The following is an excerpt from a letter to a friend from Hogan, on correctly swinging a golf club. This letter is dated 7-20-78.
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.
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.
