On 2004-04-08, Evert Wind rated this Ben Hogan Apex Edge Pro Irons a 5...(3325)
Purchase: I ordered these clubs at EdwinWatts' in the US for USD 749.
Pros: The clubs have a strong blade-like appearance and have a high polish finish which provides a great look! When holding a club, the thinner topline and reduced offset provides the feeling that you're dealing with a perfect shotmakers tool. And that is precisely what the Apex Edge Pro is! The clubs provides a great feeling in all lies for well hit shots.
Cons: The forgiveness on miss hits is not particularly high, especially when in rough lies.
Quality: The clubs are forged by Ben Hogan and meet the craftsmanship standards where Hogan is famous for. I have played these irons from july 2002 consistently (over 60 rounds)and have never had any problems with them. In fact, they still look great! The forged soft carbon steel club blades do tend to dent as a result of usage.
Review Summary: I changed to Ben Hogan having played Mizuno MX 20 and Taylor Made 320 irons. The feeling and feed back that the Ben Hogan Apex Edge Pro irons provide me is much higher than with any club I played before. In my view, the Hogan Apex Edge Pro are the best feeling and esthetically most appealing irons in the market for all mid and low handicappers out there. My advice: Buy them!
On 2002-08-24, Coach Mario rated this Ben Hogan Apex Edge Pro Irons a 5...(455)
Purchase: I purchased a set of Ben Hogan Apex Pro Irons from a golf dealer on eBay. The irons were new and factory fitted with the No.4 Hogan Apex stiff steel shafts. The loft and lies are standard. Irons 3 thru E. E, standing for 'Equalizer', their equivalent to a pitching wedge.
I have tried several sets of irons from different major manufactures, but somehow always went back to using Ping WRX irons. I was looking for something a little more versatile and was ready to try a set of blades.
A good friend of mine who is a club builder, teaching pro and a single digit handicapper, recommended something along the Ben Hogan line. He had just returned from a vacation in Canada and had played golf there. He rented a set of Hogan Pro irons and was impressed. Since he know's my swing and what I am capable of, I decided to take his advise. The set cost me $455 plus $15 shipping. This was a great bargain, as most retailers are selling these irons from $749 to $799 plus tax.
Pros: I have played these irons exactly 4 rounds and couldn't be happier. They are less offset(more like a blade)and very eye appealing on set up, so this in itself inspired confidence. The Hogan Apex steel shafts play stiffer than they feel and react much like a Rifle shaft. If you top one or hit one a little too thin, you may get a feeling similar to hitting a rock, but it won't sting. If anything, they give you immediate feedback to let you know to concentrate more on your next shot. When you do hit a shot off the sweet spot, you may lose some yards, but the shot dispersion will still be tight enough so you will be able to recover on your next shot.
Now here comes the best part, hitting these irons on the sweet spot is a feeling that will make any golfer beg for more. Once I found it, I couldn't put them down. These irons fly. If you're looking for height and distance, these irons are it. The first time I used these irons, I made a hugh drive off the tee, but landed in some medium height grassy rough. I was approximately 145 yards from the center of the green. Normally, especially with my Ping's, I would use one club stronger. The Ping irons have a wider sole and leading edge. The rough usually has a tendency to catch and turn the club head. Well, this time I went ahead and stayed with an 8 iron. The iron cut through the rough with no problem. In fact, I shouldn't have swung so hard. Not only did I get out of the rough easily, I flew the green with a slight draw by 12+ yards. I knew then I had to rethink my game.
I am quickly learning shot distance and correct iron selection on the fly. I can use less club than normally, and it's really exciting to see your long irons go straight as a laser beam without trying. Hitting draws are no problem. Of course, a good consistent swing helps. I am looking forward to lowering my handicap before the end of the month.
Cons: I have never owned chrome plated irons, so upkeep and care will be a little more crucial. The solf carbon steel can be susceptible to bag dings and the chrome plating can wear easier than stainless irons. Keeping them clean and dry and using face saver head covers is essential. This of course would be no different than owning Muzuno or Titleist Blades which are also chrome plated.
Quality: The Apex Pro's are the irons that are in between the Apex Blade and the Apex (oversized) Edges. The Pro's are smaller than the Apex Edges. Their topline is thinner with a narrower sole and reduced offset which makes them akin to a blade, even though they are a cavity back iron.
They are US made and are a one piece forged iron.
Before I actually made the purchase, I visited the Ben Hogan company website(http://www.benhogan.com). There I was able to view a video on their club making process from start to finish. Their craftmanship and attention to detail was very impressive. Instead of a mass production type operation where shafts are cut by lenght and weight and placed on a shelf, the Hogan Company cuts each shaft individually for each set, keeping them together with the heads in each set in a process which they call match pointing. This insures the overall swing weights of each club to be exactly correct. No cheap looks or feel here to be found.
I recommend visiting their website. You'll find much more information there that can be viewed which will convince you of the quality of their craftsmanship.
Review Summary: PROS: Best forged one piece cavity back irons on the market. Comfortable setup. For most golfers, there's no need to purchase a true blade when these irons perform so well.
CONS: Less forgiving than oversized irons, but negligible. Only a bad swing could ruin your day.
It took me a few rounds to find the grove, but it like was finding a new me. If you are serious about improving and adding fun to your game, these irons are it. My recommendation is buy them!
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