Ben Hogan's five iron length - 37 inches

[chrisp]

Stated on page 124 in "Ben Hogan's five lessons" book

On page 124 of "Ben Hogan's Five Lessons", Ben Hogan states that his driver length is 43 inches, 2-iron is 38.5 inches, 5-iron is 37 inches and his wedge is 34.5 inches. Now I understand that they only had persimmon drivers and steel shafts, but his 5 iron only 37 inches is one inch shorter than todays standards. Myself just being over 5'8" in spikes makes me wonder if I should experiment with shorter iron lengths.

Have any of you ever shortened your irons and driver???

My only concern is what will it do to swingweight?? BTW my Titleist 690mb 5-iron (37.75 inches).

What kind of effect would it have on your driver?? I ask b/c doesn't today's drivers have a steeper lie angle??

Thanks,

[Boba]

Hogan was only about 3'8", so shorter clubs fit him pretty well. I would reccomend the switch if you don't mind hitting your [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLSTtlLw4dU"]4 iron 155 Yards[/url].

[Johnny]

[quote name='Boba' post='842782' date='Dec 30 2007, 07:09 PM']Hogan was only about 3'8", so shorter clubs fit him pretty well. I would reccomend the switch if you don't mind hitting your [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLSTtlLw4dU"]4 iron 155 Yards[/url].[/quote]


I'm 5'8" on a good day... one of my sets has a 5I that is just under 37.5 .. I'll hit the 4I 200y

[502 to Right]

Hogan's clubs were pretty close to the standard of the day. Since the 1970's all irons have gotten longer and the lofts have gotten stronger. This in attempt by golf manufacturers to sell more distance.

[Boba]

[quote name='Johnny' post='842786' date='Dec 30 2007, 11:11 PM']I'm 5'8" on a good day... one of my sets has a 5I that is just under 37.5 .. I'll hit the 4I 200y[/quote]

Hmm I wonder why
[quote]Mizuno Pro TN-87 3-PW w/ [u][b]Fujikura Rombax Prototype[/b][/u][/quote]

[iteachgolf]

[quote name='Boba' post='842794' date='Dec 30 2007, 10:15 PM'][quote name='Johnny' post='842786' date='Dec 30 2007, 11:11 PM']I'm 5'8" on a good day... one of my sets has a 5I that is just under 37.5 .. I'll hit the 4I 200y[/quote]

Hmm I wonder why
[quote]Mizuno Pro TN-87 3-PW w/ [u][b]Fujikura Rombax Prototype[/b][/u][/quote]
[/quote]

my clubs are old standard and I can hit a 5 iron 200 yards over a large house if I need to and I'm only 5'6-7" . three quarters of an inch wouldn't cost him much in distance if any at all and he'd probably hit it more solid and consistent.

you also have to remember hogan routinely over clubbed on purpose to gain accuracy and control. he was very long in his day and probably the longest on tour pound for pound similar to sergio or camillo today

[dlygrisse]

There is more to fitting than shaft length. Hogans irons also were about 4 degrees flat.....make sure you get fitted for your swing not Hogans swing. I would not shorten the length of the clubs without the help of a clubfitter who can adjust the swingweight. It is intersting how the length of clubs has gotton longer over the years, and how the lofts have gotton stronger. In Power Golf Hogan states that he hit his regular length for a 4 iron was 165 yards and a max of 195 yards. He was considered one of the longest hitters on tour when he wrote that book. BTW he also states that his regular shot with a driver went 265 with a max of 300 and his regualr 9 iorn went 115 with a max of 140.

[wkuo3]

Here is the spec for Hogan's golf club according to Jody Vasquez " Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" page 41
loft lie length Swing weight
2 18 58.5 39 D1
3 21 59 38.5 D1
4 23 59 38 D1
5 27 59 37.5 D1
6 31 60.5 37 D1
7 35 60 36.5 D1
8 38.5 61 36 D1
9 42 61 35.5 D1
pw1 44 63 35.5 D1
pw2 49 63 35.5 D1
SW 55 65 35 D1

Driver 8 55 43.25 D 2.5
#3 wood 15 55 42.25 D 2.5

Frequency = 269 cycles or 7.2 ( precision scale)
iron shaft Apex -5
Pretty stiff iron shaft for a smaller guy.

