RECAP: Ben Hogan Golf Live R&D Chat! May 29th @ 2pm ET / 11am PT!

[JB_TexasEx]

Which Ben Hogan irons do you recommend for mid-handicappers and why? A few reviews I've read, including Rick Shiels, says the Ft. Worth model should only be gamed by "better" players due to limited perimeter weighting and forgiveness. The Grint says I'm a 13.3 index.

 

Also, I was curious about the rationale for 4-degree loft gaps between irons. That doesn't appear to be the industry standard. I've seen PW specs from 44 to 47 degrees.

[benhogangolf]

Hey, everybody. This is the Ben Hogan team here in Fort Worth, Texas. Thanks in advance for you interest and questions! We'll try to answer them to the best of our ability in the order received ...

[benhogangolf]

> @molecularman said:

> The direct to consumer model is an interesting concept in the golf world. What was the impetus for going this direction? Also, golf club feel, looks, performance is so subjective, do you feel you are at a disadvantage compared to other club makers that have a presence in retail? Your website indicates one can demo a club for a 20 dollar fee (cover shipping both ways). This is a bit harder to swallow vs. just going to a store and trying multiple clubs for free.

 

The truth of that matter is that we sort of stumbled onto this business model during our reorganization in 2017. As a ‘niche’ brand primarily focused on serious and more accomplished players, we knew we couldn’t compete if we used the same ‘playbook’ as much larger OEMs. The costs of doing business through traditional retailers are prohibitive for smaller companies. Also, we wanted to do something that was innovative and different … something Mr. Hogan himself always strived for on the golf course or in business.

 

Our Demo Program has been hugely successful … so much, in fact, that we are having difficulty keeping demos of our newest products in stock. We get feedback on a regular basis that golfers like the ability to take our products out onto their course (or range) to do a truer comparison of our products to competitive products and/or what they are currently playing. This allows them to avoid hitting into a net, or trying products under the watchful eye of a salesperson or Tech Rep.

 

And, by the way, if you end up buying our clubs after taking advantage of the Demo Program … which about 70% - 75% of people do … we take the $20 Demo fee off the price of your new clubs.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @DrewBallin said:

> BH golf puts out some great looking equipment, but how does the tech match up to the more main stream lines out? Could an average guy use and have fun with BH clubs?

 

 

We feel as if our R&D resources are equal to … or better than … any other golf equipment company. That said, we outsource a lot of our R&D efforts for a number of reasons: 1) It allows us to choose design ‘specialists; such as driver design experts, putter experts, forged iron and wedge specialists, etc. We aren’t having an engineer work on hybrids one day, then putters the next like a lot of the larger OEMs do. Being in Fort Worth, too, we have A LOT of talent in the local area … many of whom had worked at other golf equipment companies in the area previously. 2) Some of our R&D team has worked in other industries, too, and are able to bring fresh and new ideas to us on construction techniques and materials … things that haven’t been tried in the golf industry previously. We are always open to innovation. And, 3) by having Engineers and Designers work on specific projects, we are able to keep our costs lower … which then gets passed onto the consumer in the form of lower prices. We don’t have a lot of people on the payroll sitting around (trust us).

 

Although we focus on developing products for more accomplished and serious golfers, we do have many products that ‘average’ players can use. Edge irons, for example, are extremely forgiving. Our Equalizer wedges are great and have won numerous playability awards. And our Precision Milled Forged putters work great on any green … no matter who is using them.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @bvmagic said:

> What design feature in the GS53 Driver do you think stands out the most when compared to other major OEM driver's?

 

 

There are a few things:

 

a) SHAPING: We wanted to maximize the MOI / Forgiveness while providing a slightly smaller footprint (445cc). The Tour-inspired shaping helps with aesthetics and aerodynamics

 

b) FEEL: We created our own proprietary face thickness map (using real intelligence; nothing artificial!) to increase the spring-like effect across the entire face. The face is also forged which means we are able to hold the tightest tolerances in golf. And, we have a proprietary connection between the face and body which maximizes the Effective Hitting Area (EHA) to improve ball speed and feel across the entire face.

