Ben Hogan & Slazenger Partnership and some of the clubs produced

[@deviusfeilds]

Thanks for the nod to NZ and Aus in your video as well as the content. Its great to see information adjacent to the main story and then specific relative information to the clubs that is difficult to find. This is obviously well researched as well as delightfully presented. Thanks for your effort.

[@richardw64]

I have one pitching wedge called a Slazenger Ben Hogan "Flash Reaction", with the Hogan logo and a short red, yellow and blue racing stripe. An Aussie version. This forms part of my covid collection of wedges alongside my Slazenger Jack Nicklaus Mk IIIs, Gary Player Black Knight and Ambassadors. Best wishes from Sydney.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Thanks Richard, I always appreciate a comment from Australia! Your Flash Reaction sounds a great club, Slazenger Australia made a few Hogan models that deviated from the official Hogan ones if I'm not mistaken. You might find the following video interesting as it has some info on Slazenger Australia: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqKueWhoeriolbc

[@andrewm536]

Wonderful depth of information, the old advertisements are much appreciated! I am lucky enough to have a beautiful set of Slazenger Precisions 3 Iron - E wedge that match the 1957 advert perfectly (original grips, shafts, ferrules etc). It is amazing to add to the background knowledge of these clubs origins, it has been extremely difficult to track down such info! As a Hogan collector I also have several other Slazenger sets (Bounce Sole 1+ from '69 and unusual set of Medallion with the black Apex II cameo logo rather than the coin, for which I have never seen another example!) Keep up the fantastic work and thanks for sharing!

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Thanks Andrew. The Precision irons were certainly a landmark club and have been imitated by most manufacturers down the years.

[@geoffreyclark2805]

Nick that was a very good documentary on Ben Hogan and Slazenger partnership. I have several sets of Hogan irons, all chromed carbon steel forged except one that is 1975 Producer which are cast and funny thing the pitching wedge is marked PW, not Equalizer as the others are marked. I have a set of 1954 Spalding Synchro-Dyned irons that are Forged Stainless Steel, amazing how club makers used different methods. Thanks again Nick, can't wait for on course vlog.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Penfold made a near exact copy of the Producer called the International which was also cast stainless steel, I featured the Penfold version in an earlier video. I didn't realise that they called the equalizer a PW in that set.

[@SMH24.7]

At 12:29 you mention the "English ball size". Until 1990, the R&A allowed the use of a golf ball that was 1.62" in diameter. The larger "American" ball authorized by the USGA was 1.68" in diameter. It was said to be common for American golfers playing in the UK and golf courses under the rules of the R&A to use the smaller ball as it purportedly performed better in the wind and provided a bit more distance. After 1990 the R&A and the USGA agreed to one ball size only, the larger 1.68 diameter ball.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

That's right. Most Americans playing in The Open would switch to the 1.62" ball but the R&A made the 1.68" ball compulsory at The Open in 1974. The ball size change is covered in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sJ2kpYNnrrljaaM

[@johnwaynecarlson5391]

Thank you for adding to the history of Hogan clubs. Well done. Slazenger Canada also produced their own unique versions of the Hogan line.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Thanks John, I did wonder about Slazenger Canada (and Slazenger in South Africa) but as I couldn't find any information on their Hogan clubs I thought it best not to comment and perhaps give wrong information.

[@johnwaynecarlson5391]

@@ClassicGolfClubs from my conversations with Hogan employees South Africa drew on UK production the first year before their plant started producing in 1958 and Hong Kong took Australian examples. The ROW (mostly Japan) was serviced by US production via the Export Department of The Ben Hogan Golf Equipment Company through AMF International.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

@@johnwaynecarlson5391 Thanks, that's great information!

[@Tonyparr79]

I have a set of precisions, as well as the equaliser and exploder wedges. beautiful clubs.

[@guyhall6592]

Hey Nick, Great video, thx! I can’t believe my eyes when you flashed pictures of the last two oddity sets. SOB I have a set of the Hogan-Slazenger Championship 3-PW. Woods included: 1, 3-5 I paid $40.00, estate sale. I was planning on flipping the set (eBay sold $250) but after watching this video I pulled the ad.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Thanks Guy, and great find on the Hogan Championship clubs!

[@guyhall6592]

Found and gaming a set Walter Hagen Ultradyne ii 4-pw! Outrageously fun! Wilson Dr. Cary Middlecoff Autographed set - brand new, never used, OG leather grips. MacGregor-Mike Souchak 681 - 3,5,7,9,10. Minty fresh I am 63 in two weeks, I luv retro golf, shoot a 77 with the Hagen set. This week is the Hogan Championship set…after regripping 🙏🏻😎🙏🏻

[@guyhall6592]

Forgot: Hogan “Saber” irons are listed on ebay, not cheap as you mentioned, but… I’m after maxfli Australian & Cobra mb something or other I’m excited again, widowed 9 yrs!

