The Ben Hogan Setup Tip

One of Ben Hogan's setup positions was the cupping of the left wrist at address while keeping the right wrist flat.  This helped to prevent a hook.  The picture above is from 'The Complete Hogan' on page 63.  Jim McLean provides a good description in this section of the book regarding the other setup keys Hogan used in his pre-accident swing.  You can see the lean of the grip part of the club shaft away from the target as he begins the backswing in the series of photos in the book.  This action is part of the big muscle swing Mr. Hogan described in his Five Lessons book and in Power Golf.

Ben Hogan Locker

I took this photo a couple of years ago when visiting the Golf House Museum at the USGA.  Its part of the Ben Hogan Exhibit.  They have expanded the museum to add a large Arnold Palmer exhibit as well.  I would guess that someday there will be a Jack Nicklaus Exhibit as well as a Tiger Woods Exhibit.  The clubs in the photo are tournament used by Mr. Hogan and the wardrobe was donated by the Hogan family.

Announcing 'The Complete Hogan' by Jim McLean

The new 'The Complete Hogan' by Jim McLean from Wiley and Sons is now available in Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, etc.  The hard copy is terrific and it is also available for digital downloads on the Amazon Kindle and the Barnes & Noble Nook.  The instruction emphasis is descriptive of Mr. Hogan's prime swing motion from the late 1940's when he was winning everything and called Mr. Golf by the press.  There is well over 100 photos taken as stills from actual film from that time period.  Its the best swing photo sequencing of Mr. Hogan's classic legendary swing.  It took over two hears from concept to completion of the work. 

Anyone who has ever swung a golf club will enjoy this photo sequence analysis of Ben Hogan's golf swing.  Whether its wishful thinking, nastalgia, or part of an effort to improve a golf swing I think the book will provide lasting benefits, enjoyment, and appreciation.

This is the cover and back cover slides.  It should be on the shelves in bookstores by now and can be downloaded digitally at any time.

Ben Hogan's Legacy shines brightly in 2011.

The city of Fort Worth is beaming this December with the announcement that their municipal golf course complex is the site of their successful First Tee Program and the location for the Grand Opening of the Ben Hogan Learning Center.  Several press releases over the past few weeks point to a December 10 opening date and a funders dinner on December 8.  It should be quite a gala on both dates.  You can access more information about it from the Ben Hogan Foundation website at www.BenHoganFoundation.org.  

New Book!  We have been diligently working on some projects that will complement Mr. Hogan's Legacy.  The first is the publishing of the new instructional book The Complete Hogan (Wiley and Sons) in January 2012.  Author and renouned golf instructor Jim McLean presents a complete description of Mr. Hogan's excellent golf swing from the golden years of 1946-49 prior to the catastrophic accident.  Its a terrific accounting and visual demonstration of his swing from multiple views.  There is a view for the 'lefty' golfer as well.  I am excited that we are bringing this out for everyone to enjoy and learn from. Also included are numerous interesting stories that Jim has picked up over the years from taling to Mr. Hogan's friends and fellow competitors. 

Interview regarding the production story for The Ben Hogan Collection dvd set

This was just posted from an interview I had with David Wogan on www.SellBox.com. David is well known in the golf industry for his www.golfyellowpages.com directory.

The picture above is not David but a full size statue of Samuel Clemmons.  It looks like an interview so I thought it is appropriate.  The other fellow is me, just chatting and practicing my interview style.  The statue is located in a riverside park in Fort Worth Texas, just a stone's throw from Colonial Country Club, the site of this years Colonial Invitation PGA Tour event.  I do wish I was going to be there as in prior years.  It is a wonderful tournament, a great venue, and a tradition on tour that truly stands out. 

Here is the link. The history of the production process for 'The Ben Hogan Collection' is provided in the interview as well as some tips to others who want to produce media content.

http://www.sellbox.com/2010/04/tom-you-really-need-to-do-something-with-this/

Ben Hogan Life Magazine Photo Gallery from 1955 'Secret' Photo Shoot

Life Magazine has a great archive of photos from all aspects of life on this planet including some great shots of Ben Hogan. There are some out takes from the shoot they did for their August 8 article on Ben Hogan's secret that did not make it in the magazine. Browse their archives and see some really rare photos. I am sure they will be glad to sell copies to you if you are interested.

