Swing Tips from the Ben Hogan Collection

Moving forward in addition to news and information about the Ben Hogan Legacy and current events we will be bringing you a variety of swing tips and related images from our analysis of Ben Hogan's golf swing.  Since these are generally true fundamentals of a good swing we will be referencing Mr. Hogan's books such as 'Power Golf' and 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' as well as 'The Complete Hogan'.  We will also try to include photo images and video images that support the swing tip and fundamentals discussed.

A great resource of videos for those interested in maintaining their own study materials is 'The Ben Hogan Collection' DVD set that we produced and released in 2006.  Along with Jim McLean we completed the new book 'The Complete Hogan' in 2012 that gives a good description of Mr. Hogan's swing from the period before the 1949 accident and after he found his 'secret' that led to his domination of the professional tour in the late 1940's and his crowning achievements in the 1950's.

This effort is for everyone that is working on improving their golf swing and who wants to play better golf.  So, here is a quote from Ben Hogan's Five Lessons:

'The correct hitting motion is one unbroken thrust from the beginning of the downswing to the end of the follow through.'

New Ben Hogan Accessories Available Now

New Ben Hogan Accessories

The new caps from the Ben Hogan Company (Perry Ellis) are finally out in the market.  Many of the styles are available at your local Walmart in the men's performance apparel section.  The styles are new and there are some new wrinkles in the modern fabrics used that are performance tech based.  If you can't get them at your local store contact me directly at mcctee@aol.com.

There are more accessories in the design stage.  I spoke with the marketing and design teams recently and the excitement level is quite high and the items are going to represent the Hogan legacy very nicely.  I will post photos as soon as I can release them.  

If you notice on two of the hats they used the iconic Merion photo as the model for the logo on the cap.  Very innovative of the design team.  

As you may have already noticed Mark Leishman on the PGA Tour has been sporting the apparel line.  The shirts are the Ben Hogan Performance Collection line.  

Ben Hogan's Masters Tournament Gift - 1965

Ben Hogan received this gift from the Masters Tournament in 1965.  It must have been a tradition for the tournament host to give various gifts each year.  This one looks like a tope measure, a pair of pliers, and a little hatchet.  I wonder if Mr. Hogan ever used them around the house.  This was part of a display by the his family at Shady Oaks Country Club, site of the Ben Hogan Invitational, a yearly even held in September each year and benefitting the Ben Hogan Foundation and the Henry House Charities.  Look them up, they deserve support for the wonderful things they are doing in Fort Worth.

I took the picture and you can see some of my shadow on the glass case.  It was a great day for the tournament at Shady.  Colonial Country Club is also close by and the clubhouse has a terrific new exhibit about Mr. Hogan. 

WWW.BenHoganFoundation.org.

Ben Hogan Golf Swing - Early 1950's

A great picture by Life Magazine photographers of Ben Hogan's swing at the transition point.  The position of the right arm and hands on the club are perfect.  The location I is Tamarisk CC. 

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. 

Sports Talent Agencies engaged for Ben Hogan swing model casting call

The original casting call has become more official and organized.  Our Michigan production company, Pixofactor, has engaged sports talent agencies to conduct the casting call to enhance the talent search for an accomplished golfer.  One agency is based in Michigan, Sports Studio Casting.  Here is their link.
http://sportsstudiocasting.com/

The other agency is in Los Angeles, Athlete Source Casting.  Here is their link:
http://www.athletesourcecasting.com/


Details of the casting call can be accessed from either agency.  The Michigan agency has an online signup and video upload system (free) which is convenient.

The LA agency is both local to LA but does cater to out of state talent.

Generally, the what is being searched for are accomplished male and female golfers who can demonstrate/imitate Ben Hogan's golf swing from 1948.  Samples swings can be found on YouTube and some links are found in this blog in earlier posts.  The physical characteristics of the golfer is also very important due to the nature of the data to be used from the motion capture process.  Height range from 5'5" to 5'10" and weight no greater than about 160 lbs. 

Currently, the motion shoot in the studio is scheduled for mid-December and will run about 4 days with prepratation and studio time involved.  This is the same technology used to develop graphic action in movies and for realistic video games. 

All of this is part of the development and production process for the modern evolution of Ben Hogan's 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf'.  A lifelike 'avatar' of Ben Hogan will star in the dvd version of the golf instructional book, on the interactive instructional website, and in the Wii game as well as mobile device applications (Iphone,iPad, Droid, etc.). 

If you are interested, you should contact these two casting agencies directly.  I know we attempted to manage this a few weeks ago but this new method is certainly much better for all involved.

Ben Hogan Swing Model Casting Call for 5 Lessons Project

Well we are finally at the beginning of the projection phase of the 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' by Ben Hogan avatar project.  A schedule is now under development for the production activities and one of the first things we need to do is select a swing model for the motion capture shoot.  The location will be in California and should occur within about a month from now.  The shoot will take most of a day in the motion capture studio. 

We are looking for:

o Male: 5' 7" tall +/- 1" 150 lbs. +/- 10 lbs
o Age: 18 to 45 years old and very flexible
o Amateur or professional
o Able to demonstrate via video clip an 'exact' replica of Ben Hogan's golf swing circa 1947. Need two views, down the line and face on.
The golfer should contact me directly. If you want you can forward this contact information if you think someone would be interested.

My contact information is: mcctee@aol.com or by cell at 305-297-6276.

The data from the shoot will produce a 'wire frame' or 'bones model' showing the motion of the golf swing.  The data will later be supplemented with laid on CG artwork to perfectly resemble Ben Hogan circa 1940-1950.  This moving lifelike avatar will be the basis for the new Five Lessons DVD, interactive website, and Wii instructional golf application. 

