After extensive testing both in Portugal and back here in the UK, the Ben Hogan Legend iron has proven itself as a genuinely impressive addition to the player’s distance iron category. Priced at $950 (approximately £800) for a 5-PW set, this hollow-body design represents Ben Hogan’s first foray into foam-filled iron construction, and the results speak for themselves.
First Impressions: Clean Aesthetics
The aesthetic of the Legend iron immediately stands out. It’s a really clean hollow-body construction that manages to avoid the bulky appearance often associated with technology-packed irons. At address, you get that premium, streamlined look that better players appreciate, there's nothing chunky or game improvement looking about them.
The design maintains those classic Ben Hogan touches whilst incorporating modern technology in a way that doesn’t compromise the visual appeal. In the bag, they look the part, and that matters when you’re transitioning between clubs during a round.
The V-Sole Advantage
Like all Ben Hogan irons, the Legend features the brand’s signature V-Sole design. This innovative sole configuration has a little bit more bounce at the front with a little bit less bounce at the back edge of the iron, which helps it really get through the turf nice and easily.
This isn’t just marketing talk, the V-Sole genuinely improves turf interaction across various lies and conditions. Whether you’re playing from tight fairways, the rough, or slightly imperfect lies, the sole design ensures clean contact without excessive digging. It’s one of those features that you might not consciously notice every shot, but it’s consistently working in your favour.
Performance Numbers
From my testing, I’ve seen some really strong numbers with these irons. As you’d expect, it’s more of a player’s distance iron, so I’ve been getting some really strong carry numbers. The hollow-body construction allows for face flex and optimized launch conditions, translating into genuine distance gains without resorting to excessively strong lofts.
The Legend sits in that sweet spot where you get meaningful distance improvements whilst maintaining the control and shot-shaping ability that better players demand. These aren’t game-improvement irons masquerading as player’s clubs—they’re genuine player’s distance irons that deliver on both fronts.
Feel and Sound
Inside the head, there’s foam that dampens the sound at impact, which makes it a little bit more 'thuddy'. This is something that, as a better player, I really like to hear and enjoy. The foam injection serves dual purposes: it improves acoustics whilst also enhancing feel, creating that satisfying sensation that makes you want to keep hitting balls.
The 1025 carbon steel forged construction, combined with the specific foam density for each club, creates an impact experience that’s far more refined than you’d expect from a hollow-body design. It’s not quite blade-like, but it’s certainly closer to that end of the spectrum than typical game-improvement irons.
Forgiveness Where It Matters
Compared to the rest of the Ben Hogan range, I found that the Legend iron was forgiving on off-centre hits. When I struck it out of the toe and out of the heel, the ball speed retention was really good. This enlarged effective hitting area means mishits don’t get punished as severely as they would with traditional blade designs.
This forgiveness characteristic is crucial for the target market—skilled players who still occasionally miss the centre of the face. The Legend provides that safety net without sacrificing the performance characteristics that better players demand.
Who Should Consider the Legend?
Overall, I think this is a great iron and a great option for those looking for a reasonable amount of distance, a good level of forgiveness, but also a good feel at impact and a nice clean look when it sits in the golf bag.
The Legend iron suits:
- Low to mid-handicap players seeking more distance without sacrificing control
- Better players who want forgiveness on mishits whilst maintaining shot-shaping ability
- Golfers who appreciate clean aesthetics but demand modern performance
- Anyone looking for premium iron performance at a direct-to-consumer price point
The Direct-to-Consumer Advantage
At approximately £800 for a 5-PW set, the Legend represents genuine value in the player’s distance category. Ben Hogan’s direct-to-consumer model eliminates retail markup, meaning you’re getting technology and performance that competes with irons costing significantly more from major manufacturers.
The company also offers extensive customisation options—multiple shaft choices, grip options, and lie/loft adjustments—all hand built to order in their USA workshop. This level of personalisation at this price point is rare in the industry.
Final Verdict
The Ben Hogan Legend iron successfully bridges the gap between player’s irons and distance technology. The hollow-body, foam-filled construction delivers genuine performance gains in both distance and forgiveness, whilst the V-Sole ensures consistent turf interaction, and the clean aesthetics maintain that premium look.
After testing these both abroad and at home, I’m genuinely impressed. They deliver strong numbers, maintain excellent ball speed retention on mishits, provide that satisfying feel and sound at impact, and look fantastic in the bag. For better players seeking the benefits of modern technology without compromising on appearance or feel, the Legend iron deserves serious consideration.
Ben Hogan Golf continues to honour its namesake’s commitment to providing quality equipment that helps golfers play better. The Legend iron represents the evolution of that philosophy, combining timeless design principles with modern technology to create irons that simply perform.
Dan Hendriksen, PGA Professional