Ben Hogan - Club Distances Note: At 10:21 mark, text should read "Sam Snead 405yd Par 4." And yes, I disliked my own video because I made a stinkin typo!!!
Really interesting to see various exemples of "older" swings. What I like about them, is that they swung so easily. and that some players used pretty short backswings. Very inspiring, thanks!
These swings were tempered without modern tech, they made incredible shote's with pure skill. Not to knock the modern swing, but what they did is priceless...
(part 3:) As for irons, I was pretty long back then for a good player (as opposed to a long-drive gorilla), maybe just above average for a tour player, but today I hit virtually every manufacturer's irons at least a club longer, a quarter-century and a back operation later. It's completely ridiculous. And the clubs I was playing then (in the '80s) were longer and easier to hit than the ones of the Hogan era. Thinking about Snead or Nicklaus with a modern driver is actually terrifying.
If you watch his right elbow you will notice what made Hogan better than everyone else. He attaches his right elbow to his right hip to hit the ball. To make this work he slides his lower body forward so his elbow, hip, and right hand get to the ball at the same time. You can easily see it if you know what to look for.
Keep in mind here too, Hogan is in his 50s, playing the old clubs (with old lofts) and the old ball, and not going full-crazy-max-out like almost everybody does today on almost every swing. Rough actually mattered then. So did long-term health.
he was so precise with his iron play; i read somewhere about Hogan that once, when he played in the open at merion, he didn't bring a 7 iron to use, in the tournament. when asked why, he said, "there are no 7 iron shots on the course". he had already mapped out every shot in his mind, and didn't carry one that week. the man was simply amazing.
DMR4736 I remember that story. There was another one of a reporter asking him about how he planned to deal with the grooved bunkers at Baltusrol (I think), and he replied "I don't plan on being in any of them." And he played four bunker free rounds. The man deserves his legendary status.
Great anecdote.. I find that in tournament rounds, I almost always hit less club into the greens because I hit my tee shots so much further , perhaps because I am so juiced up from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Maybe Mr. Hogan had learned to either predict and plan for that effect or avoid it altogether...?
I would say that Hogan's management was the best I've ever heard of. Not only was he a phenomenal ball striker, he had the management to back it up, which made him almost too good to handle. Snead had a hard time getting close to beating him consistently. But Nelson was still the best player out of the 3, though he retired early. I don't think anyone could repeat Nelson's feats and records, it's just not going to happen. So they were all legends for their own reasons, Hogan's management, Snead's longevity, and Nelson's extraordinary striking ability were something to behold. Imagine seeing them play in person...
I pray that Jack's record stays intact. My wife worked for Jack as his personal assistant at Golden Bear in Palm Beach Gardens Fl. She said that Jack was a very nice and respectful boss and his family longevity and marriage to Barbara are proof of what a great person Jack is as well as all the charity work he and Barbara are involved in. Tiger couldnt wera his underwear let alone walk in his shoes. What ha the great Tiger done for his fans or any other group.....please Im eager to know!
I love this video. Has some minor typing mistakes on a couple of holes as pointed out below but we can all get the jist of the message here. Anyone looking to increase their game look no further and understand this video. It shows us that club distance control is key to the perfect game. A hard 7 iron fly's higher and stops on a dime where that soft 6 or 5 reaches that same distance but with less loft... thus rolling more....
Johnny Miller Tells the story about playing in his first US Open and walking up to Hogan and introducing himself and telling Hogan how much he admired him.Hogan who was eating his lunch looked at young Johnny and said "kid can't you see I'm eating my soup". Hogan also "cursed like a sailor" according to Jody Vosquez who was close friends with Hogan and wrote "Afternoons with Hogan". Time has made people forget the shortcomings of many great players.Tiger however is in the present so we remember
In 1959 I got Cary Middlecoff's 'Guide To Golf'.....an instruction book on all facets of the game....with illustrations drawn by an artist.....Middlecoff described 230 yds as an 'avg' driver and 250 yds as a good driver. Those were the stds of that era.
Thanks so much for the post and a terrific sampling of players for comparative review. ..."Most Helpful" as my research of the swing continues. ....DrDom.... GolfNucleus
(part 2:) Various occasional experiments with modern pros and the old balls and equipment have been tried. Almost none can come close to the distances and accuracy of a Snead or a Nicklaus. Some hit it about as far as Hogan, but aren't as accurate. None score as well. I can tell you that as a former low-level competitive pro, I hit it at least 35-40 yards longer off the tee now than I did 25 years ago in my mid-20s, and allegedly I haven't even found my best shaft and head yet. (ct'd)
Not that this is the "secret", but what I noticed was that Mr. Hogan didn't overswing with driver or any other club. Driver shaft was parallel, short iron shafts vertical and with longer irons and fairway woods about half way between driver and short irons. He had total control of a relatively compact swing compared to today's players. Of course, he was also playing much shorter shafts and increased lofts over the golf equipment makers current "longest ever" philosophy. For senior golfers such as myself, Mr. Hogan is certainly someone to emulate, and for those with limited athleticism, limiting the backswing is certainly going to allow better control for lower scores as well.
i heard that when you are playing golf and there is a thunderstorm, you are supposed to walk down the fairway holding your 1 iron in the air, because god cant even hit a 1 iron.
