That sole was initially found in wedges by Merit Golf under my license, then my own companies Reid Lockhart (1995), EIDOLON (2003), SCOR (2011) and the Ben Hogan TK wedges (2015). This pre-dated Vokey-branded wedges (2007) and other custom grinds. I, Terry Koehler, received a patent on the “Dual Bounce Sole” in 1990, which recognized the innovation of incorporating two distinct and positive bounce angles into the sole of a golf club.
To answer a few questions that have popped up here. This shows we’re in it for the long term.” “If anything, this answers the question ‘are you going away?’” says White. In addition, Hogan is offering a trade-in program for your old clubs and will be offering a short-term (6 to 12 months), no-interest financing program in the coming weeks. The new Equalizer wedges should be part of the Demo program by mid-April. For $20.00 – which covers 2-way shipping – you can order a two-club demo package of irons or wedges to try out for a couple of weeks before you buy. Hogan introduced a new line of accessories a couple of weeks ago – hats & visors, towels, an umbrella and some travel gear – and they’ve added a Demo program to their website. In addition to the new Tour pros and the new wedges, there’s been plenty going on down in Fort Worth. The TK 15’s will be slowly phased out of the lineup, selling for $75.00 per wedge until they’re gone, probably by the end of the year. The new Equalizer wedges are available for presale on Hogan’s website starting today for $100.00 per wedge. There’s no upcharge for graphite for wedges or for any of our iron sets.” “The pricing is almost identical from a cost perspective, so we just feel it’s the right thing to do. “From our perspective, there’s no reason to have an upcharge on graphite,” says White. The company has since changed its approach, raising the CG in the higher lofted clubs. The approach isn’t radically different to what Vokey did in the SM4 and SM5 lines. The higher lofted wedges have a lower center of mass for higher shots that land on the green more softly. Lower lofted wedges – the 48-, 50- and 52-degree gap wedges – feature a center of mass higher on the clubface for lower, more penetrating shots with lots of spin. The other tech-enhancement you’ll see with the Equalizer is what Hogan is calling the Progressive Center of Mass System, which moves the center of mass north or south on the clubface, depending on the wedge. “We might offer sole grind down the road, but as with everything we do, we’re moving pretty methodically.” “It’s not a one-size-fits-all by any stretch of the imagination, but we think it’s a pretty broad sole design,” says White. It’s really an easy club to manipulate.”īecause of the versatility of the V-Sole ®, Hogan won’t be offering sole grind options at this time. “And we’ve increased it a bit more on the trailing edge so you can open it up a bit more and play from almost any kind of turf condition or in the bunker. “We’ve taken a little bit of bounce angle off the front end and leading edge,” says White. The new Equalizers will feature a slightly modified and updated V-Sole ®. Hogan’s TK 15 wedges, like Terry Koehler’s SCOR wedges before them, featured the V-Sole ® – a high-bounce leading edge with a lower-bounce sole and trailing edge to allow you to hit most any kind of shot from most any kind of lie or turf condition. The name stuck and the resurrected Hogan is resurrecting the Equalizer name for its new wedge line.
Legend has it Hogan’s Pitching Wedge was such an effective weapon that his playing partners gave it that nickname. Right up until the original Hogan company was mothballed by Callaway in 2008, the club following the 9-iron was labeled E for Equalizer. That’s exactly what we’re getting today as Hogan is introducing its first new club in nearly two years: the Hogan Equalizer wedge. The next step in Hogan’s rise from the crypt would be, of course, new product. While neither player is what you’d call a needle-mover, they do give Hogan presence on both the PGA and Champion Tours, and being Fort Worth residents, both are involved in Hogan’s new product development. Henryand 1996 PGA Championship winner Mark Books – both former Hogan staffers – signed endorsement contracts in January. We’ve seen signs of that newfound stability over the past several months. The new Factory Direct model unveiled last summer appears to have put Hogan on stable financial ground. Open after his run-in with a Greyhound, but it’s stunning nonetheless. Hogan’s rise from last year’s bankruptcy may not be as dramatic as the Hawk winning the 1950 U.S. When it comes to tenacity, the Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company certainly shares DNA with its namesake.