Copying all specs of Hogan's equipment nowadays

svsvincenzo · September 1, 2011

Possible? What? How?

First, what are Hogan's specs to the letter and last detail? Especially the weight of the shaft both in irons and woods?

Second, what is there today that can match/copy these to the last detail? Must be forged to bend the lie and face.. How about woods? The shafts with same weight? What are they?

Anybody who have tried this before just for kicks?

golfbulldog1 · September 1, 2011

I don't know why somebody doesn't get his clubs properly measured...blue-printed as best one can without actually taking them apart...so many myths and contradicting comments... some say they were D1 swing weight....others say they were sledgehammer heavy...

If true then that might mean big back weighting - no??

How thick were the grips...how open were the faces....were the heels really ground down...where was the reminder.... really just string rather than coat-hanger??

There are some Hogan clubs aournd at USGA... and eleswhere...

Surely worth trying to get facts rather than heresay...

bell812 · September 1, 2011

The following is a quote from Tom Wishon...

I did get to meet and spend a decent amount of time that day with Gene Sheeley, who for decades was Mr. Hogan's personal clubmaker at the Hogan factory. Gene had a separate workshop from the rest of the factory that was sort of like the "sanctum sanctorum" and I was told that few got to venture into this workshop. So that was cool. Part of that time included being able to look at, check out and measure things on Mr. Hogan's personal playing sets that he had used over the years.

One of the things that was very interesting was that Hogan always played X flex steel shafts, tipped 2" additional for every club. Gene explained to me that he had originally done this back when he fought a hook so badly before he found his "swing secret" that the books and magazines since then have written so much about.

As he got rid of the hook and became the best ball striker on the planet, Gene said he remained with the 2" tip X shafts because he had developed the sense of feel to where he absolutely hated any shaft that he could feel bend during the swing, and especially when he released the club to impact. Even in 1987, when I think Mr Hogan was in his mid 70s and did not play very much anymore, the few times he headed out to Shady Oaks to hit balls, he still preferred hitting these X tipped 2" shafts in his clubs.

So the point is - we develop fitting parameters for shaft fitting but when a player has a very specific feel preference for the shaft, the textbook fitting techniques can get tossed out the window!

It's been more than 20 yrs so my recollection of the small details is not that good. Among the things I do remember. . .

I was shocked to see how sharp the leading edge was on his irons, especially his wedges. Any other player would hit 80% of his shots "fat", with this type of leading edge grind. they were also ground very flat both from face to back as well as from heel to toe.

I did not notice that the sole angles were "scoop" which is what they would have to be if they "sat 5 deg open".

The clubs were all quite flat in lie, also the woods bored that way. And when I say woods I mean wooden woods in his bag in 1987.

Face angles of the woods were closed, my guess at least 2* shut from what I recall. Gene said despite his old propensity to hook the ball badly, this was because of Hogan's "new swing move" .

And the clubs were HEAVY, I rememeber - both in total weight and in swingweight.

TOM

svsvincenzo · September 2, 2011

Still not exact for me. I agree with gb1, how heavy, what's exact weight in grams of total club from butt end of grip to clubhead's toe? What's SW of each? And by what SW scale, 12-inch or 14-inch? How flat, 8 degrees? How open, 5 degrees? How thick are the grips, what's its diameter, present-day midsize or jumboGolf Pride? Round or ribbed? Indicator, string or coat hanger/wire, and where, 5 o'clock or 5:30? Grip weight in grams? Shaft flex, x-flex? Length, tipped by 2"? Shaft weight in grams? Clubhead weight in grams? Offset, or is it onset (negative offset ), by how much?

I'm sure at least one Hoganite has researched on this. Anyone?

golfbulldog1 · September 4, 2011

I agree - need verifiable measurements from a known source with reliable measuring equipment ...

I am no expert on tipping shafts but is it unusual to "tip", especially by 2 inches, a taper tipped shaft ?

I assume that most shafts of Hogan's era were taper tip 0.355 " shafts... at least most of the irons produced by his company were...

Would he have not had to bore out the hosel to accomodate the extra thickness of the shaft?

I suspect that the Hogan Foundation would have to give permission for this level of scrutiny of Ben's old clubs (I imagine that the best exmaples of irons and woods he definitely played would be in golf house or in Colonial Courty Club etc... ) They have been very protective of Ben's name being used for commercial purposes in the past, just as the man himself was, but they seem to be open to new ideas... witness the computer version of "Modern Fundamentals".

In 2 years it is the 60th aniversary of the Hogan Company starting up (see image) - somebody should write a book about that...the way that the company operated during his life, how different the industry is now, why the company went out of business...

Can you imagine Tiger breaking away from Nike... setting up his own company and his own gear... an exciting prospect but an unlikely one... but one that might actually interest Tiger in the future in my opinion.... what else he going to do ...course design....commentator.... champions tour.... maybe course design.... but i fancy he might get more of a kick by seeing all the young pups using gear with his name on rather than seeing business execs buggied around a few ultra exclusive courses ....

StewartBannatyne · September 4, 2011

Shady Oaks CC has hundreds of Mr. Hogan's old clubs in the pro shop and around the clubhouse. Perhaps one of the forum's members has a connection there and could help you out a little more in depth?

Stew

'53 Precision · September 4, 2011

I agree - need verifiable measurements from a known source with reliable measuring equipment ...

I am no expert on tipping shafts but is it unusual to "tip", especially by 2 inches, a taper tipped shaft ?

I assume that most shafts of Hogan's era were taper tip 0.355 " shafts... at least most of the irons produced by his company were...

Would he have not had to bore out the hosel to accomodate the extra thickness of the shaft?

I suspect that the Hogan Foundation would have to give permission for this level of scrutiny of Ben's old clubs (I imagine that the best exmaples of irons and woods he definitely played would be in golf house or in Colonial Courty Club etc... ) They have been very protective of Ben's name being used for commercial purposes in the past, just as the man himself was, but they seem to be open to new ideas... witness the computer version of "Modern Fundamentals".

In 2 years it is the 60th aniversary of the Hogan Company starting up (see image) - somebody should write a book about that...the way that the company operated during his life, how different the industry is now, why the company went out of business...

Can you imagine Tiger breaking away from Nike... setting up his own company and his own gear... an exciting prospect but an unlikely one... but one that might actually interest Tiger in the future in my opinion.... what else he going to do ...course design....commentator.... champions tour.... maybe course design.... but i fancy he might get more of a kick by seeing all the young pups using gear with his name on rather than seeing business execs buggied around a few ultra exclusive courses ....

Not to hijack the thread...The letter is interesting. I chose my screen name as a pun to all those who think The Hogan Co. produced clubs (Irons) in 1953, they did not, earliest possible date is, as stated in the letter, spring of 1954, and it is well documented that the first batch was destroyed, or at least not released by Hogan due to quality control issues. This puts the actual mass (if such a term can be used for early Hogan products) production date later in 1954 or possibly even into early 1955 for the first model of Precision Iron. If they do exist they are what Hogan considered "Blems" or not fit for sale.