 

c) BALL SPEED: Our forged face and proprietary face thickness map was designed to maximize ball speed at the center (which is easy to do on a Titanium face of this size), but we have also been able to maintain the same ball speeds up to 1” off center.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @hartrick11 said:

> Any new DBM offerings in the future? I have visions in my head of a blended set of the Ft Worths and the PTX Pros in black...

 

 

That is a great idea and very likely. The Diamond Black Metal (DBM) finish used on the Ft. Worth irons and Equalizer wedges has been very popular. It’s likely that we’ll bring out some of our current products with an alternative DMB finish in the near future (hint, hint …)

[benhogangolf]

> @NAM2212 said:

> Has the new driver been tested against the newest offerings from the big companies? If so, how did it perform?

 

 

Yes, we did extensive testing against many of the leading drivers on the market before launching the GS53 drivers … we specifically focused on the Callaway Epic Flash, TaylorMade M6, and Titleist TS2. In short, we found the GS53 driver to be just as long … if not longer … than these models, in part due to the fact the average spins rates were 300 – 400 rpms lower with the GS53.

[khauser86]

Any idea when the driver and fairway woods will be available for demo?

[benhogangolf]

> @getair23 said:

> Which iron sets would blend together best to make a combo set, and have you considered offering combo sets?

 

 

Yes, this is something that is currently in development … but isn’t ready for prime time yet. We think there is definitely a market for very forgiving long irons combined with hollow mid-irons and more ‘blade like’ short / scoring irons. All would have to be forged … of course. Stay tuned on this. We don’t think introduction of this is imminent but hope to have the design dialed in shortly for potential introduction in 2020.

[benhogangolf]

> @radiman said:

> I have to say that your brand has straight up surprised me this year so far. Your flagship Ft. Worths have always looked amazing. But, the addition of the PTx Pro is fantastic. Such a classic looking iron with so much tech built in. It's hard to believe that it's about half the cost as the big OEM sets that compare.

>

> My question is this. The big brands use the feedback from their tour staff as a marketing tool. They push new model after new model claiming that it has the feedback from their stable of tour players. In a direct to consumer market with no tour presence, how do you put prrof if concept to playability? Do you have a stable of low index players or a testing panel that you run these designs by before going to full production?

 

Absolutely. We do extensive player testing and machine testing during all phases of our development process. We have a stable of ‘go to’ low-handicap players that help us, plus we do some ‘man on the range’ testing to get truly unbiased feedback. Not only does this help us with ‘proof of performance’, but it is dramatically less expensive than having Tour players on staff. To us, it simply doesn’t make sense to have to add $20, $30, or $40 to the price of our clubs so we could pay somebody on Tour … who, in many cases, doesn’t play clubs that remotely resemble the kinds of products a regular consumer would have access to.

[benhogangolf]

> @chungnjn said:

> I like the classic approach to modern tech of the GS53 woods, what was the biggest challenging building such clubs in today's age?

 

 

Thank you. First and foremost, the club has to perform as well or better than anything else on the market. We’ve accomplished that. Secondly, we had to make sure that we developed a product that we feel is representative of how Mr. Hogan would want a club with his name on it to look … simple, clean and elegant. Again, we think we’ve done that.

[Golfingfanatic]

Any chance you offer more shafts in the future?

[benhogangolf]

> @divebreck said:

> I love your new PTX Pro irons, as a matter of fact I ordered a set! In regards to the driver you see more and more companies going to a carbon head, why did you choose to go all titanium?

 

 

We investigated carbon … and some other materials … but didn’t see any significant performance benefits to them. True, the carbon material is lighter and, in theory, lighter means faster club head speeds … but our testing didn’t prove that out. The face is, by far, the most important part or any driver. Our forged Titanium face has different thicknesses in different areas, for maximum ball speeds whether a shot is struck in the center of the face or near the toe or heel. Additionally, we just didn’t like the muffled sound of drivers with carbon crowns or bodies.

