Did Hogan set back Golf?

[N0rs3man]

I love hogan. Ive read 5 lessons 20+ times. Ive taken much from his teaching, and applied it to my golf. He was an amazing golfer.

 

Once Hogans instruction came out it was like the holy grail of golf. Many ppl to this day have much of hogan in their swings. However, I cant help but wonder if he set it all back. We use his book as a staple instructional. 

 

see, Hogan was left handed. He switched to right handed clubs, because thats all he could get when he was younger. This had to have had a big influence on how he learned his swing. For him, it wasnt much about a natural movement like throwing a ball, or swinging a bat, it was more mechanical. Ofc after hundreds of thousands of balls his movement was as natural as could be, however the way he learned it and goes about describing what should happen has a mechanical ring to it. Also, his book is all about full swing mechanics, not how to play golf. This sets up all sorts of issues. Really golf should be learned from the green, chips, half shots, full shots. Mainly to make it all feel and flow naturally, like skipping a rock. However, with this book, (not that it was Hogans intention) people just skip all the necessary development and go straight to the driving range with a driver in their hands.

 

just a passing thought, other thoughts?

[alansmithdc]

yep,  As Hogan may say, "Golfer's don't pay attention to what I am saying"  Same with the book.  Everything is in there, including several reference's to The Secret.  But I don't think student's really study the book.   For example, in the diagram showing him tossing the basketball to the archer's target, at the tail end of the throw, there is a corkscrew, which shows the rotation he is putting on the basketball.  Did you notice that small clue?  There are many, many more subtle clues, which makes reading the book a second time much more fun.  As he says in the book, we all want to be detectives.  Well he is leaving a lot of clues to who donnit.  

Post your investigation so we all can figure it out.

[alansmithdc]

Actually, Hogan in his own words said he was right handed.  When he went to the drug store to get clubs, all they had were left handed clubs.  So initially, before getting right handed clubs, he had to play left handed.

[moehogan]

5 hours ago, alansmithdc said:

Actually, Hogan in his own words said he was right handed.  When he went to the drug store to get clubs, all they had were left handed clubs.  So initially, before getting right handed clubs, he had to play left handed.

Correct. Hogan was right handed, not left handed. He debunked the lefty myth in an interview with George Pepper published in the September 1987 edition of Golf Magazine.
 

 

[coops]

Nowadays, if you see someone writing right handed... then you can be confident they are right handed.

 

Hogan’s era, and my Grandmother’s, not at all.... in those days it would be common to force a left hander to learn to write right handed.

 

As a left hander, I was fortunate that this practice had died out before my time.... but due to playing field hockey I swing a golf club right handed (you can not use a field hockey stick left handed), and so also swing a cricket or baseball bat right handed, but play tennis or any other one handed racket sport left handed...

If I’d been at school in Canada when I was young, i’m sure i’d be playing golf left handed ?

[moehogan]

Check out the interview question and Hogan’s response at the top of the right column ...

 

 

[alansmithdc]

Great research.  Thanks

[Nels55]

On 9/2/2020 at 8:35 PM, moehogan said:

Check out the interview question and Hogan’s response at the top of the right column ...

 

 

Thanks for posting this article!  I still have that magazine and have quoted it a number of times on various forums.  I do wonder though if he might actually have been born left handed and forced to be right handed as @coops mentions?  It is a possibility I suppose?  Just another Hogan mystery I guess...

[moehogan]

In the last sentence of his answer to the question about being left handed he states ... “But I’m a natural right-hander.”

 

Seems like his use of the word “natural “ might imply that it was not forced.

[SwagGolf6112]

So the secret is being left handed and playing right hand? So why not all right hand golfers start playing left handed. That should make you all magically start playing like a pro. 

 

Hogan secret had nothing to do with him being right or left handed. His secret was already activated and in place even before he waggles the club. All he thought about was how he wanna shape the shot around the course. He was an automatic swing machine.