[hoganfan924]

[quote name='wkuo3' post='842923' date='Dec 30 2007, 11:48 PM']Here is the spec for Hogan's golf club according to Jody Vasquez " Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" page 41
loft lie length Swing weight
2 18 58.5 39 D1
3 21 59 38.5 D1
4 23 59 38 D1
5 27 59 37.5 D1
6 31 60.5 37 D1
7 35 60 36.5 D1
8 38.5 61 36 D1
9 42 61 35.5 D1
pw1 44 63 35.5 D1
pw2 49 63 35.5 D1
SW 55 65 35 D1

Driver 8 55 43.25 D 2.5
#3 wood 15 55 42.25 D 2.5

Frequency = 269 cycles or 7.2 ( precision scale)
iron shaft Apex -5
Pretty stiff iron shaft for a smaller guy.[/quote]

Keep in mind Vasquez didn't know Hogan until the late 1960's, 20 years after Power Golf was written. Spec's. probably changed a bit in that time.

[Asleep]

[quote name='Boba' post='842782' date='Dec 30 2007, 09:09 PM']Hogan was only about [b]3'8"[/b], so shorter clubs fit him pretty well...[/quote]
So Ben was like, Yoda sized???

[Constantin]

[quote name='Asleep' post='843185' date='Dec 31 2007, 03:49 PM'][quote name='Boba' post='842782' date='Dec 30 2007, 09:09 PM']Hogan was only about [b]3'8"[/b], so shorter clubs fit him pretty well...[/quote]
So Ben was like, Yoda sized???

[/quote]
should be 5'8"

EDIT: Just imagined Yoda hitting a full drive! Almost rolled off my chair :D

[wkuo3]

Very possibily!
Hogan's spec on shaft length were slightly shorter than the industry standard, at the time the industry standar had 37.75 " for the 5 iron and Hogan had 37.5", However, he had a bit stronger in loft in all irons than the industry standard also.
But Hogan had Xtra stiff in all of his irons ( 7.2 on the precision scale is too stiff for me ).

[quote name='hoganfan924' post='842996' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:04 AM'][quote name='wkuo3' post='842923' date='Dec 30 2007, 11:48 PM']Here is the spec for Hogan's golf club according to Jody Vasquez " Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" page 41
loft lie length Swing weight
2 18 58.5 39 D1
3 21 59 38.5 D1
4 23 59 38 D1
5 27 59 37.5 D1
6 31 60.5 37 D1
7 35 60 36.5 D1
8 38.5 61 36 D1
9 42 61 35.5 D1
pw1 44 63 35.5 D1
pw2 49 63 35.5 D1
SW 55 65 35 D1

Driver 8 55 43.25 D 2.5
#3 wood 15 55 42.25 D 2.5

Frequency = 269 cycles or 7.2 ( precision scale)
iron shaft Apex -5
Pretty stiff iron shaft for a smaller guy.[/quote]

Keep in mind Vasquez didn't know Hogan until the late 1960's, 20 years after Power Golf was written. Spec's. probably changed a bit in that time.
[/quote]

[Night train]

I have quite a few sets of classic MacGregor irons from the early 60's and all of them are based off a 37" five iron........it was standard in those days

[mat562]

[quote name='Constantin' post='843201' date='Dec 31 2007, 10:03 AM'][quote name='Asleep' post='843185' date='Dec 31 2007, 03:49 PM'][quote name='Boba' post='842782' date='Dec 30 2007, 09:09 PM']Hogan was only about [b]3'8"[/b], so shorter clubs fit him pretty well...[/quote]
So Ben was like, Yoda sized???

[/quote]
should be 5'8"

EDIT: Just imagined Yoda hitting a full drive! Almost rolled off my chair
[/quote]

Still outdrive you, he would...

[Constantin]

most certainly!

[birdie_man]

Swingweights only D1?

I thought he played heavy clubs?

Where is slicefixer...

Realy though...I'm pretty sure he has held the aformentioned sacred instruments...

[wkuo3]

[quote name='birdie_man' post='843539' date='Dec 31 2007, 03:53 PM']Swingweights only D1?

I thought he played heavy clubs?

Where is slicefixer...