[benhogangolf]

> @Wall-E said:

> Awhile back, I thought Ben Hogan equipment was closing the doors but it was revived. I would be very interested in knowing how you guys pushed through and started cranking out all the great looking wedges, irons, and drivers? I’m impressed with the look of all the equipment but unfortunately I have not had a chance to play Ben Hogan equipment.

>

> Everybody loves a revival story.

>

>

 

 

Thanks! We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in the past two (2) years but have plenty of growth opportunities in front of us. It was ... and remains … a matter of getting back to the Ben Hogan Company’s roots, and focusing on developing products for better, more accomplished and serious players. We aren’t trying to ‘be all things to all golfers’ as some of the bigger golf equipment companies do …

[Jvoom30]

 

> And, by the way, if you end up buying our clubs after taking advantage of the Demo Program … which about 70% - 75% of people do … we take the $20 Demo fee off the price of your new clubs.

>

 

I have not seen that credit before. Recently demo'd the ptx pros and purchased last week.

[benhogangolf]

> @BB28403 said:

> What’s the latest at BH golf?

 

 

There is a whole lot going on here! All good stuff. We are excited (and relieved!) to see that our ‘Factory-Direct’ business model is being so well received. We’ve had a lot of customers point out to us that in some ways, it is like visiting a craft beer brewery. Everything is done custom … slowly and methodically. On top of that, we’ve introduced four (4) major new products this year: Precision Milled Forged Putters, PTx PRO irons, GS53 fairway woods, and the GS53 driver. It’s been a busy year … but we are excited and energized by everything.

[radiman]

> @benhogangolf said:

> > @radiman said:

> > I have to say that your brand has straight up surprised me this year so far. Your flagship Ft. Worths have always looked amazing. But, the addition of the PTx Pro is fantastic. Such a classic looking iron with so much tech built in. It's hard to believe that it's about half the cost as the big OEM sets that compare.

> >

> > My question is this. The big brands use the feedback from their tour staff as a marketing tool. They push new model after new model claiming that it has the feedback from their stable of tour players. In a direct to consumer market with no tour presence, how do you put prrof if concept to playability? Do you have a stable of low index players or a testing panel that you run these designs by before going to full production?

>

> Absolutely. We do extensive player testing and machine testing during all phases of our development process. We have a stable of ‘go to’ low-handicap players that help us, plus we do some ‘man on the range’ testing to get truly unbiased feedback. Not only does this help us with ‘proof of performance’, but it is dramatically less expensive than having Tour players on staff. To us, it simply doesn’t make sense to have to add $20, $30, or $40 to the price of our clubs so we could pay somebody on Tour … who, in many cases, doesn’t play clubs that remotely resemble the kinds of products a regular consumer would have access to.

 

That makes sense. I am eager to see some reviews online for the driver. Haven't seen much as of yet. Do you have any clubs out to the big YouTube reviewers at this point? I like the smaller footprint concept and what you are saying regarding the face design is intriguing. Also, if the spin is truly as low as you say, you guys could have a cult classic in your hands.

[benhogangolf]

> @03trdblack said:

> What type of MOI numbers does the GS53 have and how would you classify the center of gravity? Would it be low and back or more forward for spin reduction? Would you say it's more of a low spin head overall or more forgiving with slightly more spin?

 

 

MOI is on par with other drivers of this size … about 9000.

 

We think the industry has overused the term CG. There is a point of diminishing return; CG is relative to the driver head meaning that a deeper face will ultimately have a higher CG than a shallower face driver. We engineered the GS53 driver such that the CG is in line with the impact point on the face (meaning de-lofted at the impact position) so that we get maximum energy transfer from the club head to the ball. We have probably over-engineered the GS53 driver in some ways to optimize ball speeds on center hits AND off-center hits.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> This is a question that is more to do with forum comments I read. When it comes to RH-only offerings, what are the difficulties in making clubs like the Ft. Worths in LH? Is it simply not enough anticipated sales to justify the creation of LH forging dies? It seems like in the days of CAD programs, mirroring into a LH wouldn't be all that difficult.

