What are the best ben hogan irons for the beginner?

[k-daugh]

Hi all, Im new at the game and have absolutly  fallen in love with golf. I currently have a set of hogan radial blades which I here aren't the ideal club for the beginner. My uncle ray has been playing the game for 40 or so years and loves hogans . A few guys at the local country club hit hogans too and they all love them ...heck i love mine and i cant really hit them that well...anyways my question is which hogans would be the best for the beginner golfer....there are many nice sets on ebay just so many too choose from...i've shot just under 10 rounds and have shot between 99 and 110 just to give you an idea of my skill level

[GaijinGolfer]

I think you want the Apex irons.  They were more of a game-improvement club with a nice cavity back and a wider sole.  No sense limiting yourself to Hogans though, theres lots of other great brands on the market that you might like better.

[k-daugh]

any suggestions??? also im 5'6" tall i've been told i have a very smooth swing for a beginner and my uncle says i have a "good swing speed" now i know this isnt a considered a custom fitting but please.....humor me and give me any suggestions especially hogan suggestions because i like the look of them ... also i hit my uncle s hogan apex edge i think and it felt a world of difference over my blades ....no pain in the hands and high and much more consistent ....but im up for any other suggestions and or advice..thanks

[newtogolf]

Hogan's SGI clubs are the C.F.T.  They have a wide cavity back and are perimeter weighted.  Most Hogan loyalists didn't like these clubs because they weren't forged or look like the older Hogan irons.

Be careful, Hogan irons can be pretty confusing because they re-used names quite often.  The previous poster mentioned Apex irons, there are irons that have the Apex name from 1972, 1973, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998.  Then there are variations of the Apex name such as Apex II, Apex PC, Apex BH Grind, Apex Plus and Apex Pro.  These are all different models, and look very different from one another so it's important to know which ones you are looking at and buying.  The Apex name comes from the shaft which are typically labeled (2), (3), (4) - I think 2 is senior flex, 3 is regular flex, and 4 is stiff flex.  I've never seen a (1) or (5) but I've heard they were produced.  I'm guessing (1) was ladies flex and (5) was x-stiff.

The Apex Plus and Pro's have  forged heads and are pretty forgiving.  They were produced more recently so you're more likely to find these models in better condition than some of the older Hogan blades, like the 1 Plus / Plus 1 or Apex / Apex II which are also much less forgiving.  I own the One Plus, Apex (1973), Apex II (1979), Apex Pro and C.F.T.

Here's a link of the Hogan irons timeline so you have an idea of when they were produced.

http://web.archive.org/web/20011206100727/www.benhogan.com/53-99_Clubs.html

While I have come to greatly admire Mr. Hogan as a golfer, and started a collection of his clubs I'm not sure you should limit your choices, especially since todays clubs are more forgiving, and given you'd likely be limited to purchasing them on ebay or second hand stores getting custom fitted could be difficult and expensive.

[tristanhilton85]

I believe that the Apex Edge would be a good place to start... they also made another GI set that wasn't forged that they called the BH-5...  might be worth a look.

[k-daugh]

thanks for the advice guys..... well giving the description of my game and swing can anyone give me a general idea of which clubs i should be considering ....

[tristanhilton85]

Originally Posted by k-daugh

thanks for the advice guys..... well giving the description of my game and swing can anyone give me a general idea of which clubs i should be considering ....

Just generally speaking I'd look at some GI clubs (game improvement)... but as to a specific make or model, no.  Your best bet is to go to a shop and hit as many as you can... See what you hit best as well as what suits your eye and your wallet.

[danieldrieberg]

I second the Hogan CFT Edge irons. Great beginner clubs and can be had on ebay for around $100.

[Chudster]

My first set of clubs were the Apex Edge set...

They are GI irons, perimeter weighted, and have a big sole with an undercut cavity making them quite forgiving.  They were much more forgiving than the Tommy Armour set I borrowed for a few months before buying my own clubs.  And, because they are forged, I was getting good feedback on my mishits.

Mike

[Hollister]

I began with Apex Edge irons from 2001 and still like them. The regular graphite shaft gets to be a little soft on my (balloning shots), distance is still OK.

I am currently messing around with different Apex blades for fun. If you mishit them, you loose much distance - bet you already figured that out, I guess. The Apex Edge from 2001 or 2006 are a good choice.

You could look at buying cheap single irons and try them (or look at the guys Hogan clubs at your place). I own a BH-5 6i and do not like it. It is a cast club and does not has the feel/sound of a forged club. The FTX form 2006 is nice to play, too. I read a lot of not so favorable remarks about the CFT irons, but have never played one. I am eager to try the Apex Pro sometime, too.

Oh, btw, the Hogan Bettinardi putters are really nice, too.

[fgolfers]

I'd second the Apex Edge set. My son just started playing and they're a great quality set at at a reasonable price. We picked them up from Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CPS0PS2/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp;=1789&creative;=9325&creativeASIN;=B00CPS0PS2&linkCode;=as2&tag;=wefuhwe-20