True, many of the robot golfers of today lack the 'feel' of shotmaking, eg. having to go down on the shaft of a low iron to get the result of another club, say in the wind. Seve did always demonstrate how to "feel" the shots...
i used that swing for years when i was younger (63 now). Hogan was my hero, so naturally i used his clubs. my swing was square to square, and my handicap was on average 9. now i'm old, my swing is more like Big John's. i can see the head of my club from my peripheral left eye. and i'm a 17 handicap. been playing for 56 years, maybe i should go back to the old square to square? would be easier on my back and maybe my handicap will go down...........lol.
Couple notes here: 1) these "iron distances" don't necessarily represent Hogan's maximum distances, since hardly any of the top pros swung anywhere near their top speed when he was coming up in the game, and also because he was 53 at the time of this show's taping; and 2) the difference in equipment between then and now is immense, if you're comparing. (ct'd)
Id blame Johnny....what gave him the idea it was ok to interrupt Hogan or anyone else he didnt know while they were havig their lunch. Years ago I saw the great Joe Dimaggio at Woodmont CC in Tamarac Fl when I went into the bar/dining room. I asked the BT if that was Joe D and he said yes it was. Even though there was the thrill of seeing the great Yankee I didnt consider going over to him while he was eating...to me that would have been most rude and very awkward...listening Johhny???
While Hogan was a machine- it would be very difficult to copy that swing. it took him years and hitting thousands of balls to get that groove he had. I think if he was in his prime and had all the technological advantages Tiger had, that he could have beat Tiger in a head on match. Tiger had always hit a lot of errant shots, but he is on every par 5 in 2, and his short game was incredible. I think Hogan hitting fairway after fairway and green after green would have eventually just wore Tiger down. And I don't think that Hogan was intimidated by anyone, and wouldn't have been intimidated by Tiger. Hogan was as mentally tough as anyone.
Agreed, Hogan would have ball striked him to death. That said, Tiger is one of the best pressuer putters that ever lived. As I understand it, Hogan actually didn't like putting, probably because it was not at the same level as the rest of his game.
Stephen Bartels that's a very good point. Tiger was a better putter than Hogan for sure! Maybe now I'm not so sure who would have won. If hogan was as good a putter as tiger its hard to imagine anyone beating him
+Stephen Bartels if you saw videos of Hogan before he revamped his swing you would be shocked. he had an absolutely horrible golf swing. what prompted him to change was he hit a ton of snap hooks and wanted what he termed the controlled "power fade" he hit balls until his hands bled, soaked them in brine, and kept going.
Your swing looks a lot like Arnold palmers really. I know your not cocky, because you can see your own potential and you KNOW that you can be great a a game that is so hard. There's gonna be many obstacles in the way, and no one said it is easy :) it won't be long before we see you on tour. Keep on practicing and good luck man. Sorry I had to rant for so long
One thing that always stood out to me is how short Hogans backswing looks for his irons. With his four iron it looks like he only took his hands up to about shoulder height. Modern pros seem to have a much longer backswing. Lot of full wedge shots that i've seen Hogan hit looked like he barely got his hands above waist height.
That was one reason why he hit it so solid and straight. don't let anyone tell you you have to lengthen your backswing. All the super straight hitters had very short backswings (Trevino, Moe Norman and Mr. Hogan ).
I shorten my backswing from shoulder to shoulder high. Wanna know what happened? 10 off the handicap in one year. Don't swing for the fences. Swing in cadence.
@@dpardo74 True enough. Keep the thing in play. Distance is also measured by how close you are to target. If you're accurate, you actually hit the ball farther in relation to the line you take. This is why cutting corners is so useful. Not to mention you're in the short grass, the ball will run out 15 yards vs hitting a tree. But 10 off a handicap in one year? Damn that's some hell of an accomplishment. I'm barely a 5 right now, getting down from 10 to 6 was a chore. Getting from 6 to 5 took 3 months. I got down to 3 four months after that, but really grinded my ass off. It gets harder once you're in single figure, but going from 20 to 15 or 15 to 10 is plenty easier, just got to get some basics down.
Here's the difference: You have to hear these stories from people who knew him. Out of all the million feet of film taken of him at various tournaments and elsewhere, you're not going to find him refusing to control his own profanity when he knows the public is listening.
... and continue sucking. The right foot position was arguably the most important part. It allowed him to load to his right side like he did with every other club, but it adjusted the club angle so that the longer clubs still grounded out in the same spot relative to his left side. So he could always transfer all of his weight and make a full release without worrying about shifting left of his target. Picture trying to step 6 inches over a line and whipping it with a 10 foot whip..
I just laugh my ass off, when he can't beat me. The problem with him is that he "tries" to beat me, instead of beating the course. And the thing is, his handicap is lower than mine.........hmmmmm, I wonder why???? Like I tell my friends, hitting a golfball is like hitting a nail with a hammer. It does'nt move, like all other balls, it just sits there. I ask them if they can drive a nail, and they all say, "Well, yeah, no problem"!
He was hitting his driver 260 yds with persimmon wood..can you imagine how far he would hit with todays clubs and golf balls?? 300 yd drives with ease...
If i give advice to someone, I'll ask if they want it. Only to improve their game, they can take it or not. I have a friend who I taught to play, just using the basics of the game. Not making it complicated with how they stand or how far back they should take the club, etc.. Now if I give him a tip, he does'nt take it, so I just let him go on being pissed off all the time. He analizes everything about his own swing, but never takes his "own" advice as to why he's hitting the ball everywhere.
