the green and my first impressions are these wedges may be the best wedges I've ever tried. I hit all shots with B330-RX balls that are used but in decent condition (out of my 9 year olds shag bag).

I was concerned about the high bounce for tight lies, but had zero issues with it today. The ground was wet and soft so I want to test the bounce in dryer conditions. But so far, so good.

The face of the wedges is very rough. It almost feels like sandpaper when I run my fingers across one of the wedge faces. I know there are some polarizing views on wedge spin and what contributes to spin. That being said I generally produce a decent amount of spin and spin balls back on the regular on partial and full shots. The 58* produced more spin than I've been used to with previous clubs. Even on short chips just off the edge of the green. A ton of one hop and stop chips with limited roll out.

I then moved out to thicker rough. It's Bermuda where I was working with the wedge and the thicker stuff is 4+ inches deep. I still had no problem getting the wedge to produce spin and roll out very little.

Last I moved out to 50 yards and hit from a teeing area. I hit off the turf with no tee to practice roughly half shots. The wedge just flat out performed. The wedges came with midsize grips as requested and the partial shots just wanted to fly straight. The greens were very damp and the balls just landed and stuck or bounced out of their pitch marks only to land and stop within a few inches of where they first struck. There is no doubt that they would have spun back several feet if the greens where a little drier. I didn't get any to hole out but had several within 6 feet which is outstanding for me/my ability.

Overall, the wedge just flat out performed. My hand is injured at the moment and I'm not ready to make full swings just yet. But I do feel like these are much softer feeling than my SM5 Vokeys. I didn't get any irritation in the hand and that's a bonus for me right now.

Hopefully the weather improves here in Texas and my hand heals soon. I'm looking forward to more work with these clubs.

this is great stuff! really good write up.


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[-CRW-]

this is great stuff! really good write up.

Thanks. I plan to get out to the First Tee short game area with my son again next Sunday (assuming the weather cooperates). It's at the Golf Club of Houston (Shell Houston Open site) and is always in amazing shape. I plan to spend more time testing the v-sole on tight/hard lies, testing how much I can open the face up with the v-sole on various lies and what results I find, and testing a few different premium balls with them. I have new Pro-V1, Pro-V1x, B330-S, and Project (a) balls at the moment. I'll get pictures when I get back out for sure and will try to get some video.

Wow, that's a rave review right there CRW. Jman and Canadan also mentioned in the review thread they saw more spin than they have with other wedges, which in a way is ironic side Hogan's web site sort of downplays the role of tech in getting spin.

I read through some of this thread last year when it was fresh, but stopped prior to any of the information on the wedges (I guess I forgot about it). I had no idea about the staff reviewers spin comments. I just went back through and read the information. It's only been one session so far, but my results were similar to what they previously posted.

I'm a sweeper with a flat swing and I only take a big divot when I get too flat and flip the club - in which case, the divot is behind the ball and the v-sole can only help so much. That being said, I rarely do that around the green with smaller, more controlled swings. I would describe my normal divots (longer partial shots through full shots) as somewhere between a bacon strip and a dollar bill, and that seems to vary most with the club I'm using. I saw smaller divots with my J15 CB's than I did with my 714 AP2's. The Hogan wedges seemed to produce no divot or small bacon strip sized divots on my 50 yard shots yesterday. So I'm not sure whether or not the v-sole is helping me add spin. It may be allowing the club to move smoother through the turf resulting in more solid contact or it may be affecting where on the face I'm hitting the ball enough to effect spin. I guess the added weight towards the top line of the wedges could also contribute to better shots assuming I'm hitting some high on the face. I just haven't tested any of that just yet.

I still have my Vokey SM5's which each have varying degrees of bounce. I may bring them out, or at least my low bounce 60* (4* of bounce) to do a side by side comparison with the 58* TK15 wedge. The shafts in my SM5's are X100's and according to at least one big wedge designer, spin differences from shafts on wedges is just "noise". So that shouldn't play a role on small shots around the green. Also, the SM5's are only 6 months old so groove/face wear shouldn't play a considerable roll either.