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

@@guyhall6592 Brilliant, vintage golf clubs are what most courses were designed for, they're too easily overpowered by modern technology, long live persimmon and blades!

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

@@guyhall6592 That's great Gary, keep that enthusiasm going. 👍

[@johndonohoe3778]

I believe the Hogan plus 1 irons were the first to use Hogan (AMF) Apex shafts. I had a set of these. Just subscribed to your channel. Greeting from New York State USA.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Welcome to the channel John!

[@Alandale45]

Thank you for the information, Nick. I collect Hogan irons but I sometimes wonder which Macgregor irons he played.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

I've read that he played Ben Hogan Personal Model made to his specifications. There's a link to one of his sets here: golf.com/news/ben-hogan-golf-bag-equipment-inside/

[@Alandale45]

Thank you, Nick.

[@bcstones0000]

Second or third time I've watched these 2 videos....love the history. AND I finally came across The Ben Hogan/ Slazemger Bounce Sole +1 irons (2 thru 8)...look different than yours (tho you do show a pic of one) - no hatching across the top back, and has a signature Ben Hogan and there is some kind of cleek mark below the sunburst, the sole has number & Slazenger Stainless Steel.....the shaft bands are red & say Ben Hogan True Temper RR made in Australia. The grips are old cracking falling apart Grip Rite, most probably regripped.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Watch as many times as you like! Slazenger Australia made their own clubs and there are some small differences between them and those made in the UK, they even made their own designs that had nothing to do with Ben Hogan designs, I might have shown one of these in the video.

[@bcstones0000]

@@ClassicGolfClubs I have watched a number of your video's cuz they contain a wealth of information that doesn't always stick in my mind the first time around....that said, I double checked that Hogan poster - seems the Hogan Bounce Sole Plus 1 design looks to be the set you're playing & the Hogan Bounce Sole +1, that I have (& tried to describe), is the 1970 version, even down to that banner like cleek mark below the sunburst. Could Slazengew have made the heads in Scotland & used Australian shafts, have they ever done that before or since? btw - the pic you showed is the one right behind the pic of your clubs, if that helps.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

@@bcstones0000 It's possible that some components were shipped across from Australia to the UK but my money would be on them being made in Australia, where did you buy them from?

[@bcstones0000]

@@ClassicGolfClubs I helped, for 6-8 years, an Elder Pro a number of years ago in his shop. Instead of $$$, he lowered his prices a wee bit for me. Most of the Hogan sets/clubs I have come from there. He was a wealth of information. I posted that "Ode to Odell Trueblood" on GolfWRX awhile ago, in his honor and memory.

[@samking4179]

4:49 ... "5" was the stiffest Apex shaft by BH in the USA.

[@johnwaynecarlson5391]

Believe the "FR-7" model number is short for "Flash Reaction 1967". The US equivalent would have been the "Percussion Center 7". I have heard, though never been able to confirm that there was a UK trademark issue that necessitated the change.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

Thanks for that. I was going on the table of Hogan heads shown at 12.55 which doesn't show the PC7, do you have a link to a picture of it? It would be nice to tie it up with the FR7.

[@johnwaynecarlson5391]

@@ClassicGolfClubs would you like a photo of the club or the catalog page? The poster's beautiful and a great resource but there are some omissions and errors.

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

@@johnwaynecarlson5391 A link to a photo would be great thanks.

[@irishjj3623]

I have a set of Slazenger Hogan irons 1961/62 They are really offset and very short compared to my other clubs as we would expect. They main difference is that the Slazenger/Hogan irons don't have hosel pins the Ben Hogan insisted with his USA produced irons. Hogan was an amazing man and golfer.

[@julesdowner5585]

Is it an odd thing that i am more interested in classic irons and not so much classic woods , whereas with modern clubs i am interested more in woods and hybrids than i am in modern irons,

[@ClassicGolfClubs]

It's not an odd thing at all, I'm exactly the same when it comes to classics. In the UK most woods were laminated maple which doesn't quite have the allure of persimmon, and it's hard to put a positive date on many of the UK woods, often it's hard to even to identify which model it is! The designs changed very little over the decades apart from the insert, whereas it's easy to tell apart the various irons and putters as they have different lines and stampings. With the big manufacturers in America the woods are usually identifiable and the Pro-line woods are usually persimmon so I'd say that there's more to be passionate about with American woods.