My thoughts while I work through reading Hogan's Five Lessons

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Oh I think this book is helping me immensely make sense of things, and is helping to make my swing a lot more reliable. It's hard for me to say how much help this book would be for an absolute beginner because I got this book about 8 months after I had begun golfing seriously, and I had already broken 90 without this book.

But I tend to think that if someone were a complete beginner, and had no instruction available, this book would probably be the best one item to have alongside the bag, clubs, and balls.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I bought a copy of Hogan's Power Golf last night, and it looks to be useful for filling in additional details of Hogan and his thinking about the golf swing.

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate today, and I'll be able to put in 18 holes after work.

 

[Eracer]

RBB,
You'll find that the 1-plane, hoganesque swing will actually perform better as you "commit" to it and not "baby" or steer it. The beauty of it is the connection, in that you can go as hard as you want into it and (as long as you are staying connected and turning around your spine) the swing will stay intact.

To detail my recommendation to swing around your spine to get rid of the blocks and slices... The swing should be going in-to-out-to-in. It's important that the clubhead starts moving immediately back inside (around your body) somewhere around contact. This is because it is basically your body that releases the clubhead, and that is done by your body rotating and pulling the clubface square/clubhead back inside.

So, the old montra to finish high may be hurting you. You should be swinging the club back to the left of target. You'll see this in many of the tour players these days, especially the euros. Think of keeping your left bicept (for R handers) stuck to your body in the through-swing and your trunk rotating as opposed to rocking.

Good luck...

Great thoughts BD. I've been really working hard lately on rotation-rotation-rotation. The biggest problem is rotating properly on the correct plane. Hogan's insistence on correct posture, along with the arm-body connection addresses this. But it's all too easy to be flat at the top, and have to re-route the club through impact. I'm finding it helpful right now to feel a bit of a "forced" wrist set early in the backswing. Basically, I use my right wrist to pre-set the wrist angle, then let my trunk continue the rotation to the top. I'm afraid that this may be a bad idea, since I'm sure it shortens my arc. But right now I'll take accuracy over an extra 10 yards.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

What a miserable week this last one was. Too busy, and too much cruddy weather for me to get in any substanative practice. Finally will have the opportunity to play today, and it's gonna be low to mid 90's with humidity to match.

But at least I'm playing!

 

[Highdraw34]

Have you read the "Hogans Secret" article on Golfdigest.com. It is near the bottom of the homepage and it is simply incredible. It is the last missing step from Five Lessons. Something he didn't put in because he didn't want his competitors to know. It is all about the Right Knee and Left Wrist. I hit some great great shots after reading it.

 

[halifax_golfer]

wow... I just read this whole thing, and the hogan article... well, I read half this post the other night.... Anyways, I thought it was really great. ... I'm also trying hard to improve my golf game... hopefully the hogan article and rotating around my spine a bit more will help out.. Best of luck to you all.

Chris.

 

[mgoblue]

RBB, you have inspired me. I went out and got the book. I'm going to start reading it tonight. I'm a little nervous about making grip and swing changes after all these years. But it surely can't hurt.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Take your time with it.

I'm going be taking a break from practice now for at least a week, and may start chipping in a week or so depending on how swift my recovery is from my second go-round with mononucleosis.

 

[halifax_golfer]

bought the book today aswell.

 

[halifax_golfer]

the waggle

hey guys.. why does hogan want the waggle to be more with the wrists instead of the hands arms and then shoulders moving almost in uniform like a real swing?.... I thought he also said that the waggle should almost simulate that of the real swing.... I should read it again a few times I suppose... But I'd just like some peoples opinions on how to waggle.


update:
nevermind I guess.. I spent a few morning reading and practicing the waggle I think I have a better understanding of it now, a few things that do feel weird to me are pointing the cups on top of my elbows toward the sky at address (I find it hard to stay relaxed doing this, as it takes some effort for me to turn my left (I'm left handed golfer) elbow up this way). holding my upper arms tightly against my upper body (my chest seems to get in the way a bit)... anyways I'm gona go to the range I think now, and see how it goes... I'm also gona work on keeping my head still until ball contact. I hope I'm flexible enough for all this.. . And I guess it feels like a bit of a big waggle when you I have to touch My left elbow to where my left chest pocket would be (left handed golfer).

Chris

 

[Pa Jayhawk]

I started reading this again for the third time since buying it about a year and a half ago. I seem to fall back on it everytime I feel like something is is amiss. Recently my swing just didn't feel quite right, and the calluses on my left hand are just different than ever before.

How can I have screwed up my grip so bad in a year, that I can barely swing the club when I do in fact take a correct grip? Last time I read this I simply remember the grip part being remedial and no big deal, this time I felt like I was trying to learn to play again for the first time. I think I am going to heed his advice and just concentrate on grip for a week or two this time.

 

[halifax_golfer]

After reading through hoagans lessons rather quickly the first time just to kinda get the whole picture I went to the range once after lesson three... And was hitting some nice drives and some nice SW shots... My irons didn't seem to be working to well, but The grip/stance/posture were good feeling.... So it seemed to help some...

So I finished the book, and got to play a full round yesterday on a course that is now one of my fave's. Eagles Crest near Halifax NS.... I hit some really nice shots, and the swing definitly feels very easily repatable, I had a new type of confidence I felt with every shot.... I did hit a few drives OB on the same hole so it kind of ruined things.... But other then that I also hit a drive 295 leaving me 95yrd to go on the 18th hole, hit a high SW from there to 4 ft and dropped the bird. .. Shot 86...

Anyways I'm definitly gona keep using this swing, cant wait till next time I play with my Dad. I usually get nervous, but this Hogan swing works great under pressure.... Only problem is that my front shoulder is cracking on every swing. Cant wait to read the book again. .

Chris.

 

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

I started reading this again for the third time since buying it about a year and a half ago. I seem to fall back on it everytime I feel like something is is amiss. Recently my swing just didn't feel quite right, and the calluses on my left hand are just different than ever before.

How can I have screwed up my grip so bad in a year, that I can barely swing the club when I do in fact take a correct grip? Last time I read this I simply remember the grip part being remedial and no big deal, this time I felt like I was trying to learn to play again for the first time. I think I am going to heed his advice and just concentrate on grip for a week or two this time.

Heh, this is going to be an excellent week for me to focus on gripping the club. I still can't do much else with any energy, but I can at least practice taking a grip.

 

[Eracer]

...a few things that do feel weird to me are pointing the cups on top of my elbows toward the sky at address (I find it hard to stay relaxed doing this, as it takes some effort for me to turn my left (I'm left handed golfer) elbow up this way). holding my upper arms tightly against my upper body (my chest seems to get in the way a bit)...Chris

I hear you. That is one thing about Hogan's instruction that I just can't incorporate into my own swing. If I try to force my elbows to point at my knees, I get so much tension in my swing that it is impossible for me to hit the ball. I believe that Hogan taught this in order to force you into a locked arm/body relationship. He was all about repeatability. I personally need more relaxed arms. I do understand and believe that there has to be some tension, in the form of active big muscles. But the "elbows pointed at the knee" thing just doesn't work for me.

Practice swinging with a towel under both armpits. This will give you the result that Hogan was looking for, without making you too conscious of the position of your elbows/arms. Swing a little shorter than usual, almost like you're hitting little knock-down shots. Try to keep the towel under your arms throughout the swing.

 

[dave.]

There are several things in Hogans book that cannot be taken literally,and its unlikely that most golfers would have a grip as weak as his.