The Best Gifts For Golfer Geeks
Your One Stop Shop For Your Golf Fix
I’ve been wondering for a while how Hogan Golf would follow up their smash hit PTx PRO irons which were released last year.
Well, here come the Icons. These strongly resemble the PROs, but are muscle back and geared even more toward the better player. They are only available for preorder at this point, so I can’t even get a hold of a set of demos.
Rest assured, I will as soon as humanly possible. For now, enjoy a few images.
I read rumors of Hogan Golf releasing woods, or at least a driver about a year ago. I was fairly pumped to hear this but nothing was confirmed so I let it go. Then they released two new iron sets ( Ft. Worth Black & PTx Pros) (I guess 3, technically- Ft. Worth Whites) and a line of putters. I guess it only makes sense that they would fill out the bag with a driver and fairway woods. For the first time in a long time, you can have a complete set of Ben Hogan clubs and a golf bag plus other Hogan accessories.
I got an email from Ben Hogan Golf 2 days ago announcing the release of the PTx PRO irons…What the H! I had no idea they were even working on more irons.
The original PTx irons were released in 2015, along with the Ft. Worth 15’s- no discontinued and replaced by Ft. Worth Black and Ft. Worth White irons.
I immediately ordered a demo set of the PRO’s with True Temper Dynamic Gold x-100 shafts (the shafts I use in my current set) and got them in yesterday. (Video below of that whole episode)
If you’ve watched any of my videos on Hogan irons, you know I think they make pretty much the best-looking clubs in the business. Though I have to say, the major manufacturers are really stepping up their game these days on that front.
I said all that to say this…These clubs look fantastic in person. I love the clean and elegant look and the compact (but not too compact) head. So, I’m speaking from a pure beauty and also how they look in reference to the confidence inspired when looking at them. Blades are a little much for me and are a bit intimidating at times. Not these PRO’s.
Here are the specs for 6-iron and 9-iron you see above and in this video:
6-iron Loft- 30* Length- 37.5 ” Shaft- True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 (X-stiff)
9-iron Loft- 42* Length- 36″ Shaft- True Temper Dynamic Gold X-100 (X-stiff)
You can get your own set of PTx PRO’s or get demos like me by clicking HERE!
Get 10% off by using this code: BRDX10
Read my full Ben Hogan PTx Pro Iron Review here
Image Courtesy of Ben Hogan Golf
The Hogan Golf Company has released the Ft. Worth Whites to accompany their signature model Ft. Worth Blacks. They are the same iron, but with different finishes. No, they aren’t really white, they have the same finish as the Fort Worth 15’s, which were discontinued this year.
I’ve thoroughly tested the Ft. Worth Blacks now and you can see my full review by clicking here.
Hint, they are exceptionally gorgeous clubs with superior performance and feel.
I was able to get out to the driving range this morning at Longwood GC for my first test drive with the new EDGE irons. You can check out my unboxing video here and view a few more images on my Instagram account.
I’m loving everything about these irons so far. They are beautiful and exude class. The shafts are KBS V-tour X-stiff and have just the feel I love in an iron. The head is just a little more compact than my Big Bertha’s and looks very good sitting behind the ball. They frame the ball nicely and have a slightly thick top edge. I had complete confidence standing over the ball with the 6-iron or 9-iron in my hand. On this first test run, they handled at least as well as my own clubs and I think they actually felt better. Straight, draw, and fade were all possible.
I don’t generally hit balls so early in the morning, so it took me a bit to get warmed up. I toed the first 3 or 4 shots with the 9-irons but once I found the center, I was in love. A lot more to come. You can read my full review here and I will have that complete by early next week at the lates.
Hogan Golf just released the new Ben Hogan Edge irons for 2018 within the last month or so, but hadn’t made them available for testing until three or for days ago. Ever eager to test these babies out, I had been checking back with the Ben Hogan demo program nearly daily since their release to try and get my hands on the clubs to test them out. Well, I hit the jackpot three short days ago. I checked in fully expecting to not find them available but was very pleasantly surprised.
It struck me the other day that I haven’t discussed, in any type of detail, what clubs and balls I carry in my bag other than comparing the performance of my irons in my reviews of the PTx and Ft. Worth 15 irons from Ben Hogan.
I always like finding out what the pros carry, which happens after they win tournaments and in “Golf” magazine in each issue. So, here’s the list:
I’ve had my Callaway Fusion irons in my bag the longest out of my current equipment, which I purchased in 2007 I believe. Before these, I played the original oversized titanium Big Berthas. I got pretty good with them and really enjoyed playing with them for about 10 years, give or take. The reason I switched, besides “shiny object syndrome”, is that the better I got, the less I liked looking at oversized heads. I saw my Fusions as a natural progression from a max game improvement iron to a game improvement iron and I Really trusted Callaway irons. It took a bit of tweaking to get the shafts correct. This set came with longer than normal shafts and they were also a regular flex, which is just not good for my swing. I got fitted with the True Temper x-100’s and have never looked back.
The Driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood were purchased in about 2010 and I’m pretty happy with them. I got the sand wedge in 2009 or so, the lob wedge in about 2012, and the gap wedge about the same time. The putter was also purchased around 2010. It’s a bit of a blur.
