Ben Hogan Stats?

[Lakers2020]

I've always been a fan of Ben Hogan. I've read a couple books and watched some documentaries about him - I've never been able to find much info on his typical club distances or swing speeds. The only thing I really found was a video on YouTube that measured shots from his Shell's Wonderful World of Golf vs. Sam Snead. The numbers were all over the place. 7 iron from 163, 6 iron from 138, 4 iron from 175.

Please post if you have any good info.

Thanks,

[kozubs]

Not exactly what you're looking for but an interesting story I once heard from an old timer at our course.

My home course Lookout Point in Ontario Canada used to be a regular stop for Hogan, Sneed, Hagen Sarazen for the Brock Open. I guess Hogan wasn't doing so well and had decided to go back to being a club pro as he was going broke. Apparently this was going to be last Tournament. I believe the story goes that he finished second in the tournament and won a few hundred dollars but also won the long drive competition which was worth more and this bankrolled him for a few more tournaments. He started playing well and the rest is history. One of the old guys caddied for him. I guess Ben keep eating the sandwiches his mom made for him. I've never been able to confirm this story but do know that he played here at least once. I have found a similar story from another course so who knows, maybe I'm just gullible.

 

[kmay__]

^ That's a cool story either way, I live about 10 mins down the road from Lookout.

[smashdn]

He was supposedly pretty long for his day. Seven iron in the 160 seems a bit of a push unless there are some other circumstances. Keep in mind the lofts were probably a club if not two clubs or more weaker then. Plus super spinny ball compared to what we have today.

 

Shorter guy with a 43" steel shafted driver I'd say 95-105mph. < That is solely a guess.

[mark m]

Ben Hogan lists his distances in the book _Power Golf_(1948). He won 10 tournaments that year including 2 majors. If you want more info you should visit the Hogan Swing subforum. Those dudes know a lot about him. Below are his listed distances for "regular" and "maximum" from the book. He talks about weather conditions and fairway firmness as the significant factors:

 

Driver = 265 (regular), 300 (maximum)

Brassie = 250, 270

3w = 235, 250

4w = 220, 230

1i = 195, 220

2i = 185, 210

3i = 175, 200

4i = 165, 190

5i = 155, 180

6i = 145, 170

7i = 135, 160

8i = 125, 150

9i = 115, 140

PW = 50 in, 105

SW = 25, 40

[smashdn]

You thinking a 48* PW?

[dpb5031]

> @smashdn said:

> You thinking a 48* PW?

 

Probably more like 51

[Moonlightgrm]

I still have my dad’s set of Hogan irons from 1965 in my basement. The PW in that set is 50-degrees.

[Nard_S]

Hogan was known to hit 3-4 clubs different for same distance. For all his perfection of swing and targeting, he played with a lot of feel. His Driver was extremely heavy and stiff. XX shafts and lots of dowel at handle and hosel. Pretty remarkable. Old ball, no video, no coach.

[dpb5031]

> @Nard_S said:

> Hogan was known to hit 3-4 clubs different for same distance. For all his perfection of swing and targeting, he played with a lot of feel. His Driver was extremely heavy and stiff. XX shafts and lots of dowel at handle and hosel. Pretty remarkable. Old ball, no video, no coach.

 

Hogan got paired with a young/new Tour pro in a practice round. May have been someone chatty like Trevino. Anyway...

 

First hole after a perfect drive, Hogan hit what appears to be a 7 iron in to about 10'. The young pro said very respectfully, "nice shot Mr. Hogan, what'd ya hit there?" Hogan glared at him a second, then without saying a word, dropped a second ball, grabbed his 2 iron from the bag and zipped it in there right next to the first. He dropped a second ball then grabbed his pitching wedge and did the same. When they got up to the green he finally spoke, saying, "dont ever ask me again what club I've hit son."

[Lakers2020]

> @"mark m" said:

> Ben Hogan lists his distances in the book _Power Golf_(1948). He won 10 tournaments that year including 2 majors. If you want more info you should visit the Hogan Swing subforum. Those dudes know a lot about him. Below are his listed distances for "regular" and "maximum" from the book. He talks about weather conditions and fairway firmness as the significant factors:

>

> Driver = 265 (regular), 300 (maximum)

> Brassie = 250, 270

> 3w = 235, 250

> 4w = 220, 230

> 1i = 195, 220

> 2i = 185, 210

> 3i = 175, 200

> 4i = 165, 190

> 5i = 155, 180

> 6i = 145, 170

> 7i = 135, 160

> 8i = 125, 150

> 9i = 115, 140

> PW = 50 in, 105

> SW = 25, 40

 

Thanks for this info man! I will check out that forum.

