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2015 Ben Hogan Irons Preview

SuperStroke
Dave Alvarado said:
They're trying hard to get them in the hands of pros and at pro shops. Even my GolfTEC instructor has been hit up by these guys to get a set. It's tough to track them down now, but if they keep their plan rolling you may be able to go hit them at a local club or premium course.
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Same song and dance we heard with Eidolon and then SCOR. Though they did a better job with SCOR, I'm just curious if they have the ability to front that many sets/kits to places to give legit access to people and not just a private clubs or higher end tracks. I just do not see it, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see it.
 
I completely understand the idea of selling clubs based on proper distance gapping. But it seems like there are some contradictory concepts in their design for that sales model. These clubs appear to have minimal perimeter weighting. How important is it really to have a 40* instead of 39* when we lose ball speed by missing the sweet spot - as most of us are prone to do?


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Jman said:
Same song and dance we heard with Eidolon and then SCOR. Though they did a better job with SCOR, I'm just curious if they have the ability to front that many sets/kits to places to give legit access to people and not just a private clubs or higher end tracks. I just do not see it, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see it.
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Yeah I agree that's a *lot* of product to get out there for a small shop. I'm wondering if it's regional--I'm hearing a bit more buzz than expected locally, but I'm like 10 miles from their office. I'm sure they've called *everybody* in DFW to try to get clubs in their hands. Not sure what people in FL or CA or even OK have heard from them.
 
Jman said:
Same song and dance we heard with Eidolon and then SCOR. Though they did a better job with SCOR, I'm just curious if they have the ability to front that many sets/kits to places to give legit access to people and not just a private clubs or higher end tracks. I just do not see it, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see it.
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Early on with SCOR they were making a lot of moves. Shawn was really making sure the products were in hands, they were appearing in shops and the brand was getting a lot of exposure. When Shawn left, they went right back to the previous Eidolon model (at least from the outside looking in).
 
JB said:
Early on with SCOR they were making a lot of moves. Shawn was really making sure the products were in hands, they were appearing in shops and the brand was getting a lot of exposure. When Shawn left, they went right back to the previous Eidolon model (at least from the outside looking in).
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Agree 1000%.
 
tequila4kapp said:
I completely understand the idea of selling clubs based on proper distance gapping. But it seems like there are some contradictory concepts in their design for that sales model. These clubs appear to have minimal perimeter weighting. How important is it really to have a 40* instead of 39* when we lose ball speed by missing the sweet spot - as most of us are prone to do?


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It's a different take on perimeter weighting and I would expect some, but not much forgiveness associated with it. More than a completely standard blade for example. We'll find out for sure soon though. It's not going to be a set designed for those that want a lot of perimeter weight though.

Regardless, I don't see it as contradictory. Terry has long been a believer that mass belongs behind the hitting area and has made that clear.
 
JB said:
Early on with SCOR they were making a lot of moves. Shawn was really making sure the products were in hands, they were appearing in shops and the brand was getting a lot of exposure. When Shawn left, they went right back to the previous Eidolon model (at least from the outside looking in).
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and those paying attention could see the change in philosophy. Like you say from the outside looking in.
 
Hawk said:
It's a different take on perimeter weighting and I would expect some, but not much forgiveness associated with it. More than a completely standard blade for example. We'll find out for sure soon though. It's not going to be a set designed for those that want a lot of perimeter weight though.

Regardless, I don't see it as contradictory. Terry has long been a believer that mass belongs behind the hitting area and has made that clear.
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Yep, Terry is adamant about what he believes in philosophically in golf clubs, I respect that.

ddec said:
and those paying attention could see the change in philosophy. Like you say from the outside looking in.
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Night and day is what it was.
 
2015 Ben Hogan Irons Preview

Hawk said:
Regardless, I don't see it as contradictory. Terry has long been a believer that mass belongs behind the hitting area and has made that clear.
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If I gain 3 yards by buying a new club that's 1 degree different - which was what was recommended to me in their fitting tool - but I loose say 6 yards when I miss the sweet spot by 1/2 a ball then the design undermines the rationale stated for making the purchase. I get that's what happens with players type clubs, but this category of club is often marketed on looks, feel and playability, not just precise gapping.


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tequila4kapp said:
If I gain 3 yards by buying a new club that's 1 degree different - which was what was recommended to me in their fitting tool - but I loose say 6 yards when I miss the sweet spot by 1/2 a ball then the design undermines the rationale stated for making the purchase. I get that's what happens with players type clubs, but this category of club is often marketed on looks, feel and playability, not just precise gapping.


