Ben Hogan - The Modern Fundamentals of Golf - 5 Lessons - Softcopy

In March 1957, Sports Illustrated magazine began to publish each of the 5 lessons in its weekly magazine. Here it is in reader format.

Give it some time to load. Use the 'show thumbnail' function in the center of the toolbar to skip directly to the article. Although, it's kind of neat to see some of the old ads from those days. How times have changed.

Use the zoom function and you can move the screen to the portion you want to read.

Enjoy.

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lesson 5

I just scanned lesson 1.

I was taught for the right hand, the main grip comes from the thumb, index and middle finger.

However in the article here, Ben H advocates the pressure grip should come from ring and middle fingers.

I know that there are many ways to play the game, thus at times it can be confusing. But which way is easier for a high HC player to adopt?


Cheers

stickman wrote:

I just scanned lesson 1.

I was taught for the right hand, the main grip comes from the thumb, index and middle finger.

However in the article here, Ben H advocates the pressure grip should come from ring and middle fingers.

I know that there are many ways to play the game, thus at times it can be confusing. But which way is easier for a high HC player to adopt?


Cheers

Hi stickman,

Thank you for your question and your willingness to learn, important whether as a high HC or low HC.

And may I say, what a good, key question you have raised.

I assume by "I was taught for the right hand..." you mean you had a coach who taught you.

So, short version of my response:

Follow your coach, esp if you have just picked up the game and don't have much time to study and practice, and just want to be able to move the ball reasonably forward on the course.

Long version:

For those who wish to study, understand and execute the Ben Hogan swing, this is what I will say. EVERY element described in the book is important to follow. Leave nothing out, because nothing is redundant or unnecessary. Setup and grip being so critical, it is especially important not to deviate.

For the highly dedicated willing to put in the countless hours of study and practice, the Hogan swing contains tremendous rewards when understood and executed correctly.

That said, there are many key elements discussed in the book which is fundamental to a good swing regardless.

Detailed discussion on the right hand grip [highlights mine]:

"The grip of the right hand, since it is the hand that does the overlapping, is more complicated. .... getting your right hand in a position to perform its share of the work but not more than its equal share. This means, in effect, subduing the natural tendency of the right forefinger and thumb to take charge. If they do, they'll ruin you...."

I am amazed how much wisdom is contained in this short paragraph, and am beginning to see just the tip of the iceberg of his mastery of ball striking and the reason for his legendary reputation.

A key reason why golfers cast, come over the top, outside in, and even flip is when the right side gets activated too early in the downswing. Hence, if the right forefinger and thumb take charge, "they'll ruin you..."

Further, bear in mind Hogan was born left handed, and started playing golf left handed, only to switch to right hand because of the unavailability of 2nd hand left handed golf clubs. So his right hand is already not his dominant hand to begin with. What more for us right handed golfers, we must be even more vigilant to ensure the right hand do "no more than its equal share" of the work.

Look at the exercise in page 21 of the SI reader (page 17 in the article).



"Gripping the club with the right thumb and forefinger off shaft helps a golfer to accustom himself to the feeling of strong correct grip in which both hands work together as one unit."

The picture of him rehearsing the feel where the grip with the right thumb and forefinger are off the shaft is key, and is often used as a cover of the book, like so.



When I look at the 'modern swing' of today, I am struck by how much the elements practiced by Ben Hogan can be seen. Including what Tiger looks like now. There is a reason why Ben Hogan had such a high success rate (percentage) that even Jack or Tiger could not match.

JACK had 73 top 10s in 163 Majors = 44.8%
TIGER has 33 top 10s in 62 Majors = 53.2%
Hogan: 39 top 10s in 58 majors = around 67.2%

Bear in mind Hogan's major tournaments were interrupted by World War II as well as an accident that seriously impaired his left side. What a legend.

I can't say I have fully understood or mastered the book, but even with a limited competence, am already pleased to observe my dispersion has tightened and distance has increased noticeably, more than I thought possible.

Enjoy your journey. Cheers.

Aiya... Haven't finishing reading 2 weeks' ago weekend read on Leslie King's lessons.. Ben Hogan's one out already...
Anyway.... Thanks for sharing... Lee.

Good post mate! Uhhh...I like old school very much.

You're all most welcome. I enjoy sharing.

