Ben Hogan's Swing

This was such a fun read! Thanks Matt!

Ben Hogan said Mickey Wright.  

The bigger question is what criteria are we using to evaluate the swing?   Swings are a little bit unique to each player so experts could probably nit pick them all including Hogan.   Hogan's swing probably isnt a good model for someone that struggles with a slice.  

I think the debate could go for many. The Hogan swing no question is iconic and admired by many regardless of their ability. 

Hopefully we can do a few more of these swing breakdowns. Truly fun and fascinating reads. 

Most of what Hogan did, from reading people who knew him and watched him closely in the glory days, was to fight that hook.

I'm reminded of a quote from Lee Trevino, who was a consistent fader: "You can talk to a fade, but a hook won't listen."

But it's interesting that, without knowing it, I have been working on the same move -- the right elbow tuck to keep my club under the pane of glass. For me, that's fighting the banana ball, not the hook.

Edited February 7 by ILMgolfnut

Awesome read, Matt! I agree with @GolfSpy_APH I'd love to see more articles like this

Great read Matt!  

38 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

This was such a fun read! Thanks Matt!

Nice article and great read Matt!

Great job on a unique article!

Like was said, everyone's swing is different. Height, weight, width, upper and lower body movements and restrictions,  etc contribute to everything that makes up that swing 

 

Hogans swing was good for what he wanted to do and for anyone fighting a hook. What stands out that doesn’t get talked about enough and what more amateurs need is the right hand.

But as far as best swing, greatest swing, Sam Snead is used much more in instruction than hogan is. The one thing that has stood the test of time in golf swings is the use of the ground. All the good ball strikers use the ground well and similarly. Look at swings like Norman, Bradley Hughes, others from that time and before, Scheffler, Rory and Tiger to an extent you see the same thing happen with their trail foot

LOVE this article @GolfSpy SAM. Timely too....I am going into some self study on his thought process and swing visuals so this is just perfect timing as I start my study on his fundamentals.

Thank you for a great article. There is no doubt Hogan had a swing that he developed in the dirt. It’s a great swing for those fighting a hook. However, I believe Snead or Moe Norman may of had the best overall swings. Many players had repeatable and swings that worked for them; however, these swings aren’t what one would teach or call smooth. 

I think the thing that most stood out to me was that he GRINDED to find a swing that worked for him.  I'm not necessarily suggesting we model our swings on his in totality, but more the idea that this guy was not a phenom - he worked incredibly hard to find a swing that he could do every. single. time.  

For me, Hogan's swing is just absolutely beautiful to watch - I won't be modeling every part of my swing on his, for sure, but I WILL be taking his attitude towards getting there as my own.  

Nine years for him to win. That's insane to me.

A few minutes after I read the Hogan article, I was poking around Facebook and it showed me a reel of Payne Stewart. His swing was pretty sweet too.

3 hours ago, cnosil said:

Ben Hogan said Mickey Wright.  

The bigger question is what criteria are we using to evaluate the swing?   Swings are a little bit unique to each player so experts could probably nit pick them all including Hogan.   Hogan's swing probably isnt a good model for someone that struggles with a slice.  

I didn’t know Hogan said that but would have to agree - Mickey Wright’s action was incredible. I read somewhere that early in her development an instructor taught her to hit the ball as far as possible with zero follow through. Presumably that was the foundation of her astonishing lag (reminiscent of Hogan) but she primarily worked the ball right-to-left.

I also agree that “the sweetest” swing is a very subjective debate but tend to find myself in agreement about swings that fascinated tour players. George Knudson, Adam Scott, Chad Campbell, Boo Weekley, Anthony Kim and Nelly Korda are some that managed to mesmerize their contemporaries.

Sometimes it’s not an overall swing that takes instruction in a new direction but something unique a player does. Lead wrist flexion in transition is relatively modern idea and most people probably don’t know that Joe Durant is in large part responsible for that widely promoted theory. He went on an absolute heater in the ball striking department for several seasons and people started digging into what he did differently than the rest of the field. But he didn’t have what I would refer to as a classically beautiful swing. I also think that particular idea may have led to better impact stability, rate of closure and dispersion stats but has also resulted in fewer “sweet” swings at the top level of the game.

Edited February 7 by downlowkey

1 hour ago, ILMgolfnut said:

A few minutes after I read the Hogan article, I was poking around Facebook and it showed me a reel of Payne Stewart. His swing was pretty sweet too.

