The Ben Hogan Company occupies a fascinating position in the Great Golf Equipment Match Race.
The First Flight includes all of the mainstream OEMs you can think of. Put another way, that’s any OEM that you can walk into a golf retailer and buy. The first flight is about as traditional as you can get.
The Third Flight includes what we’ll call “bargain” direct-to-consumer brands. We’re talking about anyone who can sell you an iron set for $600 or less. These brands won’t wow you with game-changing technology but their stuff is affordable and you can play good golf with it.
Ben Hogan and Sub 70 are kind of alone in the middle flight which we’ll call “Premium DTC.” Both brands will sell you some truly exceptional golf equipment but it comes at a price point that sits between the first and third flights.
It’s into this world that Ben Hogan is introducing its new Fort Worth Grind forged wedges.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges: Threading the value needle
Mainstream OEM wedge prices are inching closer to the $200 barrier. I’m sure no one is particularly happy with that development but it is what it is. Relative bargains can be found among the Third Flight. Takomo’s cast SF002 wedges are a steal at $99 each while Haywood’s forged signature wedges start at $110.
MacGregor and Zebra (Hogan’s sister companies under the Sports Brands, Inc. umbrella) also offer great deals on forged wedges. The MacGregor Tour Grind runs $119.99 and the Zebra Tour Grind in raw, black or chrome is $129.99.
At $159.99, that’s the needle Ben Hogan is trying to thread with the new Fort Worth Grind wedges. To do that, the Hogans will have to bring anywhere from $30 to $60 more value than the Third Flight competitors while delivering enough performance to steer golfers away from the safer, mainstream choices.
From what we’ve seen, these new Hogan wedges have a fighting chance.
Fort Worth facts ‘n’ figures
The Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges are the newest addition to Hogan’s lineup of precision forged clubs. While Hogan didn’t specify, the guess here is that it’s forged from the same 1025 carbon steel as its delightful Ft Worth MB and CB irons.
You don’t usually get any groove or materials breakthrough from DTC companies and the new Fort Worth Grind isn’t promising any. Hogan does give it to you straight, however. These new wedges feature CNC precision-milled grooves with additional texture milled between the grooves. You want spin? You’ll get spin. The key story, compared to Hogan’s existing Equalizer II wedge line, is the sole grind.
The Equalizer (which isn’t going away) features Hogan’s signature V-Sole®. With a high-bounce leading edge and a softer, more gradual trailing edge, the V-Sole® is designed to work effectively in any turf condition. Hogan eventually added what it calls the “Texas Grind” to the Equalizers. The Texas Grind is designed for firmer conditions with more heel relief, making it easier to open up and pick the ball cleanly on tight lies.
The Fort Worth Grind is a little different. While its leading-edge bounce is much higher than the Equalizer II’s, the trailing-edge bounce is noticeably lower, particularly in the lowest- and highest-lofted models. Again, the idea is to make them versatile and playable in dry conditions and from tight lies.
The 54- and 56-degree Fort Worth Grinds feature a trailing-edge bounce similar to the Equalizers as those are the ones you’ll use out of greenside bunkers.
Where do the Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges fit?
As we alluded to earlier, Hogan is, along with Sub 70, a “tweener” DTC brand. Hogan’s price points are higher than those Third Flight DTC brands we mentioned for two specific reasons. First, Hogan does employ a full-time, on-staff club designer. That’s not to say its R&D efforts are at the same level as your mainstream OEMs but these aren’t private-labeled open-mold adjacent models, either.
Secondly, Hogan, along with Sub 70, offers a much wider array of customization options than you see in the lower-priced Third Flight brands. For example, the Hogan Fort Worth Grinds have several no-upcharge shaft options as well as eight premium options from KBS and Nippon, with upcharges ranging from $20 to $35.
Additionally, you can choose from 14 different grips and can customize for your preferred length, loft and lie. What’s more, if you don’t see the specific shaft or grip you want, Hogan will get it for you.
That level of customer service and customization is where the “tweeners” separate themselves. Mainstream OEMs are the safe choice and the Third Flight DTC brands are the budget choice. The tweeners have to differentiate on quality, unique designs and taking care of the customer.
I once saw a sign at a plumbing supply house that read, “Price, Service, Quality: Pick Any Two.” That works for mainstream OEMs and, to a lesser extent, the Third Flight DTC brands. The tweeners, however, ride or die on providing all three. It’s hard to do. While Takomo shows signs of wanting to move up a flight, there’s a reason why there are currently only two making it in that space.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges: Specs, price and availability
The new Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges are available in six lofts ranging from 50 to 60 degrees in two-degree loft increments. Hogan will adjust the loft and lie two degrees up or down on any model, at five bucks a pop.
The impressive shaft offering features several no-upcharge options. They include the Dynamic Gold 300 series, UST Recoil, True Temper Elevate 95 (R-flex only) and the KBS Wedge. The KBS Tour Lite is offered at no upcharge in XS only.
Upcharge shafts include the KBS Hi-Rev 2.0, KBS Tour and a variety of Nippon shafts. Prices range from $20 to $35 per club.
Standard grips include the Hogan-branded Lamkin Z5 and the Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Upcharge grips from Tour Velvet, Lamkin and Winn range in price from $5 to $12.99.
The new Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges are available now on the Ben Hogan website.
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