The Ben Hogan Company occupies a fascinating position in the Great Golf Equipment Match.
First Flight includes all the major OEMs you can think of. In other words, this is any OEM you can walk into a golf dealer and buy. The first flight is about as traditional as you can get.
The Third Flight includes what we’ll call direct-to-consumer “bargain” brands. We’re talking about anyone who can sell you a set of irons for $600 or less. These brands won’t blow you away with game-changing technology, but their stuff is affordable and you can play good golf with it.
Ben Hogan and the Sub 70 are somewhat alone in the mid-range flight, which we’ll call Premium DTC. Both brands will sell you some truly exceptional golf equipment, but they come at a price that sits between the first and third flights.
It is into this world that Ben Hogan is introducing his new Fort Worth Grind forged wedges.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind wedges: Threading the value needle
Key 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. The Takomo SF002 cast wedges are a steal at $99 each, while Haywood’s signature forged 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 is $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 drive with the new Fort Worth Grind wedges. To do that, the Hogans will need to bring anywhere from $30 to $60 more value than their Third Flight competitors while offering enough performance to sway golfers away from safer, mainstream choices.
From what we’ve seen, these new Hogan wedges have a fighting chance.
Fort Worth facts ‘n’ facts
The Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind points are the newest addition to Hogan’s range of precision forged clubs. While Hogan didn’t specify, the guess here is that it’s forged from the same 1025 carbon steel as his cool Ft Worth MB and CB irons.
You usually don’t get any groove or breakthrough material from DTC companies, and the new Fort Worth Grind promises nothing. However, Hogan gives it to you straight. These new wedges feature CNC precision milled grooves with additional texture milled between the grooves. Want a spin? You will get spin. The main story, compared to Hogan’s existing line of Equalizer II wedges, is the single grind.
The Equalizer (which isn’t going away) features Hogan’s signature V-Sole®. With a highly inflated upper edge and a softer, more gradual trailing edge, the V-Sole® is designed to work effectively in any terrain condition. Hogan eventually added what he 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 get the ball clean on tight lies.
The Fort Worth Grind is a little different. While its top-end bounce is much higher than the Equalizer II’s, the bottom-end bounce is significantly lower, especially in the low and high end 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 bounce on the back ends similar to the Equalizers since they’re the ones you’ll use from the green bunkers.
Where Do Hogan Fort Worth Grind Wedges Fit In?
As we alluded to earlier, Hogan is, along with Sub 70, a DTC “tweener” brand. Hogan’s price points are higher than those Third Flight DTC brands we mentioned for two specific reasons. First, Hogan hires a full-time club designer and staff. That’s not to say its R&D efforts are on par with your run-of-the-mill OEMs, but these aren’t private-label open-mold adjacent models either.
Second, Hogan, along with the Sub 70, offers a much wider range of customization options than you see in lower priced Third Flight brands. For example, Hogan Fort Worth Grinds has several no-load shaft options, as well as eight premium options from KBS and Nippon, with loads ranging from $20 to $35.
Additionally, you can choose from 14 different grips and can customize them for your preferred length, loft and lie. Plus, if you don’t see the specific shaft or grip you want, Hogan will get it for you.
This level of customer service and personalization is where the tweeners are separated. The mainstream OEMs are the safe choice and the Third Flight DTC brands are the budget choice. Tweeners must distinguish themselves in quality, unique designs and customer care.
I once saw a sign at a plumbing supply house that read, “Price, Service, Quality: Pick Any Two.” This works for mainstream OEMs and, to a lesser extent, Third Flight DTC brands. Tweeners, however, ride or die by providing all three. It’s hard to do. While Takomo shows signs of wanting to go up a flight, there’s a reason why there are currently only two doing it in that space.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind Wedge: Specs, Price and Availability
The new Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind points are available in six lofts ranging from 50 to 60 degrees in two-step loft increments. Hogan will adjust the loft and stretch two degrees up or down on any model, at five bucks a pop.
The impressive axle offering features several no-load options. They include the Dynamic Gold 300 series, UST Recoil, True Temper Elevate 95 (R-flex only) and the KBS Wedge. KBS Tour Lite is available for free only on XS.
Load axles include KBS Hi-Rev 2.0, KBS Tour and a variety of Nippon axles. Prices range from $20 to $35 per club.
Standard grips include the Hogan-branded Lamkin Z5 and Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Padding grips from Tour Velvet, Lamkin and Winn range in price from $5 to $12.99.
The new Ben Hogan Fort Worth Grind points are available now at Ben Hogan’s website.
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