Realy though...I'm pretty sure he has held the aformentioned sacred instruments...[/quote]


Correction on the swing weight on SW, in the book it stateed a D-4, all other irons are D-1, Driver and 3 wood were D-2.5

[slicefixer]

[quote name='Constantin' post='843360' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:44 PM']most certainly![/quote]

"Swingweights only D1?

I thought he played heavy clubs?

Where is slicefixer...

Realy though...I'm pretty sure he has held the aformentioned sacred instruments"



I have and they weren't.........hehehehe........(unless my "feel" was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY off or my "recollector" is broken! (There was another very good player there the same day the best I remember he had the EXACT same response to the clubs......"BIG grips, VERY dominant wire reminder set @ 5:30, VERY flat, open, undersling, STIFF, and heavy" However, the grips were built up so much with such a dominant piece of wire they might have swing weighted lighter than they "felt".......but I doubt there was 4 or 5 SW's difference.......but Vasquez more than likely worked on them so he would know.......I will say this, it's been 44 years since my dad first placed a golf club in my hand and in all of those years I've NEVER seen or felt a set of golf clubs "set up" in the manner of Mr. Hogan's......and I've held some of the best in the biz at one time or another.......NOTHING even close..........

[wkuo3]

Hi Slicefixer,

We know Hogan had built up grip with reminder set at open position, but do you think because of the heavier and stiffer shaft made the static swing weight remain at D-1?
Happy New Year to you and to all the WRXers!

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='wkuo3' post='842923' date='Dec 31 2007, 12:48 AM']Here is the spec for Hogan's golf club according to Jody Vasquez " Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" page 41
loft lie length Swing weight
2 18 58.5 39 D1
3 21 59 38.5 D1
4 23 59 38 D1
5 27 59 37.5 D1
6 31 60.5 37 D1
7 35 60 36.5 D1
8 38.5 61 36 D1
9 42 61 35.5 D1
pw1 44 63 35.5 D1
pw2 49 63 35.5 D1
SW 55 65 35 D1

Driver 8 55 43.25 D 2.5
#3 wood 15 55 42.25 D 2.5

Frequency = 269 cycles or 7.2 ( precision scale)
iron shaft Apex -5
Pretty stiff iron shaft for a smaller guy.[/quote]

Hey Mat, and all you "club spec traditionalists" it appears the most hallowed ballstriker in the history of the game played with a set of irons with jacked up lofts!!! LOL!!! In fact it appears he used a gap wedge, what sacriledge! Next thing you know we will find that Yoda used a blaster and not a light saber.

BTW an 8 degree persimmon driver takes a real man to and one helluva swing to get in the air.

[dlygrisse]

[quote name='mat562' post='843335' date='Dec 31 2007, 01:22 PM'][quote name='Constantin' post='843201' date='Dec 31 2007, 10:03 AM'][quote name='Asleep' post='843185' date='Dec 31 2007, 03:49 PM'][quote name='Boba' post='842782' date='Dec 30 2007, 09:09 PM']Hogan was only about [b]3'8"[/b], so shorter clubs fit him pretty well...[/quote]
So Ben was like, Yoda sized???

[/quote]
should be 5'8"

EDIT: Just imagined Yoda hitting a full drive! Almost rolled off my chair
[/quote]

Still outdrive you, he would...
[/quote]
I think that the staff/cane that Yoda carries and the baffing spoon Seamus McDuff hit in Golf in a Kingdom are quite possibly the same implement.
Yoda would definatley need to be custom fit, I would say a 30" 5 iron 5 degrees flat.

[CROUSE99]

His 5 iron also had the loft of today's average 7 iron. If you think of it in those terms, the shaft length may even have been slightly long compared to the standard of the times. I have no experience with trying shorter shafts, but the times I have tried to hit clubs longer than standard have been disasters. I am 4 or 5 inches taller than you, so you may find the same problem with standard length shafts that I have experienced with shafts longer than standard. Why not get a used 6 or 7 iron cheap, cut it down and see how you like it?

Good Luck,
Hook DeLoft

[wkuo3]

Before any one of you kids call a golfing great names again, go swing a 7.2 on the precision scale and if you could handle that then maybe you could hold his shoes for him !!!