Equipment
Ben Hogan launches Equalizer Black wedges featuring Diamond Black Metal finish, added loft options
One year after launching the Equalizer wedge line, Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company has unveiled a full-line of Equalizer black wedges.
The equaliser black wedges feature a Diamond Black Metal finish which aims to reduce glare and provide for greater contrast with the golf ball. According to the company, the Diamond Black Metal finish is seven times more durable than nickel chrome.
Speaking on the addition of the Equalizer black wedges, Scott White, President and CEO, Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company said
“Quite honestly, we were taken aback by the demand for the limited-edition Equalizer BLACK wedges we offered in 3-club sets last year. Serious, accomplished golfers were frustrated that we were only offering them in 52, 56 and 60-degree lofts.
“Given our factory-direct business model, we were able to receive and react to this feedback quickly. Now, golfers can choose from three different gap wedges, three different sand wedges, and two lob wedges with either our traditional nickel chrome or Diamond Black Metal finish.”
The loft options for the Equalizer black gap wedge are 48, 50 and 52 degrees, sand wedge 54, 56 and 58 degrees and Lob Wedge 60 and 62 degrees.
The new additions from Ben Hogan start at $105, and speaking on the price point, White stated
“To be able to offer a wedge of this quality at or around $100, thanks to our direct-to-consumer business model, allows us to provide golfers with the very best performing product at an extremely attractive price point.”
The Equalizer wedges are available for demo or purchase at www.BenHoganGolf.com exclusively.
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Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)
Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper (13.5 degrees)
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth Plus (19 degrees)
Irons: TaylorMade P790 (4-8, PW), TaylorMade P760 (9)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09, 56-10, 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2 Prototype
Check out more in-hand photos of Drew Brees’ clubs here.
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We always get some great photos of some phenomenal putters at tour events and love to share them. Here are a few from the 2024 Zurich Classic that caught our eye and seemed interesting. (And as a reminder, you can check out all our photos from New Orleans here)
MJ Daffue’s Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype
MJ is going with the new Scotty Cameron T-11 Prototype this week. The putter is a multi-piece mallet that puts an emphasis on stability with the wings on the back. Daffue’s putter does have a design that differs from retail with a monotone finish, which eliminates the black paint on the aluminum parts that we see at retail. He also has a half siteline milled into the top and an L-neck welded on for some additional toe hang. The face features a deeper milling that should offer a softer feel and slightly quieter sound.
Scotty Cameron T-7.5 Prototype
We spotted a few different Scotty Cameron Phantom models with modified rear flanges. It looks like the straight black flange was cut into a half circle for a little softer look at address. On this T-7.5, you can still see the raw aluminum from the back view, so this might have been a last-minute job to get them out on tour. The semi-circle also has a white line on it, maybe to frame the ball differently.
Alex Fitzpatrick’s Bettinardi SS16 DASS
Alex’s SS16 is made from Bettinardi’s famous D.A.S.S., or double-aged stainless steel, for a softer and more responsive feel. The face has a unique diamond pattern milling and features a logo that I feel like I have seen before, but can’t put a name to. The putter is a classic mid-mallet style with a simple, single white siteline on the top. The sole is clean with just the SS16, DASS, and a green triangle logo on it.
Steve Stricker’s Odyssey White Hot No. 2
This putter has made some amazing putts in its long career! Stricker’s White Hot No. 2 might be in the top 10 of most famous putters in golf. When you see all the dents and lead tape, you know the heel will be up and it will be sinking putts! The soft White Hot insert looks to be in good shape and has less wear on it than the rest of the putter. We don’t know how much lead tape is on the sole, but it has to be multiple layers compacted down over the years.
Doug Ghim’s Scotty Cameron T-7 Prototype
This T-7 should win the award for “best color finish” in this list with its deep chromatic bronze. It looks like Scotty added a cherry bomb dot to the heel of the deep-milled face and filled it with a very dark blue paint. The rest of the putter looks pretty stock with its single site line on the topline and twin site lines down the “fangs” of the putter. Twin 5-gram weights are installed in the sole and the putter is finished off with a gloss black double bend shaft with a fill shaft offset.
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
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Project X’s Denali wood shafts have been seen in more and more golf bags this year as we start off the season. As a refresher, Denali Blue is the mid-launch and mid-spin model while Denali Black is for players seeking lower launch and spin.
Denali combines great feel with stability and increased ball speed. Currently, Project X only offers Denali Blue and Black in wood shafts, but we spotted a hybrid shaft in Daniel Berger’s bag at the 2024 Zurich Classic.