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Depends on what the rationale for making the purchase was in the first place. Some are more than willing to give up forgiveness for whatever reason.

With the gapping, this isn't new for the company, it was the same with SCOR, all about constant gaps for constant distances between them, in their opinion.
 
tequila4kapp said:
If I gain 3 yards by buying a new club that's 1 degree different - which was what was recommended to me in their fitting tool - but I loose say 6 yards when I miss the sweet spot by 1/2 a ball then the design undermines the rationale stated for making the purchase. I get that's what happens with players type clubs, but this category of club is often marketed on looks, feel and playability, not just precise gapping.


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I'm not sure I'm following you Frank. They are invested in the gapping thing, but also the other things too.

Forged from premium 1025 Carbon Steel, the new Ft. Worth 15 irons offer the ultimate performance, feel and sound that Mr. Hogan would have demanded while embracing industry-first technologies such as the Precise Loft™ System and HoganFit™ to give golfers a level of precision never before seen in the game.
 
I've read somewhere ( might have been on this site? ) that they have a program where you give them something like $30 and they will send you 3 clubs to try out for 30 days.. I have not called them about this program since I'm laid up with an ACL injury, so don't know if this is true or not. If it is it would be a good way to try out before buying.
 
Hawk said:
I'm not sure I'm following you Frank. They are invested in the gapping thing, but also the other things too.

Forged from premium 1025 Carbon Steel, the new Ft. Worth 15 irons offer the ultimate performance, feel and sound that Mr. Hogan would have demanded while embracing industry-first technologies such as the Precise Loft™ System and HoganFit™ to give golfers a level of precision never before seen in the game.
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Okay, fair point. Maybe I am off base...just thought the fitting tool was sending a particular message about why I should buy the clubs, etc. I look forward to following the reviews.
 
tequila4kapp said:
If I gain 3 yards by buying a new club that's 1 degree different - which was what was recommended to me in their fitting tool - but I loose say 6 yards when I miss the sweet spot by 1/2 a ball then the design undermines the rationale stated for making the purchase. I get that's what happens with players type clubs, but this category of club is often marketed on looks, feel and playability, not just precise gapping.
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I see it as the SCOR system applied to all your irons and wedges. I can tell you from first-hand experience that the SCOR system is 100% designed for low handicappers--there's no real forgiveness. They want you to buy a 9i, PW, and regular wedges all in a matched set for distance precision, but if you're like me and can't put a consistent swing on the ball, much less a center face hit every time, that precision is out the window. It's like trying to weigh an elephant with a triple-beam balance. I get better distance dispersion with a D200 7i than my SCOR 9i.

That said, my coach *loves* my SCOR wedges and keeps trying to buy them off me. He really likes the look and feel. I bet he'd be a buyer of the Hogans if he could afford them, but as a scratch golfer he actually has the game to take full advantage of them.

My prediction is that the higher your handicap, the less you're going to see the benefits Hogan is trying to sell.
 
Ben Hogan Golf doing some things right, IMO!

Ben Hogan Golf doing some things right, IMO!

:rockon::rockon:I was late getting on the SCOR wagon and ended up doing my normal exhaustive research on SCOR at about the time they were making the transition to the Hogan line. Ended up finding a set of SCORs in 52-56-60 on eBay in exactly my specs (except for grip wrap, but ...) for about $100 for all three. Figured I couldn't get hurt too bad on the resell. Got them, started playing them, and really, really like the SCOR's, so I decided to give Hogan a call.


i don't know if this is common knowledge, or if this is just part of their lifetime guarantee or whatever, BUT, they offered me a tester set ... Three clubs for me to try for thirty days for the price of shipping, $30 total, return shipping included. Pretty cool, says me.


The choice I was offered was a set in 31, 43, 55 with KBS Tour 90 Stiff, which I think will match up well with the XP95's I currently play in my Cally Apex, or a set in 25, 37, 49 with Recoil 680 F4 Stiff. Well, heck, I and my rebuilt left elbow (skateboarding 30 years ago) have been trying to love graphite, and this is the exact shaft Cally puts in their Apex. I sees the future and I likes!
...


So I said, "Uhm, I want both, and if you loved me you'd ship them together." And they didn't blink.


So guys, requested $500 deposits for sight unseen clubs on one hand, balance that with six clubs coming my way to try, for the price of shipping, full refund if I can't love them.