 

[JB]

New Wedge Review Thread for THPers that are receiving their wedges from the event.

http://www.thehackersparadise.com/forum/showthread.php?83206-Ben-Hogan-TK15-Wedges-Review-Thread

 

[ArmyGolf]

I can't get over how much I adore my TK15 wedges and it sort of has me pondering some Ft. Worth 15 irons to mess around with and potentially blend with my PTx set. Anyone on THP still gaming these?

 

[Lockman850]

Yes and yes, I adore my ptx irons and ft worth wedges.

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[Tee/Ski]

Is anyone still playing these that can talk the differences between this and the RTX3? I play full shots in addition to partials with my wedges, that appears to be a strength in these wedges.

 

[tequila4kapp]

Is anyone still playing these that can talk the differences between this and the RTX3? I play full shots in addition to partials with my wedges, that appears to be a strength in these wedges.

IMO the RTX wedges are a millions times more forgiving. I had trouble opening up the TK15's for specialty shots, don't have those issues with the RTXs. The V sole on both are very good.

 

[KEV]

IMO the RTX wedges are a millions times more forgiving. I had trouble opening up the TK15's for specialty shots, don't have those issues with the RTXs. The V sole on both are very good.

I agree completely with this. Mishits were punished and I struggled with touch around the greens. They also seemed lighter to me than the RTX 3 wedges I game which is a no go for me.

 

[ArmyGolf]

I think the TK15 are most similar to the one-dot RTX3, except smaller overall.
I am able to hit almost any shot with my TK15s and they excel on 1/2 and 3/4 swings. If you like to crank the face wide open around the green I find this is where they are lacking, but they are incredibly receptive to small to medium changes in face angle.

I've never been able to hit specific numbers as easily as I can with the TK15s.

 

[Tee/Ski]

Thanks for the thoughts about the comparisons. More forgiving is better for me and the one dot comparison is eye opening. I need more bounce not less as even the two-dot I currently have is giving me problems.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

I just bought a new unused set of Ft. Worth 15s high launch last week. Trying to complete the set with wedges. Which is better...TK 15 or Equalizer? The TK 15s do blend in the set so nice, but they have been discontinued from Ben Hogan Golf, so finding the correct lofts 51*, 55*, 59* brand new is challenging!

 

[Ft Worth Golfer]

The biggest difference in the wedges is the straight leading edge in the Equalizer wedges. Some people that turns them off but if it doesn’t bother you I would go with them since they will be easier to get. You can also try out the Equalizer now on their demo program.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

There is a seller on Ebay out of Salt Lake City that has new Hogan TK wedge heads for sale. They have 48* 49* 51* 53* 58* 60* I think.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

The differences between the Ft. Worth 15 and the PTX. The PTX has a toe heighth of about 2 3/32', so a touch over 1/16" taller. The sole of the PTX is about 3/16" wider than the Ft. Worth 15. They both have the same blade length at 2 7/8", effective hitting area(grooves) 2 1/8", and top line thickness of 1/4". Just in overall measurements, the forgiveness of the PTX can not be that much more than the Ft. Worth. The vast forgiveness is coming from the larger cavity and on the long irons, the added Tungsten. The PTX might be 10% more forgiving...15% if we are being extreme. The 3 clubs are a great progression from one another. There isn't much change between the Ft. Worth and the PTX or the PTX and the Edge. The forgiveness from the Ft. Worth to the Edge is probably 20-25%. So, if your torn between the Ft. Worth and PTX demo them both. In my opinoin you can play one just as easily as the other or piece together a combo set of PTX long irons and Ft. Worth mid-short irons. Also, I believe the majority of golfers should be able to play the Ft. Worth 6 iron-PW with no problems. The 4 and 5....depends on how good of a ball striker you are, but they are not super imtimidating! There are pictures in my profile. Having trouble uploading them to this page.

