Ben Hogan GS53 Max Driver Review

[Nate<80]

Nice write up @Jman. Very informative as always!

Nice combo of a classic look with a little sexy thrown in. The BH logo as an alignment aid is creative and smooth looking. My biggest takeaway is that my game could benefit from the forgiveness this sounds like it provides.

 

[J.B. Cobb III]

She is a beauty. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts...what are you most excited about with the GS53?

Probably the low spin/forgiveness combo!

 

[Gman79]

Forgiving driver, low spin, premium shafts, with high launch for more carry and distance ! Wow what a winning combination!! Definitely love the clean lines of the BHine and this is very in line with expectations

 

[Bunker Snot]

The Hogan GS53 MAX certainly has a lot in a going for it deep face, premium shaft and a complete redesign from the GS53. I didn't realize the length Ben Hogan Golf was going to in the design of their new equipment. I hope demo will be available for the MAX in the spring.

 

[thewilderside]

I remain intrigued by this so much. I'd love to do a h2h comparison between this and my B21. After seeing @BHGtylerb be an assassin with this, and hearing how much @mtbloco loves this, I can't help but have a wandering eye.

 

[jbuck31]

Love that BHG continues to improve their lineup. I had very good success with the original GS53, but the introduction of the GS53 Max has me excited. From the reviews that @Jman write to all the positive comments from members playing it, can’t wait to demo one to see how well it performs!

 

[oaks]

Looks so good - and excited it is such a low spin head for a fraction of the big guys

 

[mmaynard11]

Probably the low spin/forgiveness combo!

Very intriguing for sure. I hate those misses when my swing gets lazy that 🪃 way right.

 

[fuffle master]

The reviews on this driver sound very good for all, but especially should be of interest to those that have slower swing speeds. The need of higher launch to get the distance and lower speed to get a bit of roll out does sound like this would be a great club to test out.

 

[Mikede1285]

The low spin is definitely the most intriguing to me. Driver can definitely get overly spinny and I lose plenty of distance on it. They look is great as well. I love how clean it is. It's great that it's not at a higher price point of some other brands but still looks like it is a premium design.

 

[Steve2100]

Rereading this thread I am still impressed with the low spinning aspect of this club. As someone who suffers from the 2 way miss at times the extra forgiveness is something that might be able to help me. I've never gamed a Ben Hogan club but I'm impressed with the company and there desire to make golf enjoyable for all golfers.

 

[Sox_Fan]

It was fun reading through this entire review again, and certainly did not diminish my desire to game this driver. Increased launch, decreased spin and enhanced forgiveness on shots which I frequently miss the center of the clubface on are certainly wins all around. The original GS53 has been a very good driver for me and, based on the review and feedback, I have to believe the Max will be even better.

 

[Annhl8rX]

I’ll be driver shopping very soon. I’m interested in the RADSPEED line, but I’ll be ordering a demo GS53 Max to try out as well. I sure hope it works for me, because I love the idea of playing a Ben Hogan club and the price can’t be beat.

 

[Danimal]

I’ve never had a Ben Hogan Club. I do like the looks of this one.

 

[GolferDad66]

Nice review Jman. That price point got my attention. I can save 200 and get similar results compared to other drivers out there. To be honest, I haven’t paid much attention to the Hogan brand. But given similar results, I have to take a good look at this sine I am replacing my driver this year.

 

[Grins]

Another great review James - and I really like what I'm seeing here! I totally get where you're coming from when you said:
"Sure, its not as busy as a lot of drivers, but it is absolutely classically in line with Ben Hogan, historically".

That's what I think I like the most about this club - it looks so business-like, no flash. Like something Ben Hogan himself would've designed. To my eye, this is what a driver should look like.

I'm also excited about your spin results on off-center hits. The whole combination is something I have to try out.

 

[Parrot]

Very informative review, James. It is much appreciated.

I liked the way you explained the forgiveness and correction the club gives on those strikes that aren’t quite what you’d like.

ETA: What shaft would you like with it?

 

[Jman]

Very informative review, James. It is much appreciated.

I liked the way you explained the forgiveness and correction the club gives on those strikes that aren’t quite what you’d like.

ETA: What shaft would you like with it?

Not sure, I was going to tinker before I decided to let some kick ass lucky THP’er have a go with it!

 

[BigErn]

Pondering this and the Exs 220. Probably need as much forgiveness as I can get but knocking spin off helps me a lot.

 

[Reframmellator]

Another excellent review from James. Love the classic looks almost as much as I love the demonstrably low spin/forgiveness combination. This could be the club to knock the G400 Max out of my bag!

 

[gkeller813]

Would love to see how this low spin forgiving driver stacks up against the Speedzone Xtreme. Just a great traditional looking driver that I think will benefit a lot of golfers, especially given the value it presents!

 

[Smiter]

Mishits not being penalized by excess spin as my excited to give it a try!

 

[J.B. Cobb III]

The weather isn’t going to be great tomorrow. I’m gonna head to the indoor simulator place to try this out. Also, I bought some aerosol foot spray to see where I’m hitting the ball on the face.

 

[J.B. Cobb III]

Went to the indoor simulator place this afternoon. Hit some 8 irons to warm up, then the Callaway Big Bertha​

B21. Next, I switched over to the Ben Hogan GS53 Max. It sits behind the ball nicely. The carbon fiber and the BH logo really stands out. This driver sits extremely neutral!

The GS53 Max definitely feels heavier than the BB21. I have the 62 gram Project X HZRDUS Black shaft​

playing 44.5” in the Hogan. The Callaway has the 55g RCH shaft. After the first swing, I can confirm that it is louder than the original GS53. It’s not offensive, but very prevalent. Reminds me of the Ping G400 Max really. Louder than the Tour Edge EXS driver. Kinda surprising given the carbon fiber in the head. The best way to put it is remember that scene from Bull Durham when Ebby Calvin “Nuke” LaLoosh tells “Crash” Davis, “ I want to announce my presence with authority!” Well, it definitely does that. To be fair (insert Letterkenny gif here), I was hitting indoors, so it should mellow some outdoors.

If sound is feel as @Jman says, than it’s not as soft as the standard model! It’s not a bad​

feeling driver, just not the pillowy magnificence those that played the original driver might have come to love. This driver really gives its user the feeling of power. It feels like a forged sledgehammer!

Performance wise, this driver showed it was lower spinning. One drive was as low as 1500 rpms! Overall, it​

averaged 3-400 rpms lower than the GS53. I was absolutely stunned to see a lower launch and more penetrating flight than the original! With the weight moved toward the rear of the head, I would have bet money it would be higher launching of the two models. With more testing, I might loft the driver up from 9.0° to 10.0°. The GS53 Max showed a big performance potential. I’m super excited about given this a fair shot to knock the BB21 out of the bag...putting that 14th Ben Hogan club back in my bag!

 

[Brandon]

How would this be for someone with a higher swing speed?