Ben Hogan Apex Edge Pro

[nearfall152]

Let's hear it...

 

 

[raehtz10]

 

Let's hear it...

32782[/snapback]

 

Just bought a set. Slightly higher ballflight than the Nike Pro Combos I was playing, and they added about 15 yards to my 5 iron, I think because it wasn't so cavity backed.

[Sam-Tee-Time]

I've played these irons for about 3 years now - here's my review:

 

Apex Pro Irons - I bought the Apex Edge Pro irons, had them properly fitted by my local driving range pro. I was looking to make a step to a "player's club", to make the step towards becoming a much sharper, more focused golfer. Since I'm a mid-handicapper (15), I didn't want blades/musclebacks, but was looking at these new forged cavity backs as my next iron choice.

 

Feel: After many demos, I was torn between 2-3 irons, including the Mizuno MX-20 (the new MP-30 was not available at this time), Cleveland TA-3, and Cobra Forged. The Hogans were overall the sweetest, easiest to control, straightest hitting, and the best looking clubs that I tried. After 2 years of ownership, I can say I'm very pleased, when struck well, these clubs ROCKET off the clubface, with a nice, soft, forged club sensation that I truly enjoy. There's NOTHING like the feeling of a forged club properly struck - this is what golf is all about, that feeling is wonderful.

 

The Pro's hit very straight, and once properly fitted, a good swing will be rewarded with that sweet forged feel - if you want a real treat, play with a soft, wound ball like the Titleist Professional 90, and you'll see what I mean - sweeeeet!

 

Looks/Aesthetics: These clubs are stunning. One of the most beautiful clubheads I've ever seen, and I enjoy just pulling them out of the bag at night to stare at them! Setup, topline, profile, are all wonderful - a beautiful club to look at, minimal offset, which I like. What a shame they ding so easily (see below).

 

Forgiveness: The Pro's are not as forgiving as the Callaway Big Berthas, then X-14s I came from, but off-center hits were not that bad, especially when compared to other full blades or other forged clubs. These clubs are really geared towards someone with a stronger, more powerful, grooved swing.

 

Dislikes: Ok, there's one major beef I have with these irons - they DING very, very easily. If you look at older Hogan clubs, they're terribly beat up, from that very soft steel getting dinged so easily. Just banging around in your cart will cause many, many small dings all over the face and back, and hosels of these clubs. What a shame that you must compromise these tremendous looks to such ease of destruction - I try to keep iron covers on them, but they still get dinged up easily.

 

Caution: Don't keep the covers on when the clubs are wet, they'll cause the iron heads to discolor, and perhaps even rust. Once you get home, take the covers OFF, clean/dry the clubs, and keep them inside your house to avoid damage. For heavens sake, don't leave them in your trunk for extended periods of time.

[Ogre41]

I LOVE THESE IRONS! :crazy: By far the sweetest clubs in the bag. They look great and feel even better. They have a sort of wide sole, which I actually like, but that can annoy some players. They aren't wide like a slingshot, but they're not as think as an Apex Plus either (those are sweet as well). I bought mine used so they will probably be refinished at the end of this season, but for now, I am excited about playing them. Just a sweet and solid club. The only problem I have with my set is the V-55 cord grips they came with, tried them for a year, and then discovered that I am not a cord guy. The crossline reds should be here tomorrow though. That should make a sweet tweak to start the season with. :rolleyes:

[Bulldogdoc]

I just picked up a set of Apex edge pro's off of ebay. They were brand new with the plastic head covers still on them. I just couldn't pass them up.

 

I've hit them several times on our range, but not played with them yet. I'm still not sure they will unseat my tournament gamers, but we will see.

 

Impressions.

 

Beautiful. Very soft. Mizuno soft. Almost too soft? Ding easy, but thats ok, I like they way a forged club looks with bag chatter.

 

On a scale of 1-10, I would say they are a 7 as far as forgiveness. Easily workable. Apex 4 shafts feel soft in the tip section as some of the other reviews have described. About 1 club longer than my x18 irons.

 

I hate the grips.

 

Overall they feel pretty heavy. The swing weight in the wedge and 9 iron were off. Both D4 as compared to D2 in the rest of the set.

