Hogan fan here...

[Nard_S]

1 hour ago, RolandofGilead said:

The 99s are basically a modern blade IMO. Way ahead of their time. Incredibly soft and buttery due to the Endo forging, pretty compact by today’s standards, and a nice rounded sole for friendly turf interaction. While they are great irons that can still be played competitively today, I don’t really think of them as being a member of the traditional Hogan Apex blade family because they were designed by a new designer (who did a great job!) and don’t have the more unique shapings of other models. Aside from the paint job, they look like a lot of other great non-Hogan blades. I think of them as a great Mizuno-like blade with the Hogan Apex stamp.

 

Much if not all of the 99's were inspired by previous Hogan clubs. The muscle is from the 94, the shape from 88's the topline was from Lanny Wadkins grind. They also adopted Hogan's hosel profile.  The 99's were a tribute to the Hogan brand and Jeff Sheets went to great lengths to incorporate the best of that great legacy. (Google it, there's articles on it that are not allowed to be linked here.) Also, not enough is said about Hogan's shaft profiles. He was ahead of things there too. 

 

Agree they were modern in ways, but don't see them as compact. Tall faced. (I personally like tall-faced irons. Play T-Stamps, they're tall, played Maruman SX, tall). They have more offset than many are comfortable with too. The shaft not super stout. Those things are modern in comparison to classic MB. To me, they might be the best consumer level blade ever offered. Top 5 without doubt, all time. I adored mine, and still have another rather pristine set. I don't play them but don't rule out bagging them again.  It's said that Langer kept the shafts for more than a decade after even when he had new endorsement deals going. Carried the #3i forever too. 

Edited August 2, 2023 by Nard_S

[bcstones]

On 6/29/2023 at 5:06 PM, ezgoer said:

Only what I’ve read in multiple places. This may not be exactly right but Hogan’s experiment with light weight steel shafts. They have a very large .690 size butt end necessitating thinner grips all this effecting feedback in your hands. Heard them described as deader feeling. Can’t imagine how much better an Apex shaft would feel but sooner or later I’ll stumble on one to compare side by side. Also I believe they achieved the lighter weight bye multiple wall thickness in the shaft so more risk of failure.

 

 

I double checked the Edge Forged set I have & the shafts are Hogan Legend High Performance Graphite...the shafts are black. What did the steel Legend shafts look like, I wonder

Edited August 2, 2023 by bcstones

[RolandofGilead]

10 hours ago, Nard_S said:

 

Much if not all of the 99's were inspired by previous Hogan clubs. The muscle is from the 94, the shape from 88's the topline was from Lanny Wadkins grind. They also adopted Hogan's hosel profile.  The 99's were a tribute to the Hogan brand and Jeff Sheets went to great lengths to incorporate the best of that great legacy. (Google it, there's articles on it that are not allowed to be linked here.) Also, not enough is said about Hogan's shaft profiles. He was ahead of things there too. 

 

Agree they were modern in ways, but don't see them as compact. Tall faced. (I personally like tall-faced irons. Play T-Stamps, they're tall, played Maruman SX, tall). They have more offset than many are comfortable with too. The shaft not super stout. Those things are modern in comparison to classic MB. To me, they might be the best consumer level blade ever offered. Top 5 without doubt, all time. I adored mine, and still have another rather pristine set. I don't play them but don't rule out bagging them again.  It's said that Langer kept the shafts for more than a decade after even when he had new endorsement deals going. Carried the #3i forever too. 

I’ve read that MGS article with Sheets several times and understand that he took certain parts of previous versions, but to me the final product is pretty generic compared with other Apex models. Maybe it’s just me. I played them for a year and loved them. I held them up next to an MP-20 and the Apex was significantly shorter heel to toe - contemporary blades tend to be longer except for a couple (620MB and P7MB come to mind). If they have a tall face, they can’t be too long…

Edited August 2, 2023 by RolandofGilead

[Nard_S]

20 minutes ago, RolandofGilead said:

I’ve read that MGS article with Sheets several times and understand that he took certain parts of previous versions, but to me the final product is pretty generic compared with other Apex models. Maybe it’s just me. I played them for a year and loved them. I held them up next to an MP-20 and the Apex was significantly shorter heel to toe - contemporary blades tend to be longer except for a couple (620MB and P7MB come to mind). If they have a tall face, they can’t be too long…