Just like in golf, if I were on the 18th green with one put to win the heavy trophy and fat check.....if I set up to the putt and the wind moved the ball, I'm calling a penalty shot on myself. Couldn't get over it till I called myself out.
10 років тому
3 wood 263. Driver about 250-265. Clearly he could uncork with the driver and take it past 300 and that's with this old equipment. He valued effortlessness over force, probably because it felt so good.
***** Hogan and Nicklaus were very similar. Capable of much greater distances, but only when needed. Many people remarked about Hogan's ability to hit it out around 300 (Bobby Jones could as well with a modern American ball of his day). Pros would talk about Jack knocking it around 250 with his driver regularly until he needed distance and then he'd pop it out 320 from seemingly nowhere. When you consider the differences in course conditioning and equipment with the modern player, their skill is even more impressive.
Keep in mind that the balls go a lot farther today than in Hogans era. The irons are lighter, a little longer and the lofts are almost 2 clubs stronger than what Hogan played. You think you are hitting a 7 iron but it is practically a 5 iron from Ben's day.
... now think of what you would do if you had a 20 foot whip and you still had to step 6 inches over the line.. you would have to get lower to the ground and bring the whip in at a "flatter" angle. Hogans ball position was ALWAYS the same.. from wedge to driver. In order for that to be effective, he had to create space and the proper angle of attack, or his longer clubs would have grounded out much too early, or he would have had to "fall back" and either hit a big hook or slice, like most hacks
they had to behave properly because they grew up in an era where golf pros where still gaining acceptance. for many years, they weren't allowed in locker rooms.
***** Hogan was always one of the longest hitters BEFORE his injuries. That separates him from people like Trevino who was very accurate but not nearly as close to as long as Hogan was in his physical prime (1940-49). Unlike Snead and many other long hitters Hogan was strategically long when he needed to be. Snead was NEVER MUCH longer than Hogan during the 40s. Hogan shot TWO 271s to win the N&S open (Pinehurst 6879yds) and Hale America National Open (surrogate US open) in 1942!! It would be 52 years of technological advancement in the game before anyone else shot that low in 2 of the top 4 stoke events (PGA was match play & Brit open which before the 1960s Americans rarely played in, was suspended due to WW2 ).
In there era Snead, Hogan, and Byron what a combination of great players Then Palmer, Player and a young Nicklaus they were going at it Then Nicklaus little older Trevino, Watson, Johnny Miller, Giants that could play Now its just Tiger no one to put pressure on him he ended in what i call a lucky era these new young gun are all spoiled brats with a silver spoon in there mouths and Phil was never #1 won 4 majors- then Sergio the choker these young guns were all rich brats.
No matter what Tiger did he is the best in this era. its who he is because he is the best. Just like Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Bryon, Hogan Nicklaus Trevino, and many others remember Walter Hagen he was no great shakes so dont judge him. If you can beat him then talk all you want. Like Palmer said he is the best in this era no one better ask Sergio
Great vid now my view i am hitting the old clubs better then new, the new go further but the old cut thru grass like a knife the groves are the old v harder for spin action need the old rubber wound better balls
Exactly....ever see them rant after a bad shot or smash their club in the ground.....they had on course manners and acted appropriately in front of their live audiences.....kudos to them....shame on T.Woods. Must say I root gainst Tiger at every event...and double in the majors.
Tiger showed who he REALLY is/was after his father passed away. Besides I couldnt care less about him having sex with whatever dumb broad chose to do so.....his treatment of Fluff and Stevie, as well as how he completely ignores the fans who idolize him, show what kind of a mouse he really is. His ego was too big for his britches too when it came to Butch Harmon as well....so basically he shits on the people he is closest to, like say Elin, and discards them like used toilet tissue. What a man!
One of the Majors ie The Masters should be played with pre metal wood technology and balls. Return the course to its length at say 1960 and see how everyone gets on. Probably pretty well, but it would be fin to watch. Will never happen though.
I hear ya and cannot argue much against that logic...however, he had the Tiger stare long before Tigers dad even thought of having Tiger! They say he was as cool as the other side of the pillow out there on the course and would mentally wear you down even before the first tee!!!!! Have you ever looked into his eyes on TV??? They have shown them...I can only imagine what they looked like in real life!
Look back 3 guns went at it Hogan Snead Nelson then came Jack Arnie Player then Jack was young with Arnie and Player it was Jack Lee and Watson now what do we have now Tiger and ------------------------------------anyone
nuster rab Nonsense. Tiger is quite obviously done. The guys today have a huge equipment and course conditioning advantage over players from Hogan's era. Hogan was known for hit ability to hit much farther than 250 if he wanted. Just like Nicklaus. Tiger has NEVER had the control that these guys had with a driver even with such a huge advantage in equipment and course conditioning. If Hogan was competing with the "new bunch" on even terms, he might not be as dominant due to the depth of the modern field, but he most certainly wouldn't have been made into "mincemeat".
I have no idea how to use a whip, so I can't grasp your analogy of that. And I'm sure Hogan did play his ball at different positions, it just may not be visible with this right side view of his swing. I have no idea how old you are Jamie, but I've been playing this game a long time, and everyone has a different go at it. I find that people who analize every little aspect of of their swing and how others swing, have a really shitty swing. Not that I'm saying you're hack, but if the shoe fits?
Is that right? You mean just because Woods had it with every cocktail waitress and aspiring porn star within shouting distance, and these other guys had it with their own wives?