If you browse their archive you will find photos of Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, and other champions.

http://www.life.com/image/79157952/in-gallery/23641/golf-magazine-10-great-golf-pics

New Ben Hogan golf swing on YouTube posted - Circa 1968

I was reading some discussions about the one plane and two plane swing recently and the discussion referenced Ben Hogan. Even though Hogan described the backswing plane and the downswing plane as slightly different in his book, 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' the discussion was still looking for some clarification. It brought to mind this clip from my personal collection that shows the path of the club head and club shaft for Hogan's swing while he practice on the driving range. It is one of about 10 separate swing clips that show pretty much the same thing, some with irons and some with driver. Enjoy

Ben Hogan Trophy

As promised here are some more photos of the amazing trophy presented to the winner Dave Schultz and Colt Knost of the inaugural Ben Hogan Invitational in Fort Worth last month. The detail in the crystal is quite fine and duplicates the original casting very well.

The Ben Hogan Foundation is in the process of creating some new castings in bronze as well. The first photo is from an exhibit at Shady Oaks Country Club in Fort Worth where the original casting was shown to the public. Ben Hogan felt so strongly about the importance of a good grip on the golf club that he dedicated 17 pages in his book, 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf''. We should should take note of this precision when we put our hands on the golf club. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods use an interlocking grip while the rest of their grip fundaments are the same as presented by Mr. Hogan.

There is a nice video clip on YouTube showing an older Mr. Hogan demonstrating the key points in setting his grip into place as well as some of the actual feelings he gets when its properly done.

Ben Hogan Foundation Charity White Hot Gala

The charity gala was a huge success for the Ben Hogan Foundation and the Henry House charities. The Foundation is building a Ben Hogan Learning Center in Fort Worth, similar in concept to the Tiger Woods Learning Center in California. It will be located at the local municipal golf complex that already serves approximately 10,000 kids in their First Tee Program. The Foundation also supports the First Tee Program.

We were one of the Gold Sponsors for the event. They ran a slide show of the sponsors in photo #1. Next is one of the floral arrangements using original Ben Hogan golf clubs from the 60's as part of the display. Next is one of the ice sculptures that served as a table. David Feherty was there with his wit and stories about Tiger Woods and one of our severely injured service men who was a star at a recent Tour event when he met Tiger. The two paintings are on 6 foot canvases. They were painted on the spot as the artist spun them around on their mountings to creat likenesses of Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. A shot of the crowd pouring over the silent auction items and finally the Proprietor of JanKris Winery from California who launched Ben Hogan Label wine selections, Merlot, Chardonet, and a Cabernet. All very good and well spoken of in wine circles. My choice was the Merlot!

Golf Swing Fundamentals for Tiger Woods: See Ben Hogan

I am really stumped. For the life of me I cannot see why our golf announcers/writers/teaching professionals simple defy common sense about golf swing fundamentals as demonstrated by Ben Hogan. Too often I hear or read that Hogan was the best ball striker ever. Ask Butch Harmon. Ask Gary Player. Ask Jim McLean. Ask Tiger Woods.

Then, in the same sentence/breath I hear or read that a golfer cannot copy his swing; his grip and his 'secret' would only work for him and would only 'confuse' a golfer and/or simply create a really big slice. The fact is that Hogan went from a very strong grip in the evolution of his swing to a more neutral grip and finally into a weak grip that he used to hit his power fade. A shot that went left to right only a few yards and started off on line.

It should be relatively easy. There is new technology in the instructional arena. There is a perfect model. There is video analysis. There is biomechanical analysis and instant feedback. There are excellent instructors that advertise that they teach the 'Hogan' swing. There are motivated students of the golf swing who are willing to put in long hours of practice and dig it out of the dirt for themselves. There is video. There are excellent instructional books from Ben Hogan himself, 'Power Golf' and 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf'. There are detailed photo swing sequences.

