Hogan Specs

[walker]

Richie....I have a set of APEX IIs with the original Hogan grips and Vector shafts.

I just got a set of Apex PCs with the original shafts (non-factory grips) and they are 1/2 inch longer than my other Hogan clubs.

Do you know if the PCs were made long? Would you recommend getting them cut down?

[gmbtempe]

Mine are longer as well if we are talking about the same club, I have the Apex PC's from the early 80's, they are longer than standard by that same amount.

[Richie3Jack]

I have 4 different sets of Hogans:

1963 IPT’s
1967 PC5
1970 Bounce Sole 1+
1983 Apex PC

The first 2 sets mentioned are a little shorter than standard. I go by how the OEM’s measure shaft length, which is from the bottom of the club to the butt end of the grip. The first two sets measure a 5-iron at 37.5” long. Today’s standard 5-iron length is 37.75” or 38.0” depending on the mfg.

My Bounce Sole 1+ and the Apex PC’s 5-iron measure at 37.75” long. The Bounce Soles have an Apex 3 shaft in them.

The Apex PC’s had TT DG S300 shafts installed in them by the previous owner. However, the 2-iron has a Apex 4 shaft in it. It is extremely stiff. It’s also quite long. I’ll have to measure it when I get home, but if you have Apex shafts in those Apex PC’s, I’m guessing they are probably too long.

I’m not a big fan of long shafts. It makes the club effectively more upright which is not good. I wouldn’t cut them down unless you realize it’s going to make the shaft stiffer. I think those Apex shafts in those particular Apex PC’s (the old Apex shafts from the 70’s are a different story) are so-so shafts. The older Apex shafts I think are pretty solid though. But I still think True Temper Dynamic Gold is a really good shaft. KBS makes a good shaft as well, but it’s light and I would need their X-stiff to get a shaft that is more to the weigh t of my liking.




3JACK

[kamandi]

Grabbed this off the Ben Hogan site before they closed down. Not the models you mentioned, but just in case ....

[bentshaft]

Jun 24, 2010 7:35:14 GMT -5 kamandi said:

Grabbed this off the Ben Hogan site before they closed down. Not the models you mentioned, but just in case ....

thanks for that---good reference stuff...

[Richie3Jack]

Thanks. These were pretty much the Hogan specs on his clubs from 1970 – 1994 or so. The lofts have changed slightly. I believe my Apex PC Equalizer came in at 50* loft instead of 51.5*. I have Bounce Sole 1+ irons and that’s exactly what the specs are. With my 60’s Hogans…like the ’63 IPT’s and the ’67 PC5’s, the shafts are about a ¼” shorter than that.

I had a guy say that hitting the 2-iron in these sets wasn’t that hard because the loft is like a 3-iron in today’s clubs. Problem is that the weight on the vintage Hogans are higher up on the face. They are also more towards the heel. Some moron over at GolfWRX tried to tell the world that Hogan hit ‘heel cuts’ and refused to acknowledge that the sweetspot on those clubs is more towards the heel, even when Tom Wishon stated it. He then claimed everybody must be calling Jackie Burke a ‘liar.’ The other day I flushed a Hogan IPT 5-iron and it left a nice grass mark on the club. Where was it? Noticeably towards the heel.

With 2.5” and 3.0” hosel lengths, it’s almost gotta be towards the heel a bit.




3JACK

[cloran]

For anyone that cares... Here's the specs on my 1958 Hogan Sunbursts:

Iron Lie Loft
3 54 22

4 55 26.5

5 56 31

6 57 36

7 58 40

8 59 45

9 59 49

E 59 53

I may strengthen the lofts a few degrees and get them to 4* of seperation throughout the set. On the higher irons I'm 4*-5* weaker than Lag's specs... that's a lot! Having a 53* PW (E) is fine to me. I was hitting it exactly 110 yards all morning and if I can keep thay type of distance consistency I could care less what's on the bottom of the club. Would I rather hit my E wedge 120 or 125? Sure, why not?

[pavaveda]

My 1980 Hogan Directors had these specs:

Iron/Lie/Loft
3/58/23
4/59/26.5
5/60/30
6/61/33.5
7/62/37
8/62.5/41
9/63/45
E/64.5/51.5

And I had them flattened and strengthened to these specs:

Iron/Lie/Loft
3/53/20
4/54/24
5/55/28
6/56/32
7/57/36
8/57.5/40
9/58/44
E/59.5/48

5 iron is 37.75".

[cloran]

The original loft on my E was 56*. It's a '53 precision and I suppose Hogan set it up more like a SW than a PW...


Pava,

How do you like the new lofts? Any noticeable effects on bounce/turf interaction?

[pavaveda]

I only hit them once before I had them bent and that was off mats at the range. The ball flight was quite high and it was very easy to pull draw/hook them before they were bent. Now the ball flight is lower and more piercing (until you get up to the 8-iron or so); especially with the vector shafts.

The directors have a fairly wide sole and a touch of bounce to them; nothing like some of the other blades out there that are thin with knife-edges. I struggle mightily with low-point, so I'm not consistent enough to really comment on any interaction issues. I do know that when I'm striking it well, I don't see how there would be any problems.

[Richie3Jack]

I had my '66 PC5 3-iron and '67 PC5 Equalizer measured. The 3-iron had a lie angle of 57* and a loft of 23*. I just changed the lie angle. The Equalizer had a lie angle of 64*, but a loft of 48*.

General rule of thumb I live by is the lofts about 4* apart, and then I make the wedges (PW, GW, SW, LW) all the same length and lie angle. I've seen plenty of guys make the 9-iron and Wedges all the same length, too.





3JACK