Ben Hogan's REAL Secret is...................

As all of you know, the great Ben Hogan suffered miserably with his early attempts at competitive golf in the 1930's (can you imagine g.o.l.f. in The Hawks hands at an early age). Here is a man, in my estimation, with world class athletic ability -- in the league of Michael Jordan, but more in the athletic make-up of an elite gymnast.
All of you students of Ben Hogan out there (and I know, on a site like this, that's 99.9% of you) know Hogan's golf game came alive in the 1940's where he took the QUALITY of golf to a level that had never been seen (you can make a strong case the quality of his shots has yet to be matched). He claimed for years that he had a "secret", but wouldn't share it with anyone (can you imagine the buzz in The Tour's locker room?). Life Magazine came along and offered him a nice chunk of change for his "secret" (Ben should have held out for today's $$$).
Ben Hogan claimed that his secret was to "cup" his left wrist 8 degrees at the top of his backstroke (double wristcock for all of you TGM'ers). He said that from that ALIGNMENT (let's all dispense with POSISTION golf) he could now roll his wrists (his words, not mine) as strongly as he wanted to and not hook it.
So with this "adjustment/addition" in his golf game he put together the final piece of HIS puzzle (stroke pattern). Make no mistake here, his pivot was OFF THE CHARTS. His plane was already UNWAVERING. Could double wristcock really make that big of a difference, as Hogan claimed?..............................................................................................................................
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....................... (enough suspense) OF COURSE NOT. But, I offer up this REAL SECRET. For the first time Ben Hogan put his mind in his hands (THE COMMAND POST)! Don't forget boys what Homer said, " Regardless of the amount of technical know-how and practice, uneducated Hands can nullify it all and never be suspected".
Isn't it nice that we don't, as Hogan said, "Dig it out of the dirt!". You can dig a lot (not all) out of that funny, little yellow book.
I wish I had time to write a little more on this subject, but I have to go out and conquer the day.
Good golfing lads and lasses,
Bobby
(added this part later after a few replies)
You guys, as always, make some good points.
I guess I didn't make it as clear as I should have. Of course we can discuss the many aspects of Ben Hogan, both personal and professional. My point, very simply, is specific to his famous Life Magazine article. Hogan was convinced it was utilizing the specific wrist conditions that he employed that helped his game so much. It is my contention that what he stumbled upon that helped him was for the first time having truly EDUCATED HANDS (mind in his hands, eyes on the ball), and with that a HAND CONTROLLED PIVOT that elevated his game so rapidly. I was attempting to make a very specific point, not necessarily open up a debate about the details that made him an icon.
More on Hogan at a later date.

His secret was moving from the bent left wrist at the top to arched at impact. The amount of roll varied, depending on the shot shape - he moved it both ways.

Hogan was never out of BALANCE

Many, Many Secrets...all between the ears.

IMO...could be wrong...The secret was no secret at all...

He figure out how to make his basic components more compatible with each other...Not one single "magic placebo"...


For example Weak Single(10-2-A) is more compatible with Standard Wrist Action (10-18-A ) and Dual Horizontal Hinging than his previous "Power Golf Grip" that was Slightly Pre-Turned and Pre-Bent at address... which on the downstroke would require an arched left wrist(Palmar Flexion) a very forward elbow and right forearm angle of approach to produce a shaft lean that didn't allow for "that dreaded hook"

Now is this Hogan's terminolgy...no it's TGM...

But if Hogan and Homer were to sit down...both heads would be bobbing up and down in agreement....

The dude was smart...

Leading the golfing public on a ":secret" Treasure hunt...

He worked to damn hard to figure "it" out...

I'm sure he was damned he'd give it away!!!!

Homer worked damn hard too...

He tried to give it away....

Very few have been interested....

What's a TGM book cost?

...$19.95....

That's a gift!!!

If someone came to me to learn what I know about Hogan and said "I want to swing like the great Ben Hogan, who had the greatest swing of all time that will never be equalled. He was a great athlete with Michael Jordan ability and his swing was so awesome.", before we would even begin to talk about Hogan's swing, we would have a serious talk about the mind.