[marty69]

i thought i was gonna stay away from forged clubs until i hit these. better for me than mizuno and titleist..solid ball flight. workable, forgiving...a treat, a players club...i like the squary looking faces. it gives me confidence at adress. im playing these over the r7tp, mp-32 and titleist 704, i own all three sets....if that means anything to any of you. very solid golf sticks that can be had for only a song...give em a look. if your in the market for new irons...

[simplemind]

Been trying to kick these out of the bag, but so far nothing works better (for me). I have the flighted 5.5 shafts.

[Amar69]

shot a 69 on 7000+ plus yards on bermuda with these sticks the second best irons ive ever hit. work it bend it stretch it, beautiful looks, solid feel butter. ask me anything about them i played them for 3 years,

[Golfdog]

Interesting that this thread should pop up. I played the AEPs for several years right after they came out. Then I tried a succession of new irons: MP-32s, MP-60s, Cally X-Tours, Cally X-Forged, and some custom made component irons. All were very very nice irons, but each head had shortcomings. Maybe the leading edge wasn't quite right, or the club didn't feel as solid as I wanted. This winter, I was cleaning up my shop and took another look at my Edge Pros. Hmmmm....man these look good. I shafted them up and WOW why did I ever stop playing these? They are versatile, soft and provide an outstanding combination of performance and forgiveness.

 

Sometimes, we've got what we're looking for right in front of us. :cheesy:

[3_Jack_Par]

I played with my off the rack Apex Edge Pros for 3 or 4 years. They are really nice irons - some of the prettiest cavity backs you'll ever see. Mine were never quite the right fit for me, as they were a degree or so more upright than I needed. I compensated for it pretty well, but I moved on for some fitted Ping S58s.

 

Pros: beautiful to look at, pretty forgiving for a players CB, and provided pretty good trajectory and distance control

 

Cons: Not very forgiving in the long irons.

 

Overall, I really liked my Apex Edge Pros, but it was time for a change. I played some really good rounds with them, and used them to qualify for the Michigan Amateur two years ago (hit 16 GIR in the qualifier -- far above my average).

[tuna12]

I have been playing these since they originally came out. Currently looking to purchase a 3rd set. Have tried many, many irons in between and always have gone back to these. Alot of it has to do with the apex 4 shafts. They fit my swing and ball flight perfectly. My only disappointment with these irons was that I found out Hogan moved production from Fort Worth to China after they had been out a couple of years. Thus my second set was made in China. They changed them from a 1030 carbon steel to 1025 when it went to China. I liked the firmer feel of the 1030 better.

[tuna12]

Update from tuna12:

 

Found a brand new set on Ebay in original box and with warranty tag dated 12/02. MADE IN USA baby. Love them. My third set and can't seem to get off these irons. I just don't know what if is about them. 1030 carbon steel baby.

[bigred90gt]

I have a set of these, and have been playing them for about 3 years now. I like them, but I'm looking for something different. The first set of clubs I owned (full set anyways) was Adams Idea bought new in 04. I liked them ok, but wanted something better. Something I could work. I found the Hogans used at Golfsmith for $300. It looked like 1 club had been hit 1 time, they were pretty much new. The Hogan 3 graphite shafts were to whippy for me, so I re-shafted them with DG S300 shafts, and have really liked them. I can work the ball well with them either direction. This is something I could never do with the Adams. I like the looks of the smaller head, thinner top, and less offset. My only dislike is that I lost quite a bit of yardage. I was hitting the Idea 9 iron 155-160 yards. The Hogan 9 iron is 135-140 yards if flush it. Other than that, I really like the irons, I think it's just time to move on to something different. I will definitely keep them in the closet though, just in case.

[mtex22]

Just picked up a set of these in almost new condition for cheap on ebay and regripped them with black and red new decades. These things are awesome and the apex shaft feels great and give me the higher ball flight I was looking for. They are so soft and feel like butter!! I had a hard time finding irons that would beat my j33cb's but I think I found a winner. I used to play these 4 years ago but didnt have a good swing back then but I remember I liked the way they looked.

 

For those who forgot how these look!! So nice!!

 

[Titleist87]

I love mine and will not be taking them out of the bag anytime soon.

[jccy_apex]

i have been playing with these since '03 and i'm still in love with them! looks and feel once struck well... awesome.

 

they aren't the most forgiving clubs so you're forced to have a good swing all the time (which is good).

