I missed my golf and took up the game a few years ago. But I gave up the game in 1986 to chase bass. They were really sweet clubs and I enjoyed them tremendously.
I had all the right stuff for golf and I knew that I needed a good set of irons to help me attack a golf course–so I purchased a set of Hogan Apex II's in 1981. After three months of lessons, I went from a 18 handicapper to a five.
BEN HOGAN APEX IRONS 2006 PROFESSIONAL
After a year of struggling I immediately turned to a PGA professional to get me on the right track. If you can still find a set of these, run, do not walk, out and get them. As long as I put a good swing on the ball, I know I will not look up and be disappointed. The feel of a solid hit with a forged club is just too sweet. Mis-hits lose a little distance but not much. They are more forgiving than pure blades but work the ball very well. Aside from the obvious esthetic superlatives you usually hear, the clubs just play beautifully. I have had these for about a year now and I can truthfully say, I have naver played a finer club. My son-in-law once had a set of these irons and he foolishly sold them before he could really appreciate them, a move he regrets to this day.
When my handicap dipped into the single digit range I figured I needed an iron that would allow more shot flexibility and also force me to work harder on my technique. For the last several years I have used a variety of "game improvement" irons. I started out over 40 years ago with tiny little Wilson Staff blades. In that time golf equipment has changed unbelievably. I played off and on for over 40 years, but seriously for the last 5. And these irons minimize misses and still have perfect feedback on the pure shots. It was Ben Hogan himself that said if he hit four good shots a round he had a superb day on the course. Golf is a game of confidence and results. Research how many tour pros play blades, you'll be surprised.
I am all about performance as I am aspiring to play professionally and these irons will be with me every swing of the way. I have so much confidence with these irons. I am always pin high when i hit it reasonably close to the sweet spot and never more than 5 yds short when i mis-hit them. As far as playability: I am a very long player but don't swing out of my shoes (8 iron carries 175, 5 iron 220). I occasionally pick other irons out of bags (I am a caddie) and address a ball but have never seen a sexier iron behind the ball. I keep it a secret how great these clubs are. I see my friends who are also scratch players switching back and fourth from their mizunos and titleists, never to be satisfied. They are still in my bag!.and will never leave. I knew very little about hogan irons at the time. I bought these clubs almost brand new for $160 in 2004. In short, great clubs with wonderful feel. I love em and your not having them off me without extreme violence. They are heavier than Mizuno MX range as sweet as the MP,s and MUCH softer than any Titleist and I have never been able to work the ball like I can with these. Distance is fine, accuracy is brilliant and I genuinely believe the Hogan shafts to be vastly underated. I have hit blades with the sweet spot the size of a mouse's ear'ole and nothing compares.
BEN HOGAN APEX IRONS 2006 FULL
I bought the hogan FTX thinking it would be the same feeling on a pure strike, ITS NOT, nothing is,believe me, so I bought a full set. I have owned or tried almost everything, most callaways up to x20 (sorry about that,wont make the same mistake again I promise) mizuno mp 30 60 67, ping s59 s58 titleist 690 cb 695cb wilson pi7, srixons (again nice) still looking for the holy grail of clubs, but, and it is a big but I was given a half set of edge pro's a year or so ago (no 3, 4 or 7 iron or e wedge ) BUT STILL HOGAN GOT ME BY THE CHUFF, reader, I was hooked.
BEN HOGAN APEX IRONS 2006 PRO
Well this is only the second review I have posted the first for mizuno t zoid pro series (nice clubs).