 

[JB]

I don’t understand the calculations and the conclusion of 10%. The perimeter mass, more weight low and back and added tungsten drastically change the golf club head.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Well the calculations, I used a caliper and measured all 3 clubs. The physical size between the Ft. Worth 15 and PTX are very similar. The biggest difference being the sole width on the PTX being wider by about 3/16”. So, purely based on physical size, the PTX can’t be drastically more forgiving than the Ft. Worth.
Now the design of the 2 clubs in appearance is dramatically different, although they blend together nicely. The PTX has the larger cavity to move weight around to the perimeter. The thicker “stabilizer” bar on the bottom to drop COG and help get the ball in the air. And, the long irons have the added Tungsten. If you take the design of the Ft. Worth as a “more forgiving blade” and with its perimeter weighting, variable sole thickness, variable cavity size, and COG variations loft to loft, it’s more forgiving than you would imagine. Now, the PTX long irons are more forgiving than the Ft. Worth long irons definitely. I just can’t see or tell a big difference mid irons down.
And, overall, I can’t tell a big difference hitting these irons. If you are wanting a forgiving iron, go with the edge. Otherwise, the PTX and Ft. Worth are very similar to me. The biggest differences to me are feel. The Ft. Worth feels amazing. The PTX 4-6 irons are easier to hit and get the ball in the air. So, in my opinion, these are the deciding factors as to which ones to play. Or, do the best of both worlds, make a combo set PTX long irons and Ft. Worth mid-short irons!

 

[Rambler]

2015 Ben Hogan FT15 Irons and TK15 Wedges: THP Review Thread

I might not be following your logic, but you mention there can’t be that much of a difference in forgiveness, but also state there “appears” to be a big difference in their designs. IMO, that’s where the not insignificant difference comes into play (at least it did for me when comparing these two irons)... There is a big difference in their designs - it’s not merely “appearance”.

In the end, the PTx performed better overall for me with their multi-material design and use of hollow bodies in the long/mid irons.

If you didn’t see much difference between the two, it’s great you have broader options than those for whom one or the other was significantly better, including considerations of forgiveness.

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Now the measurements are what they are. And, the designs and features of the clubs are what they are. But, everything else is my opinion. I should have made that more clear in the original posts. I have demoed only the 6 & 9 irons. So, I can only attest to those clubs. But, for me, I didn't find one way easier to hit or to see a tremendous difference in performance. The major difference in these clubs to me is feel.
The Edge feels ok. Being a filled club head, it feels "pillowy". Almost exactly like the Wilson C300 Forged.
The PTX 6 & 9 felt completely different to me. The PTX 6 felt similar to the Mizuno MP-18 MMC. I really thought when I began my process to get a new bag, after researching clubs, the MP-18 MMC was the club. But after hitting it, I was disappointed. Didn't have the feel I thought it would. Slightly "dead" is the best way to describe it. The PTX 6 was the same just not as bad. Now the PTX 9 felt good. I would compare it to the Mizuno JPX 919 Tour. These two clubs are great! Both feel good and perform well. And, I will admit, not a fan of the KBS Tour V.
Now, the Ft. Worth 15 checks all the boxes for me. Feel, performance, looks. Sound isn't an issue for me. It can sound like a train horn every time I hit, it if it performs! Which these clubs are super quiet!
And, I guess that makes me the odd man out! I could not tell a forgiveness difference between the Ft. Worth and PTX. I did not compare the FTW and Edge side by side. But, honestly, I didn't try to miss hit them.
All this being said, I have been a Ben Hogan fan since I started playing. I have always had Hogans in my bag. After hitting a lot of clubs, I narrowed my search down to Mizuno, Wilson, Hogan, and Wishon. All of them are great clubs, and they all perform! With all things equal. The Hogans win based on price and probably, for me, just being a Hogan fan!

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements Pt.2

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements Pt.2

Ft. Worth 15 23*-47* High Launch Measurements Pt.2

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Removed the paint fill on my Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15s

Removed the paint fill on my Ben Hogan Ft. Worth 15s

A preview of things to come! Might leave them unpainted...probably not!

 

[Thrillbilly Jim]

Look what Santa is bringing!

Look what Santa is bringing!

Picked up some pieces to paint fill and customize my Ft. Worths!