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/

Many advances on getting 'The Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' by Ben Hogan to dvd. We are finalizing our promo reel that provides a great overview of our project and the applications we are devloping including the dvd and interactive website. We also are looking at some TV shows for 'The Making of the Ben Hogan Avatar'. We also put together financing packages for investors and sponsors as we move along. The 'Ben Hogan Avatar' is almost ready to hire a sports managment agent!

I promised some photos of the Ben Hogan Exhibit at the USGA's Golf House in New Jersey. These shots were taken during some of the filming of 'The Ben Hogan Collection' 3 dvd set. Its available on Amazon.com and select golf retailers. Ask for it.

This is a quick post and a couple of the photos are turned sideways. I will fix them later. Andy Mutch was the museum curator. The fellow in the white shirt and tan pants holding holding Ben Hogan's driver that he used in 1953 to win The Open at Carnoustie is me. That was a real treat, getting a feel of that historic golf club!

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.

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 Swing from 'The Ben Hogan Collection' on YouTube

I have seen many of the swing clips we used in 'The Ben Hogan Collection' set appear in YouTube.com over the past couple of years. We produced the dvd in order for all golfers to enjoy Mr. Hogan's swing. Here is a link to one of the postings that actually did some justice to our original and copyrighted production.

This posting does not condone the illegality of the postings on YouTube of copyrighted material.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNgMNK3CtWU

Check it out. It is a really good sequence of swings by the legendary Mr. Hogan.

Ben Hogan Collection Swing Revealed Interactive Software

We at McTee's Champions LLC have received so much praise for The Swing Revealed Interactive Software that is part of the package for the 'Ben Hogan Collection' 3 DVD set (plus software CD) that we wanted to share some information about it. The software has been called 'brilliant' and 'magnificant' by a consumers that purchased the product.

Often, the purchaser has watched the 'Legacy DVD' and the two instructional DVD's (Swing Revealed 1 & 2) and installed the software on their Windows based computers much later. To their suprise they really enjoyed using the software as it allows them select any of the 4 swings demonstrated by Ben Hogan and choose either: 1) slow motion 2) continuous repetition 3) frame by frame 4) full screen - with a right click on the screen. They can even back up frame by frame and then go forward again. The four swings include a face on view of a 3 wood from 1949 when Hogan was at his absolute best, a down the line view of a mid iron, a right hip pocket back view of a short iron, and face on view that is slightly angled back from the target (the last 3 swings are from the 1967 Masters practice area).

The continuous replay mode is simply mesmerizing. The slow motion and frame by frame advance views really gives the viewer a good look at what Ben Hogan did with his golf swing. There are some differences between the swing in 1949 and 1967 due to his age and long term effects of the accident he had in 1949.

In our next production the Five Lessons DVD we will expand on the software component. This project is still in pre-production and in discussion with potential sponsors for funding and applications.

As always, keep them in the fairway.

Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan

Tiger's winning percentage is just plain hard to believe. He is better than the rest of the field but does not win all of them. No one does, never did, and never will. The broadcast fellows on the Golf Channel, NBC Sports and CBS Sports and print journalists from Golf World, Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Golfweek and others keep very good statistics on Tiger and the data is stunning. It really is history in the making and we are fortunate to be living in such a great chapter of the game.

I did a little math myself just to see what Ben Hogan's winning percentage was during his prime years between 1945 and 1949 before being derailed by the accident with the Greyhound Bus. Hogan's golf swing and golf instruction books help to describe how he dit it. The video clips in 'The Ben Hogan Collection' 3 dvd set and interactive software shows you what he did.

1945 - 5 wins in 18 starts = 27.8%

1946 - 13 wins in 32 starts = 40.6%

1947 - 7 wins in 25 starts = 28%

1948 - 11 wins in 25 starts = 44%

1949 - 2 wins in 4 starts = 50%

Total - 38 wins in 104 starts = 36.5%

During those years he had to bead Sam Snead, Jimmy Demaret, and other top notch players of the time. Pretty impressive stats. And we don't even have to address his fairways hit and greens in regulation stats. Tiger and others only wish they could come close on a regular basis in tournament play. Hogan not only 'owned his swing' he also 'owned' the flight of the ball and what the ball did after it landed.

Ben Hogan Golf Schools

I recently spoke with Charlie Ricks, the guiding force behind the new Ben Hogan Golf Schools. The concept is similar to the previous ESPN golf schools where there are various school types at cities around the country. These include a 3 hour introductory course to a several day school. The curriculum evolves around Ben Hogan's 'Five Lessons, The Modern Fundamentals of Golf' and should be a terrific way for golfers to get a practical instructional setting to learn and practice the fundamentals.

The website is www.BenHoganGolfSchools.com.

I hope to attend one when they are in Florida.

New Ben Hogan Collection Store Web Site

The internet is a great vehicle for information and shopping. Sometimes the glitches and complications in the system are troublesome.

We had to set up a new website store domaine name. The new internet address is:

www.BenHoganCollection.net.

In the long run this new site will be more cost effective along with our home website that does provide information about the 'Collection' The movement from one to another will be seamless. Right now simply try our new site if you want see what it looks like. We are adding items to this site on a regular basis. Currently, it has the 'The Ben Hogan Collection' 3 DVD set, the Swing Revealed Interactive Software CD, and the coffee table book 'Ben Hogan, The Man Behind the Mystique'. Soon, other books, memorabilia and photos, apparel and some equipment and swing improvement items will be added.

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 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