So, the question is where and who has an exact replica copy of Ben Hogan's golf swing? If you have it or see it, let me know!

Hogan won the British Open in 1953

Ben Hogan did not know how important winning the British Open Championship would be to his legacy all those years he did not play at that prestigious venue. Somehow he missed the boat on that piece of golf history that was successfully dominated by Bobby Jones in his career. Its really too bad. In the twenty plus years of his competitive career he only played once, and won. Hogan's nine majors count might have been much greater if he had made the Open Championship a priority as the modern era tour professionals do. The best of the best on the PGA Tour define their careers and their chances of entering the World Golf Hall of Fame partially by how many major they won. My guess is Hogan would have won at least one or two more to add to his 'major total'. What if he had dominated like Peter Thompson or Old/Young Tom Morris?

If not for the war, the accident rehab year and the subsequent shortened schedule for the next decade who knows who Tiger Woods might be chasing and Jack Nicklaus as well in his career prime.

We can only wonder. But, Hogan's legacy is stellar and in tact for all players to enjoy and chat about after their own day's adventures on the golf course.

Ben Hogan's 30's record, Tiger Woods 30's future

When Ben Hogan was in his 30's immediately after WWII he became Mr. Golf. He was winning almost every tournament he entered during this prime time of his career. Hogan is mostly remembered for his comeback from the horrible accident with a Greyhound bus in 1949 and his incredible majors run in 1953.

According to Hogan himself he was a better overall player after the war. The Ben Hogan Collection dvd set highlights some film taken during this period that shows that remarkable golf swing. The film came from the Alex Morrison portfolio of films and photos owned by McTee's Champions LLC. Golfers can see and learn from watching Hogan at his peak in these unique films. No other dvd set on the market has these films.

Tiger Woods is now entering that same period in his life as a professional golfer where Hogan was in the late 40's. With the credentials and records Tiger brings to this period of time one can surely expect some really terrific golf from him. Records will fall or be totally smashed. Tiger should finally shoot his 59 or better in competition. Hopefully he has taken it upon himself to continue his quest for a better swing, one that keeps him in the fairways and yields more birdies. Tiger has a great short game and is the best putter I have seen on tour. He will be putting for more birdies and eagles if he can approach the greens from the fairways and not the rough. Maybe he could learn to swing more like Hogan? What a nightmare it would be for competitors if Tiger could hit all 14 fairways most rounds like Hogan used to.

I wish Tiger all the best. Hogan would be proud of his dedication and perserverence to the grand game of golf.

Tom McCarthy

Ben Hogan - Long Drive Contest Winner

Another amazing bit of golf swing lore comes to us from the 1952 Masters Tournament. Ben Hogan who was known for his excellent ball striking and course management expertise is also the winner of the long drive contest at this Masters. Hogan often won long driving contests in his earlier years on tour against all takers during exhibitions prior to tournaments but this was the grand stage at the Masters!

Hogan's flawless technique translates into both distance and accuracy. I really do recommend that new golfers and established players study Mr. Hogan's golf swing and try to emulate the fundamentals of the swing as he displayed them on film. The analysis provided by Jim McLean in 'The Ben Hogan Collection" is the best to date and far surpasses what has been published in various golf books on the subject. You can see Hogan and learn from Hogan by viewing the dvd's as they are programmed to give the golfer the best instructional presentation available. There are repetitive clips, various angles presented, and detailed guidance on what to look for and use in the golf swing from McLean.

Hogan hit it straight and liked to use the fade as his go to finesse shot. He could also drive it past other professionals on tour on a regular basis. Golfers should be learning Hogan's techniques, not trying to figure out what some of the modern swing gurus are selling. Even the pros seem to fall for this nonsense. Its a good thing they can putt and chip or their scores would be like the rest of us amateurs.

Tiger Woods is constantly trying to improve his swing and my hunch is it will look different when he gets back on tour after rehab. I am also confident it will look more like Hogan's!