Hogan hits a 6 Iron from 138 yards at 4:02. That's what golf has gotten away from. Playing golf. He could have swung all out on an 8 or 9 iron to get it there. But he chose to play a different shot than a full swing. That's what golf is missing. Go play golf with half the clubs in your bag. It becomes a lot more fun and I bet your score just as well with 7 clubs as you do with 14.
jordanaug81 I was trying to find the spec's on Hogan's Merion 1-iron and couldn't find anything definitive online but extrapolating from the other published club specs, it probably would have been around 39.5" long, 16-18degrees loft and 58degree lie: which is very close to the current taylormade 3-iron.
I completely agree that irons have changed a ton. Especially the length. But to back up my original comment, look at 0:59. He hits a 7 iron 163 yards. Also, you can see when he hits that 6 Iron 138 yards, he is obviously only taking a three quarter swing. It is not all out swing like a couple of the others.
If you want to swing like Hogan, you need to realize that he did absolutely NOTHING that he didn't feel was necessary. He wanted his swing to be as simple and efficient as possible. If he felt he could have done this by eliminating one or more of the steps in his set-up etc... he WOULD have. I can't stand Hogan addicts who aren't willing to drop their right foot back and kick their right knee in because it "looks funky". If you aren't willing to do that, then scrap the "Power Golf" book...
Notice the lower back on all these players of old. More convex than concave. Today's touring pros tighten up their lower back muscles too much because their lower back posture is such that you could sit a cup of water in the small of their lower backs.
The perfect golf swing is the one YOU can do with consistent ball striking and control. Every thing else is opinion. Assuming your goal is to be a good solid golfer. I have a wrist roll I fight in my swing on the takeaway. Watch my vid on my channel. Not a perfect swing, but I can duplicate over and over and hit the shit out of it.
There's not much better in the world than watching ben hogan strike golf balls. Makes me think lowly of the current game of superballs and bloated golf clubs.
Most can't hit that little white orb, and I figure they must be really shitty carpenter's. Don't make the game complicated, with a little practice, anyone can hit a golf ball 300 yds. when they are young.......after that, it's a challenge that gets harder every day. Damn, my back hurts, I think I'll go hit a bucket!
From what I have read about Mr. Hogan he was a private man and probably didn't care for being interrupted during his lunch and alone time. How dare he like to eat in privacy!! Cursing like a sailor, hmmm show me a player on tour who doesn't / hasn't cursed. Tiger is in the present (you are correct) but acts like a baby ON the course, you didn't say anything about Hogan, Snead, Couples or Trevino acting like Tiger ON the course.
Who gives a damn whether Tiger looks happy....are you his mother??? To a lot of people Tiger is a huge disgrace....lets not forget the immoral and self absorbed creature that Tiger really is......to me he's no hero at all.....a hero is one who lives a life in a truthfulness and with humility while respecting those around them.....that is the exact opposite of the Tiger I see and read about.
One of the things that impressed me most about Hogans swing being so grooved and repeating is that even his divots all look identical.
Year after year i keep coming back to this amazing video, with my all time favorite golfers and such a wonderfall song. All i can say is thank you...
I dont know how many times i watched this video...and fell a sleep.Love the old era, they always acted like gentlemen.
Really interesting to see various exemples of "older" swings. What I like about them, is that they swung so easily. and that
some players used pretty short backswings. Very inspiring, thanks!
These swings were tempered without modern tech, they made incredible shote's with pure skill. Not to knock the modern swing, but what they did is priceless...
(part 3:)
As for irons, I was pretty long back then for a good player (as opposed to a long-drive gorilla), maybe just above average for a tour player, but today I hit virtually every manufacturer's irons at least a club longer, a quarter-century and a back operation later. It's completely ridiculous. And the clubs I was playing then (in the '80s) were longer and easier to hit than the ones of the Hogan era. Thinking about Snead or Nicklaus with a modern driver is actually terrifying.
If you watch his right elbow you will notice what made Hogan better than everyone else.
He attaches his right elbow to his right hip to hit the ball.
To make this work he slides his lower body forward so his elbow, hip, and right hand
get to the ball at the same time.
You can easily see it if you know what to look for.
greeder88 so did Nicklaus
Keep in mind here too, Hogan is in his 50s, playing the old clubs (with old lofts) and the old ball, and not going full-crazy-max-out like almost everybody does today on almost every swing. Rough actually mattered then. So did long-term health.
he was so precise with his iron play; i read somewhere about Hogan that once, when he played in the open at merion, he didn't bring a 7 iron to use, in the tournament. when asked why, he said, "there are no 7 iron shots on the course". he had already mapped out every shot in his mind, and didn't carry one that week. the man was simply amazing.
DMR4736 I remember that story. There was another one of a reporter asking him about how he planned to deal with the grooved bunkers at Baltusrol (I think), and he replied "I don't plan on being in any of them." And he played four bunker free rounds. The man deserves his legendary status.
Great anecdote.. I find that in tournament rounds, I almost always hit less club into the greens because I hit my tee shots so much further , perhaps because I am so juiced up from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Maybe Mr. Hogan had learned to either predict and plan for that effect or avoid it altogether...?
I would say that Hogan's management was the best I've ever heard of. Not only was he a phenomenal ball striker, he had the management to back it up, which made him almost too good to handle. Snead had a hard time getting close to beating him consistently. But Nelson was still the best player out of the 3, though he retired early. I don't think anyone could repeat Nelson's feats and records, it's just not going to happen. So they were all legends for their own reasons, Hogan's management, Snead's longevity, and Nelson's extraordinary striking ability were something to behold.
