On 2006-09-20, cdnhash rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 3...(7432)
Details: Regular white golf balls. Did like the font used. Very traditional looking.
Purchase: Bought these balls after reading reviews on this site. Found them at Academy for approx. $24/dozen.
Pros: The look of the ball. Very traditional look. Spin was decent. Checked up nicely on chips. Seemed to roll true on putts.
Cons: These may be the shortest balls I've ever hit! I am not a long hitter but I was consistently 10-20 yards shorter on my drives and at least a club shorter with the irons.
A week later I went back to my Noodle (distance) and was hitting to to my normal distances. The Hawk is definitely not as long as advertised.
Quality: Cover seemed to hold up well. Review Summary: Will not buy again. Won't even give the other 3 sleeves to friends for fear they may hate me for the lack of distance.
On 2006-02-27, Hammer Time rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(6686)
Purchase: Bought a sleeve at a local golf superstore in Los Angeles for $6.99, with the intention of trying it out, as a replacement for the spin-less distance (bargain) balls I usually play, to go along with my better play of late.
Pros: I like nearly everything about it. It is a nice 3-piece ball and it is imminently workable. I have found it to be quite forgiving and the VERY high trajectory to be an aid in soft landings on greens. It checks up, spins back even, and I've had it do so with a 7-iron and avoid long roll-out with the 6 and 5. Putting with this ball is my favorite thing about using it. It is softer and less hot off the face of the putter than some of the other balls I've auditioned in my search. Giving it a solid rap is all that's required. Other distance/2piece balls jump off the putter and make the comeback putt from 6 feet past the hole a little too frequent. This ball helps avoid that. It rolls so much more true than harder distance balls. Awesome feel...for ANY ball at ANY price.
Cons: Not much. I think it is a little less durable than I'd like, being not rich and looking for a good deal every chance I get. It has scuffs from the short irons and for the money I like it to last a while. If you believe that some scuffs after a full round don't mean you have to replace it, then they'll last longer, but if we're to believe the aerodynamics hype, those scuffs make it a practice ball after 1 or 2 rounds. It is very possible that my expectations are unrealistic due to the iron-clad Top Flite and Pinnacle balls I was raised on. I did try out the newest 2006 Callaway Big Bertha as a comparison and found it a bit more durable. The Hawk is not a distance ball. The VERY HIGH trajectory of these balls is supposed to make up distance to counter their 3-piece softness and control...but off the driver, it flies so high it often comes straight down and gets not much roll. I'd say it is shorter than the more explosive, less-controllable, 2-piece offerings in the same price range. That said, I find it closer to, or in the fairway more often, so it's a choice to be made. The high trajectory is the good news and the bad news it seems.
Quality: Extremely high quality, very good ball. Classy look, classic brand, and clearly a well-made ball. Review Summary: We who shoot in the 90's and occasionally get in the high-80's can do a lot of good with this ball. As a 3-piece, mid-priced ball, it is a great value. I think you can score with it, and all but the best golfers (who want more from a ball) ought to really enjoy them. If your more of a hacker, slicer, mis-hitter this ball won't be the same value to you. Go with something cheaper and/or more durable and/or longer. With an iron or hybrid in my hand it is a top choice...if a bit short. With a putter in-hand, it is the definite choice. With a driver I wish it was a little lower-trajectory and a little longer. A better golfer than me with a higher swing speed, (mine is 90-94 mph, average,) would probably not have that issue, it seems to me. If you don't lose it, you'll be done with it after a round or 2. Good value. Great ball. Period. On 2005-02-21, Morganite rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 4...(5064)
Purchase: I bought a sleeve at Vans pro shop for 7 dollars. At that price I am willing to try anything.
Pros: Very very soft feel. The back of the package states they fly increadibly far. These are the best feeling distance balls to date.If you havnt tried them they are as soft as the pro v. The distance is also there. There are a few longer than this but the feel and distance make this one hard to beat.
Cons: There is one minor complaint. The spin is a little bit too suble. You will get a little bit of bit on long shots but not too much. Short chips also have a little spin. But for a distance ball its not bad.
Quality: After 18 holes with the same ball, it is still holding up greatly. The pearl white finish turns dull but the cover is still in great shape, no marks or scuffs. Review Summary: I think it is a great ball. My local shop has them for 25 a doz/ at that price you should really give them a try. Hogan is also coming out with a new Tour Deep ball which may be the same with more spin. On 2004-09-20, mr. divots rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(4430)
Purchase: While helping another member of my foursome look for his ball, I found one of these in pristine condition. I was intrigued by the manufacturer claims and the reasonable cost of this ball (but not enough to buy a dozen on a whim) so I was happy to find it. Put it in play the next hole.
Pros: Nice soft, durable cover. High launch angle, lands soft and spins back on the green on approach shots. Seemed to putt true. Nice soft feel on chips around the green. Does what Hogan says it will do.
