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Ben Hogan - Merion #18

• Robert1893 7,721 Posts

  Mon, Jun 25 2018 10:26 AM

  LLLlloyd88:

  As far as I know loft, lie and length. I assume there're nearly identical, just that one had a "1" stamped on it and the other a "3"

  I'm no expert on the history of golf equipment, but I seriously doubt that.
  
  When pros were asked to hit Hogan's old clubs, one asked about the 1 iron, "What’s the loft on this—zero degrees?”
  
  I read where it was actually a 17 degree. Leaving that aside, I just don't see how anyone could make a claim that older equipment is equivalent to today's equipment, in any way. 

• terryntx 56 Posts

  Tue, Jun 26 2018 4:39 AM

  u r correct the equipment today is by far way better than the past..... but the crazy thing is,handicaps in the last 20  yrs have not really gone down,so that means people who are hitting it in the trees alot, just means they are hitting it further into the trees....................

• K7JBQ 1,468 Posts

  Tue, Jun 26 2018 9:28 AM

  Very valid point. I finally broke down this year and replaced my c1982 irons with Cleveland HB launchers. At 73, I don't have the club speed I had at 37 lol, so I have to make the odd adjustment, such as to hit one more club than my brain tells me I need.

  On the second point, it does appear that the trees have become more accurate.

   

  terryntx:

  u r correct the equipment today is by far way better than the past..... but the crazy thing is,handicaps in the last 20  yrs have not really gone down,so that means people who are hitting it in the trees alot, just means they are hitting it further into the trees....................

   

• borntobesting 9,706 Posts

  Wed, Jun 27 2018 12:11 AM

  I believe what Greg Norman was talking about is that the average golfer to day can't hit a 3 iron any more than the average golfer 20 -25 years ago couldn't hit a 1 iron. That is why more and more club sets the irons start at 5 or even 6 iron and the 2 3 and 4 irons are being replaced with woods or hybrids. 

• Robert1893 7,721 Posts

  Wed, Jun 27 2018 5:31 AM

  borntobesting:

  I believe what Greg Norman was talking about is that the average golfer to day can't hit a 3 iron any more than the average golfer 20 -25 years ago couldn't hit a 1 iron. That is why more and more club sets the irons start at 5 or even 6 iron and the 2 3 and 4 irons are being replaced with woods or hybrids. 

  That makes a lot more sense.
  
  Thanks! 

• DonCaron 5,502 Posts

  Wed, Jun 27 2018 3:33 PM

  I always had a 1 iron in my bag, playing real golf. It was great getting under trees and cutting it back into the fairway with a short stroke.

• WigerToods2010 8,447 Posts

  Wed, Jun 27 2018 3:44 PM

  DonCaron:

  I always had a 1 iron in my bag, playing real golf. It was great getting under trees...
  

  Och, my driver does that all too easily... off the tee.

  :)

• borntobesting 9,706 Posts

  Wed, Jun 27 2018 9:43 PM

  My old Taylor Made Tour Preferred TD 1 iron is something of a magic wand. I bought it at our local Goodwill store for a buck. Liked it so much I went on Ebay and bought a whole set of Taylor Made Tour Preferred TD irons. Great clubs even if they are close to 30 year old. 

• bobyero 23 Posts

  Sun, Sep 19 2021 9:19 PM

  No video of the shot unfortunately. There were TV and movie cameras there but they were all near the green waiting for Hogan to putt. Only one photographer stayed with Hogan to capture his 1 iron shot.

  There is video on youtube of him two putting from about 40 feet to tie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zB-ML_36BI

• Cicero733 2,312 Posts

  Mon, Sep 20 2021 4:39 PM

  If you do a little background you’ll find there is a reason for this. Since the 1960’s club manufacturers have been strengthening the loft of their irons for additional distance,  but still branding them under the old nomenclature (referred to as distance creep). I don’t have my numbers in front of me, but today’s 4 iron has the loft of yesterday’s 2 iron, and so on…Realistically it is projected that the longest iron an average golfer today can reasonable hit is the 5 iron. The 2, 3, and 4 irons have been replaced by the hybrids, 7 wood, and 9 wood.