Imagine seeing them play in person...
I pray that Jack's record stays intact. My wife worked for Jack as his personal assistant at Golden Bear in Palm Beach Gardens Fl. She said that Jack was a very nice and respectful boss and his family longevity and marriage to Barbara are proof of what a great person Jack is as well as all the charity work he and Barbara are involved in. Tiger couldnt wera his underwear let alone walk in his shoes. What ha the great Tiger done for his fans or any other group.....please Im eager to know!
I love this video. Has some minor typing mistakes on a couple of holes as pointed out below but we can all get the jist of the message here. Anyone looking to increase their game look no further and understand this video. It shows us that club distance control is key to the perfect game. A hard 7 iron fly's higher and stops on a dime where that soft 6 or 5 reaches that same distance but with less loft... thus rolling more....
An Exellent post Ant. A perfect example of club-head control and how to stay on the ball.
A lot of great swings full of personality in this one. Thanks for posting
we can learn a lot from these guys.... great way to play the game.
At least I can relate to some of those distances from the 60's and 70's. Today's distances, not so much. Nice video BTW. Thanks.
Johnny Miller Tells the story about playing in his first US Open and walking up to Hogan and introducing himself and telling Hogan how much he admired him.Hogan who was eating his lunch looked at young Johnny and said "kid can't you see I'm eating my soup". Hogan also "cursed like a sailor" according to Jody Vosquez who was close friends with Hogan and wrote "Afternoons with Hogan". Time has made people forget the shortcomings of many great players.Tiger however is in the present so we remember
In 1959 I got Cary Middlecoff's 'Guide To Golf'.....an instruction book on all facets of the game....with illustrations drawn by an artist.....Middlecoff described 230 yds as an 'avg' driver and 250 yds as a good driver. Those were the stds of that era.
In fact, Mr Hogan was the very best!!!
it's all in the proper use of the elbows on the back swing and down swing tat slings the club effortlessly
obviously
+martinkp76 no it is in yours hands my fellow
Thanks so much for the post and a terrific sampling of players for comparative review. ..."Most Helpful" as my research of the swing continues. ....DrDom.... GolfNucleus
(part 2:)
Various occasional experiments with modern pros and the old balls and equipment have been tried. Almost none can come close to the distances and accuracy of a Snead or a Nicklaus. Some hit it about as far as Hogan, but aren't as accurate. None score as well.
I can tell you that as a former low-level competitive pro, I hit it at least 35-40 yards longer off the tee now than I did 25 years ago in my mid-20s, and allegedly I haven't even found my best shaft and head yet.
(ct'd)
I took me awhile I have truly discovered Ben Hogans Secret!!!!!!
Pray tell!
Not that this is the "secret", but what I noticed was that Mr. Hogan didn't overswing with driver or any other club. Driver shaft was parallel, short iron shafts vertical and with longer irons and fairway woods about half way between driver and short irons. He had total control of a relatively compact swing compared to today's players. Of course, he was also playing much shorter shafts and increased lofts over the golf equipment makers current "longest ever" philosophy. For senior golfers such as myself, Mr. Hogan is certainly someone to emulate, and for those with limited athleticism, limiting the backswing is certainly going to allow better control for lower scores as well.
1 iron? Snead, you're a boss. I was told even god himself couldn't hit a 1 iron, lol.
Big John had a 0 iron a few years back.
i heard that when you are playing golf and there is a thunderstorm, you are supposed to walk down the fairway holding your 1 iron in the air, because god cant even hit a 1 iron.
Dixie Normous Yes, that was the initial joke, lol.
7mgtesup1 Yes, his "brick on a stick."
Jack Nicklaus could hit a 1-iron, that's for sure.
The music is awesome
True, many of the robot golfers of today lack the 'feel' of shotmaking, eg. having to go down on the shaft of a low iron to get the result of another club, say in the wind. Seve did always demonstrate how to "feel" the shots...
simply the best
dumb
Beautiful full swing
i used that swing for years when i was younger (63 now). Hogan was my hero, so naturally i used his clubs. my swing was square to square, and my handicap was on average 9. now i'm old, my swing is more like Big John's. i can see the head of my club from my peripheral left eye. and i'm a 17 handicap. been playing for 56 years, maybe i should go back to the old square to square? would be easier on my back and maybe my handicap will go down...........lol.
Couple notes here: 1) these "iron distances" don't necessarily represent Hogan's maximum distances, since hardly any of the top pros swung anywhere near their top speed when he was coming up in the game, and also because he was 53 at the time of this show's taping; and 2) the difference in equipment between then and now is immense, if you're comparing.
(ct'd)
great video, cool soundtrack, thank you
ball striking was definitely put over power back in the it's beautiful to watch
Id blame Johnny....what gave him the idea it was ok to interrupt Hogan or anyone else he didnt know while they were havig their lunch. Years ago I saw the great Joe Dimaggio at Woodmont CC in Tamarac Fl when I went into the bar/dining room. I asked the BT if that was Joe D and he said yes it was. Even though there was the thrill of seeing the great Yankee I didnt consider going over to him while he was eating...to me that would have been most rude and very awkward...listening Johhny???
Love the music!
