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Ben Hogan GS53 Max Driver Review

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SuperStroke
I think this thing is going to surprise a lot of people that end up giving it a try. And if you are a custom shaft person, ability to save a few bucks on the head isn’t terrible
 
Once I find a semblance of a swing I’m looking forward to spending some time with this driver.
 
Really enjoyed the review! Some of my thoughts/experience with both GS53 and GS53 Max...

Having the GS53 and the Max, the swing feel is definitely different for me between the two. I will be honest that I feel like I'm swinging faster with the GS53, keyword - FEEL. That being said, I found that having the weight towards the back felt a little strange for me after hitting the GS53 for a while. The forgiveness is there and I'm getting better/used to the Max which I am quite enjoying. The max is loud. To the point where I was getting attention from others at the range haha. I ordered my Max with the Tensei X-Flex because I thought that the heavier weight might make it compariably as stiff as the HZRDUS Smoke Black X-Flex but with a little more "kick" for that mid launch compared to the HZRDUS low launch. The Tensei felt a little more whippy than I expected, but it may be more that I just need to get adjusted to it. Overall, for me the driver has been solid at the range, taking it to the course tomorrow to see how it goes.

When I swapped shafts, the driver is a lot of fun for me and it could me that I will just end up using the HZRDUS shaft over the Tensei, but I do want a little more of a higher launch angle and see if I can benefit or at least know where the Tensei will be beneficial for me.
 
Nice write-up Jman - I'm intrigued. Love the looks of this driver & I like what you saw about the spin staying low even on poor shots.
 
JB said:
I think this thing is going to surprise a lot of people that end up giving it a try. And if you are a custom shaft person, ability to save a few bucks on the head isn’t terrible
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It’s lethal. It really is, SO much distance potential combined with a staggering forgiveness.
 
Grins said:
Nice write-up Jman - I'm intrigued. Love the looks of this driver & I like what you saw about the spin staying low even on poor shots.
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It is a good looking driver. Nothing crazy color wise, but I think that's why it works. I was hoping to be hearing more about this, but it seems not many have tried them out yet. Like what Hogan has been doing with their irons, and this is a great driver release.
 
Received my GS53 Max tonight!😃 Initial thoughts....It is very noticeably larger than the standard GS53! I wasn’t sure if 15cc was going to make much of a difference...it does. The face is taller with more curvature where its predecessor was shorter and straight across. The carbon fiber weave pops on the crown and leads to a ‘bulbous’ rear section. These features reminds me of the Tour Edge EXS driver. The sole is very similar except for the tungsten weight in the back. With 460 cc and the Speed Slot, it definitely has an Adams Speedline essence. Overall, I’m impressed. Definitely a step up from the original as far as modern tech. Performance I’m looking for...1-Low spin. The standard model averaged 24-2500 rpms for me, but would spin up >4000 rpms on mishits. Retaining low spin over the club face is a must. 2-Neutralizing the HARD RIGHT on the toe side! The OG GS53 Achilles’ heel is the toe in my opinion. Gear effect never took over. It was just going to fly righter than Reagan off the toe. 3-Distance with roll out. The smaller head was sneaky long! I could get some killer distance with it, but the majority of the time I got ZERO roll out. So, maximizing overall distance is huge. 2 factors that the GS53 has going for it is SOUND & FEEL. It will be interesting to see how the Max performs in these categories?!
FD6CD378-36F5-4741-8332-FCA214011FBF.jpeg5252E91B-113E-43EF-9EB1-60605244B4F8.jpegE846D543-021E-4399-AC31-176E2657D2AF.jpeg7F5D9D9E-A1C6-4F2E-8899-9ED51C16BA8B.jpeg
 
Low spin, with that classic shape, at that price. Winner.
 
It looks like a throwback driver but with the tech of today. Low spin, better speed and distance is what everyone wants.
 
Low spin, high launch and good looks at that price are very impressive. I really like that BH has entered the carbon crown game - it tells me they are serious about design and engineering, again all the more 8 oressive considering the price.
 
The selection of shafts available for this is nice.
 
