Copying Hogan's swing

[Petunia Sprinkle]

This is a question for those who work on duplicating Hogan's swing. Am I correct in thinking he was left-handed swinging right-handed? If that's correct, did you ever consider swinging from the opposite side as part of your efforts?

[moehogan]

This is a question for those who work on duplicating Hogan's swing. Am I correct in thinking he was left-handed swinging right-handed? If that's correct, did you ever consider swinging from the opposite side as part of your efforts?

 

From the man himself in the September 1987 interview with George Peper in Golf Magazine ...

 

GOLF: You were a natural left-hander who took up the game right-handed, weren't you?

 

HOGAN: No, that's one of those things that's always been written, but it's an absolute myth. The truth is, the first golf club I owned was an old left-handed, wooden-shafted, rib-faced mashie that a fellow gave me, and that's the club I was weaned on. During the mornings we caddies would bang the ball up and down the practice field until the members arrived and it was time to go to work. So I did all that formative practice left-handed. But I'm a natural right-hander.

[Switter]

Yes, Hogan was naturally a lefty who played golf as a righty.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Hogan

 

I have given up in toto trying to emulate his swing & dont suggest trying unless you are physically built like him AND you have the time, stamina & will power to hit thousands of balls every week to perfect his swing. This is not to say you cannot pick & choose various aspects of his method to work on. This is to say that Hogan was prolly the hardest working most talented golfer to ever play the game. A really tough act to follow!

 

 

JMO

[moehogan]

Yes, Hogan was naturally a lefty who played golf as a righty.

 

https://en.m.wikiped.../wiki/Ben_Hogan

 

I have given up in toto trying to emulate his swing & dont suggest trying unless you are physically built like him AND you have the time, stamina & will power to hit thousands of balls every week to perfect his swing. This is not to say you cannot pick & choose various aspects of his method to work on. This is to say that Hogan was prolly the hardest working most talented golfer to ever play the game. A really tough act to follow!

 

 

JMO

 

So he was lying to George Peper in the Golf Magazine article interview? Maybe you didn't read down far enough in the wiki article? A lot of myth about the man over the years ... LOL

 

I choose to take the man at his word.

http://www.golf.com/...azine-interview

 

"So I did all that formative practice left-handed. But I'm a natural right-hander. "

- Ben Hogan

 

Ever seen a pic of him with pen in hand signing something?

[oscar@wrx]

What's the effect if Hogan was left or right handed? I mean, what's the relevance?

[dlygrisse]

What's the effect if Hogan was left or right handed? I mean, what's the relevance?

 

Nothing, and he was right handed.

 

Phil is right handed and plays left handed, why don't you copy his swing?

[Silky]

What's the effect if Hogan was left or right handed? I mean, what's the relevance?

 

We need to know what Hogan did with his left and right arm in a golf swing to answer that,

[Petunia Sprinkle]

What's the effect if Hogan was left or right handed? I mean, what's the relevance?

 

If he were left-handed (which I'm now convinced, he wasn't), then one could suggest his wish for 'three right hands' may have stemmed from the inherent comparative weakness most experience in the non-dominant side. As he was right-handed, after all, that wish seems to indicate he believed in hitting tf out of it with his trail hand.

[oscar@wrx]

I think its relevance is in the use of the left hand or arm. But then again, there's the Burke video on right hand takeaway

[Silky]

The natural plane of the left arm + club is to follow the turn of the shoulder. The spine tilt shifts this plane down somewhat, but unless you can swing like Tiger and are willing to sacrifice your back, the plane is OTT.

 

 

 

For me, a continuous swing from the top of swing is for the pivot to turn robustly. To avoid OTT, I need to actively hammer down my upper right arm and try to straighten my right elbow to shift the swing plane down so that the clubhead can meet the ball.

 

My conclusion is that a robust golf swing is therefore a division of duties between the left and the right side of the body just like Moe Norman's Master Move - horizontal tug (left arm pulling) vertical drop (right arm hammering). The faster I can vertical drop, the faster I can tug. Or in Monte's terms, the faster I dump, the faster I can turn. It is one flow of the hands from the top of swing through impact with no mid-swing thoughts.

 

I can turn and swing the left arm and club mindlessly, it is the right arm and hand that requires timing and dexterity.

[oscar@wrx]

I think in Hogan the plane of the left arm is that where the right forearm is up. His right elbow doesn't move much vertically

[Silky]

I agree to the observation that in Hogan's swing, the motion of the right elbow is minimal relative to the body.

I also experimented with myself that it took relatively small up/down movement of the right upper arm to propel the right forearm in the vertical motion, or maybe it was mostly the result of my active triceps.

In any case, a robust golf swing requires a torque for the Monte's Dump or Moe Norman's Vertical Drop. For mechanical elegance, this torque should be active parallel to the sagittal plane of the tilting and turning upper body. This torque complements the other two torques for tilting and turning of the upper body.

[oscar@wrx]

I think Hogan just tried (actively) keeping everything still while he turns his hips and transfer weight to his left foot. The dump just happens as a result. He went into elbow plane because his shoulder turn is just more vertical than most

[Silky]

I think Hogan just tried (actively) keeping everything still while he turns his hips and transfer weight to his left foot. The dump just happens as a result. He went into elbow plane because his shoulder turn is just more vertical than most

 

Could it be that he allowed the right elbow joint and the left shoulder joint to be super oily and just turn the pivot like a tornado? Then, you will have a dual hinging rotor frame coupled to the pivot. Elbow plane comes naturally in this case from the centrifugal pull.

[oscar@wrx]

I think Hogan just tried (actively) keeping everything still while he turns his hips and transfer weight to his left foot. The dump just happens as a result. He went into elbow plane because his shoulder turn is just more vertical than most

 

Could it be that he allowed the right elbow joint and the left shoulder joint to be super oily and just turn the pivot like a tornado? Then, you will have a dual hinging rotor frame coupled to the pivot. Elbow plane comes naturally in this case from the centrifugal pull.

Could be. But I think there's an effort to attach the upper arms at the armpits area. And more importantly IMO, effort to keep the structure back and intact during his transition with hips. You'll go into the slot everytime. And I think continued push with the left arm and hand as well as keeping the right wrist bended are indispensable. But yes, I think I agree that the right shoulder and elbow joints are "oily".

 

The hip turn I think is the most feared Hogan teaching because it's not a simple turn. It's more complex than we all think