Just to note, this SI magazine article is a subset of the complete book. The book has more material than this. So still worth picking up a copy in my opinion.

Personally, it's the best investment I ever spent in golf literature.

Take a sofa, sit down and read

Bro. Thanks for the input. Going to print the article!!!!

Cheers

Hi Lee,

I do follow the theories in Ben Hogan swing and believe I will be able to learn something from you. I have been making changes after changes on my swing, hands position, ball positions, etc. in fact, I have tried BH setups before and gave up after a while.

Recently I re-read Five Lessons and again tying to adopt the techniques. I found that I have gained a club in distance and really happy with my ball striking especially with irons. With driver and woods, I duff a few times but managed to correct it after standing taller. My shots are still mostly straight but do realise that my shots are much higher now. I also learned from another book "The Ben Hogan Way" that BH always have his hands behind the ball with an inch gap between the club and the ball and this'll be next on my practice list.

One question for you, when you setup an open stance for wedges, do you open your shoulders to be parallel to our feet or stay parallel to the target line?

Tks for sharing ... I cannot get passed lesson two coz too technical 

By the way Lee, forgot to ask if you have read "The final missing piece of Ben Hogan Secret Puzzle"? Wonder how good is this book and where can I get a copy in SG.

Pippin, the book is indeed not an easy read and in fact, I do find it dry. Chapter 2 is about stance and posture, so you need to remember the following points: -

1. BH advocates a wide and close stance, I.e. his right foot is a few inches behind the right foot.

2. His left right foot is perpendicular to the target line and his right left foot is flared out about 20 degree. (sorry for the typo)

3. His right elbow is bend slightly and both elbows should be pointing at the hips.

Actually look closely at page 59 which summarizes the chapter pretty well.

nutty88 wrote:

Hi Lee,

I do follow the theories in Ben Hogan swing and believe I will be able to learn something from you. I have been making changes after changes on my swing, hands position, ball positions, etc. in fact, I have tried BH setups before and gave up after a while.

Recently I re-read Five Lessons and again tying to adopt the techniques. I found that I have gained a club in distance and really happy with my ball striking especially with irons. With driver and woods, I duff a few times but managed to correct it after standing taller. My shots are still mostly straight but do realise that my shots are much higher now. I also learned from another book "The Ben Hogan Way" that BH always have his hands behind the ball with an inch gap between the club and the ball and this'll be next on my practice list.

One question for you, when you setup an open stance for wedges, do you open your shoulders to be parallel to our feet or stay parallel to the target line?

That's a good question. I hesitate to recommend something specific because each individual may set up slightly differently, with a different body type. But I would suggest this - find a shoulder set up that you are comfortable with, and that yields a consistent, repeatable result.

nutty88 wrote:

By the way Lee, forgot to ask if you have read "The final missing piece of Ben Hogan Secret Puzzle"? Wonder how good is this book and where can I get a copy in SG.

Not sure, but if you haven't already done so, you can search the book title in google and you will find some description in golfwrx about its key point (mainly how the weight shifts to the left side just before the backswing is completed).

As we know, Hogan is famous for his legendary ball striking, and for his 'secret.' The internet abounds with various theories what his secret was.

If you buy both 5 Lessons and Power Golf by Ben Hogan, I find it pretty much covers the spectrum quite completely. Follow the instructions in detail, and you will probably be amazed with the result, as I can read from the posting you have experienced it already.

pippin wrote:

Tks for sharing ... I cannot get passed lesson two coz too technical 

Ha ha.

Well, I know what you mean, if you expect something like a golf digest article, but compared with TGM, Hogan's book reads like a Marvel Comic, complete with wonderful illustrations.

nutty88 wrote:

Pippin, the book is indeed not an easy read and in fact, I do find it dry. Chapter 2 is about stance and posture, so you need to remember the following points: -

1. BH advocates a wide and close stance, I.e. his right foot is a few inches behind the right foot.

2. His left foot is perpendicular to the target line and his right foot is flared out about 20 degree.

3. His right elbow is bend slightly and both elbows should be pointing at the hips.

Actually look closely at page 59 which summarizes the chapter pretty well.

Err, I think you mean left foot flared and right foot perpendicular. Like so...

hi Lee,

I have not read Power Golf and based on what I have read so far, Power Golf's theories are different in 5 lessons. That was why BH made the changes because he was hooking the ball with Power Golf.