The numbers are all over the place?! 163 7 IRON - 138 6 IRON
Typo? Maybe 183 yard 6 iron?
love this
Greatest ball striker of all time AND the worst putter of all time...
ty for upload
While Hogan was a machine- it would be very difficult to copy that swing. it took him years and hitting thousands of balls to get that groove he had. I think if he was in his prime and had all the technological advantages Tiger had, that he could have beat Tiger in a head on match. Tiger had always hit a lot of errant shots, but he is on every par 5 in 2, and his short game was incredible. I think Hogan hitting fairway after fairway and green after green would have eventually just wore Tiger down. And I don't think that Hogan was intimidated by anyone, and wouldn't have been intimidated by Tiger. Hogan was as mentally tough as anyone.
Agreed, Hogan would have ball striked him to death. That said, Tiger is one of the best pressuer putters that ever lived. As I understand it, Hogan actually didn't like putting, probably because it was not at the same level as the rest of his game.
Stephen Bartels that's a very good point. Tiger was a better putter than Hogan for sure! Maybe now I'm not so sure who would have won.
If hogan was as good a putter as tiger its hard to imagine anyone beating him
Agreed, a combination of Hogan's ball striking and Tiger's putting is unbeatable.
+Stephen Bartels if you saw videos of Hogan before he revamped his swing you would be shocked. he had an absolutely horrible golf swing. what prompted him to change was he hit a ton of snap hooks and wanted what he termed the controlled "power fade"
he hit balls until his hands bled, soaked them in brine, and kept going.
That is so interesting. I must say, one normally only sees the revamped swing. Thanks for that info.
Your swing looks a lot like Arnold palmers really. I know your not cocky, because you can see your own potential and you KNOW that you can be great a a game that is so hard. There's gonna be many obstacles in the way, and no one said it is easy :) it won't be long before we see you on tour. Keep on practicing and good luck man. Sorry I had to rant for so long
to me every swing is beautiful. All flawless through impact focusing on getting that right shoulder under my chin through impact
Great video. Immense
First song, Immediate Music - Believe. The others suck imo so I won't bother looking them up.
Now that's the way to wear some trousers, nice and high. You youngsters take note of that there.
One thing that always stood out to me is how short Hogans backswing looks for his irons. With his four iron it looks like he only took his hands up to about shoulder height. Modern pros seem to have a much longer backswing. Lot of full wedge shots that i've seen Hogan hit looked like he barely got his hands above waist height.
Must be all about the lag in his swing that he was able to hit it anywhere. Probably a big key to his accuracy having such a short swing too.
That was one reason why he hit it so solid and straight. don't let anyone tell you you have to lengthen your backswing. All the super straight hitters had very short backswings (Trevino, Moe Norman and Mr. Hogan ).
I shorten my backswing from shoulder to shoulder high. Wanna know what happened? 10 off the handicap in one year. Don't swing for the fences. Swing in cadence.
@@dpardo74 True enough. Keep the thing in play.
Distance is also measured by how close you are to target. If you're accurate, you actually hit the ball farther in relation to the line you take. This is why cutting corners is so useful. Not to mention you're in the short grass, the ball will run out 15 yards vs hitting a tree.
But 10 off a handicap in one year? Damn that's some hell of an accomplishment. I'm barely a 5 right now, getting down from 10 to 6 was a chore. Getting from 6 to 5 took 3 months. I got down to 3 four months after that, but really grinded my ass off. It gets harder once you're in single figure, but going from 20 to 15 or 15 to 10 is plenty easier, just got to get some basics down.
Here's the difference: You have to hear these stories from people who knew him. Out of all the million feet of film taken of him at various tournaments and elsewhere, you're not going to find him refusing to control his own profanity when he knows the public is listening.
... and continue sucking. The right foot position was arguably the most important part. It allowed him to load to his right side like he did with every other club, but it adjusted the club angle so that the longer clubs still grounded out in the same spot relative to his left side. So he could always transfer all of his weight and make a full release without worrying about shifting left of his target. Picture trying to step 6 inches over a line and whipping it with a 10 foot whip..
This guy could probably juggle while riding a unicycle...
I just laugh my ass off, when he can't beat me. The problem with him is that he "tries" to beat me, instead of beating the course. And the thing is, his handicap is lower than mine.........hmmmmm, I wonder why???? Like I tell my friends, hitting a golfball is like hitting a nail with a hammer. It does'nt move, like all other balls, it just sits there. I ask them if they can drive a nail, and they all say, "Well, yeah, no problem"!
He was hitting his driver 260 yds with persimmon wood..can you imagine how far he would hit with todays clubs and golf balls?? 300 yd drives with ease...
Right on brother, glad to help. Again, Great video!
He's about an iron longer by today's standards....meaning he would hit 8 iron 160....That is solid by any stretch.
If i give advice to someone, I'll ask if they want it. Only to improve their game, they can take it or not. I have a friend who I taught to play, just using the basics of the game. Not making it complicated with how they stand or how far back they should take the club, etc.. Now if I give him a tip, he does'nt take it, so I just let him go on being pissed off all the time. He analizes everything about his own swing, but never takes his "own" advice as to why he's hitting the ball everywhere.
so your telling me he hit a 250 yard drive on the first hole, and then hits a 270 yard 4 wood into the green. Alrighty then
Just like in golf, if I were on the 18th green with one put to win the heavy trophy and fat check.....if I set up to the putt and the wind moved the ball, I'm calling a penalty shot on myself. Couldn't get over it till I called myself out.