You can bet I want to love them. If they are like my 3 SCORs, I anticipate putting the hurt on the plastic for the Hogans, selling the SCOR's, and ending up with a combo set of Cally Apex and Hogans. There some irony there somewhere. :). I don't know exactly where the Cally's would end and the Hogans begin, but I'm seeing 5-9 Apex, then 44, 48, 52, 56, and 60 Hogans. If the gapping between the 9 and 44 was either too little or too much, then I could adjust the whole set a degree or two either way to get consistent gapping. Or I might keep the Cally PW (45) and do four Hogan wedges. Dunno yet.


Just thought you'd all want to know, in case someone else is looking for a way to hit these, that, at least with me, they were very accommodating, and I am psyched to get these in and start hitting some balls.


I'm just afraid of what I am going to do if I fall for the graphite. :)
 
I've played 6 rounds with my new Hogan irons and could not be happier. Beautiful to look at and feel even better. I highly recommend these irons for the serious golfer.
 
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airwaver said:
I've played 6 rounds with my new Hogan irons and could not be happier. Beautiful to look at and feel even better. I highly recommend these irons for the serious golfer.
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Welcome to THP! Would love to hear some more feedback on what you're seeing, quite eager to get this testing rolling if I'm being honest.
 
Have always loved Hogan irons. Absolutely elegant.
airwaver said:
I've played 6 rounds with my new Hogan irons and could not be happier. Beautiful to look at and feel even better. I highly recommend these irons for the serious golfer.
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I'm excited too James.

I'm very curious how my brain is going to handle the mental aspect of having the loft vs the iron number on there.

Not so much from a "I don't know what club this is", because I'm smart enough to figure that out. More in comparison to how I feel when I put the V2's in the bag for example. I know I can make them gap fine, but it's not exactly the same as my old familiar setup and part of that is definitely the number on the bottom of the club.

Also, lengths will be almost identical to the 'same' club I carry now through the set.

Hoping launch conditions line up and they fit right in perfectly. Forgiveness will be what it is and I'm just going to accept that for how it presents itself, but I don't like losing yards.
 
Hawk said:
I'm excited too James.

I'm very curious how my brain is going to handle the mental aspect of having the loft vs the iron number on there.

Not so much from a "I don't know what club this is", because I'm smart enough to figure that out. More in comparison to how I feel when I put the V2's in the bag for example. I know I can make them gap fine, but it's not exactly the same as my old familiar setup and part of that is definitely the number on the bottom of the club.

Also, lengths will be almost identical to the 'same' club I carry now through the set.

Hoping launch conditions line up and they fit right in perfectly. Forgiveness will be what it is and I'm just going to accept that for how it presents itself, but I don't like losing yards.
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I agree and am the same way about all of this. I'm ready to just put them in the bag and go and see how it all plays out over time. Not a style I would ever flock to naturally, so it makes this all the more interesting for me.
 
Good news is that lessons are helping those toe balls show up less frequently.
 
The Hogans came in today. Too late to hit the range.

Gotta say, I read a lot of comments knocking the aesthetics. I know beauty is in the eye, but that's lunacy. These things are straight up gorgeous. I may not be able to hit them for squat. We shall see. But these sticks have class written all over them, unlike so many cavity-backs that look like something out of Transformers. Love the blue grips and the All-American vibe!

Other impressions: The KBS Tour 90's are much stiffer than the Recoil 680 F4's. The Recoils seem much lighter than the specs would indicate. Must be the weight distribution. The head on the 25 Fort Worth is getting pretty small. Gonna be interesting to swing that club.

Other than that, I'm pretty stoked that they sent me new clubs to demo. Almost didn't believe it, but here theyare. Kudos to Hogan for that!

All that's left now is to swing them. We shall see...
 
I hit around 20 balls with these at a demo day. After hitting forged irons from all of the other manufacturers prior to hitting these, in comparison, the feel was "hard" and the sweet spot was tiny. Just based on feel, I had no interest after hitting them. Ball flight and distance were pretty good, though...
 
Hit the range today. Ran into the club pro, been taking lessons from him lately, and as we exchanged pleasantries, i mentioned what I had with me today, and he responded "oh my gawsh aren't they awesome?" I replied that I didn't know yet, as I hadn't hit them, and he said he had hit them in Orlando and, he just shook his head and said "awesome."

I got a large bucket, warmed up with my Cally Apex 8 iron, and broke into the Hogans.

And I apologize in advance, but I am going to reserve my comments for a bit while I sort them out some more. I think I may play tomorrow morning and have some more-well-founded commentary. One bucket is just not enough.

I will restate - they are awfully nice-looking clubs IMO.
 
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Looking forward to your feedback.
 
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