[bobbyp]

nice to see there are others who still appreciate this club. definitely need to adjust them yearly. mine were off 1-2 degrees lie angle. combined with TX Tour (S) - loads perfectly for my swing. won't be taking these out of the bag for some time.

[ssfranny]

Yeah they are easily one of the most beautiful irons out there in the last 5-10 years and they played every bit as good as they looked.

 

 

I wish I still had my set of Apex Edge Pros but can't find them in any decent condition on ebay. I have Mizuno Mp 30s that I've played for the last few years and they aren't NO WHERE near as soft as the Hogans.

 

 

Why for the life of Callaway got rid of Hogan is beyond me. They should've taken the Apex Edge Pro made it their X Forged and had the best selling players club out there.

 

 

Anyone know anything about the Apex Edge (non pro) version? I can get a set of these on Ebay for like $260 new

[ajhuntsman]

I was shooting in the high 90s. I bought a used set of these, put on Flighted Rifle 5.5 shafts, and then started shooting in the high 80s.

 

I did lose about 10 yards of distance from my Callaway irons, but it's well worth it. These irons are so soft that you look forward to hitting them!

 

They are so soft that sometimes you can't even feel the slightest indication that the ball was struck. I keep covers on mine, to prevent chatter marks.

 

If you like forged irons, I would highly recommend buying a used set if you find a great price.

[freehb]

+1 on the shafts. I love mine....just got a set of miuras so my apex edge pros are available. Great shape, played 2 seasons but have been cared for. Pm me if interested.

[pcourtney]

I still have mine in the bag, even after hitting loads of other irons over the last few years (just because I fancy a change perhaps), but nothing seems to click, so I'm lucky that I have 3 sets all in good condition with different shafts in all 3 sets.

The long irons are still nice to hit on the range, but these sometimes get replaced by my Hogan ti hybrids !

Shame that Callaway let the ball drop and dumped the Hogan brand, real shame !

[Don7936]

I'm a Hogan fan, and therefore state my preference up front. I've played Hogans since I took up golf (1988). Have the Directors, Apex, Original Edge and Edge Pro. ..(tried the Apex Plus but they felt completely non-Hogan to me, too harsh by far). The Edge is solid, but 3 and 4 irons felt less balanced than the rest of the set. I don't use the directors much, neither do I play the apex's much...they're mid-70's and I want to keep them like new. However, all things considered, the Edge Pros are the best combination of feel and utility. A contact of mine used to be a Hogan staff pro, and when he explained the quality of the manufacturing process for the Hogans up till the mid-90's, I was glad I got the clubs that i own. Too bad Hogan is defunct now, their quality was world-class. I had hoped Callaway would revive the brand in mid-2000s when they bought up Hogan's owner at the time, Top Flite, but no luck. Anyhow, the quality of the hogan irons is the best, find a set that fits you and run with 'em. Only other irons that are as good are Mizunos....just my experience. I'm a 8 handicap so my opinions are not based on playing to a scratch level....just a weekend guy who appreciates the history and quality of the Hogan line. Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

[portsider44]

Had mine since 2000, Edge Pro 3-E, Apex Plus GW, SW all in Apex 3 graphite and have gone through several drivers and putters but the Hogans have stayed in the bag. Well actually all except the 3 iron, thought it would be best to leave it in the closet so I wouldn't be tempted to hit it. These were well above my talent level but being from Ft Worth, having a buddy who work at Hogan growing up, plus the Hogan story, and the looks of these clubs I was sold on them.

However I have flirted with moving them out of the bag for the last 2 years. Having been stuck at a 14-16 HC for 3 years I think more forgiving irons would help. Leaning towards the AP1 or JPX, but then I go out and shot a low 80 round with several sweet iron shots and think how could I change.

Being a lefty don't get to try a lot of clubs on the course, but I have yet to find a club that feels so sweet when well struck.

[dunn]

I just picked up a really clean set for cheap.....the pw looks awful is only gripe....the heads are long toe to heel, offset, and lil bit thick.....but I'll give em a go and see......

[Night Putter]

Apex plus or edge pro?

I'm looking for an mp33 replacement.

Would like some offset. Good turf interaction. Hi flight.