3 wood 263. Driver about 250-265. Clearly he could uncork with the driver and take it past 300 and that's with this old equipment. He valued effortlessness over force, probably because it felt so good.
***** Hogan and Nicklaus were very similar. Capable of much greater distances, but only when needed. Many people remarked about Hogan's ability to hit it out around 300 (Bobby Jones could as well with a modern American ball of his day). Pros would talk about Jack knocking it around 250 with his driver regularly until he needed distance and then he'd pop it out 320 from seemingly nowhere. When you consider the differences in course conditioning and equipment with the modern player, their skill is even more impressive.
Keep in mind that the balls go a lot farther today than in Hogans era. The irons are lighter, a little longer and the lofts are almost 2 clubs stronger than what Hogan played. You think you are hitting a 7 iron but it is practically a 5 iron from Ben's day.
GrayGhosting not to mention that the pros deloft the club so its more like a 3 iron from the old days.
its all in the hips. it's all in the hips.
the 4 iron shot 175 yards at 1:30 was a sand wedge lol
Hogan hit his 3 wood further than his driver ? I always marvel at Trevino's swing.
1 iron to green for a 230 yard, par-3 hole, wow!
Snead was a beast.
... now think of what you would do if you had a 20 foot whip and you still had to step 6 inches over the line.. you would have to get lower to the ground and bring the whip in at a "flatter" angle. Hogans ball position was ALWAYS the same.. from wedge to driver. In order for that to be effective, he had to create space and the proper angle of attack, or his longer clubs would have grounded out much too early, or he would have had to "fall back" and either hit a big hook or slice, like most hacks
hes a fairway and green god
nice video!!! what music is it on the video?
they had to behave properly because they grew up in an era where golf pros where still gaining acceptance. for many years, they weren't allowed in locker rooms.
Thanks Greg......It is a Par 4.
Almost looks like a hologram with the clarity..
Hi, what's the name on the tune @ 6:20 with the start of Lee Trevino please :)
Yeah, give them a 6 iron sized hammer and ask them again in a month... Pretty sure they will be missing a finger or two!! ;-)
Not really club distances the ball today goes so much further. Clubs like driver add 15 yards, irons 5 to 10 yards golf balls 30 to 40 yards.
Especially irons. An 8 iron in 1950 has the loft of a modern pitching wedge.
Great video. But @ 10:20, a 405yd par 3? that can't be right.
Hogan had to be one of the longer hitters in his day, with those clubs... I'd love to see how far he could hit with a new driver/ pro v1
cmares5858 Snead was Boros was no slouch
***** Hogan was always one of the longest hitters BEFORE his injuries. That separates him from people like Trevino who was very accurate but not nearly as close to as long as Hogan was in his physical prime (1940-49). Unlike Snead and many other long hitters Hogan was strategically long when he needed to be. Snead was NEVER MUCH longer than Hogan during the 40s. Hogan shot TWO 271s to win the N&S open (Pinehurst 6879yds) and Hale America National Open (surrogate US open) in 1942!! It would be 52 years of technological advancement in the game before anyone else shot that low in 2 of the top 4 stoke events (PGA was match play & Brit open which before the 1960s Americans rarely played in, was suspended due to WW2 ).
HE was god. He is actually not even dead, because gods cannot die!!!
In there era Snead, Hogan, and Byron what a combination of great players
Then Palmer, Player and a young Nicklaus they were going at it
Then Nicklaus little older Trevino, Watson, Johnny Miller, Giants that could play
Now its just Tiger no one to put pressure on him he ended in what i call a lucky era these new young gun are all spoiled brats with a silver spoon in there mouths and Phil was never #1 won 4 majors- then Sergio the choker these young guns were all rich brats.
Anyone know the name of the song that's playing when Ben Hogan and Daly are swinging?
"London" by James Newton Howard, from the soundtrack of movie Blood Diamond. Great movie by the way.
Thank you very much. And it's been a while but I've seen the movie and agree, it's a good one.
Hahaha! Nice to put in some blood diamond music in the golf video, way to stay original bro!
No matter what Tiger did he is the best in this era. its who he is because he is the best. Just like Harry Vardon, Bobby Jones, Bryon, Hogan Nicklaus Trevino, and many others remember Walter Hagen he was no great shakes so dont judge him. If you can beat him then talk all you want. Like Palmer said he is the best in this era no one better ask Sergio
Song played at 4:30??
Great vid now my view i am hitting the old clubs better then new, the new go further but the old cut thru grass like a knife the groves are the old v harder for spin action need the old rubber wound better balls
Now just bring out that persimmon wood you have as well as a balata ball....
I can hit my driver as far as Ben hogan
Exactly....ever see them rant after a bad shot or smash their club in the ground.....they had on course manners and acted appropriately in front of their live audiences.....kudos to them....shame on T.Woods. Must say I root gainst Tiger at every event...and double in the majors.
Touche. :) HA HA!!
Tiger showed who he REALLY is/was after his father passed away. Besides I couldnt care less about him having sex with whatever dumb broad chose to do so.....his treatment of Fluff and Stevie, as well as how he completely ignores the fans who idolize him, show what kind of a mouse he really is. His ego was too big for his britches too when it came to Butch Harmon as well....so basically he shits on the people he is closest to, like say Elin, and discards them like used toilet tissue. What a man!
Boooo Hooooo, crying in my beer or you Pauly!
