When Ben Hogan Golf came back to the market under new ownership last year, its FT. Worth 15 irons had a blade-look built with the better player in mind.
The irons felt and looked great, but some testing from others suggested they didn't fly as far as its modern peers. Perhaps so, but the idea behind the irons, which are labeled based on their lofts as opposed to loft-shielding numbers, was to create a series of perfect gaps to help players with club selection. They did that.
Now, the company is back with a new set of game-improvement irons, dubbed the PTx (get the Texas puns?) line. They're co-forged from 1025 Carbon steel with titanium using a seven-step process.
The idea was to offer forged feel with game-improvement technologies for mid-handicap players. So, while you might think game-improvement leads toward folks of 20-plus indices, the PTx irons try to find a sweet spot that's been targeted heavily with 2016 offerings from Wilson Staff (C200 irons) and TaylorMade (M2 Tour irons).
The irons are hollow from 20-47 degrees, aimed to improve ball speeds across the thin face. A 17-gram tungsten toe weight in the lower-lofted clubs lowers the center of gravity, aligning it with the center of the face of each iron for optimal launch angle and maximum distance. CG doesn't lower through the set, harkening to the Hogan idea that a more penetrating ball flight is key inside of 150 yards.
In irons with lofts of 32 degrees and higher, the 1025 carbon steel body is forged with titanium inside to distribute mass across the face, while keeping weight behind the ideal impact zone for consistent dispersion. The co-forged titanium variable face, in weights of 42-55 grams depending on loft, shifts weight high and toward the perimeter for forgiveness.
The PTx irons sport the company's new V-shaped sole, with each iron carrying a high and low bounce to handle any situation on the course. The high bounce section is for lies on soft turf or players with a steep swing, while the low bounce is great for tighter lies.
Like with the FT. Worth 15 irons, the player has 28 different loft options (20-47 degrees) in the PTx irons to create a custom set.
The Ben Hogan Golf PTx irons will be available in April, with a stock KBS Tour V or 90 steel shaft for $169 per club, while the stock UST Mamiya Recoil shaft will bump the per-iron price to $184.
