Hogan Trivia Thread

[drewspin]

[quote name='dap' timestamp='1315721889' post='3556429']
[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315720838' post='3556414']
Wow! This really is trivia, isn't it? LOL.
[/quote]
Not even close.

What was Hogan's favorite brand of underpants for playing golf?Ok,now we are getting close.
[/quote]

Brand? Trick question. Custom made by miniature tailors from the chin hairs of mongolian goats:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?imgurl=ed3e729b5a25fe5f

[JD3]

[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315761230' post='3556962']
What was Mr. H's nickname for his favorite cocktail?
[/quote]
Good ? Have to guess "clear ones" as in straight vodka

[moehogan]

[quote name='JD3' timestamp='1315771696' post='3557233']
[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315761230' post='3556962']
What was Mr. H's nickname for his favorite cocktail?
[/quote]
Good ? Have to guess "clear ones" as in straight vodka
[/quote]
Nice try, you're close!

"See-throughs" (vodka martinis) ... I love that name. LOL.

[JD3]

What was the climactic scene in the 1951 film "follow the sun: the Ben Hogan story"

[jrich99]

What year did Hogan 3-putt the final greens of both the Masters and US Open to blow a shot at winning his first major?

[rebby]

[quote name='drewspin' timestamp='1315770587' post='3557196']
[quote name='dap' timestamp='1315721889' post='3556429']
[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315720838' post='3556414']
Wow! This really is trivia, isn't it? LOL.
[/quote]
Not even close.

What was Hogan's favorite brand of underpants for playing golf?Ok,now we are getting close.
[/quote]

Brand? Trick question. Custom made by miniature tailors from the chin hairs of mongolian goats:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?imgurl=ed3e729b5a25fe5f
[/quote]

Sure that he wasn't referring to [url=http://images.quickblogcast.com/8/2/8/8/2/238726-228828/s_2BenHoganunderwear1946Life.JPG?a=17]Munsingwear[/url]?

[rebby]

[quote name='jrich99' timestamp='1315805492' post='3558232']
What year did Hogan 3-putt the final greens of both the Masters and US Open to blow a shot at winning his first major?
[/quote]

1946

[Doublebuck]

Hogan used to keep a picture of Jane Mansfield and Bettie Page under the seat of his car.

[dap]

[quote name='rebby' timestamp='1315807056' post='3558242']
[quote name='drewspin' timestamp='1315770587' post='3557196']
[quote name='dap' timestamp='1315721889' post='3556429']
[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315720838' post='3556414']
Wow! This really is trivia, isn't it? LOL.
[/quote]
Not even close.

What was Hogan's favorite brand of underpants for playing golf?Ok,now we are getting close.
[/quote]

Brand? Trick question. Custom made by miniature tailors from the chin hairs of mongolian goats:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/f?imgurl=ed3e729b5a25fe5f
[/quote]

Sure that he wasn't referring to [url=http://images.quickblogcast.com/8/2/8/8/2/238726-228828/s_2BenHoganunderwear1946Life.JPG?a=17]Munsingwear[/url]?
[/quote]
They don't make underpants now like they used to.Sigh.The stretchy seat must have been so comfortable.I bet they would look great with a pair of low cut jeans.

[moehogan]

[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315760694' post='3556955']
What food did Mr. H occasionally send back to the cook at Shady Oaks because it wasn't prepared properly?
[/quote]

Thought this one would be a bunny ...

Scrambled eggs ... Mr. H loved them, but only a certain way!

[JD3]

Who said Hogan was the only player to ever "own" his swing?

[moehogan]

[quote name='JD3' timestamp='1315889421' post='3560612']
Who said Hogan was the only player to ever "own" his swing?
[/quote]
Eldrick?

[JD3]

Yeah. Hogan would say he "tried to perfect it. Never did, but came pretty close."

[grahler]

What company did Hogan get his extra spike from?

[moehogan]

[quote name='grahler' timestamp='1315890468' post='3560641']
What company did Hogan get his extra spike from?
[/quote]
Maxwell? All the way from England.

Good night!

[JD3]

Which model hogan irons did jack fleck use when he beat Ben in 1955 us open playoff?

[drewspin]

[quote name='JD3' timestamp='1315918230' post='3560920']
Which model hogan irons did jack fleck use when he beat Ben in 1955 us open playoff?
[/quote]

Long hosel '55 Precisions.

[hoganfan924]

[quote name='JD3' timestamp='1315802852' post='3558188']
What was the climactic scene in the 1951 film "follow the sun: the Ben Hogan story"
[/quote]

him winning the '51 Us Open at Merion. It had to be added post-production because the movie was made before his win.

[drewspin]

Merion Open was in '50.