>

>

 

> @"James the Hogan Fan" said:

> This is a question that is more to do with forum comments I read. When it comes to RH-only offerings, what are the difficulties in making clubs like the Ft. Worths in LH? Is it simply not enough anticipated sales to justify the creation of LH forging dies? It seems like in the days of CAD programs, mirroring into a LH wouldn't be all that difficult.

>

>

 

The cost of making left-handed tooling for forged clubs is identical to that of right-handed tooling, and is about twice as much as the cost of castings. For example, tooling for a new set of irons can be in excess of $40,000.

 

It’s really an economic decision for us. In the USA, left-handed golfers only account for about 8% of all golfers … that number is much higher, though, in Canada and other regions. We have to make a judgement call in a lot of cases comparing development costs to sales projections. Given that we’ve only been at this for a couple of years, we’ve been a bit conservative when it comes to servicing the lefty market. We’ll probably get more comfortable with our ROI projections and add more left-handed products to our line. We’ve sold a lot of left-handed EDGE irons and Equalizer wedges!

 

[benhogangolf]

> @BearQ said:

> Thoughts on making a retro apex pro model with new tech. It would be a hit!

 

 

We like your thinking. That said, we just launched the new Ft. Worth BLACK and WHITE irons, as well at the PTx PRO irons earlier this year. It’s unlikely we’ll bring out anything new for the remainder of 2019.

[benhogangolf]

> @johnny_golfball said:

> Hello,

> Are the drivers made for women? Also, since they’re hand-crafted, custom built, could you make them for lefties?

 

 

We don’t make ‘gender specific’ products … we make exceptional products all serious golfers. With the right specs, we can (and do) build drivers (and irons and wedges for that matter) for both men and women.

 

Making left-handed clubs is really a ROI thing for us. It’s MUCH more expensive to create tooling for forged clubs … as all Ben Hogan clubs are … versus inexpensive molds for investment cast clubs. Trust us, we always wrestle with this … we know there are a lot of good lefty golfers out there … but not nearly as many as right-handed golfers.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @DeacLaw05 said:

> I have a regular playing companion who has several Ben Hogan wedges in his bag and he raves about them, so I have seen how the “new and improved” BH model works, and BH is certainly on my list to try when it comes time for me to jump back in to the iron/wedge market. For those players who haven’t had the opportunity to see or put hands on your product, how do you raise brand awareness in such a competitive market? Keep up the good work!

>

> Edited to add: one of the coolest design features of the new driver is the return of the classic Speed Slot. Can you tell us more about both the design principles behind that unique feature and the process through which you decided to incorporate it?

 

Glad to hear we have another satisfied customer in your playing partner. We have VERY few people who ever complain about our products .. which is good as producing the ‘highest-quality and best-performing’ golf equipment is really our #1 priority at Ben Hogan.

 

We know it is going to take some time to get the word out about our Tour-quality products and our Factory-Direct business model. We do a bit of advertising on The Golf Channel, then some digital advertising in places like Golf.com, Golfweek.com, etc. We try to stay as active as possible on social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc.) and constantly add new content to our website (BenHoganGolf.com). That said, our best ‘endorsements’ come from customers (like your playing partner).

 

[khauser86]

How can I be sure I'm getting fit properly for the PTx Pro irons with just a pair of demo clubs? A certified fitter will be able to fit me properly for the full set of irons this way?

[benhogangolf]

> @DNice26 said:

> How does the feel of the PTx irons compare to the fort worth irons? What sort of testing is done to maintain a nice solid sound and feel?

> Thank you!

 

 

There are significant differences in design and construction on the Ft. Worth and PTx PRO irons. In short, the Ft. Worth irons are traditional single-piece forgings and were really designed for highly skilled players.

