Equipment

Ben Hogan launches Equalizer Black wedges featuring Diamond Black Metal finish, added loft options

Published

5 years ago

Mar 5, 2019

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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Gianni Magliocco

Gianni is the Managing Editor at GolfWRX. He can be contacted at [email protected].

14 Comments

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.

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Mike Cleland

Mar 6, 2019 at 12:11 pm

They look great!

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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?

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- 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).
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Mar 5, 2019 at 7:12 pm

Gianni is a brute!!!

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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.

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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.

Reply Report comment
- Fr
  
  Mar 5, 2019 at 9:42 pm
  
  You’re too fricking old to be here, haven’t you grown up yet sheesh man
  
  Reply Report comment
FM

Mar 5, 2019 at 11:40 am

Gawd, their ugly.

Reply Report comment
- 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
  
  Reply Report comment
Pf

Mar 5, 2019 at 9:23 am

$50 for the pair at your local Kmart

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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.

Reply Report comment
- 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.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - dr. bloor
    
    Mar 5, 2019 at 5:06 pm
    
    NARRATOR: He didn’t.
    
    Reply Report comment

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

1 hour ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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