The REAL Ben Hogan!

[David Alford]

efnef, there is a brief account of Hogan watching Moe hit balls (after being more or less dragged over by a good friend). After seeing the first shot fly straight Hogan supposed said "pure luck!". After seeing one after the other fly the same, Hogan reportedly told Moe "just keep on doing what you're doing".

Moe claimed he and Hogan played 3 rounds together. No mention of the outcome, or whether it was in a tournament or not. Hogan was said Tevino was the only guy he knew that really hit it solid. Maybe he was forgetting Moe's ball striking, or perhaps he considered Trevino better.

Trevino himself said Moe was the best, others said Moe was in the same league as Hogan. Take it for what it means. I'm not sure we can trust Trevino's comments as his complete opinion. If asked, maybe he would have said "other than Hogan, etc. etc." A Trevino interview would be very interesting if the interviewer could ask some of these questions.

 

[David Alford]

Woody wrote: "Mr. Hogan lacked a lot of the natural ability that many of his contemporaries possesed. He was awkward, shy, slight of build,"

Exactly. I don't think it puts Mr. Hogan down at all. Just the opposite. His accomplishments are all the more impressive.

 

[MizunoJoe]

Woody,

Did ever mention his teacher, Wild Bill Melhorn?

 

[ej20]

Woody,

I'm glad that you cleared up Mr.Hogan's power issue.I never realised he had so much power in reserve.Obviously,accuracy was his number one priority most of the time.He's a bigger legend in my mind now,if that's possible.

I'm surprised nobody has asked the obvious question yet.Did he ever mention his secret?All those years at Shady Oaks not just playing golf but also poker,he must have let something slip.

Also what was Mr.Hogan's competetive nature like?Was he more competetive than Snead?Did he have the killer instinct like Tiger?

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

I have never heard of Ledbetter or Melhorn. Mr. Hogan liked to play for money and played in the big money game at Shady Oaks called "The Swing Game" which is still around today. Once, he set all the pins were only he could get to them and fleeced everyone as a joke...I am sure he kept their money. Mr. Hogan was as competitive as they come no matter what the stakes he wanted to bury you.

Once again, I will confirm the "secret" idea was created by the media bacause they couldn't get close enough to him to write anything. He didn't understand his popualrity which led to him being out of the public eye. He felt there were so many other people doing far greater things than hitting a golf ball. If anything, he made a lot of things work all together: His clubs (flat, stiff, large grips, set open), his lower body action, length of swing, clubface and hand control, and hard work. He really didn't want anyone to know what he was doing because they might use it and beat him.

 

[Garth]

Is Mr. Hogan's locker still kept there? Also, i was wondering if you ever saw him in his last couple years and what he thought about the newer equipment and his opinion on newer players of that time. (Tiger for instance)
thanks! this is great stuff!

 

[Tom Bartlett]

Brent, Do you know what BH liked to practice the most (that is, if he ever practiced) woods, irons, short game, shaping shots etc?

 

[jpvegas1]

Brent:
In your time playing/watching Hogan what did you consider his strength as a player? He was obviously a great driver but I heard some people say that he was even better with his wedges, hence the name equalizer, is this true?

 

[rundmc]

Did Hogan have big hands and forearms? Did he practice short game stuff?

 

[Tom Bartlett]

Hey Brian, Do you think this thread will ever get popular?

 

[Biffer]

Did Hogan ever express any particular frustration about his putting? Did he feel he was a good putter?

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

Sorry guys, hard to keep up with all the questions...Hogan's hands were big for his size and STRONG even at a late age. He would always inspect your hands for roughness and tell you to practice more that you are too soft. Mr. Hogan had wound down his practice in 1989 right before I started, but no stone went unturned in terms of practice and preperation. Mr. Hogan's 2 club lockers are glassed in and on display in the club for everyone to see.

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

Mr.Hogan was a great putter in his prime, but struggled making the transition from a pop stroke (slow, bumpy greens) to an arm and shoulder stroke on fast smooth greens. We have dozens of his putter prototypes on display in the shop, so you can tell he was trying to cure his own ills and in the procees help others. Many of them are far different than anything you have ever seen and don't look like putters...

 

[jpvegas1]

Woody:

You mentioned that Ben respected Claude Harmon's knowledge, were there any other pros that he would bounce ideas off of or listen too concerning the golf swing?

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

He and Claude Harmon were close friends as he was with Gardner Dickinson, Ken Venturi, and Jimmy Demaret. Who knows what they talked about, but again, Mr. Hogan wasn't going to help anyone he played in a tournament against...

 

[scripkilla]

what were Hogan's feelings about his book "5 lessons". It seems like people either "get it" or think it's too difficult or ambiguous. He never updated or changed a word from the orginal, which to me goes to show what conviction he had in the fundamentals within this text.

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

I think you are right about the book, and knowing him he thought carefully about every word and would never change it.

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

Manzella, I am going to have to budget my time to get to all of your fans!

 

[shootin4par]

what was his approach to a swing change? If he needed to make a swing changes would he do it while taking slow motion swings, practice swings, or would he always hit a ball?

 

[Woody-B-Dub]

It is hard to compare the mentality of a player who invented practice for himself and players who are told what to do by someone else. I wasn't able to watch a practice session as later in life, he was hitting balls recreationally for exercise and fun. I doubt seriously that he ever changed much, more than he prepared for tournament golf like you would prepare for a final exam. He knew all the questions and answers before he took the test.