One of the Majors ie The Masters should be played with pre metal wood technology and balls. Return the course to its length at say 1960 and see how everyone gets on. Probably pretty well, but it would be fin to watch. Will never happen though.
Imagine how far he could hit the ball today?!?!?
jimmymac63 30 yards further But Tiger and the new bunch will make mince meat out of him there animals
I hear ya and cannot argue much against that logic...however, he had the Tiger stare long before Tigers dad even thought of having Tiger! They say he was as cool as the other side of the pillow out there on the course and would mentally wear you down even before the first tee!!!!! Have you ever looked into his eyes on TV??? They have shown them...I can only imagine what they looked like in real life!
Look back 3 guns went at it Hogan Snead Nelson then came Jack Arnie Player then Jack was young with Arnie and Player it was Jack Lee and Watson now what do we have now Tiger and ------------------------------------anyone
nuster rab Nonsense. Tiger is quite obviously done. The guys today have a huge equipment and course conditioning advantage over players from Hogan's era. Hogan was known for hit ability to hit much farther than 250 if he wanted. Just like Nicklaus. Tiger has NEVER had the control that these guys had with a driver even with such a huge advantage in equipment and course conditioning. If Hogan was competing with the "new bunch" on even terms, he might not be as dominant due to the depth of the modern field, but he most certainly wouldn't have been made into "mincemeat".
Robert Reid )))) Beloney Tiger has 14 majors you need a driver to win how many do you have
I have no idea how to use a whip, so I can't grasp your analogy of that. And I'm sure Hogan did play his ball at different positions, it just may not be visible with this right side view of his swing. I have no idea how old you are Jamie, but I've been playing this game a long time, and everyone has a different go at it. I find that people who analize every little aspect of of their swing and how others swing, have a really shitty swing. Not that I'm saying you're hack, but if the shoe fits?
Is that right? You mean just because Woods had it with every cocktail waitress and aspiring porn star within shouting distance, and these other guys had it with their own wives?
Hogan hits a 6 Iron from 138 yards at 4:02. That's what golf has gotten away from. Playing golf. He could have swung all out on an 8 or 9 iron to get it there. But he chose to play a different shot than a full swing. That's what golf is missing. Go play golf with half the clubs in your bag. It becomes a lot more fun and I bet your score just as well with 7 clubs as you do with 14.
just sunny Not completely true. The lofts have definitely gotten steeper but a 1 iron has never played like a modern 4.
jordanaug81 I was trying to find the spec's on Hogan's Merion 1-iron and couldn't find anything definitive online but extrapolating from the other published club specs, it probably would have been around 39.5" long, 16-18degrees loft and 58degree lie: which is very close to the current taylormade 3-iron.
I completely agree that irons have changed a ton. Especially the length. But to back up my original comment, look at 0:59. He hits a 7 iron 163 yards. Also, you can see when he hits that 6 Iron 138 yards, he is obviously only taking a three quarter swing. It is not all out swing like a couple of the others.
If you want to swing like Hogan, you need to realize that he did absolutely NOTHING that he didn't feel was necessary. He wanted his swing to be as simple and efficient as possible. If he felt he could have done this by eliminating one or more of the steps in his set-up etc... he WOULD have. I can't stand Hogan addicts who aren't willing to drop their right foot back and kick their right knee in because it "looks funky". If you aren't willing to do that, then scrap the "Power Golf" book...
Notice the lower back on all these players of old. More convex than concave. Today's touring pros tighten up their lower back muscles too much because their lower back posture is such that you could sit a cup of water in the small of their lower backs.
Hole 1 443 yds you said he hit a 250 drive with a 270 to green that's 520 not 443 par 4 no. 1
The perfect golf swing is the one YOU can do with consistent ball striking and control. Every thing else is opinion. Assuming your goal is to be a good solid golfer. I have a wrist roll I fight in my swing on the takeaway. Watch my vid on my channel. Not a perfect swing, but I can duplicate over and over and hit the shit out of it.
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There's not much better in the world than watching ben hogan strike golf balls. Makes me think lowly of the current game of superballs and bloated golf clubs.
true
Why put Tiger in there, why?? Hogan, Snead, Couples, Trevino all guys who didn't act like a jack-ass why they made a good shot.
Most can't hit that little white orb, and I figure they must be really shitty carpenter's. Don't make the game complicated, with a little practice, anyone can hit a golf ball 300 yds. when they are young.......after that, it's a challenge that gets harder every day. Damn, my back hurts, I think I'll go hit a bucket!
From what I have read about Mr. Hogan he was a private man and probably didn't care for being interrupted during his lunch and alone time. How dare he like to eat in privacy!! Cursing like a sailor, hmmm show me a player on tour who doesn't / hasn't cursed. Tiger is in the present (you are correct) but acts like a baby ON the course, you didn't say anything about Hogan, Snead, Couples or Trevino acting like Tiger ON the course.
No one's perfect, certainly not me, so I've no right to tell people how to behave, as it would be hypocritical. People do what they like.
Modern swings pale in comparison. We can't even hit these style clubs.
Who gives a damn whether Tiger looks happy....are you his mother???
To a lot of people Tiger is a huge disgrace....lets not forget the immoral and self absorbed creature that Tiger really is......to me he's no hero at all.....a hero is one who lives a life in a truthfulness and with humility while respecting those around them.....that is the exact opposite of the Tiger I see and read about.
I dislike this video for one reason, no Arnie.
+James Murray it was a 2 man match only between Hogan and Snead.