They are bigger than FG59's, bigger than Blueprints & Ram Tours or the JN Customs I have.. Bigger than 73 Apex or 94 Fort Worth's too. They are not small, very average size wise.r

[RolandofGilead]

21 minutes ago, Nard_S said:

They are bigger than FG59's, bigger than Blueprints & Ram Tours or the JN Customs I have.. Bigger than 73 Apex or 94 Fort Worth's too. They are not small, very average size wise.r

I agree, they are larger than all of those teeny tiny blades you listed 🤣 You can add my FG-51s to that list. But in my mind these are at the extreme small end, especially in the landscape of contemporary blades (which is what I meant in the first place, sorry for not being more clear).

Edited August 2, 2023 by RolandofGilead

[Nard_S]

11 minutes ago, RolandofGilead said:

I agree, they are larger than all of those teeny tiny blades you listed 🤣 You can add my FG-51s to that list. But in my mind these are at the extreme small end, especially in the landscape of contemporary blades (which is what I meant in the first place, sorry for not being more clear).

Hah, when someone says"compact" that's what I'm thinking. So that's the my disconnect. 

 

 

[ezgoer]

2 hours ago, bcstones said:

I double checked the Edge Forged set I have & the shafts are Hogan Legend High Performance Graphite...the shafts are black. What did the steel Legend shafts look like, I wonder

This is a 1976 APEX 4 iron. I think I’ve seen these shafts in a few Cameo’s also??

Kinda hard to see in pictures. I don’t have a micrometer to measure but here’s compared to TT DG300. Especially under the grip it gets very large. Regular sized grip ended up being midsize or bigger and I really liked that. I didn’t rip any like some warned they could. I used an air compressor and plenty of WD40 to help blow on the grips. Not impossible but messier and more difficult than a normal regrip job. 

The legend 

The TT DG300

This next is a AMF Vector wedge shaft for the matching SW for the set. Slightly smaller than the Legends if I remember right but still slides about 1/2 inch over the Mac Velocitized S300 in a 8 iron. This SW measures only 34 inches long. I’m not positive if it’s a ladies or just was shortened. I want to extend it an inch or so but not sure if there’s gonna be extensions that size. AMF Wedge shaft has some funky steps, gets smaller in middle of the shaft. Another reason I’m wondering if it’s possibly a woman’s club?? Lots of these wedges have the red APEX shaft also. Sure that’s what was preferred. I just tried to find the nicest one without spending a bunch possibly burning myself. Face is really good. Guess Hogan could have been ahead of the game on spinner wedge shafts also idk.?.

Edited August 2, 2023 by ezgoer

[bcstones]

38 minutes ago, ezgoer said:

 

 

ahhh....now I've got to check the shafts on a couple of sets I have....don't think I've a "legend" band any steel shaft set I have, then again I didn't really look.
However, here are the shafts from 2 different Hogan Edge Forged sets I found at thrift store....any info on them would be interestingl

 

btw...shaft extensions come in steel & "plastic" don't they? Easy enough to cut....& I've seen dollrods used also, just shaped/whittled to fit.
quick check of some clubs within easy access - The Producers have a steel Legend shaft...tho, the PW had APEX band - will have to check Hogan "orphan" barrel to see if there's an Legend shaft wedge in there.

Edited August 2, 2023 by bcstones

[ezgoer]

1 minute ago, bcstones said:

ahhh....now I've got to check the shafts on a couple of sets I have....don't think I've a "legend" band any steel shaft set I have, then again I didn't really look.
However, here are the shafts from 2 different Hogan Edge Forged sets I found at thrift store....any info on them would be interestingl

I have no information on the graphite. They have to be at least a decade newer though. Wasn’t UST a big player in the 80’s graphite era?
 Think the light weight steel Legend shaft was short lived 1976-1980 maybe?? Not a ton of info on them but I honestly didn’t have the patience to really look. I bet the APEX shaft is so revered that these either didn’t work or just simply weren’t preferred. 

[ezgoer]

My irons are great to play, definitely on the lighter side for an old forged club. I was fit to TT Elevate 95 stiff on my moderns but I don’t seem to overpower these regular shafts. Wouldn’t have chosen these shafts but thankfully the irons found me in a thrift store. 
 I have the Legend 4 stiff shafts in the persimmon APEX Speed Slot woods that match these and they feel really good. You really feel the head in the swing. 

