Hippo Golf Club Reviews – Are They Any Good?

Hippo Golf Club Reviews – Are They Any Good?

If you’ve ever seen Hippo golf clubs or accessories, you know that the company is not afraid to be different.

Many of their products stand out  with outlandish patterns, eye-catching colors or unique designs.

It’s no wonder that notorious pro John Daly was once on the pro staff of Hippo Golf.

But in the following brand review, I want to strip away all the gaudy features to see if there is anything of substance to Hippo golf clubs.

Is Hippo Golf a brand you should be shopping? Let’s talk about it.

A Brief History of Hippo Golf Clubs

Hippo Golf clubs first hit shelves in 1992.

The company was founded by a group that was originally put together to be the Research & Development wing of a major golf club manufacturer.

Eventually, the R&D group decided to form their own company and that’s how Hippo Golf was born.

The founders are said to have been executives with extensive golf club industry experience.

They took their knowledge of fine golf club craftsmanship and put it into a unique line of clubs that would become the first Hippo Golf offerings.

Today, the company is based in the United Kingdom and their products (which include golf clubs, complete sets, golf bags and various accessories) are sold around the world.

In addition to John Daly, the company has had high profile pros on their staff like Ian Woosnam.

Where Are Hippo Clubs Made?

We know that all Hippo golf clubs are assembled in Sussex in the United Kingdom.

However, it  is possible that the components are actually manufactured somewhere else and simply sent to England for assembly as is the case with many golf club companies.

Is Hippo Golf Still In Business?

Yes. The company still operates (manufactures clubs and sells them) from the headquarters in Sussex, England.

While you may not see their products in many stores in the US, they ship their products all over the world. You can browse and purchase their products directly from their website.

Are Hippo Golf Clubs Good for Beginners?

Yes. In 2023, Hippo Golf mainly focuses on entry-level clubs that appease the needs of beginners and high handicappers.

True to their name, many of the clubs they produce are oversized and offer maximum forgiveness. In addition to being built for beginners, Hippo clubs are also priced for beginners.

They are known for making affordable clubs and selling directly to consumers.

Hippo Giant XT Complete Golf Set Review

The name pretty much says it all. Almost every club in this set is oversized.

In fact, the only clubs that I found to be of moderate proportions were the hybrids and the putter. The set includes a 460cc driver, a #3 fairway wood, 4H, 5H, irons 5-PW and a mallet style putter.

The driver is forged from titanium and has a massive profile behind the ball. I didn’t feel that I could miss with it.

Although the weight seemed a little unbalanced. Still, it gave a clean, crisp feel at impact and it was very forgiving.

Perhaps even better was that the fairway wood and the driver were very consistent across the face which is something you don’t see much in bargain golf club sets.

The hybrid played long so as long as I was able to make clean contact with it.

Off the deck, I had some trouble digging with the hybrid and it affected my club head speed.

But when I was able to make clean contact, I was very pleased with the distance.

The irons are massive cavity backs with a very chunky look at address. While they can’t be worked to save your life, they are exceptionally easy to hit with.

The turf interaction was good and I had no trouble launching the ball high. The mallet putter felt smooth and evenly balanced.

Who is it for?

The Hippo Giant XT Complete Golf Set is definitely for beginners who are seeking maximum forgiveness in an affordable package.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Very forgiving set
• Durable stand bag
• 3 head covers included

Cons:

• Hybrid offers poor turf interaction

Overall Score: 97/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Hippo Hex Driver Review

This is what I was talking about when I mentioned unique, eye-catching designs.

The Hippo Hex Driver is in the shape of an “X.” The face is wide and either side of the head is tapered inward.

Either side of the back of the head are flared outward to match the wide face.

The Hippo Hex Driver has a carbon crown and despite its 460cc head volume, feels light and wieldy in the hands. The face is constructed of titanium.

Overall, this is a very forgiving driver. Contact made near the heel and toe yielded nearly the same shot shape, trajectory and ball speed as pure strikes.

Who is it for?

The Hippo Hex Driver is a great option for anyone who wants easy distance.

I was crushing  the ball an average of 255 yards (carry) with this driver and hardly ever missed the sweet spot.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Feels light
• Massive sweet spot
• Good balance

Cons:

• Very odd head shape

Overall Score: 96/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons Review

Again, the HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons live up to their name.

At address, they look more like woods than hybrids.The CG is placed low and in the back of the heads.

I was launching these hybrid irons ridiculously easily. So much so that the 5-iron became viable for me on long approaches.

The HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons are a 3-PW set. They are made from 17-4 stainless steel so they are resilient and durable even if they lack softness and feel.

The HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons aren’t workable by any stretch of the imagination; but they are extremely forgiving and will give you tremendous stopping power no matter where you are on the fairway.

The soles are definitely wide but they feel a bit clunky going through the turf.

It appears that turf interaction isn’t a major point of emphasis over at Hippo Golf.

Still, the HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons can be used to replace your long irons if you want to be able to hold firm greens from distance – you don’t always have to opt for an entire set of hybrid irons

Who is it for?

The HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons are a great fit for players who struggle to get the ball up in the air with any of their irons.

Yes, you always have the option of replacing one or a few of your irons with hybrid irons.

But it’s nice to know that the HiPPO XXL Hybrid Irons set includes every iron in the bag so you can pick and choose where you need a little more forgiveness and height.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Great on long approaches
• Increases apex height
• Great for slow swing speed players

Cons:

• Had some issues with floating shots

Overall Score: 97/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Hippo John Daly Full Iron Set Review

The Hippo John Daly Full Iron Set has a unique design – no surprises here.

They have wide soles that end in a point, almost. The cavity undercut looks sharp. The cavity  of these irons actually aren’t that deep though so it’s the sole that takes up most of the real estate.

In any case, I found the Hippo John Daly Full Iron Set to launch high much like the XXL Hybrid irons.

However, there is definitely more workability in these irons. The launch was also more controlled.

The overall profile is still pretty big so there is a lot of forgiveness in these irons.

The face has a deep profile and offers good turf interaction. With the 7-iron in this set, I was averaging a carry distance of 149.7 yards. So they aren’t the longest irons I have ever tested.

And I think that some of my carry yardage was lost to the high launch.

But overall I liked the combination of forgiveness with a dash of workability thrown in. I would expect nothing else from a set of irons designed with John Daly.

Who is it for?

I think the Hippo John Daly Full Iron Set could work for high and mid handicappers.

Basically, if you are in the 15-25 handicap range, you would probably get along pretty well with these irons.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• High launch
• A bit of lateral workability
• You can get them for a very low price

Cons:

• They don’t play ridiculously long

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Is Hippo A Good Golf Brand? Final Thoughts

Hippo is definitely a good golf brand…for the right kind of player.

If you are a beginner or high handicapper and you don’t want to spend a ton on golf gear, you should definitely look at Hippo clubs.

Many of their iron and driver designs mimic the designs of much more expensive models from Ping, Callaway and Taylormade so they offer real performance.

Overall Hippo golf clubs are very beginner-friendly so check them out!