I used to attend the Byron Nelson every year while it was the TPC Las Colinas. My favorite group to follow each year included Payne, Fred, and Davis. Was always a great day as they really enjoyed playing together.

Hogan is my favorite.  Even wrote a college paper about his as a Master Student of the golf swing. Got an A+. Unfortunately, his way of swinging the golf club will cause the average player in terms of talent, fitness, and time  nothing but heartache. I have seen many a 10-18 handicap go down a rabbit hole trying to emulate Mr. Hogan.

The imaginary Plane of Glass, is in real world:  Keep the hands low and close to the body.  Mickey Wright, low, slow, wide.  There is only 1 video of her I think.  It is low wide slow.  And in the short Hogan video, it seems his trail foot is 1 to 2 inches further away from the line of flight, not even with the front foot.  I used to think both feet should be equal, but I get better hip turn with the trail foot further away and slightly turned out.  Sweetest looking on TV I've seen were Payne Stewart and Fred Couples.  They look almost lackadaisical. Very little effort.  But that doesn't work for me because my body is quite different.

Here is my SECRET tip for a lot of us regular or senior flex golfers:  if you can, go in person to an LPGA event.  Park yourself at a tee box, watch them hit driver. If you volunteer, you can watch from inside the ropes!  I am waiting for a San Diego event to get back on the schedule, I was at the 2018 and 2019 Kia Classic at the Arnold Palmer design Aviara in Carlsbad.  I saw a lot of PXG bags there.  

I'm a baseball guy. Ted Williams is my favorite player of all time (even though I never saw him play in person). I see so much Ted Williams in Ben Hogan. They pushed the needle in their sport with their excellence. Their pursuit of perfection through mechanics really makes my brain start firing.

 

When I started reading about Ted Williams, I would always have a bat in my hand or interlocking my hands trying to feel what he was saying. Now that my baseball career is done and my golf life has picked up I find myself always having a club in my hand and practicing golf swings in a restaurant bathroom (really weird when someone walks in).

 

Hogan's swing was so majestic. Not many have gotten close to the level of technicality that Hogan did. 

 

I don't resonate to everything from Hogan's swing book, but I think reading it makes your capacity to swing understanding grow.

@GolfSpy SAM I wanted to mention that I was inspired by this article to read Ben Hogan's book. I had never read it before and I'm already really enjoying it. Thanks again for this article and bringing the legend of Ben Hogan back into the fold!

On 2/14/2024 at 12:57 PM, Riley24 said:

I'm a baseball guy. Ted Williams is my favorite player of all time (even though I never saw him play in person). I see so much Ted Williams in Ben Hogan. They pushed the needle in their sport with their excellence. Their pursuit of perfection through mechanics really makes my brain start firing.

 

When I started reading about Ted Williams, I would always have a bat in my hand or interlocking my hands trying to feel what he was saying. Now that my baseball career is done and my golf life has picked up I find myself always having a club in my hand and practicing golf swings in a restaurant bathroom (really weird when someone walks in).

 

Hogan's swing was so majestic. Not many have gotten close to the level of technicality that Hogan did. 

 

I don't resonate to everything from Hogan's swing book, but I think reading it makes your capacity to swing understanding grow.

did you ever read the bio on Ted, "Hitter"?  exlnt.

 

On 2/14/2024 at 12:57 PM, Riley24 said:

I'm a baseball guy. Ted Williams is my favorite player of all time (even though I never saw him play in person). I see so much Ted Williams in Ben Hogan. They pushed the needle in their sport with their excellence. Their pursuit of perfection through mechanics really makes my brain start firing.

 

When I started reading about Ted Williams, I would always have a bat in my hand or interlocking my hands trying to feel what he was saying. Now that my baseball career is done and my golf life has picked up I find myself always having a club in my hand and practicing golf swings in a restaurant bathroom (really weird when someone walks in).

 

Hogan's swing was so majestic. Not many have gotten close to the level of technicality that Hogan did. 

 

I don't resonate to everything from Hogan's swing book, but I think reading it makes your capacity to swing understanding grow.

did you ever read the bio on Ted called "Hitter"   hi recommend  xlnt

I wish there was more video of Mickey Wright.  The one that is see is pure.

I liked watching Payne Stewart and Fred Couples.  They look effortless.  Smooth and like they never had a care in the world.