The curious case of the sliding left foot

Why does his left foot slide towards the ball in the backswing?

Sharp eye!

I think we can all agree Hogan is utilizes more sheer forces than normal (up and down) forces which explains why his left foot never rolled or jumped around with any club.

So his left foot slides forward in BS. So it proves he can't be using his feet/lower body to turn his left side in the BS. Because if he was using his lower body to power the turn the sheer force would on his foot would be working away from the target line, not toward it.

So he has to be using the core to power the turn. Momentum from the core-powered turn leaked into the left foot on this swing and kicked his foot toward target line.

That's my answer and it's correct until prove guilty (I give it 2 hours).

How about showing us that the foot slides on more than just one swing?

I don't see any left foot slide! How could it since he's wearing spikes?

I see it, but I am assuming its some sort of optical illusion. With the extra dagger spikes he wears, there is no way the foot slides - but it was muddy that day.

What's interesting about this is that it provides a clue as to what internal pressures may be at work. You can't determine this by drawing lines on a 2D picture. If his foot slides it's because there is/are internal forces causing this to happen. I'm a bit puzzled however because I can't replicate this effect in my living room by applying various internal torques.

I see this as evidence contrary to the claims made by some Stack & Tilters and Evershed who claim his weight stays on top of his left side throughout the swing. I'll see if I can find other instances.

[quote name='dairic' timestamp='1360016558' post='6363001']
What's interesting about this is that it provides a clue as to what internal pressures may be at work. You can't determine this by drawing lines on a 2D picture. If his foot slides it's because there is/are internal forces causing this to happen. I'm a bit puzzled however because I can't replicate this effect in my living room by applying various internal torques.

I see this as evidence contrary to the claims made by some Stack & Tilters and Evershed who claim his weight stays on top of his left side throughout the swing. I'll see if I can find other instances.
[/quote]

The idea he keeps his weight left is so bogus. What about when his left heal is in the air at the top? Maybe he's a ballerina and can get 95% of his wright in his big toe lol.

[quote name='tylerdurden' timestamp='1360016754' post='6363025']
[quote name='dairic' timestamp='1360016558' post='6363001']
What's interesting about this is that it provides a clue as to what internal pressures may be at work. You can't determine this by drawing lines on a 2D picture. If his foot slides it's because there is/are internal forces causing this to happen. I'm a bit puzzled however because I can't replicate this effect in my living room by applying various internal torques.

I see this as evidence contrary to the claims made by some Stack & Tilters and Evershed who claim his weight stays on top of his left side throughout the swing. I'll see if I can find other instances.
[/quote]

The idea he keeps his weight left is so bogus. What about when his left heal is in the air at the top? Maybe he's a ballerina and can get 95% of his wright in his big toe lol.
[/quote]

Yea good point. I guess the obvious is not enough to persuade some people.

I don't think his foot slides towards the ball or forward. There is a significant sideways component to it. I think his left knee action is simply pulling his foot along for the ride a bit. The ground must have been slippery.

Soft turf perhaps?

oh boy...

It turns out that its not that uncommon to see his left foot slide in the backswing....regardless of turf conditions

I'll post more video later when I get home.

I'll concede that this isn't going to help anyone's golf swing, but it's interesting none the less.

Fancy footwork put together by BHSP. Thanks BHSP!

Pay very close attention to his left foot. I feel extremely flat footed after seeing this. A slide is noticeable on multiple occasions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhIsZKNv9_0&list=UU-G6VK_Aopw_bBhn6W-NkGQ&index=6

My pleasure dairic. I did two of those vids. There's another 'feet knees' vid on my YouTube channel too.

Apropos of nothing (but maybe applicable to this thread), Hogan was reputed to be a fine dancer. It certainly didn't hurt his swing!

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvGS-K-6d8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvGS-K-6d8[/url]

[quote name='Ben Hogan Swing Project' timestamp='1360122788' post='6370969']
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvGS-K-6d8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhvGS-K-6d8[/url]
[/quote]

Who needs Elvis when you got moves like this.

[quote name='dairic' timestamp='1360124066' post='6371091']
Who needs Elvis when you got moves like this.
[/quote]

Maybe if Elvis was holding a golf club instead of a guitar, they wouldn't have had to keep the camera shot above his waist when he was on Ed Sullivan.

In fact, almost all of his swings in the Shell match have this slide. Very easy to see.

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rfs1EGVYKs&list=UU-G6VK_Aopw_bBhn6W-NkGQ[/media]

BHSP you make the best vids dude.

[quote name='dairic' timestamp='1360204510' post='6377453']
In fact, almost all of his swings in the Shell match have this slide. Very easy to see.

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rfs1EGVYKs&list=UU-G6VK_Aopw_bBhn6W-NkGQ[/media]

BHSP you make the best vids dude.
[/quote]

That's not a slide - it's just his toes raising up as his weight goes into his heel.

[quote name='MizunoJoe' timestamp='1360255557' post='6381193']
That's not a slide - it's just his toes raising up as his weight goes into his heel.
[/quote]

The slide isn't easy to see but it is there in most of the swings presented in this thread. It occurs at the top of the backswing. You may need to use reading glasses and/or use the zoom features of your browser, but if you try you will see it.

A red or blue pill question: Are his feet/legs active or are they more responding to the torque of the core above them?

[quote name='Fade' timestamp='1360284184' post='6384573']
[quote name='MizunoJoe' timestamp='1360255557' post='6381193']
That's not a slide - it's just his toes raising up as his weight goes into his heel.
[/quote]

The slide isn't easy to see but it is there in most of the swings presented in this thread. It occurs at the top of the backswing. You may need to use reading glasses and/or use the zoom features of your browser, but if you try you will see it.
[/quote]

At 3:25 I did see the heel slide forward very slightly - must be soft turf like someone said earlier.

[quote name='MizunoJoe' timestamp='1360296864' post='6385889']
[quote name='Fade' timestamp='1360284184' post='6384573']
[quote name='MizunoJoe' timestamp='1360255557' post='6381193']
That's not a slide - it's just his toes raising up as his weight goes into his heel.
[/quote]

The slide isn't easy to see but it is there in most of the swings presented in this thread. It occurs at the top of the backswing. You may need to use reading glasses and/or use the zoom features of your browser, but if you try you will see it.
[/quote]

At 3:25 I did see the heel slide forward very slightly - must be soft turf like someone said earlier.
[/quote]

Check out the video in post #13 at 17 seconds. There you can see the left foot being dragged by the left knee in what appears to be dry conditions...and there are other examples. Notice how the folds in his left pant leg straighten from being pulled by the knee. The left knee pull due to his backswing pivot seems to be the cause of the slide as Fade and Tyler mentioned early on. Because he's so heavily loaded in his right leg, and his left heel lifts off the ground, and his left foot is rolled inwards a bit then the pull of the knee could cause the foot to slide a bit in basically any turf condition. The spikes in his left shoe aren't dug-in at that point in his swing.