You can use a lot of adjectives to describe the new Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons, but I don’t think “unoriginal” will be one of them.
“Distinctive” works, as does “singular” and “eye-catching.”
I think the one that works best is “idiosyncratic.”
Muscle back blades and player’s cavity back irons have a classic manner and style, and the new Fort Worth MB and CB irons fit into that particular idiom quite nicely. One look, however, will tell you they have individual traits that are all their own.
That makes them idiosyncratic.
Hey, I paid attention in school.
Idiosyncratic is nice, but do they perform? Hogan, naturally, says yes. We’ve taken them for a simulated test drive and will share what we’ve learned. One thing is for certain, though. These new Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons might be among the most playable MBs and CBs you’ve ever tried.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth MB & CB irons
“I was Facetiming with Ian Woosnam and telling him we had new lines,” Ben Hogan Company owner Simon Millington tells MyGolfSpy. “He goes, ‘Show me.’ So, I showed him the Fort Worth MBs and he says, ‘Stop, I’m having these.’”
Everything about the new Fort Worth irons screams sloppy ball strikers need not apply. They’re compact, but they do carry a surprising amount of forgiveness in their tiny little 1025 carbon steel forged bodies.
“We’ve certainly tried to maintain Mr. Hogan’s view that golf clubs should be like a fine piece of jewelry,” says Millington. “We hope we’ve kept that spirit alive with these clubs.”
Jewelry is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. We think the new Hogan Fort Worth irons are pretty attractive, but they are busy, which some might find off-putting. It ultimately depends on which beholder is doing the beholding. However, the head geometry is largely a function of the key technology built into the new Fort Worth irons. It’s called CMC, or Ceramic Matrix Composite technology.
What is Ceramic Matrix Composite technology?
As any good club designer will tell you, the search for discretionary weight is never-ending, no matter how small the payoff is. You’d be amazed how excited engineers get when they can shift even five grams from one spot where it does nothing to another spot where it helps CG or MOI.
Hogan’s on-staff club designer Gavin Wallin, formerly a senior designer with Adams, says Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) technology is a serious weight saver, especially for irons as small as these.
“The beauty of the material is that it has the toughness of steel but it’s very lightweight. That lets us move weight around to where we need it.”
CMC is fiber-infused ceramic, and it’s that fiber that makes it both strong and non-brittle. 1025 carbon steel is forged around the CMC to create the Fort Worth iron heads. Wallin says the light core lets Hogan manipulate each iron’s center of gravity for optimal launch and forgiveness relative to its size.
“The idea is to have a low CG in the long irons for low spin and high launch,” Wallin explains. “As you get into the short irons, the CG needs to go up for higher spin. CMC allows us to adjust that and create a progressive center of gravity throughout the set.”
Touch of class, baby…
The new Ben Hogan Forth Worth irons feature a few classic Hogan elements coupled with some modern design principles. Long-time Hoganistas will immediately pick up on the blade-on-blade design, a feature that can be traced back to the very first Hogan iron ever, the Precision from 1954.
Blade-on-blade design features a thicker mass behind the face, which helps push the CG down and more toward the heel for better workability. The new Fort Worth MB irons are probably most similar to the classic 1999 Apex blades, designed by Jeff Sheets. The Forth Worth MB features milling high on both the heel and toe. When combined with the CMC material, considerable mass is moved low and slightly toward the low heel area.
The Fort Worth CB is also a blade-on-blade design with an exaggerated muscle pad for an even lower CG to go with a wider sole.
“The muscle back has a piercing flight with workability,” says Wallin. “The cavity back is higher launching with more stopping power and maximum forgiveness.
“They’re two very different clubs with different flight characteristics, but each with a very solid forged feel.”
Toplines and other love songs
Nothing gets a player’s iron purist’s motor purring like a thin topline. The toplines on the new Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons aren’t exactly razor-thin, but neither were the ’99 Apex toplines, either. Like anything, it’s a tradeoff. If you want a little forgiveness, you’ll need a low CG and some perimeter weighting. To get that plus a solid forged feel (which is dictated by club geometry), the so-called “butter-knife” topline might need a little extra girth.
The toplines of both the MB and CB models are essentially the same and nearly identical to that of the ’99 Apex blade. The soles, on the other hand, are different widths. As you’d expect, the CB sole is noticeably wider to accommodate the extra low mass. Both irons also feature Hogan’s signature V-Sole® to enhance turf interaction.