[bcstones]

@ezgoer each of those graphite shafts are on the '88 era Edge Forged. I have another Edge Forged set w/Apex 4 steel shafts, again from the '88 era.
Checking in garage area, I have another circa '75 Producer set w/Apex steel shafts (can't make out the stiffness).

Also came across ~3 sets of circa '74 Director irons, I saw both Legend & Apex shaft bands....guess I'll have to remix them to correct shafts, if I have enough. When I was helping Odel in his "store", I knew little about shafts. So I put together clubs based on head & grip.....🤣....sure am learning here in this forum. I also came across one Director club w/a Vector steel shaft...

[NRJyzr]

On 8/2/2023 at 10:41 AM, ezgoer said:

Wasn’t UST a big player in the 80’s graphite era?

 

Aldila was something of a player.  G Loomis was involved, too, especially with the higher end shafts in early graphite.  UST was involved in the 90s, not sure about the 80s.  Grafalloy was a player at some point, just not sure when they joined the party.

 

[weavej1]

On 8/2/2023 at 8:42 AM, bcstones said:

I double checked the Edge Forged set I have & the shafts are Hogan Legend High Performance Graphite...the shafts are black. What did the steel Legend shafts look like, I wonder

My edge set is stock apex steel shaft. I would be surprised if the legend or vector shaft offerings lasted into 1989.

[twidener]

The Legend steel shafts were not popular at all. When they were first released I bought a driver and 3 wood with Legend shafts  and got rid of them after 3 or 4 months. I had played Hogan clubs since 1967 and when the Apex shaft was introduced that was one of the best shafts around. Lots of amateurs and tour players were putting Apex shafts into their drivers. Hogan put a stop to that! Only Hogan staff members could play Apex shafts. Then the Legend shafts came out. You could order clubs with the Apex or Legend. Pro shops that had ordered Hogan clubs with Legend shafts couldn't sell them. No tour player used them. One of the main problems was the butt end circumference was so big that it was pretty difficult to put a grip on them. Quite a few of the grips would rip when they would try to get it stretched over the butt of the shaft. Some repair shops refused to re-grip Legend shafts.They only lasted a few years. The newer Apex shafts were not as good as the original Apex shaft from the early 1970's. They were really nice.

[ezgoer]

2 hours ago, twidener said:

The Legend steel shafts were not popular at all. When they were first released I bought a driver and 3 wood with Legend shafts  and got rid of them after 3 or 4 months. I had played Hogan clubs since 1967 and when the Apex shaft was introduced that was one of the best shafts around. Lots of amateurs and tour players were putting Apex shafts into their drivers. Hogan put a stop to that! Only Hogan staff members could play Apex shafts. Then the Legend shafts came out. You could order clubs with the Apex or Legend. Pro shops that had ordered Hogan clubs with Legend shafts couldn't sell them. No tour player used them. One of the main problems was the butt end circumference was so big that it was pretty difficult to put a grip on them. Quite a few of the grips would rip when they would try to get it stretched over the butt of the shaft. Some repair shops refused to re-grip Legend shafts.They only lasted a few years. The newer Apex shafts were not as good as the original Apex shaft from the early 1970's. They were really nice.

Thanks that’s the most info I’ve gotten on them. Initially when I picked up my irons I read a few unflattering things but never found a ton of info. Was worried initially cuz of this but because it’s an APEX iron it’s pretty hard to completely ruin them. They are light, I’ll spec one out soon just for some numbers. Interesting what you say about the driver shafts I like mine. It is changing more and more but in my mind lighter weight wood shafts make sense. I’ve tried to run higher swing weights for a few years now but I’m also finding I’m gravitating toward significantly heavier static weighted clubs with very surprising results so everything you’re saying makes sense too. I’m am always keeping an open for a cheap set of Hogan’s with APEX shafts to swap into my irons. Can’t imagine how much better they can feel. It’s been 25 years but I once had a set of Redlines with APEX4 Extra shafts and those clubs were very memorable. They were pretty worn out but definitely regret moving on from those. 
 The regrip was a PIA but not impossible with an air compressor and a lot of lubricant 

[Yacho]

On 6/30/2023 at 10:56 AM, ezgoer said:

I’ve read enough praise about the Endo forgings that whenever they come available it’s very tempting. Was a set really close to 9 out of 10 condition at 2nd Swing in the spring for $280. Possibly-maybe??-worth that if you just wanted 1 vintage-ish set but I have enough sets that I rotate so I can’t spend that on something I’d probably play 3 times a year. Sure there’s multiple $100 sets buried in the corner of a garage somewhere waiting for a few of us. 