The shaft looks to be a Denali Blue 105G – HY in TX flex. No word on details from Project X yet but we can assume that this is a mid-launching shaft that weighs around 105 grams in Tour X-Stiff flex.
Berger has this shaft in his TaylorMade P770 3-iron, likely for some added launch and spin to hold the green from longer distances.
Hopefully, this means we will see some more shafts coming under the Denali name in the future, as I think many of us would like to try one in a hybrid or utility iron!
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 Zurich Classic
- Check out in-hand photos of Daniel Berger’s full WITB here.
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Drew Brees WITB 2024 (April)
View this post on Instagram A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx) Driver: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Plus (10.5 degrees)...
Daniel Berger WITB 2024 (April)
Daniel Berger what’s in the bag accurate as of the Farmers Insurance Open. More photos from the event here. Driver:...
Rasmus Højgaard WITB 2024 (April)
Rasmus Højgaard what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: Callaway Ai Smoke Triple Diamond (10.5 degrees)...
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024 (April)
Rory McIlroy what’s in the bag accurate as of the Zurich Classic. Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
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Steve Buchanan
Mar 6, 2019 at 2:19 pm
I played, in retro order, Mizuno, Taylor Made Blades, Callaway and Ping. These are all fine clubs. In fact, it is HARD to buy bad clubs today if you are buying one of the premium brands. My first set of matched irons as a teen was Hogan, 1958 model, which I bought used many years after they were made.
Last summer, I bought a set of PTX irons and the Equalizer wedges to complement the set. They are beautiful, and have the performance of any of my previous sets, from Eye 2 to Mizuno.
Hogan is for the player who has some knowledge of what he/she needs in a club, and one who knows their basic information such as swing speed, and what type of ball flight is preferred and can choose their own shaft.
But outside of that, quality is not an issue. They just cut out all the ancillary costs of retail, so they offer a premium brand at a reduced cost. If you fit the criteria above, then you can save at least a third of the cost that is offered at your superstore or club fitting.
Mike Cleland
Mar 6, 2019 at 12:11 pm
They look great!
Ray K
Mar 6, 2019 at 10:22 am
Doesn’t Callaway own Ben Hogan Golf Clubs and aren’t they the ones manufacturing and selling the current line of Ben Hogan golf clubs?
Jeff Martin
Mar 6, 2019 at 1:51 pm
Callaway bough Ben Hogan brand back in the early 2000’s. They continued making BH clubs until around 2006 (?) and then shelved the brand. They did continue to use the model names such as the APEX. Today’s Ben Hogan Golf bought the rights to the name from Callaway and now make BH branded clubs. (Note: This is just the quick and dirty on the BH story).
Tom
Mar 5, 2019 at 7:12 pm
Gianni is a brute!!!
Chris Walton
Mar 5, 2019 at 12:39 pm
Both the wedges and Ft. Worth irons are fantastic.
Great look and feel with exceptional quality.
I’ve played Mizuno and Ping primarily for the past 20 + years and the Hogan’s are equal or better in every aspect.
Some of the comments above are idiotic at best…however, they are entitled to their opinion.
Matt
Mar 5, 2019 at 11:54 am
I admit that the odd diamond pattern on the back makes them look cheaper, I’d rather have a clean finish on them. However, the Hogan products are premier products and DLC is one of the better black finishes.
I’ve tested out the original FTW 15 31° and 43° irons and they feel and fly great.
Disclosure – I’m an old Hogan fan and own, ’72, ’79, ’88 Apex models and ’81 Directors.
Fr
Mar 5, 2019 at 9:42 pm
You’re too fricking old to be here, haven’t you grown up yet sheesh man
FM
Mar 5, 2019 at 11:40 am
Gawd, their ugly.
Craigie73
Mar 5, 2019 at 3:30 pm
If all that stamping was taken off and all that was left was the Hogan signature they would look 100 times better. They’re just far too busy looking
Pf
Mar 5, 2019 at 9:23 am
$50 for the pair at your local Kmart
Travis
Mar 5, 2019 at 8:57 am
I know this is not their intent, but this company has made the Ben Hogan name synonymous with “cheap”. The Hogan name should be on premier products, not direct-to-consumer garbage. It’s a shame.
Justin
Mar 5, 2019 at 9:38 am
I don’t understand how direct to consumer makes a product cheap. The Ft Worth irons are some of the highest quality irons I have ever hit and I have played Mizuno blades for years. I am not sure you have any idea what you are talking about.
dr. bloor
Mar 5, 2019 at 5:06 pm
NARRATOR: He didn’t.