Cons: The day I found this ball, there were 30 MPH winds. Although it did not get affected by the wind too much more than my Nike One Blacks that I have been playing, it did have a rather high launch angle to play with in high wind conditions. If you like to play a low ball, this is not the one for you. Most people will benefit from this trait.
Quality: Held up to 15 holes of play very well. The 30 MPH winds finally got me on #18 and off into the fescue this one went. Easy come, easy go! No scuffing at all from wedge shots. Very bright white cover. Still looked like new after nearly an entire round. Very nice ball, no gripes really. Review Summary: If conditions are calm and you want a ball that will launch high and land soft on the green, this is a very good choice. Good quality materials and performance to match anything at the $30 price point. Good spin into the green and long off the tee. Really buttery feel off the irons. If you have been thinking about trying them, I would recommend them. On 2004-08-14, The Golfmaster rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(4034)
Purchase: paid $24.95 at Dicks Sporting Goods.i been using the Nike One ball and just wanted to try something cheaper.
Pros: well right off the bat hitting these with my driver was a delight.this ball goes just as far as my Nike One.the trajectory was a bit higher than what i am used to but i was pleased nontheless by The Hawk in driver performance.long and middle irons went comparable to the Nike One.now the short irons ,pitching wedge especially was where i noticed a dramatic difference.most of the greens in the Pittsburgh area are rather firm and usually a top of the line ball is the only way to go if you want to drop and stop a ball from 140 yds on in.Bam..i was able to attack the pins with The Hawk,plus i even back-up a few wedge shots ! putting with this ball was a treat.you cant beat putting with a soft feeling ball.this ball had that wound ball feel to it off the flat stick.
Cons: the only negative i would say on this ball was chipping.normally that part of my short game is right on deadly.but with The Hawk i was running chips well beyond the hole.i even dropped a few Nike One's down and a Callaway tour ball and compared chipping distance and noticed while those balls were near or just short of the hole the Hogans were 6-7 ft past the hole.
Quality: i will tell you this ball is healthy after 18 holes.just wipe off the dirt marks and put it back in your bag.you wont know which one you played when you reach in your bag the next time you play. Review Summary: this might be the best ball out there period! the sad part is that nobody in my area has heard of this ball.though this is a soft ball it does not compare to the Noodle or DT/Solo.them balls are limited in over all performance compared to the Hogan Hawk.
now to compare this ball the the Nike One and the Callaway Hex Tour,two brands i normally use.i would have to say that driver,iron and putting performance's they are equal.where i found negative was in chipping of all things.
but with that being said i can always learn to chip it a little differently ( shorter that is).i am going to start using these now and save a lot of money.hell for 24.95 i can't go wrong !
On 2004-07-14, DLA rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(3878)
Purchase: Bought it from Golf Discount as something to try since i was looking for a ball with less spin off of the driver than my otherwise excellent Srixon Hi-Brid Tour. A dozen of the Ben Hogan Hawk's only cost $29.99 so they are definately an excellent buy in comparision to the $36 dollars that the Srixon Hi-Brid Tours now cost (the price actually went up from what they cost last summer from Golf Mart in Naperville which is now closed or re-located).
Pros: Although the Hi-Brid Tour registers around a 9.8 on the softness meter and The Hawk "only" chimes in around a 9.5 I found that the extra spin of the Hi-Brid that is so welcome around the greens was becoming just a little too much liability on the 30yrd. wide fairways that i play.
I was consistently having to line up on the left side of the fairway only to end up on the right side or slightly off. Ball shopping was in order for something straighter off of the driver that also played well especially in the unusually windy conditions that we had this spring (20-30mph gust!).
First I tried the Maxfli M3 Tour, it was almost as soft as the Hi-Brid Tour but not as long.
Then I tried the Callaway Black but it actually ballooned on me consistently, don't know why, so i said no to that one. Next I tried the Hogan Black and it was fine off the irons but "heavy" off of the driver.
Then i tried the Hogan Hawk and it has been the ball for me so I switched. Although it had a little "click" to it off of the irons in our cool spring this has since disappeared as we have gotten into the warmer weather of summer. It is the fourth softest modern ball that i have hit after the Hi-Brid Tour, Maxfli Rev. Tour and M3 Tour.
So why did I switch?
1. Because the Hogan Hawk goes straight consistently off of the driver which allows me to pick different spots on the fairway and have greater margin for error. I am now hitting 65%-75% of the fairways consistently.
2. It is also longer. Longest hits compared it is equall to the Callaway Black and the Nike One and longer than the Hi-Brid Tour. Average hits with The Hawk are longer than everything else as well(roughly 240-260yrds).
3. It is durable, marginally better than everything other than the Nike One and Hogan Black.
4. Price. Sorry but why pay extra if you don't have to? I have been willing to pay more in the past but it was starting to become a pain. It's nice to pay less.