 

Running this back, because I found one of those sets of '99s buried in the corner of a garage somewhere, apparently waiting for me.  Damn cheap, couldn't pass on it.

 

Took them to the course yesterday, and can confirm that they feel and play very similarly to the '88 Redlines.  Shot shaping control was awesome, good strikes had that same pure effortless Hogan feel...  I'd say most differences between the two, if any, would be down to the shaft.  Getting microscopic on it however, I would say that the '88s launch a little higher and might be a tiny bit more forgiving out of the toe than the '99s.  I'd give the nod to the '99s for sole design and turf interaction though.

 

What great sticks.  Threw 2 darts off the tee yesterday, one to 2ft on a 179yd par3 with a cut 6i holding against a modest wind, and another to 3ft on a 158yd hole with an easy 8i.  I'm off 14 or so, so that's a pretty good day for me, especially on the inaugural voyage with a new(to me) set of irons.  They will be making an encore appearance tomorrow, for sure.

[ezgoer]

48 minutes ago, Yacho said:

 

Running this back, because I found one of those sets of '99s buried in the corner of a garage somewhere, apparently waiting for me.  Damn cheap, couldn't pass on it.

 

Took them to the course yesterday, and can confirm that they feel and play very similarly to the '88 Redlines.  Shot shaping control was awesome, good strikes had that same pure effortless Hogan feel...  I'd say most differences between the two, if any, would be down to the shaft.  Getting microscopic on it however, I would say that the '88s launch a little higher and might be a tiny bit more forgiving out of the toe than the '99s.  I'd give the nod to the '99s for sole design and turf interaction though.

 

What great sticks.  Threw 2 darts off the tee yesterday, one to 2ft on a 179yd par3 with a cut 6i holding against a modest wind, and another to 3ft on a 158yd hole with an easy 8i.  I'm off 14 or so, so that's a pretty good day for me, especially on the inaugural voyage with a new(to me) set of irons.  They will be making an encore appearance tomorrow, for sure.

Congrats, you beat the rest of us there!

[Maine Golfer]

ive rediscovered this one, paint is my work. Its so easy for green side chips, its almost automatic. 

 

[ezgoer]

34 minutes ago, Maine Golfer said:

ive rediscovered this one, paint is my work. Its so easy for green side chips, its almost automatic. 

 

Isn’t that a 70’s one? BH starburst looks similar to 73-77 Apex’s.

 

 I haven’t hit one of those in years. On a similar kinda line of thought I’ve been wanting to brag up this style of wedge in a post. Was just hitting some 1950’s Wilson Harmonized wedges that aren’t as big of a sole but not a lot smaller. it’s incredible how effortlessly they work even on full swings.I’ve thought this was a beginner style of wedge for I don’t know how long. Other than wide open they are incredible!

Edited September 7, 2023 by ezgoer

[Maine Golfer]

13 minutes ago, ezgoer said:

Isn’t that a 70’s one? BH starburst looks similar to 73-77 Apex’s.

 

 I haven’t hit one of those in years. On a similar kinda line of thought I’ve been wanting to brag up this style of wedge in a post. Was just hitting some 1950’s Wilson Harmonized wedges that aren’t as big of a sole but not a lot smaller. it’s incredible how effortlessly they work even on full swings.I’ve thought this was a beginner style of wedge for I don’t know how long. Other than wide open they are incredible!

My guess was 60s but i do not know enough to say. Found it in a Goodwill rusty, I cleaned it was coke, painted it and had my guy bend it 2 degrees up.  Best Goodwill find of the year imo

[bcstones]

2 hours ago, Maine Golfer said:

ive rediscovered this one, paint is my work. Its so easy for green side chips, its almost automatic. 

 

I think the "Sure Out" was one of the most popular wedges Hogan ever made. It was made for years (decades???). Hogan even made a "Sure Up" for a spell, don't know how long...I only have one.

I have a number of the "Sure Out" wedges, sure wish there was some way to figure out dates...they look & feel the same to me.

[Maine Golfer]

My distance control with the Wilson Sandy Andy is better, but ive hit that much more is the thing. Both really rock