New Hogan Apex Demo

[Ben]

Well, as coincidence would have it, the day after me talking smack about Hogan now being owned by Callaway Golf over in this thread , our Callaway rep stopped by our shop to show off new products. I got into talking with him and found out that Callaway kept all the Hogan designers and engineers. I was happy to hear that. Then got to talking a little more and he offered to bring bye a set for me to demo. And, today was the day. He came in about an hour ago with the set along with two dozen Hogan Tour Deep balls. Monday I'll be out on the course to gives these things a go. If all goes well, this Mizuno guy may just turn into a Hogan guy.

[Everardo]

NOOO Don't abondon the zuno's!!

[kklick]

  Everardo said:

NOOO Don't abondon the zuno's!!

I'll be interested to see how you like them. I've got a buddy who plays some newer hogans and swears by them. Right now I've got a set of titleist 990b irons. They are probably a bit too unforgiving for my ability but the price was right. I've been weighing my options as of late so I'd be glad to see a review once you play them a bit.

[Ben]

  Everardo said:

NOOO Don't abondon the zuno's!!

I know, I know. When I was first put on staff with Mizuno, the last thing in the world I thought I'd do was switch from them. But, if there is one company I'd consider doing it with, Hogan is it. I mean, my name is

Ben and all. It just makes perfect sense. hahaha. We'll see how tomorrow goes.

[Ben]

So, today was the day. Got to the course and went straight to the tee cause the range was closed. That didn't phase me though, actually I rarely hit balls before I play, unless it's some big time event or something.

Anyway, couldn't be any happier with these Hogans. The big difference between them and my MP30/33s is feel off the clubface. While the MPs feel like a marshmellow on a solid shot, the ball off the Apexs felt alot sharper. I don't know how to explain it any other way.

Didn't really gain any distance with these over my Mizunos. Strictly a different feel.

[Everardo]

That's why I love Mizunos, that soft sweet feel

[Ben]

[iacas]

Hogans always have a nice look to them. But what the heck is an "E" wedge?

[Leftie_power]

They musta messed up on their first set and put E instead of P and never bothered to fix it.

[LarryK]

  iacas said:

Hogans always have a nice look to them. But what the heck is an "E" wedge?

I think I was told once it stood for "Equalizer". Kind of goofy, but it is a nice club.

Meanwhile, I was shopping for a sand wedge/gap wedge last summer and found a Hogan Apex F wedge. Somebody asked me about it one day and I allowed has how it probably stood for "F%*# it. Let's try this."

[Esher]

  Leftie_power said:

They musta messed up on their first set and put E instead of P and never bothered to fix it.

I thought think that Hogan's "E" wedge is what others refer to as a Gap wedge.

[Ben]

Yeah, the "Equalizer." Hogan's PW, 48*

I started reading Ben Hogan: An American Life about a week or so ago. It's the latest, and sold as the "most thorough, authorized biography ever written about Hogan." In anycase, they mentioned the Equalizer and how it came to be. Turns out that when Ben, as a small statured junior that couldn't reach par 4s, would always be able to get up and down with his pitching wedge, ultimately equaling himself to the field of longer hitters he played against. Throughout his career, even though being one of the longer hitters as a professional, remained to be his "go-to" club. Therefore he stuck with the name for pitching wedges he desinged.

At that, my dear boys, is your history of golf lesson for today. That'll be $5. I accept paypal. hahahahaaa

[iacas]

  Ben said:

Yeah, the "Equalizer." Hogan's PW, 48*

I'm reading a Hogan book right now as well by Dan Jenkins or somebody. "Hogan" I think it's called, and it's supposedly one of the most thorough and authorized biographies.

I do remember reading about the pitching wedge and reaching the par 4s, but it's still a good story to hear again. If I owned an "E" wedge I'd just say it was for "Erik."

[Everardo]

Or for Everardo

[Leftie_power]

That's cool

[Ben]

I think Hogan was written before the one I'm reading, cause the author of mine makes reference to that one. The author of mine isn't all that great. I've come across two examples of the same idea of a paragraph written in a different way a chapter or so later. A few typos as well. The type is tiny, and the book is huge (500+ pages). I surprised myself that I actually undertook reading it in the first place. But, it's rolling along quite nicely now that I've gotten passed his childhood and into tournament play.