"Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf" by Ben Hogan

[jamo]

Swinging a club back & forth as he walked down the fairway?

Shhhhhhh.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by jamo

Shhhhhhh.

Yeah, it's a secret.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by iacas

Yeah, it's a secret.

Canceling evolvr lessons...check.

Switching to swinging side to side while walking down fairways...check.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by iacas

Yeah, it's a secret.

ooops sorry. Does this mean you have to kill me now?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

ooops sorry. Does this mean you have to kill me now?

You're already dead. You just don't know it yet.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by iacas

You're already dead. You just don't know it yet.

I can always count on you for inspiration, Erik.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I can always count on you for inspiration, Erik.

You never hear the sound of the shot that kills you. On that note, I'm going to go watch WANTED.

Anyway, I've played my part, but now I'm playing the moderator's part and saying "back on topic."

[Th3R00st3r]

Sucks its not available for download kindle or ipad..

[LucasBP]

I'll try to read thsi thread more in depth later, but I'm considering buying this book and reading it. My only hesitiation is from the fact that for being such a small book, it's rather pricey. Secondly, I'm not sure how much I shoudl expect to get out of this book. I know this thread is 22 pages deep, but would you more advanced players recommend this book?

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by tide

I'll try to read thsi thread more in depth later, but I'm considering buying this book and reading it. My only hesitiation is from the fact that for being such a small book, it's rather pricey. Secondly, I'm not sure how much I shoudl expect to get out of this book. I know this thread is 22 pages deep, but would you more advanced players recommend this book?

It's in my top 5 "must read" golf books. Worth every penny.

[LucasBP]

And you're handicap is at a 4, that's impressive. What else would round out your top 5?

[geauxforbroke]

Originally Posted by tide

And you're handicap is at a 4, that's impressive. What else would round out your top 5?

Harvey Penick's Little Red Golf Book and And If You Play Golf, You're My Friend by Harvey Penick are absolute must reads. Putting Out of Your Mind by Bob Rotella is a great read. Finally, The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield. It is quite possibly my favorite book of all time.

[LucasBP]

Thanks! All 5 have now been purchased.

[cutshot878]

Recently read John Jacob's "Practical Golf."  I think I'm ready to give Bantam Ben's "Five Lessons" another read. I wasn't ready for it a few years ago.  I remember Hogan's concept of "feeling like you're skipping a rock across a pond."  Sidearm.

[bddarnell]

I'm new to this community and also pretty new to golf. I'm had short dabbles in it in years past, but I'm making an attempt to slowly build a foundation of a solid game with this book. One initial struggle that I had was in gripping the club correctly with my left hand. I found that my thumb was too far to the left, the V from my thumb and forefinger was certainly not pointing to my chin. My mistake...I was gripping the club with the palm up so that I could see what I was doing. A careful re-reading of chapter 1 revealed to me that my left hand should be facing the target when I took my grip, not my face. :-)

Seems like a very beginner mistake, but there you go. Now that I have practiced this particular piece of Hogan's method enough that I am reasonable comfortable with it I feel like I don't need to have it be so slow and measured every time I take my left hand grip. I have found that I can know that I am gripping the left hand correctly just by how it looks on the club (left thumb pointed slightly to the left and down the shaft on the top-right hand side of the grip would be the best way I could explain it), I have tested this theory several times by taking my grip in this way and then carefully unwrapping my fingers from around the shaft and examining where the grip is making contact with my left hand, right where Hogan says it needs to if you examine the illustrations.

One early observation from a real newbie at this game. I don't have alot to offer in the ways of advise, but I can offer my observations that I make as I endeavor to build a decent golf swing.

[Hacker James]

I find that I pick up something different every time I open the book. I got it at Barnes and Noble (paper back), don't remember what I paid but it was not much.  I also want to take a look at Harvey Pennicks "Little Red Book" and Jack's"Golf My way".

[bddarnell]

Originally Posted by Hacker James

I find that I pick up something different every time I open the book. I got it at Barnes and Noble (paper back), don't remember what I paid but it was not much.  I also want to take a look at Harvey Pennicks "Little Red Book" and Jack's"Golf My way".

Thanks Hacker James!

Originally Posted by bddarnell

the V from my thumb and forefinger was certainly not pointing to my chin.

I meant to say right eye, not chin, in speaking specifically about my left hand grip. Fingers didn't cooperate with what was in my head. :-)

My attempts to learn to swing like Hogan are in the very early stages. I feel that I have the grip down the best, my stance is decent compared to Hogan, my backswing and downswing are still works in progress.

[Hacker James]

yes, that book is addictive.  I was intrigued to the point that when I first started reading it and noted how much detail Hogan went into describing the grip and the importance he attributed to it (arguably so by some instructors today), that I would do as he said and practiced these little things one at a time. I would even lay in bed sometimes practicing the grip over and over. It seems silly now, but the point is to "build" a golf swing where each part interacts with each other in a progressive chain.  I do not espouse everything he said, not for content, but mostly in the manner presented which was not always factual. Wrist supination for one, I agree in principal, just not in definition.