I’m always open to newer and better clubs, but it’s hard to justify sometimes when the game isn’t all that stellar from lack of play. That, and I think these clubs remain awesome and can deliver any shot I need during a round.
Hello, fellow Golfer Geeks. I’ve finally done it…I went out and got the one piece of golf equipment I’ve been wanting since I started golfing at age 23. I now have the best golf swing plane trainer on the market, the PlaneSwing. I firmly believe it’s the best golf swing training aid on the market, and at a very reasonable price.
The thing is, it’s still very unknown primarily to the larger golfing public because it has no major endorsements, even though some of the best current and former players and golf instructors in the world use it. I’m talking about the likes of Dustin Johnson, Darren Clarke, Tommy Fleetwood, Martin Hall, etc.
I’m going to assemble this puppy in the next day or so and begin working the heck out of it. My current swing is hit and miss, at best. I aim to change all that with the help of Tony Clark and his PlaneSwing,
I say, with the help of Tony Clark, because he (a former golf pro) will do a free swing evaluation for you and work with you- and anyone that buys the PlaneSwing- to get the most benefit possible out of his product.
He stands behind his product 100% and, to this day, has never had a PlaneSwing returned.
Please keep coming back to check on my progress.
You can also check out my progress on:
https://www.instagram.com/golfergeeks/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNbNBFNaWFR8CvA0u8p1LQ
https://www.facebook.com/golfergeeks/
https://twitter.com/golfergeek1
Here is my unboxing video I’ve just uploaded to YouTube:
You can check out my review of the PlaneSwing I put together from bushels of testimonials and from research into the product here: PlaneSwing Review
I’ll, of course, be adding a whole other dimension of insights and thoughts through very extensive testing in the coming weeks and months.
I shot a quick Izzo Golf Smooth Swing unboxing video yesterday right after I got it in the mail. This was an absolute impulse buy, as I was looking for other items to feature on Golfer Geeks. It makes perfect sense, though from a personal standpoint. If you read Golfer Geeks at all, you know that I feature Ben Hogan pretty prominently. I picked up his book- Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons– a couple months ago to review for the blog. It’s a classic golf instruction book that I’m actually using to improve my game. As I say in the video, one of the fundamentals Ben Hogan emphasizes is the relationship of the arms to each other and to the body. He wants you to have them as close to each other as humanly possible at address and throughout the swing. This is easier said than done for me since it isn’t something I’ve necessarily focused on in 25 years of playing golf. I want every advantage I can get in learning his method for a repeatable and effective golf swing.
While I’ve long thought that staying “connected” during the swing is vitally important, I didn’t really have a way to drill this into my game other than really trying to keep my right elbow attached to my right side during the swing. The times when I’ve played best I definitely had the connected feeling and the swing felt almost effortless My striking was very solid, my distance was outstanding, and my accuracy was pretty good too. It was Anthony Kim that was my model during this time. He had a very tight (tidy) swing that generated plenty of power and was deadly accurate.
Anyway- I want to get that “connected” feeling back. I want to keep my arms in front of me, working as a unit, and use my core to hit the ball instead of swinging at the ball with my arms. I think the Izzo Golf Smooth Swing will help me do it. I’ll keep you updated in these pages and on YouTube.
Check out my video below
You get the Izzo Golf Smooth Swing from Amazon for a cool $12 bucks.
Today I was lucky enough to briefly speak with the owner, inventor, and CEO of PlaneSwing, Tony Clark. Mr. Clark is a native of the UK but now lives in Orlando, Fl. The PlaneSwing is actually the second swing plain trainer company Tony has been involved with. His prior company has now since closed, and the PlaneSwing was made with improving on the shortcomings of that original in mind.
I feel very lucky that I was able to track Mr. Clark down, as he spends a tremendous amount of time going around the US and the world promoting PlaneSwing, and the game of golf. He is very hands-on in all aspects of the company he has created, and he is 100% confident in the quality of his product and what it can do for golfers of any skill level. To this, he adds above and beyond customer service that I’ve never heard of in many other companies or industries. He’s got a heap of positive reviews but spoke of the only 2 negative reviews the PlaneSwing has received. He and his team tried to track those reviewers down to offer personalized instruction and help with the product but got no response after repeated attempts. I can tell you, from the sound of his voice, this clearly bothers him. It’s clear to me that this company and providing unparalleled support for its customers and products are a passion for Mr. Clark. We had a fairly wide-ranging conversation discussing his background as a golf pro and also his business background.
If you’ve read my review of the PlaneSwing, you know that I’ve longed believed in the concept of this type of golf swing trainer. It just seems elementary to me that if you have an actual physical guide your club can follow throughout your whole swing, that all you have to do at that point is put in the reps. So I was already on board with the concept and thought this product had real potential. Now, after talking to Tony Clark, I’m on board with this man and his company. I look forward to turning on as many people as possible to his company and his products.
We had a fairly wide-ranging conversation discussing his background as a golf pro and also his business background, but for deeper insights into the man, his company, and the PlaneSwing- go to my Q&A he was kind enough to participate in @ Interview With PlaneSwing Owner & CEO Tony Clark