J.B. Cobb III said:
Received my GS53 Max tonight!😃 Initial thoughts....It is very noticeably larger than the standard GS53! I wasn’t sure if 15cc was going to make much of a difference...it does. The face is taller with more curvature where its predecessor was shorter and straight across. The carbon fiber weave pops on the crown and leads to a ‘bulbous’ rear section. These features reminds me of the Tour Edge EXS driver. The sole is very similar except for the tungsten weight in the back. With 460 cc and the Speed Slot, it definitely has an Adams Speedline essence. Overall, I’m impressed. Definitely a step up from the original as far as modern tech. Performance I’m looking for...1-Low spin. The standard model averaged 24-2500 rpms for me, but would spin up >4000 rpms on mishits. Retaining low spin over the club face is a must. 2-Neutralizing the HARD RIGHT on the toe side! The OG GS53 Achilles’ heel is the toe in my opinion. Gear effect never took over. It was just going to fly righter than Reagan off the toe. 3-Distance with roll out. The smaller head was sneaky long! I could get some killer distance with it, but the majority of the time I got ZERO roll out. So, maximizing overall distance is huge. 2 factors that the GS53 has going for it is SOUND & FEEL. It will be interesting to see how the Max performs in these categories?!
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Have you taken it out yet?
 
billyh said:
Have you taken it out yet?
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No sir! Life and poor weather has kept me from getting out. Hopefully, this weekend or Monday at the latest!
 
I have a GS53 Max 9.0 with a Lin-Q Purple shaft.
As noted earlier, I hit this driver well on a GC Quad and saw some tantalizing carry improvements over my Epic flash. I did not pay close attention to the spin numbers on that day.

More recently I started gaming a BB21. I fight a slice. With all the tech in that driver i was still able to make it go right, and I saw some distance loss as compared to my best with the EF. I just didn’t get sling with it.

I have been fortunate to play a round with the GS53 Max that is now in my possession. That day on the range even into a brutal head wind my ball flight popped! Very managable fade to straight ball flight an far. Considering the conditions.
On course, that continued to me true. And proved to me that this is the driver for me. Throughout the round I was even able to hit a draw with this driver. A very welcomed and confidence inspiring sight.

the driver was in the neutral minus setting. I’ve since adjusted it to the neutral plus setting to see if a bit more upright but square will help straight my drives just that Lille extra more.
I’m excited to get back out on the course with this driver.
 
Just re-read the review and my desire to try this driver keeps going up. The on course performance and spin retention on misses noted by Jman in the review is hard to ignore. I like the simple and clean looks and the price/value is begging golfers to give it a chance. I'd probably shy away from the Smoke shaft but not sure about that as I don't recall trying the other options. Ponder mode engaged.
 
Second time reading this and if all the feedback is right Hogan may have stumbled upon the holy grail - low spin, max forgiveness and classic looks.

Great review James.
 
I still say this is an awesome war club. I have hit it when a friend bought one a few weeks back and it was straight as a die. Hzrdus Smoke shaft, lol we played a few days later and he let me hit it a few more times during the round....I have the Shaft.....FOr Hogan, the direct to consumer price tag is beyond reproach and you get Quality first line clubs at direct prices, This one is no JOKE !
 
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Great review on this one. Very in depth.
This seems like it might be the ticket, or at least worth a look. I enjoy the launch of traditional "MAX" drivers, but I tend to struggle with too much spin. The price on these is unbeatable, so I may have to try one out once I can get my hands on one thru the demo program.
 
J.B. Cobb III said:
No sir! Life and poor weather has kept me from getting out. Hopefully, this weekend or Monday at the latest!
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She is a beauty. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts...what are you most excited about with the GS53?
 
This is such a good looking club. I wish there were more reviews out there. I keep eyeballing the site in ponder mode. My wallet is sweating.
 
Great looking driver, and sounds like a lot of bang for the buck. I have hit Hogan irons at recent fittings, liked them a lot, and would have gone with them if they had been the best fit, but have never hit one of their drivers. Sounds like this one would be really tough competition for my current driver, and would be really fun to give it a go.
 
The club not only looks awesome, but the low spin has me intrigued.
 
I'm very excited about the new max compared to the gs53 I'm playing right now. The slightly larger face mixed with low spin has me intrigued.
 
OhioGolfer said:
I'm very excited about the new max compared to the gs53 I'm playing right now. The slightly larger face mixed with low spin has me intrigued.
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COMPLETELY different beast (y)
 
Jman said:
COMPLETELY different beast (y)
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I have had a ton of success with the original, it hasn't left my bag since the Hogan event a year and a half a go. I've heard so many good things here with this that it's definitely a must try.
 
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