Ben Hogan Equipment - thru the years

Hogan had this secret too.

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Two,

What goes around comes around. These are pics from a set of 2006 Apex I just procured. I believe it was the last production year of Hogan products. Almost looks as if it was tribute to an all-time classic.

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Those 73 Apex are my babies… man, are they a good looking blade. It’s so funny that it says they’re a ‘larger’ blade :confused: Not quite in modern terms. They have little or no offset as can be seen in the photo, which is great- they do go high-ish for a blade, but I like that as it allows me to have the intent of hitting it low which I like with irons. They also have zero/minus bounce which really encourages and requires the shallow approach…
Robbo, I think I read recently you talking about offset on new irons you got- I take it this is them? That’s a lot alright…
I have a classic RR question about the shaping of the groves and dulling on the faces- I wonder what his intent was to have them widening at the bottom… any thoughts, RR? I keep meaning to ask you… I’ve thought about it a lot, and I assume it’s no accident as he was probably still fully involved in the designs at that point. Interesting.

Bom,

Unfortunately this the my 2nd set of “current” Hogan designs. The other was from 2003 and they have even more offset than these. It’s as if the more recent BH designs (post 2000) got caught up in many of the same trends as so many other iron designs.

I took the 7-iron from that 2006 set for a quick hit at the range… yikes! To say it flew a bit higher than my PC 7-iron would be a gross understatement. I see I have some tweaking to do. :frowning:

robbo

I wonder to these choicest leather, steel plated, double soled, tank shoes come in soft spikes?
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Now you’re hitting below the belt Bom :laughing: …I’d give my eye teeth for a pair of those…and at this point I wouldn’t care if they were pink women’s shoes…I would just dye them rat black.

Maybe I should keep those comments to myself now that I see the Captain back in town. :laughing: RR

It’s funny, I never liked Hogan clubs until I saw the older ones. The ones from the 90’s and beyond always looked chunky and offset to me. I don’t mind a bit of offset in wedges because I don’t like when the leading edge lips out beyond the shaft on a wedge/sand wedge, but I just can’t hit a long iron with offset, I never could. I remember getting a ping 1 and I couldn’t hit it 3 feet off the ground. I think I compensate for offset by getting ahead of it because I hate having the face back there, and end up actually hitting them lower. I really have to like the look of a club, I’m ‘shallow’ like that :slight_smile:

You shallow? I can’t even use a ball if I don’t like how the print on it is done, and try to avoid putting an identification mark on it.

I failed to clear a long carry with the old Slazenger 2-iron last comp and this other guy in the group, a 10 marker who as early as the 1st tee stated that he used to be much lower (you know the type) held out his Ping hybrid and said have a go. I think he hit a nerve, because I told him I can’t even look at that ugly piece of shit let alone think of using it, even if the rules did allow.

I wonder if Bom’s “shallow” comment has some dual connotation? My guess is it does. :wink:

Good on you for providing some “feedback” to your playing partner! Same stuff I get when guys look in my bag. I’ll often pull out one of their 5-irons and incredulously ask how they can possibly hit something so upright??!!! :

So how are those Slazenger’s treating you in general?

robbo

Yeah, I’m a smartarse like that. It just happened as I was typing so I had to go with it- it made too much sense not to.

Haven’t had much of a hit lately Robbo, so hard to say. I’ve recently moved area and the only club within reasonable driving distance sux. Course is fine, just I like to hit off about 6pm after work and here they’re pulling the flags out for the night and closing up with 2 hours of good light left. Plus a tonne of other idiotic things that has me on the verge of creating a website detailing all the nightmarish things you find out about clubs after joining them.

I do wish I had the whole set of Slazengers though. I’m only using the 2-iron, the others I use for impact bag work. Compared to the rest of my clubs, Miz TP-19’s, the 2-iron goes about the same distance as my usual 3, maybe half a club in it. Not hitting it great but happy enough considering it’s only got a Reg shaft and visually looks maybe only 2 deg flat.

BTW, I learnt not to take a persimmon driver out when you’ve got sore wrists. I had sore wrists from hammering heaps of nails and my wrists just couldn’t handle the extra weight of persimmon. I hit 5 hazards in 7 holes :frowning:

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Those are gorgeous! Old Hogan stuff is very scarce for us lefties, unfortunately.

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