[Lakers2020]

> @dpb5031 said:

> > @Nard_S said:

> > Hogan was known to hit 3-4 clubs different for same distance. For all his perfection of swing and targeting, he played with a lot of feel. His Driver was extremely heavy and stiff. XX shafts and lots of dowel at handle and hosel. Pretty remarkable. Old ball, no video, no coach.

>

> Hogan got paired with a young/new Tour pro in a practice round. May have been someone chatty like Trevino. Anyway...

>

> First hole after a perfect drive, Hogan hit what appears to be a 7 iron in to about 10'. The young pro said very respectfully, "nice shot Mr. Hogan, what'd ya hit there?" Hogan glared at him a second, then without saying a word, dropped a second ball, grabbed his 2 iron from the bag and zipped it in there right next to the first. He dropped a second ball then grabbed his pitching wedge and did the same. When they got up to the green he finally spoke, saying, "dont ever ask me again what club I've hit son."

 

Who is that in the picture with Rickie Fowler?

[Nard_S]

It was said, that he did not read yardages, which is heresy in our GPS era. He was both technical and artistic in his approach Possessed a high level of left & right brained proficiency that is rare to see in any individual.

[dlygrisse]

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/ben-hogan-secret-clubfitting

[dpb5031]

> @Lakers2020 said:

> > @dpb5031 said:

> > > @Nard_S said:

> > > Hogan was known to hit 3-4 clubs different for same distance. For all his perfection of swing and targeting, he played with a lot of feel. His Driver was extremely heavy and stiff. XX shafts and lots of dowel at handle and hosel. Pretty remarkable. Old ball, no video, no coach.

> >

> > Hogan got paired with a young/new Tour pro in a practice round. May have been someone chatty like Trevino. Anyway...

> >

> > First hole after a perfect drive, Hogan hit what appears to be a 7 iron in to about 10'. The young pro said very respectfully, "nice shot Mr. Hogan, what'd ya hit there?" Hogan glared at him a second, then without saying a word, dropped a second ball, grabbed his 2 iron from the bag and zipped it in there right next to the first. He dropped a second ball then grabbed his pitching wedge and did the same. When they got up to the green he finally spoke, saying, "dont ever ask me again what club I've hit son."

>

> Who is that in the picture with Rickie Fowler?

 

That's my daughter. She played with Rickie at Bear's Club a couple of years ago. She's in her 3rd year playing in college now.

[Lakers2020]

> @dpb5031 said:

> > @Lakers2020 said:

> > > @dpb5031 said:

> > > > @Nard_S said:

> > > > Hogan was known to hit 3-4 clubs different for same distance. For all his perfection of swing and targeting, he played with a lot of feel. His Driver was extremely heavy and stiff. XX shafts and lots of dowel at handle and hosel. Pretty remarkable. Old ball, no video, no coach.

> > >

> > > Hogan got paired with a young/new Tour pro in a practice round. May have been someone chatty like Trevino. Anyway...

> > >

> > > First hole after a perfect drive, Hogan hit what appears to be a 7 iron in to about 10'. The young pro said very respectfully, "nice shot Mr. Hogan, what'd ya hit there?" Hogan glared at him a second, then without saying a word, dropped a second ball, grabbed his 2 iron from the bag and zipped it in there right next to the first. He dropped a second ball then grabbed his pitching wedge and did the same. When they got up to the green he finally spoke, saying, "dont ever ask me again what club I've hit son."

> >

> > Who is that in the picture with Rickie Fowler?

>

> That's my daughter. She played with Rickie at Bear's Club a couple of years ago. She's in her 3rd year playing in college now.

 

Good for her and you. Sounds like a talented golfing family!

[gsea33]

Jody Vasquez in his book Afternoons with Mr Hogan tells the same type of story. I guess there was a gang businessmen that would play a pretty high stake game at the club. And every once in awhile Hogan would play. So one day there was a out of towner playing. He was in Hogans foursome. He didn't ask Hogan what he hit (their balls where within feet of each other) he just looked in the bag. I guess Hogan hated that so he dropped another ball (first was 150yd 7) grabbed a 6 and put it 2ft closer then drooped another grabbed the 8 and knocked it stiff and just walked away.