Tom McCarthy

Ben Hogan

The production of the new dvd 'Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' is moving along. The producer is in Fort Worth doing site research for upcoming filming at historic sites such as the Colonial Country Club, Shady Oaks Country Club, and the home of Ben and Valerie Hogan. Discussion with supporters and potential sponsors is ongoing. Hopefully, Mr. Hogan will be attired in some of the stunning new Ben Hogan Apparel. The clothing is classic, sharp and breaks new ground in sports performance apparel technology. The golf equipment will of course be from The Ben Hogan Company (http://www.benhogan.com/), owned by Callaway Golf.

According to golf historians Anthony Ravielli photographed Ben Hogan in Fort Worth to provide the documentation he needed to create the line drawing artwork found in the Five Lessons. Some of the original photos and negatives were sold on Ebay a few years ago. Also, some were used as images in David Leadbetter's book on Hogan's golf swing.

All the artwork and photos from Anthony Ravielli are now owned by Classic Sports Brands of New York (http://www.classicsportsbrands.com/). The portfolio is being preserved in tack along with Mr. Ravielli's studio. Select items will be incorporated into the new dvd production of the Five Lessons. Selection of a lead production company is almost complete with proposals under review.

This new modern production will incorporate the Ravielli drawings and artwork, photos and film of Mr. Hogan, and the new technologies of motion capture and high definition 2D and 3D computer graphics to create an entertaining and informative instructional program. The full capabilities of these new technologies and the outstanding artwork from Ravielli, the instruction content on golf fundamentals from Ben Hogan, and the poetic writing style of newly inducted World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Herbert Warren Wind are included in the pre-production plans.

Fort Worth is the 'Home of Hogan'. Friends and supporters of the new Ben Hogan Foundation have committed to several significant projects as part of their goals. One such project is the establishment and funding of a new Ben Hogan Learning Center in Fort Worth. Details of this project and other committments can be found at the organizations website, http://www.benhoganfoundation.org/. Donations to the foundation can be made throught this site or through Ebay. In addition, another donation solution for Ebay sellers is to identify the foundation as their charity of choice when listing new products for sale. A portion of the sale is then automatically sent to the foundation. Another option is to directly make a donation through the Ebay and Paypal systems. The Foundation has already started to receive donations through this option.

The Ben Hogan Collection website (http://www.benhogancollection.com/) is changing a bit. Some of the items that were listed have been sold out (towels, stand bags, golf balls) with no restocking seen in the future. Sales of The Ben Hogan Collection 3dvd Pack with software cd are contuing along with the coffee table photo book 'The Man Behind the Mystique'. Ben Hogan caps, visors, and new iron sets are still available but in limited supply. Coming soon to the site are Hogan's instructional book, 'Five Lessons' and 'The Secret Behind Ben Hogan's Golf Swing' among other titles.

Ben Hogan Collection stories

One of the best stories I heard about Ben Hogan had to do with his mastery of the pitching wedge. We are well aware that he could hit all 18 greens and hit all the fairways in a typical round. We are also aware thanks to HBO that Mr. Hogan's wedge shot in 1960 at the US Open came up short by 3 feet and ended up in the water, costing him the Championship.

But this is a better story, one that dares to be tested. Jody Vasquez in his book, 'Afternoons with Mr. Hogan' told this story about how Mr. Hogan could make his ball spin back uphill on the green. During practice sessions tended to by Vasquez he would watch Mr. Hogan practice from behind the green, down the slope of a green that sloped away from him. He would hit a crisp wedge shot up and towards the hole and make the ball back up - uphill! Vasquez said that he had never to this day seen anybody do that.

In fact, he told the story to Nick Faldo who promptly tried to match this feat. He tried and failed, repeatedly.

Ah, the Mystique lives on. I wonder who wll try to match this shot? Could Phil Mickelson do it? After all, he is the master of the present day wedge, showing off with Dave Pelz on one occasion on film and on another hitting a wedge that went backwards from where he was aiming at back on to the green. Pretty cool stuff.

Praise for Ben Hogan Collection

A while back we received this wonderful bit of praise for 'The Ben Hogan Collection' 3 dvd set and Interactive Software. It was unsolicited and was appreciated by all involved in the planning, production, and funding of the 'Collection'.