[drewspin]

What was the name of Hogan's secretary and what was their connection?

[dalehead]

Great thread. Keep 'em coming.

[drewspin]

In what year and where was Hogan's first pro victory?

[MizunoJoe]

[size="5"][i][b]Did Hogan really write this letter?[/b][/i][/size]


The Hogan Letters: Written by Ben Hogan 7-20-78


Hitting for distance and accuracy. (I can't show you, but thought this would put you on the right track.)

The Golf swing is a nebulous thing and the majority of golfers spend a whole lifetime of golf using what is commonly called their own individual swing. They spend a lot of money on golf equipment with the erroneous idea that the best equipment will help them achieve their yearning and hope for a swing that will permit them or help them play a good game, if not an excellent game. Granted good equipment fitted to the golfer's size strength, and athletic ability will help providing it is used correctly.

The sad part about this is the fact that clubs alone do not make a golf game. Acquiring the proper technique is the only way that a good solid game of golf can be developed.

It is difficult and almost impossible to analyze the swing of a top pro. None of them can describe what they do entirely so that the average golfer can copy them. It would be facetious to say that all you have to do is acquire the correct fundamentals and you would become almost an instant pro. Many golf instructors do not teach the correct method in such a way that it is easy to acquire.

The Pros spend many years and a lot of dedication to build a solid basis for their game. Their short game, pitch shots, chip shots, sand shots, uphill and downhill lies, knock down shots where they want to deliberately keep the ball low, hook shots, and fade shots, side hill shots with the ball on an up slope or a down slope are some of the difficulties they have to master; and then comes putting.

These skills take a great deal of time to acquire plus hours of practice and memorization of just how to do them. The gist of this short treatise however is to try to explain as clearly as possible how to hit the tee shot, which is the key that opens the door to good play.

This will be explained by using the old technique of illustrating with stick men. This was explained in detail to me by one of the greatest pros to play the game (Walter Hagen), so there is no need to verify or justify its practicality and basic soundness.

First the club must be gripped (lightly) correctly the left hand should be in such a position that the V formed by the thumb and index finger points to the right shoulder. The right hand grips the club so that the V formed by the thumb and index finger also point to the RT shoulder. The small finger of the RT hand overlaps between the small finger of the left hand.

The thumb of the left hand should be placed slightly to the side of the shaft. The grip should be adjusted slightly to the RT or LT until you have the grip that permits the two hands to work together. To achieve this hit a number of balls and make these slight changes in the grip until you acquire one that permits you to stroke the ball smoothly and hit it straight; and so that no jerking movement takes place in the hand grip.

A lot has been written and attempted to be explained about taking the club back on the back-swing with the left hand. The left hand does play an important part in taking the club away from the ball, but that is not the primary factor in developing a good sound golf swing. The basis of a good sound swing is correct leg work and body position. The center of gravity of the body must stay in one place throughout the swing. This is, if a line is drawn through the nose or head to the ground, the head must stay in that position throughout the swing. Difficult you say, impossible, ridiculous you say. Why look how Babe Ruth leaned into the ball when he hit it. Pictures of the Babe verify the fact that he did use his legs with tremendous effect and his head remained in one place throughout his murderous assault of the baseball and golf ball.

But to get back to golf, which is our primary objective. To achieve this in the golf swing the correct stance must be used with the knees slightly bent and the shoulders very slightly open to the target. If a line was drawn through the shoulders it should point slightly to the left of the target. The feet should be on the line to the target. This openness of the shoulders is accomplished by bending the right knee slightly more than the left knee.

Now the most important part of a good golf swing is to take the club back correctly so as to keep the head in one place. This can be accomplished is only one correct way; by moving the left knee in toward the RT knee while moving the left shoulder in a slightly downward arc. This will take the club away from the ball without using the hands at all. It cannot be accomplished by sticking the left knee straight out. That will only throw you off balance and move your head which you don't what to do , or must not do.

As the club is taken back the left knee moves toward the RT knee and the left side bends like a bow so that the weight comes to the inside of the ball of the left foot, and the left heel comes off the ground about one inch. At the top of the backswing, the belt buckle should feel like it is protruding out father than any part of the body or legs.

This will permit the hips and shoulders to turn. It feels like the hips are moving to the right but this is not so. Sagging the left side keeps the hips in one position and permits them to make a true concentric turn, and as a consequence the shoulders turn correctly, and the head stays in one place.

To verify the correctness of this, take a short club and make this move with a light behind you so that it casts a shadow (a fairly long one). Note the position of your head when you address the ball. Take the club back by moving the left knee toward the RT knee and sagging the left side in slightly (no movement of the hands or arms is necessary if the legs are worked correctly in conjunction with sagging slightly of the left side)--moving this correctly will move the club head at least six feet away from the ball without moving the hands or arms in relation, and the shadow cast by your head will still be in exactly the same spot.

