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Review: Ben Hogan PTx Irons

Better Gapping --> Better Control = Better Scores

Iron sets come in many different lofts.  Some have ” jacked lofts” others have “weak lofts” and in between there is a pretty wide scope of lofts for the same “number” iron.  Add to that within sets there are sometimes odd gapping because of jumps in loft.  Most golfers would like a set of irons to evenly, consistently cover the distance between 200 yards and 100 yards.  If they could count on even gapping and consistent results, their scores would probably go down.  The Ben Hogan Golf Company offers the most precise gapping between irons you can buy.  This helps you dial in your control, which in turn leads to lower scores.

The iconic Ben Hogan Golf Company made it’s return last year with the Ft. Worth irons under the direction of Terry Koehler.  The success of that first line, allowed them to create a second line of irons the PTx.  These irons maintain many of the players irons features of the Ft. Worth line, but add a cavity for even more forgiveness.  A big talking point with all Ben Hogan Irons is the individually lofted clubs that allow you get consistent gapping in every loft from 20*-47* in the irons.    They offer kind of standard options with 4 gapping options for high through low launch choices.  But even if that gapping isn’t exactly what you need, you can get them to you exact specs down to the degree.  Yes other companies can bend their irons, but if you’ve ever tried doing that kind of custom order, you know how rare it is for most companies to actually get it right.  Ben Hogan irons will come in spot on to your exact specs orders.
 
I did the Ben Hogan online fitting and learned that I needed a low-mid launch set to fit my needs.  They come stock with KBS Tour shafts and Ben Hogan Grips.  I went stiff flex to match my swing.  The PTx irons are a forgiving “players” iron.  They have a fairly thin top line, minimal off-set and a mid sized head.  They are co forged with titanium for more precision on every shot, no matter which loft you are playing.  In general they are bigger than the Ft. Worth irons, but nothing that even closely resembles a “game-improvement” iron.  The cavity of the PTx irons has a “flighted” idea behind them to help elevate the long irons and control the penetrating shots of the short irons.  They are designed with a linear CG for a better, more consistent launch.  The long irons have some tungsten out on the toe for better CG too.  Sure they might look like a plain ol’ cavity back iron, but they have a whole lot of technology and design in these clean looking irons.
 
The gapping of Ben Hogan irons is a big talking point, especially since they are marked by loft, not by traditional irons numbers, but for me the real secret to their irons is the sole.  The V-sole is what sets Ben Hogan irons apart.  The “dual” means that you will get better turf interaction on every swing.  This can solve every swing fault, if you top the ball you top it and if you dig a divot to China, you hit way to much big ball first, but for most that slight variation from swing to swing, the V-Sole will aid in clean crisp contact because of the sole not grabbing or bouncing off the turf.
 
I took my Ben Hogan PTx irons to the course for the first time here in AZ after a couple of rough rounds.  Between the move  and new course conditions, I had some struggles, until I dropped these in the bag.  Instantly my golf game returned and shot one of my best scores of the season.  It wasn’t a fluke or honeymoon round, it was every round I’ve had these in the bag.  On the hard turf here in AZ, these are perfect for clean contact.  They hit a fairly high ball, but with great control.  I found better gapping than normal throughout the set.  I often feel like my irons are kind of bunched close in the middle and then bigger gaps in each direction.  These however, I had a consistent 12 yard gap between each club top to bottom.  This really helped my pick the right club for every shot.
 

Flightscope X2 Launch Monitor

Ben Hogan PTx irons – 37*-iron

  • Spin: 8029 rpms
  • Launch Angle: 31.2*
  • Dispersion: 3.0 yds
  • Club Head Speed: 86.6 mph
  • Ball Speed: 110.0 mph
  • Total Distance:  153.1 yds
  • Carry Distance:  150.4 yds
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The lack of traditional iron numbers may be annoying though on Ben Hogan irons.  I found myself frustrated from time to time trying to figure which loft to hit.  I’m not used to thinking in those terms.  So even though I knew my 37* iron went 150 yards, I still think in terms of an 8-iron.  So I would often count down, 4-iron, 5-iron, 6-iron, etc until I got to the one I wanted.  I did learn that they just recently added a “traditional” iron marking on the hosel to all new sets coming out.  This is a great move by Ben Hogan golf.  We golfers don’t change and adapt quickly so trying to think in terms of loft is still hard for me, even after 5 rounds.
 
If you want to dial in your iron game, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything better than the Ben Hogan PTx irons.  The feel, gapping, V-sole, looks and performance are very good.  If you order a brand new set, you will get the traditional iron numbers on the hosel so that frustration is taken away.  They are working with more and more fitting studios to get these available for consumers to try.   This now means you can either rely on the very good online fitting tool or try them in person closer to home.  Trust me, you will quickly learn to appreciate the precision gapping with iron lofts exactly as you need them.  If you can hit more precise distances and have better control, means you should score lower too.
 

Check the price online here

For more information: www.benhogangolf.com

Quick Hits:
+Specific loft options
+Great forged feel
+Excellent forgiveness
+Clean, classic looks
+Better gapping

–Loft numbers instead of traditional iron numbers

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