I would remind this person Mr. Hogan was only 5'7" and that when he was playing sosme of his best golf, he had a bit of a a belly and a fat ass. And that he was a smoker. Are you going to be intimitated by the physical ability of a smoker? I'm sure not.

Further, I'd show this person Hogan's great swing when he was in his 70's. How many pushups could he do then? I'm guessing 3. How many chinups? Probaly 0. What would his 100M sprint time be? I'll guess 35 seconds at mostly a walk. His 440M time, etc? Get the point?

What Mr. Hogan did have was flexibility, but so do a lot of people. It actually worked against him early in his career.

Stop putting yourself down! A great golf swing makes the arms and body look longer and better than a crappy one. Believe me, the average person has all the physical attributes necessary to make a super golf swing. I will agree, it's much, much, MUCH tougher if one takes up golf as an adult, esp. after 30. And if you don't have Hogan's flexibility, it may not look as good, but it can still be great by the best test: the ball flies great.

People think my posts are often egotistical. Here's the explanation. I was a track athelete in h.s. and college. No good athlete has a loser's mentality. Think positive. The next guy is just a man, he's not a god. I've beaten guys who went on to set world records and win olympic medals; these guys were excepptional, but they weren't gods. Their records have now been surpassed, by others, as a matter of fact. Technique goes a long, long way...esp. when coupled with a "no limit mind".

A lot of TW's greatness is attributed to his strong belief he can" win any time" attitude. This is nothing new, almost all great track athletes have that ego, not to mention so many other sports. Couple that optimism with a fantastic work ethic, and you can expect results!

Ali was a perfect example. At the famous match in Africa, eryone thought he was going to get killed by George Foreman who was knocking out Frazier, Norton and everyone else. Ali had too much ego to even let the idea enter his mind. At the initial meeting in the ring Ali looked Foreman straight in the eye and said the famous lines:

"You've heard about me. You've read about me. Now meet me, YOUR MASTER!". Foreman blinked. The rest is history.

Hogan himself advised another pro who had addressed him MR. HOGAN, to call him "Ben". Hogan said in effect, you never know when we might compete and you don't want to give away an edge before we even tee up.

What Hogan's real secret was, he drew a line in the sand and decided to apply himself 100%, the absolute maximum, to golf. It came down to a single decision.

Re: Hogan and TGM, "in a way"I doubt Hogan knew as much as some of the TGMers on this forum. Hogan was asked some very technical swing questions once by what was probably a TGMer type of guru, and after a long pause he replied to effect, "there's a lot I don't know about the golf swing, but I do know what I have to know about my own swing".

I

Sorry, I wanted to add, It seems many TGM fans revel in the complexity of the swing as opposed to the type of mindset Hogan had, which was to eliminate complexity and extraneous possibilities. Jack Nicklaus felt the same way. Ideally, I think the best student has an open mind and an interest in swing possibilities while at the same time doggedly pursues simplicity in application.

I think the secret to golf is...persistence. The golf swing tends to come and go, but to be successful at golf, you can never give up.

Lessons, books, discussions on forums; whatever it takes!

quote:Originally posted by David Alford

If someone came to me to learn what I know about Hogan and said "I want to swing like the great Ben Hogan, who had the greatest swing of all time that will never be equalled. He was a great athlete with Michael Jordan ability and his swing was so awesome.", before we would even begin to talk about Hogan's swing, we would have a serious talk about the mind.

I would remind this person Mr. Hogan was only 5'7" and that when he was playing sosme of his best golf, he had a bit of a a belly and a fat ass. And that he was a smoker. Are you going to be intimitated by the physical ability of a smoker? I'm sure not.

Further, I'd show this person Hogan's great swing when he was in his 70's. How many pushups could he do then? I'm guessing 3. How many chinups? Probaly 0. What would his 100M sprint time be? I'll guess 35 seconds at mostly a walk. His 440M time, etc? Get the point?