5. Although i do hit my 3-10 irons high it's pleasing to see this slightly higher trajectory for some reason.
6. It bites nicely into the greens with even my 5 irons, although it does run a bit with greenside and moderate length chips when compared to the Hi-Brid Tour which i don't like.
In regards to putting i would say that the Pro V1, Wilson True, Srixon Pro UR and Hi-Brid Tour are my favorite balls. They help me with my speed which over a round tends to slow a little because i don't want to hit the ball too far past the cup. The Hawk is a little slower but since it is supposedly "parimeter weighted" i find that it rolls very well like the Wilson True but it follows the contours better than that line of balls. The Hawks does take a little more effort to get going than the other three balls that i mentioned.
Finally, since switching to The Hogan Hawk have tried a couple of other balls.
The two makes that i have tried are the Maxfli Revolution Tour (the new one) and the Nike One (NOT the TW variant). I was suprised at how soft the Rev Tour (RT) was! It is as soft as the Hi-Brid Tour and it goes straighter off of the driver and is marginally longer. The Nike One ball is soft, on average it is not quite as soft as The Hawk but it is close. It is also straight off of the driver.
So why am I staying with The Hogan Hawk?
For the Revolution Tour (RT) it's because:
A. The RT isn't as straight as the Hawk
B. The RT doesn't go as far on average with my driver by about 10yrds.
C. The Hawk is more than close enough in softness to overlook that discernable but only "little bit" extra from the RT.
For the Nike One it's because:
A. It's not quite as soft (a little more than the difference between the RT and the Hawk but seems better than i remember the Pro V1).
B. It's cost (why spend the extra money?)
Cons: The run that i get when chipping.
Quality: The quality is first rate. Review Summary: Not quite the softest but close, not quite as much greenside control but good, longer and straighter off of the driver, and very good in the wind all for a lower price. I switched and improved my game! On 2004-04-12, Halfpint rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(3349)
Purchase: I went down to my local pro shop and bought these for £32 which may be a bit pricey but that was the only place that i could find them. I bought them because a freind in my fourball had just aquired this ball and had turned from a hacker into the best out of all of us, outdriving us by at least 10-15 yards.
Pros: The distance of the tee is unbelievable and the trajectory' s perfect. You can work the ball any way you want to and it feels like butter of the face but had a firm click when you hit it well.
On shots into the green from any distance the performance was impecable and there was loads of spin, but controllable spin
Cons: Nothing
Quality: The best quality ball available in my opinion I played 3 rounds before i got a scratch on it Review Summary: Perfect. If you are just starting the game or if you are a tour pro. absolutely priceless.
When they say 'the finest ball ever made' they mean it! On 2004-03-30, Uncle Chunk rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 4...(3222)
Purchase: I had played the Apex Tour from Hogan and was very impressed by it. They are, however, a little spendy. So I wanted to try the Hawks to see how they compare. Paid $29.99/dz.
Pros: These have a lot of spin for approach shots with wedges and short irons from the fairway. Very similar performance to the Nike TA2 line. A lot of performance for the price. These are comparable in distance to the Nike TA2's as well (meaning they're LONG.)
Cons: These are not quite as soft compared to some other balls in this price slot such as the U-tri Tours from Precept.
Quality: Very durable. Can play multiple rounds with one ball. Doesn't shred most importantly. Review Summary: A very good all around performer. Comes up just short of the U-Tri Tours from Precept in terms of softness and greenside spin/finess, but that's being really critical. Sub- $30/dz. balls are performing better all the time, and the Hawk is a testament to this fact. Very good choice for the low-mid handicapper looking for performance that won't break the bank. On 2004-03-15, Chris rated this Ben Hogan The Hawk a 5...(3095)
Purchase: I had heard of the release of the new line of balls and searched forever to find out info. about them. Finally, I decided to buy a sleeve and try them out myself. I purchased them at Pro Golf Discount for $8.50 a sleeve.
Pros: This ball is wonderful.... I'm a Pro V1x man, but I believe I have found its replacement. The ball is a three piece with a urethane cover. The best way that I can describe it is a perfect blend of the Pro V1 and the Pro V1x. The distance is in between the two, it spins less than the V1, but more than the x. Feel is also in between both balls. Not as soft as the V1 not as firm as the x. The ball has a high trajectory, but its not a baloon type of high. It also played very good in the wind. I was most impressed around the greens. Great feel on putts and on chips and pitches it gives a little of skid spin so you can throw it at the hole and the bottom just drops out of it.
Cons: There is nothing that I don't like about this ball so far.
Quality: The usual high quality Hogan craftmanship. The cover held up very well through the hole round. An excellent product. Review Summary: The msrp for a dozen is $29.99. I'd pay
$49. Just an amazing ball. I suggest you give it a try. It just my pull you away from the same old Titleist and make you realize that the Callaway is just all hype.
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