Developed by past Hogan CEO Terry Koehler, The V-Sole® has been standard in Hogan irons since the company first returned in 2015. It combines a high-bounce leading edge with a low-bounce trailing edge to help you get through rough and get away with slight chunks. It’s a stroke-saver.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons: Same thing only different
The lofts for both Fort Worth iron sets are identical, with four degrees separating each iron. You’ll find a 26o 5-iron, a 34o 7-iron and a 46o pitching wedge. Additionally, corresponding irons in each set feature identical offset, head weight, leading-edge and trailing-edge bounce and blade lengths.
It’s almost as if someone made them to be blended.
“There’s that progressive center of gravity across each set,” says Wallin. “That allows us to create a combo set that transitions at the CB 7-iron to the MB 8-iron.”
Hogan is offering the Fort Worth irons in a combo set as well as in standalone MB and CB sets.
Surprisingly easy to hit
We’ve only had one range session and one launch monitor session with the new Fort Worth irons, but we have some impressions to share.
First off, the MB is one of those blades that will give you delusions of grandeur. It’s a remarkably forgiving and easy-to-hit muscle back that will make you believe you have the chops to game it. Even the long irons will make you think.
The Fort Worth CB irons are more forgiving, which makes the blended set option a near no-brainer.
From a feel standpoint, modern forgings are evolving. Materials are getting better, and forging techniques are getting more elaborate. However, that soft smush you’d get from an old Hogan or MacGregor forging has been replaced with a muted and slightly more clicky thwack sound and feel. Geometry required to build in added forgiveness no doubt plays a role.
That said, when you hit one of the new Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons right in the sweet spot, you’ll know it. You’ll feel things you won’t want to tell Mother about.
Ben Hogan Fort Worth MB and CB irons: Final thoughts
We can safely agree that the new Fort Worth irons are forgiving…for their category. Make no mistake, however; these are for ball-strikers.
At the same time, they’re also forgiving enough to relax the admission standards into Club Ball-Striker just a bit.
“We spent a lot of money developing these irons,” says Millington. “I don’t believe there’s anything better that’s being made by anybody. I know that’s a big shout, but it’s also a challenge. Tell me there’s a better MB out there. Tell me there’s a better CB out there.”
Hey, there’s not a damn thing wrong with confidence.
As long as you can back it up.
Since its 2015 rebirth (and subsequent rebirths), Ben Hogan irons have been fair to middling in MyGolfSpy testing. Millington took over Hogan in late 2023, and his other brands (Ram and MacGregor irons, Teardrop and Zebra putters) have had above-average to borderline stellar performances in various categories. With that kind of track record, a certain amount of confidence is probably warranted.
“If a customer buys a Ben Hogan club, it better be good,” says Millington. “There isn’t room for ‘good enough.’ I’ve driven Gavin and my sons mad over this, but we did get it right.”
Ben Hogan Fort Worth irons: Price, options and availability
The new Ben Hogan Fort Worth MB and CB irons are available in six-piece (5-PW) or seven-piece (4-PW) standalone sets or as a combo set. Right-handed sets are available now, while left-handed sets can be preordered starting in early March.
Since each set is custom-built at Millington’s Nevada facility, there’s no stock offering. There are, however, standard shafts and grips as well as those available at an upcharge. Standard shafts include the Dynamic Gold and Dynamic Gold 105, the KBS Tour, Tour 90, Tour V and Tour Lite, and the graphite UST Recoil with Smacwrap.
Upcharge options include the KBS C-Taper, C-Taper Lite, C-Taper 95, $-Taper and $-Taper Lite and the Nippon N.S. PRO Modus3 Tour 105 and 120, ranging in price from $24.99 to $30 each. The Project X Catalyst is available for $40 each.
The Hogan-branded Lamkin Z5 grip is standard. Upcharge grips include the Lamkin Crossline, Crossline Genesis Full Cord and Smoothtac ST Hybrid, the Golf Pride Tour Velvet, CP2 Wrap, Z-Grip Cord and MCC Plus 4, and the Winn Dri-Tac, all ranging in price from $5 to $12.99 each.
There’s no charge for length adjustments. Custom loft and lie adjustments are $25 each per set.
The Ben Hogan Fort Worth MB, CB and Combo are $899.00 for a six-piece set and $999.99 for a seven-piece set.
They’re available now on the Ben Hogan website.
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