Ben Hogan PTx Pro Irons

Neil Tappin tests the Ben Hogan PTx Pro Irons to see if they deliver on their promise of great feel as well as impressive forgiveness

Ben Hogan PTx Pro Irons Review

For those golfers considering investing in a set of Ben Hogan irons, the classic Icon model is hard to ignore. But whilst the looks and feel might appeal, not every player wants the uncompromising blade-like performance of an iron like the Icon. 

The Ben Hogan PTx Pro irons have been designed to add an element of forgiveness and distance while still retaining a traditional look and forged feel. We wanted to see how they performed so we tested the PTx Pro irons, up against the Icon model, at West Hill Golf Club using a SkyTrak launch monitor.

Ben Hogan PTx Pro Irons Review

Looks-wise, the Ben Hogan PTx Pro irons are still relatively compact. The topline is noticeably thicker than in the Icon and there is more offset on offer but the overall package is still fairly traditional. They look beautiful both in the bag and behind the ball but if you’re looking for a game-improver style, confidence inspiring set, these might not do it for you. 

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The launch monitor data below shows the differences in performance between the PTx Pro and Icon 7-irons during our testing (both had the same Dynamic Gold S300 shaft).

The first point to make here is that, at 34˚, the static loft of both 7-irons is very traditional. We were surprised that the PTx Pro was not a little stronger but this certainly made it easy to launch and provided plenty of stopping power - look how consistent the spin rates were. 

It is also worth pointing out that by matching the lofts, players could easily combine the two models to gain performance benefits at both ends of the bag. 

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For us, the standout number from the launch data was the added carry distance of the PTx Pro. Admittedly, this was the iron we hit last in testing and the club head speed may have increased slightly but regardless, with an average carry distance of 170 yards, this would make the PTx Pro impressively long, despite the traditional loft.   

We were also impressed by the feel on offer. Yes, the PTx Pro had a slightly hotter impact feel than the Icon but the differences were minimal. When you consider the potential benefit of the added distance and forgiveness, the Ben Hogan PTx Pro iron is an impressive offering that we think will catch the eye of plenty mid and low handicappers.