Fortunately it was not all new information to me because I had worked with so many of the blades in the past.įor example, Mr. I spent hours pondering over the models, inquiring about the unique characteristics found in many. We were able to put together a collection of nearly every forged iron that Hogan had sold since that first set in 1954. One of the key individuals providing me with my education was long time tour rep Ronnie MacGraw who I had known from my days working the tour. Worth, Texas by interviewing long time Hogan club professionals, ex-employees along with some of the re-hires made by Spalding after the purchase. Instead of focusing on a subsequent generation of the ’94 Apex I took a step back and I engulfed myself into everything Hogan. Justin Leonard was playing that Apex blade since its introduction and would continue to do so through his British Open victory in 1997. It had a channel running from heel-to-toe behind the face with a distinctive arched muscle to it. Hogan himself had modeled many years earlier. The last forged blade that Hogan had introduced was a slightly oversize design in 1994 that Mr. Being responsible for the new designs I swore that no one would ever be able to make such a damning remark. Immediately rumors ran through the industry that any new Hogan product would only be a Spalding club with “Hogan” stamped into it.
With this I took part in the re-launch of the Hogan golf club company. The job I had always dreamed about landed in my lap. Late in 1997 Spalding purchased the dwindling Hogan brand with the intent of making it their flagship golf club company. The Hogan brand was in danger of losing its heritage as the premium forged iron company it had always been. Few of the employees were offered to relocate in Virginia as the company began sourcing its components from inferior suppliers to reduce manufacturing costs.
#BEN HOGAN APEX GRIND FREE#
A couple of years earlier the Hogan Company had been sold to a party in Richmond, Virginia who uprooted the organization from its Fort Worth, Texas home to break free from the workers’ union. Because the Hogan Company had a really cool touring staff and outstanding equipment I cherished the thought of working for them one day.įast forward to about seven years later and I can be found up in Chicopee, Massachusetts working as Director of R&D for Spalding Sports’ Top-Flite Golf division. Even those hosel pins weren’t an issue when re-shafting their irons. It was my job to get the specs right and Hogan was one of the few manufacturers that made my job easy. Today you see better specs on off-the-shelf equipment sold in a Golfsmith than what the touring pros were receiving back then. They were one of the few manufacturers that ensured their tour staff had precisely built clubs. When a Hogan staff member came into my shop for any work the equipment specs were always right on. There was one thing about the Hogan equipment (we’re talking about irons for the most part) that separated them from all of the other OEMs. I was working out on the PGA Tour at that time and got a chance to work with most of the Hogan staff members in my tour van since Hogan didn’t have their own. That’s a pretty impressive feat when you’ve got eight or nine staff members. In fact, one year around that time period I believe every staff member had a PGA Tour win during the same season. They had the likes of Tom Kite, Lanny Wadkins, Steve Pate, Chip Beck, and David Frost. Most of their players were at the top of their games. Different From All Other OEM’s On Tour At The Timeīack in the late 1980’s and early 90’s Hogan had a really great tour staff. It was a brand that was arbitrarily acquired when Callaway purchased Top-Flite Golf from Spalding Sports Worldwide. Today the Hogan brand is owned by Callaway Golf. It never carried the moniker as the market leader in sales but those who understood the product were always impressed with the clubs Mr. Started in 1954 by the Hawk himself, the Hogan golf club company was always known for its innovation in forged irons. Unfortunately Hogan is just a shell of the company it once was. If you have been around the golf industry for as long as I have there are few brands that resonate with purists like the Ben Hogan Company. A Look Back In Time & Inside The Design:
Some of the companies they have designed for include: MacGregor, Ben Hogan, Wilson Staff, GolfSmith, Lynx, Founder’s Club, Top-Flite and many more.Īnd today you get to hear about how the great iron design of the 1999 Hogan Apex blades came to life.
From tournament player designs to game improvement models the Sheets Design Group has had a hand in shaping the direction of today’s high tech golf equipment industry. The members of the Sheets Design Group have participated in the design and development of hundreds of golf club models over the past two decades. Today’s article comes to you from Jeff Sheets from Sheets Design Group.
0 kommentar(er)