What Mr. Hogan did have was flexibility, but so do a lot of people. It actually worked against him early in his career.

Stop putting yourself down! A great golf swing makes the arms and body look longer and better than a crappy one. Believe me, the average person has all the physical attributes necessary to make a super golf swing. I will agree, it's much, much, MUCH tougher if one takes up golf as an adult, esp. after 30. And if you don't have Hogan's flexibility, it may not look as good, but it can still be great by the best test: the ball flies great.

People think my posts are often egotistical. Here's the explanation. I was a track athelete in h.s. and college. No good athlete has a loser's mentality. Think positive. The next guy is just a man, he's not a god. I've beaten guys who went on to set world records and win olympic medals; these guys were excepptional, but they weren't gods. Their records have now been surpassed, by others, as a matter of fact. Technique goes a long, long way...esp. when coupled with a "no limit mind".

A lot of TW's greatness is attributed to his strong belief he can" win any time" attitude. This is nothing new, almost all great track athletes have that ego, not to mention so many other sports. Couple that optimism with a fantastic work ethic, and you can expect results!

Ali was a perfect example. At the famous match in Africa, eryone thought he was going to get killed by George Foreman who was knocking out Frazier, Norton and everyone else. Ali had too much ego to even let the idea enter his mind. At the initial meeting in the ring Ali looked Foreman straight in the eye and said the famous lines:

"You've heard about me. You've read about me. Now meet me, YOUR MASTER!". Foreman blinked. The rest is history.

Hogan himself advised another pro who had addressed him MR. HOGAN, to call him "Ben". Hogan said in effect, you never know when we might compete and you don't want to give away an edge before we even tee up.

What Hogan's real secret was, he drew a line in the sand and decided to apply himself 100%, the absolute maximum, to golf. It came down to a single decision.

Click to expand...

This is a VERY good post! Let's hear it for the "fat ass!" Good stuff.

You guys, as always, make some good points.
I guess I didn't make it as clear as I should have. Of course we can discuss the many aspects of Ben Hogan, both personal and professional. My point, very simply, is specific to his famous Life Magazine article. Hogan was convinced it was utilizing the specific wrist conditions that he employed that helped his game so much. It is my contention that what he stumbled upon that helped him was for the first time having truly EDUCATED HANDS (mind in his hands, eyes on the ball), and with that a HAND CONTROLLED PIVOT that elevated his game so rapidly. I was attempting to make a very specific point, not necessarily open up a debate about the details that made him an icon.
More on Hogan at a later date.

BEST DAVID ALFORD POST OF ALL-TIME!

Athlete?

Come on.

Bobby....very good post, but to be more precise, it was going from BENT to ARCHED to BENT with any hinge, that was the secret of the secret.

First of all, Hogan's ass was a POWER ass like all homerun hitters: strong.
Ted Williams said "I just shook hands with hands of 5-band steel" when he shook Hogan's hand.
When Hogan was in the army he was made the fitness instructor when the Sargent recognized that he was the fittest man there. I bet the Hawk could have done a heap of pushups and pull-ups at 70, but I really bet he could have chucked a medicine ball a lot farther than an average man of 40. Athleticism encompasses many skills. John Daly can throw or kick a football better than anyone on the PGA Tour. That's athletic.
And Brian, Ben talks a lot about double wrist-cock at the top. And by the way, it was a hell of a lot more than 8 degrees. That is a little like Ted Williams thinking he could see the seams of the ball. He just THOUGHT he could.

I will post an Audio soon on the VERY IMPORTANT difference between ATHLECTIC ability and Physical ability.

Bill wrote:

<First of all, Hogan's ass was a POWER ass like all homerun hitters: strong.
Ted Williams said "I just shook hands with hands of 5-band steel" when he shook Hogan's hand.
When Hogan was in the army he was made the fitness instructor when the Sargent recognized that he was the fittest man there. I bet the Hawk could have done a heap of pushups and pull-ups at 70>

I suspect Hogan was made the fitness instructor because he had a "not interested in goofing off" presence and was indeed physically fit. Why shouldn't he be? He was very young at the time.

