Ben Hogan 5 Lessons

[Doris Joo]

Theimage of binding the arms together has been called into question. I interpret this visualization as what modern teachers refer to as "connection." The "headcover drill" is pretty much the same thing, is it not?

Some "gurus" of late have claimed that Ben Hogan centered his weight over his left leg on the backswing. I believe this to be patently false as photos clearly show him lifting up his left heel during the backswing. He also says as much that it is OK to lift the left heel off of the ground in Five Lessons.

Well, "5 Lessons" is my favourite golf instruction book. Mr.Hogan should make a remark, though, "for better golfers" on the cover. It may be disastrous for those who never feared a hook or never were able to hit the ball from the inside.

As per your thoughts, I agree with most of them, except:

[i]Some "gurus" of late have claimed that Ben Hogan centered his weight over his left leg on the backswing. I believe this to be patently false as photos clearly show him lifting up his left heel during the backswing. He also says as much that it is OK to lift the left heel off of the ground in Five Lessons.[/i]

Hogan transferred his weight to left side during the second part of the downswing. This move enabled him to unwind the body freely and strongly. The fact that his left heel lifted a bit in some swings does not exclude having the majority of the weight at this leg. The weight was located at the inside part of his balls and toes. He could "crush a can" with his heel at the start of the downswing and feel it much better when transferring the rest of his body weight to the heel of his left foot and swing the whole body to the left.

Cheers

I've probably typed as much about Mr. Hogan and 5 Lesson's as anyone on this site.........numerous things in the book are described in a manner that does NOT represent what he actually did in reality..........BUT, he was writing the book from "feel" and "images" of his swing, etc. so I've always given him a HUGE "pass" in regards to the "contradictions"/"INaccurarcies," etc. I can tell you that I've spent a LOT of time trying to figure out WHAT he did from WHAT he THOUGHT he did.........as have a bunch of others............the "elastic stretch" image is a GREAT example of ONE thing I spent a LOT of time trying to "translate".........figured it out too and that's why all of "my" players who I've worked with for any substantial amount of time will have a downswing that exhibits a lot of "Hogan"........

As for the weight issue........this is EASY.........with an iron, or any shot he wanted to "compress," I have NO doubt that his weight was 'on his left side" at the top of his backswing.........BUT, he DID TRANSFER weight to the right......example, IF he started with 70% favoring the left side at address I'll GUARANTEE you that he had LESS weight "left" at the top of his backswing........as an example, starts with 70% and at the top 57% (numbers I'm using for examples as I have no way of definitively telling the exact amounts)..........Anyway, the argument should be whether he TRANSFERRED weight to his right in his backswing (which he did) OR whether he "stacked and tilted" as SOME (who are WRONG) have suggested......btw, with a driver I have NO doubt that his weight favored his RIGHT side at the top........in his later years he actually had a bit of "sway-load" in his backswing and his head DID move to the right..........

EASY Darius...........watch his HEAD.......IF it's moving FORWARD then weight IS transferring.......Mr. Hogan's HEAD NEVER worked backwards (as almost ALL S&T'rs do, with the driver anyway)......from the top it ALWAYS worked forwards to varying degrees depending on the club/shot/ERA........ from the top his head ALWAYS went forward a bit (indicating weight shift/transferrance), once again depending on the club/shot/ERA........watch the HEAD........it's placement relative to the body, ball, etc. at all times during the swing........how/where/why it "moves," etc........the HEAD (along with the position of the left hp socket compared to the left heel) "tells MOST of the "story".........

Sorry Darius, hell I didn't read your post carefully enough nor did I do a very good job of explaining myself above..........your correct in your post above with ONE "caveat"......the "winding" of the core to the right TRANSFERS weight to the right, was it enough to offset what transferred left in the "cg shift?" I dunno'......Anyway, what I posted a coupla' post up above IS more of a description of MY way of creating Mr. Hogan's backswing (ending up at the top where Mr. Hogan was AFTER the "cg shift" etc.)........I do NOT believe in the "high right hip" as it DOES necessitate the mid backswing "CG shift" and neither are essential to creating similar top of the backswing "positioning" so as to create a similar "downswing" as Mr. Hogan's ......(btw, as I'm sure you already know, what you "see" in his pivot above (CG shift) varied GREATLY during his career) In summary, what I've tried to do is figure out a way to "construct" the essence of Mr. Hogan's swing (the "good stuff") without the "high right hip" and "cg shift," BOTH of which I consider to be TOTALLY UNnecessary to accomplish this goal.........

I'll leave the above part of this post as it is pretty good advice for studying video footage........."what the weight is doing" ...etc.

Dude, you need a degree and diagrams to go with some of the analysis by slicefixer, but I would expect nothing less from a fellow Texan. lol

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons was the only instructor I had. I think too many people gloss over the fundamentals and try to do a tour pro style analysis of their, usually inconsistent, golf swing. Five Lessons rules!!