 

The PTx PRO irons are equally as beautiful, but there is a lot of technology going on ‘under the hood’. All are created using three (3) separate pieces … a forged face and ‘frame’, with various amounts of heavy Tungsten and lightweight Titanium used in various heads to achieve certain performance requirements.

 

The PTx PRO irons are for a much broader range of players. We have some very accomplished players (including Tour players) using them … as well as many 12 – 15 handicap golfers … using them with much success.

 

[benhogangolf]

> @nosedive32 said:

> Now that the Ben Hogan line has extended to fill 14 club bags, are there any plans to make a move into the ball market and produce premium level balls at a more affordable price such as companies like Snell?

 

 

We’ve thought about it and, in fact, developed some prototypes. The ball market, though, is super-competitive. We aren’t going to invest in our own production facility at this point, so we’d have to have another company produce a ball then stamp it Ben Hogan. As with all Ben Hogan products, we’d want ours to be best-in-class … something we haven’t been able to achieve yet by having it produced outside of our own walls.

[benhogangolf]

> @Suddzies said:

> I'm a long time Hogan fan and I love seeing this company make a comeback. Do you offer custom fitting at your assembly facility? If not, do you anticipate that being an option in the future?

 

 

No, we don’t offer fittings. We’d rather have a golfer go to his / her local PGA Professional or a qualified club fitter, then send us those specs so we can build to them. The fitting process has gotten incredibly over-complicated and there are no standards; each OEM has their own. We think it makes much more sense to have lie angles, shaft lengths, grip sizes provided to us so we can custom-build each club to them specifically

[benhogangolf]

> @jmc351 said:

> Hi,

> Love the Ben Hogan line up. I've actually had all of your irons at one time and now playing the Ptx Pro irons. Great clubs!! The following is from a write up on the Ptx Pro irons in a **** article in April.

> "And Hogan isn’t done this spring. White says you can expect a specific progressive/combo iron set sooner rather than later. Instead of cobbling existing irons into a hodgepodge, White says the combo set will be specifically designed as a unified irons package. "

> Can you give us any info on this progressive/iron set? I'm real curious.

> Thanks

 

 

Still working on it … it’s not likely that a ‘flow’ or ‘combo’ set will be offered before the end of the season. Let us get it right; at this point, it’ll probably be a 2020 introduction

[Jvoom30]

Could we see some new apparel and accessories this year? Was hoping for a flatbill with the BH logo or possibly seeing some polos or something. Received my new driver this week and it is very nice!

[benhogangolf]

> @Signer said:

> Why do you offer graphite shafts at the same price as steel?

 

 

Because we don’t believe in gouging our customers. For all intents and purposes, our cost on graphite shafts is almost exactly the same as steel shafts. That hasn’t always been the case … historically, graphite has cost more … but the cost of graphite and steel shafts has become much more comparable in recent years. Our goal is to provide exceptional performance at exceptional value.

[benhogangolf]

> @steeletaylor said:

> Why did you not employ the use of movable weights like most OEM's for the new GS53 drivers? Also, I saw there are stock shafts, but will there be options to get other shafts for a small upcharge?

 

 

During the development process for the GS53 driver, we did create a few designs with moveable weights. In short, we just didn’t see the performance benefits that would justify the need (and additional cost) for them. Additionally, we interviewed hundreds of golfers about drivers … what they wanted, what they liked, what they were playing now, etc.. We found that VERY few golfers using drivers with adjustable weights ever changed them. They might have done so the first time they hit their driver on a range, but very rarely … if ever … after that. The adjustable hosel (which changes loft, lie and face angle) was much more important and had a much bigger effect on performance than moveable weights.

 

We probably won’t add many new shafts to our stock shaft assortment. We’ve found that one (1) of the three (3) we offer (Project X HZRDUS Smoke, MRC Tensei Blue, and UST Helium) will work well for the vast majority of golfers. However, we will start selling the Flight Control hosel on our website (if we aren’t doing so already) so golfers can use other aftermarket shafts with the GS53 driver head(s).