HOGAN - NEW Apex Blades

teezoid · May 31, 2006

Who has them.. or hit them

I was at a local Golf Galaxy store on Sunday and saw the new Hogan Apex blades. All I can say is WOW! They are sweet looking!
While this has been brought up on another NON related subject, I wanted to bring this up to the forum to see if anyone out there has hit this iron and how it may compare to other forgings out there.
I have hit the MP-60's and I think they are a great performing set of irons as is most Mizuno offerings.
However... while I feel there may be some or a lot of disagreements on this issue, I feel the MP-60 has an odd sort of look due to the off-set in them. That I did not see in the Hogan Apex blades and just suited my eye better.
If the Hogan Apex plays anything like they look.. they have a winner.
It also does not seem that Hogan gets any real love like they used to have from this or any forum.
Either way... any feedback would be appreciated.

drawmerchant · May 31, 2006

I bought a set of Apex 06's to add to my collection - I know this sounds a bit sick as one set should be enough for anyone, but this club ho'ing business is an illness. Back to the point, they are a good set of clubs (with TT DG S300s and a Lamkin Crossline grip as standard) - pretty heavy head, as are most Hogan blades to my mind, with good performance characteristics in terms of workability and flight. I like 'em but still really prefer (in terms of other Hogan sets) my Apex '98 set for look and feel. To be more critical, Mizunos they are not, and they will never replace a Mizuno set in my competition bag. I wouldn't want to put anyone of getting a set of Apex 06's as their main set or even in a more extravagant ho'ing capacity - they are good clubs but there are better blades around and they start with the word Mizuno.

Drawmerchant

teezoid · May 31, 2006

I can't disagree with you on the quality of Mizuno. However... that is one very sweet set of Hogans!

teezoid · June 1, 2006

I can remember when Hogan was the cream of all forged irons. It is very apparent with the response to this that Mizuno is what is hot today.

Titleist87 · June 1, 2006

I demoed the MP-60 and the Apex '06 side-by-side. The MP-60 felt dull and dead to me. The Apex, however, felt very soft and smooth. Not be biased towards Hogan, since most of my clubs are Hogan, but even my '87 Titleist blades (played for 18 years) felt better than the MP-60. Maybe the MP-37 or the MP-33 would feel better than the 60. But regardless, the Hogans are very nice and look great.

When it comes to comparing high end clubs though, the difference is all going to be in the user, not the club.

drawmerchant · June 2, 2006

I was maybe being a bit unfair to the new Apexes in my previous post as the Mizuno set I compare everything with is the MP-33, the doyen of all blade sets IMO. I would agree with the comments of drstroud in that the MP-60 is not my favourite Mizuno product (a bit of a disappointment in comparison to its sister blade the MP-32), and that the Apex 06 stands up well against it. Then again the MP-60 is forged but not a pure blade. I think its the (relatively) wider sole on the MP-60 that is the major difference for me, as it doesn't suit as much being a 'picker' of the ball, and even with DG S300s in the MP-60 gives a pretty high flight (for me anyway).

Drawmerchant

teezoid · June 2, 2006

I agree with you that the greatest looking club in the world is not going to perform in the hands of someone that is not capable of playing that kind of club.

In my case, I am not a great ball striker, just adequate. I am about a 12 handicapper and for the most part, I have played forged blades my entire golf life and that is over twenty years.... I will leave that issue alone.

However, it seems to me that today all forged iron manufacturers are making all their clubs more playable within the ranks and that includes their blade offerings. Good example is Mizuno with the MP-32's

I have always been a fan of Mizuno, and really considered the MP-60's thinking a cavity may help.

Looking the MP-60 side by side to the MP-32 and then side by side to the 06 Apex blades.. well hands down, I think the Hogan is the best looking club of the three. They also do not look like they would be difficult clubs to find ball to clubface. I would love to hit them sometime before I would commit to anything, but just on looks alone.. Hogan wins.

If I am not mistaken,, I also believe that Callaway has most or all of their forgings done by Endo. They are 1020 carbon steel.. very soft, yet solid. I have to think this is a very high quality set of irons.

I have been so out of touch with Hogan through the last ten years that I just do not know that much about their recent iron offerings.

Thanks again all for your responses.