Please forward my congratulations to Jim for putting together The Ben Hogan Collection. The collection is by far the biggest bargain of information and price ever.
The guest speakers were all fabulous, a treasure. Your work finally puts to rest all of the silly "Hogan's Secret" claims by some rather lame teachers out there.
The way the DVDs are laid out, anything Mr. Hogan had to offer is right there to see. My favorite section is the "Y" factor as it also shows left shoulder and left elbow height as he reaches the back side/at/and a bit through the impact zone.

The Interactive EXE. file is a stroke of genius. Thanks for doing that.

Best Always,

Larry Mowry
1989 PGA Seniors Champion

Over the past couple of years we have received terrific reviews from golf publications. These can be seen in the media section at our website: www.BenHoganCollection.com.

It would be nice to hear from other satisfied customers.

We also have provided sample copies to quite a few tour players including the Callaway Tour Staff for both the PGA Tour and European Tour. I wonder how they liked being able to view Ben Hogan on the dvds and being able to control the swing speed with the software?

Please forward my congratulations to Jim for putting together The Ben Hogan Collection. The collection is by far the biggest bargain of information and price ever.
The guest speakers were all fabulous, a treasure. Your work finally puts to rest all of the silly "Hogan's Secret" claims by some rather lame teachers out there.
The way the DVDs are laid out, anything Mr. Hogan had to offer is right there to see. My favorite section is the "Y" factor as it also shows left shoulder and left elbow height as he reaches the back side/at/and a bit through the impact zone.

The Interactive EXE. file is a stroke of genius. Thanks for doing that.

Best Always,

Larry Mowry
1989 PGA Seniors Champion

Olympics in the future for golf?

The debate on golf in the Olympics is taking a more serious turn it seems now that China is showing some growth in facilities and people who enjoy golf. Golf in the Olympics seems like a natural. It is now a game that is truly enjoyed world wide in so many countries and seems to be growing at a rapid pace outside the US. There are some questions.

The biggest questions is when? 4, 8, 12 years from this summer's games?

What would the format be? Stroke play, match play, teams?

How does a country select its teams? World golf rankings, competitions as qualifiers?

Would they have to be amateurs or allow professionals to compete? Now there's an easy answer!

What about the ball? Will there be an Olympic ball with specific requirements that allows each manufacturer to produce it for their sponsored player? Logos on the ball? This one could be tricky as there are patents and legal issues to resolve. Maybe in 8 years the legal battles would be resolved. What about other equipment?

What will the governing rules be for the games? USGA or a special set of rules for the Olympics? They change a lot of rules for basketball. Will they need to do so for the Olympics?

Will Tiger Woods be there?

What country will Ernie Els play for?

Will the rules and venues be the same for women?

Will the top players in the world show up? Some players don't like to travel the world, others love it as a way of life. Kenny Perry comes to mind as does Ben Hogan. Perry sits out the British Open. Ben Hogan was finally convinced by his friends and legends of the game to play the Open Championship in 1953 before it was revived as a substantially well known and respected event in the US. Gary Player used to spend most of his sleeping time during any given day on a plane travelling the world to play and win his beloved game. Phil Mickelson is now becoming a globe trotter for the game. The fellows that play on the PGA Tour have not been heard yell a resounding yes to the Olympics even though the Commissioner has endorsed golf in the Olympics.

What will the role of the PGA, PGA Tour, USGA, LPGA, PGA sections, NCAA, etc. be in the selection and rules process?

Will there be 'official' Olympic training site(s)? Will they be selected based on the types of grass used, the types of greens, their championship venue characteristics? Bent or Bermuda?

Where will the competitions be held? A good guess would be a Jack Nicklaus design golf course and if not his, the Pete Dye will have his mark on it.

Who will be the coache(s)? What will the coaches teaching philosophy and technique? Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, Stack and Tilt, McLean's 8 Step Swing, Faults and Fixes?

And last but not least, will I get to go and see this wonderful event!?