In terms of some of the key missing points, I have discovered the following: -

1. BH set up the club about an inch behind the ball

2. BH also set up his hands to be behind the ball, i.e. no forward lean.

3. He made a lateral shift to the left prior to turning his hips.

4. He cupped his left wrist on the backswing and pronate his left wrist on impact before rotating his right hand over. I find that this is the most difficult to practice.

Any other points I have missed out?

I am also trying to tuck my right elbow as close to my body as possible during the backswing, which yields additional distance. Maybe this is because the swing becomes more compact, i.e. no flying elbow. My only trouble now is alignment as I mostly align slightly left of target so that the ball can fade in but it always go straight towards the target line.

Lee, I realised the mistake on the feet position and have edited the post. Take note that I am a right handed golfer.

With the open stance, my ball with go left towards the stance line. That is why I was asking about shoulder alignment. But what about club face? Should I open the club face or just place it perpendicular to the target line?

I understand everyone of us is different but pPlease feel free to provide your inputs.

Hi nutty88.

Many thanks for your excellent questions. They show you are a good Hoganite.

nutty88 wrote:

hi Lee,

I have not read Power Golf and based on what I have read so far, Power Golf's theories are different in 5 lessons. That was why BH made the changes because he was hooking the ball with Power Golf.

In terms of some of the key missing points, I have discovered the following: -

1. BH set up the club about an inch behind the ball

2. BH also set up his hands to be behind the ball, i.e. no forward lean.

3. He made a lateral shift to the left prior to turning his hips.

4. He cupped his left wrist on the backswing and pronate his left wrist on impact before rotating his right hand over. I find that this is the most difficult to practice.

Any other points I have missed out?

I am also trying to tuck my right elbow as close to my body as possible during the backswing, which yields additional distance. Maybe this is because the swing becomes more compact, i.e. no flying elbow. My only trouble now is alignment as I mostly align slightly left of target so that the ball can fade in but it always go straight towards the target line.

Well, if you have a shot that goes straight to the target line, congrats. Many people wish they had a straight shot. But yes, I would agree, the right elbow is absolutely one of the key elements, to be studied carefully.

nutty88 wrote:

Lee, I realised the mistake on the feet position and have edited the post. Take note that I am a right handed golfer.

With the open stance, my ball with go left towards the stance line. That is why I was asking about shoulder alignment. But what about club face? Should I open the club face or just place it perpendicular to the target line?

I understand everyone of us is different but pPlease feel free to provide your inputs.

On my copy of the 5L book, chapter 2 - Stance and Posture begins on page 37. The answers to your question are all found in page 40.

If you follow the prescribed set up on page 40 word per word, you will have your answer.

Since we live in the information internet instant gratification age, ( ), short answer: shoulders and club face aligned to the target.

"...he first aligns the face of his club with his target. Then, aligning himself with the face of the club.... adjustment of the feet, legs, body, arms and hands..."

Next it goes into great details about those adjustments. Shoulders are subsequently never mentioned at all in the context of adjustments other than to determine the width of the feet.

Notice how it was not explicit. But covered sufficiently nonetheless.

Ben Hogan was not a man of many words. So, every word he put into his books was carefully considered and meant something. Reflecting this, every element he put into his swing had a purpose. And anything unnecessary or detrimental was taken out.

So, while you have listed good key points, since you asked, the complete list would essentially be the entire (two) book(s). Both explicitly written and between-the-lines

To help us, we have something that Ben Hogan never had. And that's freely available, easy to create, video technology. Many say if Ben Hogan had access to those in his day, he would be unbeatable.

Cheers.

Do any one manage to find the Video of these 5 lessons ?

ok ok... I'll go home and read Chapter 3 TODAY!

pippin wrote:

ok ok... I'll go home and read Chapter 3 TODAY!

Please give us a summary on Chapter 3 after you have finished reading. This will ensure that you have grasped the concepts.

ahnah wrote:

Do any one manage to find the Video of these 5 lessons ?

Go Youtube. You should be able to find a lot of vidoes on Ben Hogan swing.

pippin wrote:

ok ok... I'll go home and read Chapter 3 TODAY!

Ha ha, good to hear that.

Such a deceptively thin book yet so deep, hiding rich rewards within its depth for those who persevere.

Enjoy your journey of discovery.