I enjoy watching Tour Pros with a similar build , or atleast height, as myself. It gives you a good visualization of the move you should make. I cant make a pure Ben Hogan move at 6'2", but I can make an Norman, Els or Tiger move. The Norman and Els moves being so natural and non-technical thus feeling more comfortable and "easy".

Im no teaching pro be easy with the critique slicefixer.

[quote name='OldSkoolTexan' post='866951' date='Jan 16 2008, 07:21 PM']Dude, you need a degree and diagrams to go with some of the analysis by slicefixer, but I would expect nothing less from a fellow Texan. lol

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons was the only instructor I had. I think too many people gloss over the fundamentals and try to do a tour pro style analysis of their, usually inconsistent, golf swing. Five Lessons rules!!

I enjoy watching Tour Pros with a similar build , or atleast height, as myself. It gives you a good visualization of the move you should make. I cant make a pure Ben Hogan move at 6'2", but I can make an Norman, Els or Tiger move. The Norman and Els moves being so natural and non-technical thus feeling more comfortable and "easy".

Im no teaching pro be easy with the critique slicefixer. [/quote]

You can LEARN from Mr. Hogan's swing and input a great deal of it into YOUR swing......doesn't matter if your 5'2" or 6' 8".......kicker is the CLUBS have to fit you properly so that your spine isn't tilted "over" too much........THAT does make it very difficult to "emulate"/"ingrain" the "essence" of his golf swing..........."rounded"......."rotational"........."circular"........."left"........etc.

[quote name='slicefixer' post='866978' date='Jan 16 2008, 05:36 PM'][quote name='OldSkoolTexan' post='866951' date='Jan 16 2008, 07:21 PM']Dude, you need a degree and diagrams to go with some of the analysis by slicefixer, but I would expect nothing less from a fellow Texan. lol

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons was the only instructor I had. I think too many people gloss over the fundamentals and try to do a tour pro style analysis of their, usually inconsistent, golf swing. Five Lessons rules!!

I enjoy watching Tour Pros with a similar build , or atleast height, as myself. It gives you a good visualization of the move you should make. I cant make a pure Ben Hogan move at 6'2", but I can make an Norman, Els or Tiger move. The Norman and Els moves being so natural and non-technical thus feeling more comfortable and "easy".

Im no teaching pro be easy with the critique slicefixer. [/quote]

You can LEARN from Mr. Hogan's swing and input a great deal of it into YOUR swing......doesn't matter if your 5'2" or 6' 8".......kicker is the CLUBS have to fit you properly so that your spine isn't tilted "over" too much........THAT does make it very difficult to "emulate"/"ingrain" the "essence" of his golf swing..........."rounded"......."rotational"........."circular"........."left"........etc.

[/quote]

True. I have played standard lie for so long, but Im considering 1up. Im going to move the ball back just a shade and see how that goes before I bend anything up. I actually picked up a Hogan Apex gap wedge that is 2up, so I will see how that works on the course since its already bent.

Where do you teach? Up in Dallas or here in Houston?

[quote name='OldSkoolTexan' post='867000' date='Jan 16 2008, 07:48 PM'][quote name='slicefixer' post='866978' date='Jan 16 2008, 05:36 PM'][quote name='OldSkoolTexan' post='866951' date='Jan 16 2008, 07:21 PM']Dude, you need a degree and diagrams to go with some of the analysis by slicefixer, but I would expect nothing less from a fellow Texan. lol

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons was the only instructor I had. I think too many people gloss over the fundamentals and try to do a tour pro style analysis of their, usually inconsistent, golf swing. Five Lessons rules!!

I enjoy watching Tour Pros with a similar build , or atleast height, as myself. It gives you a good visualization of the move you should make. I cant make a pure Ben Hogan move at 6'2", but I can make an Norman, Els or Tiger move. The Norman and Els moves being so natural and non-technical thus feeling more comfortable and "easy".

Im no teaching pro be easy with the critique slicefixer. [/quote]

You can LEARN from Mr. Hogan's swing and input a great deal of it into YOUR swing......doesn't matter if your 5'2" or 6' 8".......kicker is the CLUBS have to fit you properly so that your spine isn't tilted "over" too much........THAT does make it very difficult to "emulate"/"ingrain" the "essence" of his golf swing..........."rounded"......."rotational"........."circular"........."left"........etc.

[/quote]

True. I have played standard lie for so long, but Im considering 1up. Im going to move the ball back just a shade and see how that goes before I bend anything up. I actually picked up a Hogan Apex gap wedge that is 2up, so I will see how that works on the course since its already bent.

Where do you teach? Up in Dallas or here in Houston?

[/quote]

Just N of "BF Egypt".......Texarkana.........

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