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The Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid is a fast and forgiving hybrid. Whether it’s Ben Hogan brand, the pear shaped head, or sub-$200 price point, it brings memories of years past into the modern age.
Introduction
Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid is designed to “buck the trend” of smaller sized hybrids [like Hogan’s previous VKTR hybrid, review HERE], and has a larger head that allows for the repositioning of weight for a higher MOI and a lower deeper center of gravity. This repositioning of weight lowers the spin and increases the distance. This tradeoff may make the club very appealing to some golfers and turn others away.
Looks
What first stood out when I set down the Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid was the extreme pear shape. This club is very trim on the heel side, bulbous in the toe. It reminds me of a super size version of the old old Adams Idea Pro hybrid. In the past it’s been tough for me to find a hybrid I like, and I think looks have a big part to play. They tend to be too shallow, too small, or too upright. I didn’t find that problem with this club. It soles nicely, and looks very inviting when addressing the ball.
In the bag, there’s nothing too remarkable about the look of the Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid. The sole is largely black with a silver Ben Hogan signature centered. Yellow slashes at the toe and heel give the club a little personality, and a small weight sits near the trailing edge. I love the look of the head cover, and wish they incorporated more of the white and red into the design of the club itself. [See Price / Buy]
Sound & Feel
The feel of the Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid is hard and tinny. There is not much feedback on off-center strikes. In my testing I often needed the launch monitor to tell me where the ball hit on the face.
The club offers a mid-pitched metallic sound. The sound stayed consistent on mishits, so there was no noticeable difference in sound on toe, heel, or low on the face strikes. With my regular hybrid, I am very good at noticing strike location without a launch monitor. With the Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid, the combination of the lack of feel and the consistent sound made it difficult to distinguish a good strike from a poor one.
Performance
Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid lives up to it’s claim of “increasing forgiveness by offering more ball speed on off-center strikes.” For this review I’ll focus on the club’s carry distance, total distance, spin rate, and face contact launch monitor data to help convey the club’s performance over a variety of shots.
For my on center strikes, the carry was 215 yards, the total distance was 235 yards, and the spin rate was around 3,000 RPM. The spin and carry are low for me for an 18 degree hybrid, but the total distance is exactly what I am used to.
On mishits, the spin jumped all over the place, which greatly influenced the carry distance. On toe strikes, the spin dropped to 1,900 RPM, and I had one shot that was only 8mm towards the toe that had a carry of 193 yards and a total of 227 yards. This is more loss of carry distance than I am used to on strikes like this. Strikes low on the face spun at 4,000, so there was a big range in spin across the face. Since the spin started around 3,000rpm, the mishits kept the total distance consistent, but the carry distance was what became inconsistent.
Due to the spin starting at 3,000 RPM for a stock shot, working the ball was difficult, particularly when playing a draw. Hitting a draw closes the club face relative to the club path, and therefore lowers the spin. A hybrid spinning under 3,000 RPM for any shot is too low to be practical. A pronounced fade raised the spin between 3,500-4,000 RPM, which was a good number for me. These spin rates match up nicely for someone who fades the ball or whose miss is a slice. The spin jumps up to a manageable number, but the ball doesn’t balloon and lose distance.
The Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid retails for $199.99, so the price has to be considered when discussing the club. In my experience, hybrids from the big name brands launch higher and have greater spin consistency on mishits. When purchasing this club, you are deciding how much is that spin consistency worth to you. Does it need to be as consistent as possible? Then this may not be the club for you. If you are trying to hit your hybrid as far as possible, or if you slice the ball, then this club will perform very well for you, especially at this price point. [See Price / Buy]
Conclusion
Who is the Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid for? Someone who is drawn to the unique shape or the nostalgic feeling of playing a Ben Hogan brand club could happily put it in the bag. While the club spun too little for me, the club spins nicely for someone who fades the ball, or someone whose miss is a slice.
Another factor to consider, is what type of shots do you typically use your hybrid for? Is it primarily after a poor drive when you are just trying to send the ball up as close to the green as possible? The Ben Hogan PTx MAX hybrid will be perfect for that. If you are using it to carry bunkers and stop quickly on shots into the green, then the spin may be too low to pull off those shots. [See Price / Buy]
PTx Max Hybrids buck the trend of ever smaller hybrids. But as with every choice in the PTx range, there is a reason - a larger head allows us to reposition the weight further and deeper back, and achieve a higher moment of inertia and lower, deeper center of gravity.
Ben Hogan PTx MAX Hybrid Price & Specs
- Ben Hogan PTx MAX Hybrid Review - June 8, 2026
- The Fix Every Golfer Needs - January 8, 2025
- Golf Is Not a Journey - March 19, 2024