[Heatmiser]

I am still playing my Hogan Apex Edge Pro’s  from when I purchased them about 20 years ago (9 handicap).  I had them install the True Temper Dynamic Gold stiff shafts.  They were played extensively for about 4 years and then I had kids and my golf decreased to a handful of rounds each year until now.  The kids are older and want to hang with friends so I have much more time to play golf.  Now I am about a 14-15 handicap and am thinking about getting a new set of irons.  I can’t think of one thing I dislike about them though.  I wonder if the new Callaway Apex 21 Pro’s would be a good similar level iron.  Am going to check them out soon along with a few others.  I imagine my handicap will get back to 9 after I get back in the groove.

[scomac2002]

On 6/20/2021 at 11:30 PM, Heatmiser said:

I can’t think of one thing I dislike about them though.

 

Funny you should say that.  It was my experiences playing a set of Apex Plus irons about 5 years ago that has lead me to this thread all these years later.  Trying to recapture the magic you might say after  a revolving door with a variety of newer irons during the ensuing period as I recovered from a fairly serious back injury.

 

I think that older irons are absolutely relevant today, especially for those who aren't handicapped by playing stipulated rounds and all the nonsense that goes along with that.  I got a lot of enjoyment out of playing some 40 year old irons last summer.  They helped to resurrect my swing following a period of miserable play.

 

In the last year, I found myself going back to some old friends that helped to boost my confidence and improved play ensued.  Perhaps a set of experienced Apex Edge Pros will be in my future too.

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

I purchased a 3-SW set over the winter for about $200.  They have some small rust spots in the cavity and some paint missing from the branding, but are otherwise in great shape.  Might upload some pictures later.  I'm hoping to wash/knock the rust off of them and paint fill them next winter, but for now, they are IN THE BAG full time for this upcoming season, and hopefully many seasons to come.

 

I don't quite feel compelled to go into detail about them because it's all been said in this thread already, so I guess the only thing I will say is that I haven't felt this good about a major commitment since the day I realized that I had met the woman that I wanted to marry.

 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Poor Mans Ty Webb
Uploaded pics.

[Binson]

On 3/9/2022 at 9:59 AM, Poor Mans Ty Webb said:

I purchased a 3-SW set over the winter for about $200.  They have some small rust spots in the cavity and some paint missing from the branding, but are otherwise in great shape.  Might upload some pictures later.  I'm hoping to wash/knock the rust off of them and paint fill them next winter, but for now, they are IN THE BAG full time for this upcoming season, and hopefully many seasons to come.

 

I don't quite feel compelled to go into detail about them because it's all been said in this thread already, so I guess the only thing I will say is that I haven't felt this good about a major commitment since the day I realized that I had met the woman that I wanted to marry.

 

 

 

Looks great! Would still be good to hear your thoughts with them throughout the season.

 

I've also just got a set in pristine condition re-gripped and hoping to put them in play a month or so from now when things open back up for the season.  

 

Which shafts do you have in those? The Apex 3 feel pretty smooth in mine.

[Poor Mans Ty Webb]

1 hour ago, Binson said:

Looks great! Would still be good to hear your thoughts with them throughout the season.

 

I've also just got a set in pristine condition re-gripped and hoping to put them in play a month or so from now when things open back up for the season.  

 

Which shafts do you have in those? The Apex 3 feel pretty smooth in mine.

Will definitely continue to update.  I came from a set of Edge CFTs (was originally planning on using them as a combo set until I realized how forgiving the longer irons are), and the AEPs definitely have a lower ball flight than the CFTs.

 

I also tested the 7 iron against newer Hogan counterparts (Icon, PTX Pro, and Edge EX), and the AEP gave me better ball speed than all three, with the Edge EX having the most similar numbers overall.  The AEPs are one of those secret game improvement irons that don't look like a game improvement iron, in my opinion.  But still with solid feel, feedback, and workability.

 

The only thing I'm a little worried about is the low height/spin numbers I've seen on Trackman testing, and the potential difficulty with being able to hold a green with these as a result.  So far with the soggy, soft Spring greens that hasn't been an issue, but in the heat of the summer, we'll see. The launch/spin numbers may just be influenced by hitting off of a mat, as well.  Maybe I'm just in my own head about it.

 

I have the Apex 4s in these (same as the CFTs) and they feel great for my swing.  Those Apex shafts are some of the best.  They have produced too-highish ball flights in other heads I've used, but those heads had much lower COGs and I think the AEP/Apex combo might just be money.  I have a set of '83 Radials with Apex 3 shafts and those things give me a ball flight that looks like a parabola.