If you've seen Hogan in his 70's he had a pot belly, couldn't walk that well, and had shoulder arthritis. He looked no different than any other elderly businessman, which is what he was. I doubt that body could have have scored higher on a fitness test than anyone reading this under the age of 60. The point is, even in that weakened condition, he still had a superb swing. Proof positive you don't have to be an athlete or even athletic by any defition to have a really good swing.

And you can say the same thing about some petite woman pro or even a little kid with a fine swing. It's
golf technique and golf ability, not athleticism PER SE.

And I really wonder about golf ability. What comes first the chicken or the egg? If you work hard and get the right techniques, suddenly you look like a guy with ability. What comes first? Good timing or a good swing?

How good could any of us be if we had started when Hogan did and devoted ourselves to the extent he did? Who knows? Not many people in the history of golf have made that level of effort, true? And let us ask this question, if Hogan was so superior physically, why did he have to work so hard? He answered this question himself: "I had to..."

The same type of god like abilities have been used to explain Moe Noman's ball striking ability. He is said to have possessed superhumanly strong arms (probably he did have strong arms, but so do a lot of guys). And, he was hit in the head by a car as a kid and turned into a Savant Genius. Somehow, his neural system was reprogrammed as a result and consequently he had unbelieveable eye hand coordination. Uh-huh. MAYBE. Explain why eye hand coordination is THAT important when blind golfers can hit the ball straight...

The more likely explanation: he hit 1000 balls a day for almost his entire life, had a short swing and short clubs, and consequently got very accurate. His single minded aim in life. And btw, have you seen any pics of Moe in his later years? That fat ass again (and belly)...!

One last point, and I've written enough. As a guitarist, I often hear people saying such and such has such natural long & slender fingers for playing the guitar, it's no wonder he plays so well!...Another questionable "explanation".

Ever see Andres Segovia's fingers? No? Let me describe them as I've seen the closeup pics: they were fat and fleshy and kinda short, too. About the opposite of what you would hope for as a classical guitarist. Didn't stop Segovia from becoming a legend! btw, Jack Nicklaus also had small hands/fingers...maybe that's why he decided to take up golf and not guitar???? lol

Argue for your shortcomings, and guess what? You'll win!

I think someone else is posting under David's name because these are really great posts!

j/k

quote:Originally posted by billmckinneygolf

And Brian, Ben talks a lot about double wrist-cock at the top. And by the way, it was a hell of a lot more than 8 degrees. That is a little like Ted Williams thinking he could see the seams of the ball. He just THOUGHT he could.

Click to expand...

What is Ben's view of double wrist-cock at top?

Thanks!

R

Guys- I had dinner with Mr. Hogan in 1985, which would have made him 72 or 73 at that time. His handshake was VERY FIRM, but what most impressed me were his EYES; it appeared he was looking right through you. I remember a story told to me that week by a Hogan company VP that Mr. Hogan was once given an IQ test, but he was asked only one or two questions a day until the test was given completely, because the person giving the test did not want Mr. Hogan to know that he was being tested. Anyway, when all the questions had been asked and answered, the answers were sent off to a college professor for evaluation. The results indicated that Mr. Hogan had an IQ in the 180-190 range! He was brilliant and had the natural ability to concentrate for long periods of time, much longer than the average person. Couple that with the fact that he came from a poor family and a time when he had to survive a Depression, and you have the ingrediants for an extraordinary development. Just imagine all those hours driving from one tournament to another, with that mind of his going over all the things necessary for success...all that 'down time' being focused on what he needed to work on and improve upon.
And, BTW, he told Dave Marr not to call him 'Mr. Hogan', when Dave was working for Claude Harmon...

Kind of like Larry Bird -- a poor country hick who was slow and couldn't jump. But the hands, the basketball intellect unsurpassed. No one practiced/shot more than Larry.

Gardner Dickinson, a Hogan protege, was a pysch major in college and claims to have asked Hogan the IQ questions. A great read is Dickinson's autobiography "Let 'er Rip".