Many instructors have written about it, and Ben Hogan’s 5 Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf was published some 60 years ago. Of course, there is nothing new in this information. “IT HAS ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME THAT, IN ITS GENERAL CHARACTER, THIS MOTION IS QUITE SIMILAR TO THE ONE AN INFIELDER MAKES WHEN HE THROWS TO FIRST BASE AFTER SCOOPING UP A GROUND BALL,” BEN HOGAN SAID. So to complete the analogy, I think it’s safe to say that golf is baseball with the torso tilted forward. It still does require some up-and-down motion, but we deal with most of that simply by bending correctly at the hips when we address the golf ball. It is not entirely the same, because remember, the golf ball is on the ground. This almost completely mimics the motion of a golf swing. In the cover image, Hogan is clearly demonstrating how an infielder might throw to first base. If they were fortune enough to play infield, I think they had a head start in the game of golf. Most boys growing up, at least in my era, learned to play baseball pretty much before anything else. Golf is very clearly a sidearm game, and the great Ben Hogan may have illustrated it the best. The VAST majority of mistakes I see club golfers make is that they get too vertical, and not sufficiently horizontal. The horizontal is required because the ball is aside the player. The vertical is necessary because the ball is on the ground. Better players get both, but most amateurs get only the vertical part. In a very general sense, I’ll state it like this: the golf swing has two components, a vertical one and a horizontal one. GolfWRX readers know me as a teacher who places more emphasis on impact and not how to, but today I want to discuss something that most amateurs get wrong and almost all pros get right. That sounds like a contradiction in terms, but if you think about it, we can notice certain motions that most elite level players have in their swing. There are similarities to be noticed among the greats of the game, however, despite their variety. That’s one of the eternal debates in our game, and as with anything as dynamic as the golf swing, I don’t think there is ONE secret. Thanks to Dennis Clark of Golf Wrx for this great instructional article!īen Hogan relaxing at home. That immediately gives them an understanding of the golf motion, including shoulder turn, weight shift, extending down the line, and the follow-through. I have continued that mantra throughout my teaching career and will always get a beginner to take a soccer ball, stand in their golf address position with the ball between their hands, and get them to throw the ball to me underhand. My great friend and mentor Phil Ritson, who I regard as one of the best teachers on the planet, has always said: “The name of the game is underhand!” That was his favorite expression. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the website. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. Golf is an underhand motion – so says Ben Hogan!
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