Once this move has been accomplished you are in position to make a strong true arc swing into the ball. At the top of the back swing the left arm is on a horizontal plane to the ground that is sufficient to provide a good strong swing at the ball. The left hand should not be turned over on the back swing. To verify this you should be able to see only one knuckle of the left hand at the top of the back swing. Turning the left hand over clockwise creates a very flat swing and takes the club off the correct plane of the swing.

The first move on the downswing is to set the left heel back to the ground as the club head starts down and bring the right shoulder slightly down as the hands, arms and feet work spontaneously. As the club comes down the right knee sags in toward the left knee as the left knee did toward the right knee on the back swing. This will tighten the left side and bow the right side so that when the swing is finished the belt buckle will be pointing toward the target and the force of the swing will cause the hands to finish high. It will not be necessary to force the hands to finish high, they will do this automatically and spontaneously. At the top of the backswing the groin muscle on the inside of your right leg near your right nut will tighten. This subtle feeling of tightness there tells you that you have made the correct move back from the ball.

As to your inquiry about chipping I haven't explained it to you because you've never asked and I thought perhaps you had no problems with them. The best method that I have ever used was explained to me and demonstrated by Bobby Jones many years ago when I was a neophyte golfer. It has proven to be invaluable in salvaging pars from fifty yards into the green, and I have yet to find a better method. With a little practice it will give you accuracy and you can hit it to the pin with assurance that you will have an excellent chance for a one putt and a par.

Snead stole it from me when we were playing together in the Tam O'Shanter in Chicago and the rascal went on to win the tournament. Snead is very observant of other golfers unique or special shots and watched me knock one up to within four feet on the second hole from twenty-yards. The ball floated up hitting about 10-feet and rolled like a putt right at the cup. He didn't say anything but on the sixth hole, a 540 yard par 5, he was about 25 yards from the green and he pitched one up using my technique and almost holed out, but had only a two-foot putt for a birdie. "You see," he said, "us mountain boys learn fast, and are not as dumb as you think."

Since then I have revealed it to Trevino and of course Dickinson. It has salvaged a list of pars for them. The basic idea (and now we get down to brass tacks) is to take a normal square stance (not open or closed) and a good grip (V's of left and right hand pointing midway between chin and right shoulder with the club face square to the line (be sure to not open or close the club face), then take the club back turning the hands clockwise 90-degrees bending the right elbow which folds as the hands move up in a short arc all the while keeping the upper part of the right arm in the same position as it was at address (in other words the upper part of the right arm does not change position in relation to the body). Very little movement of the legs is involved if any (keep knees flexed and limber). Keep your eye on the ball and swing the club head down to the ball. The hands will automatically revert to the position at address and will move the head of the club head (a nice delayed clipping action). The ball should be struck crisply and a nice divot taken, which will be in line with the flight of the ball. The firmer the ball is hit the higher the arc it will take with less run as it hits. The shorter the hit the more run involved but the ball will settle down and run as a putt.

It is simply a matter of practice, but one can be very bold with this technique because it minimized the amount of roll to a far greater extent than chipping with a seven or eight iron. Jan salvaged 5 pars with it and shot ? in the grocery tournament and was eight strokes up on second place. If she keeps it up they will ban her so she has to lose a couple.

See you soon sincerely

Ben Hogan

[hoganfan924]

No. I've seen a copy of that letter on Ebay and the Hogan signature isn't even close. Looks like it was done by an 8 year old that had never even seen Hogan's signature.

[JD3]

It doesn't sound like his tone. Havent seen the signature but the one on back of hogan company irons probably a good representation

[markponi]

In one of the two main Hogan Biographies the author quotes the right nut tightening. I can't remember which one.

[moehogan]

[quote name='drewspin' timestamp='1315922285' post='3561017']
What was the name of Hogan's secretary and what was their connection?
[/quote]
Doxie Williams ... Grade school classmate.

[drewspin]

[quote name='moehogan' timestamp='1315949681' post='3562134']
[quote name='drewspin' timestamp='1315922285' post='3561017']
What was the name of Hogan's secretary and what was their connection?
[/quote]
Doxie Williams ... Grade school classmate.
[/quote]

Clarabelle Kelly.

[JD3]

We know Hogan Golf company forged high quality irons, but what innovation(s) was it known for?

[JD3]

[quote name='drewspin' timestamp='1315934684' post='3561518']
In what year and where was Hogan's first pro victory?
[/quote]
1940 in North Carolina