My Swing (Hogan Project)

[Hogan Project]

Originally Posted by sshadow2

I'll post my video when I apply the recommendations given to me. In my scoring frustration I started to listen to not only a lot of different people, but a lot of different people who have different methodologies. I put a lot of confusing, damaging tendencies into my swing. Let me get back to some level of baseline and then I will.

I get principle understanding from a select few now:

From Youtube:

Dan Whittaker (i speak with him occasionally)

Bradley Hughes

Your goal is much more grandiose than mine as I'm no longer trying to look like him. But I want his swing my way. I will post to where I've gotten soon (though I'd probably be called "Anti-Hogan", "Delusional-Man", "Furthest-from-Hogan-Man", or "What-the-heck-was-that-you-hack-Man" when you see it). You have been warned.

Understood. We're lookin forward to your video. And I know you don't want to put it on display till you clean it up a bit, but it's always fun to see a persons before and after vid. Dont take the swing stuff and peoples comments too seriously. Just have fun with it!

[Hogan Project]

Quote:

I had no idea that Hogan's club went in a loop during the waggle, from high to low, in a circular motion. I always thought it went straight back away from the ball, then straight back to the ball.

It's kinda difficult to see from the DTL and FO views.

I'm getting more curious on this waggle loop. Ever since I got into this project, I have been waggling by just moving the club away from the ball; my club has always stayed in a straight line going back and forth. I was only kind of bending my wrists away from the target to allow the club to do it's thing. That's what I thought I saw happening in Hogan's FO and DTL angles.

Now I see this same loop in all his waggle angles, but it's not as noticable from FO and DTL. As I pay closer attention to Hogan's looping action, it appears that his wrists make this happen. When I make my waggle "loop" as his does, I must manipulate my wrists. The curious part is........what the heck is the purpose of manipulating the wrists this way? For me, it's much easier/simplier to just waggle back and forth rather than rolling the wrists this way. Hmmmmmmmmm.....Strange.

And, yaaahhhh yahhh yahhhh, I know everybody's gonna tell me that this is nothing new and that it's all in the book lol. But ya gotta remember, I'm only doing this project using video. The book will be read someday. So sorry if I'm being redundant and bringing up things in Hogan's swing that are already known of.

[Hogan Project]

I got a lot of requests for the DTL view. So here ya go.

Same looping motion happening with the clubhead. Looks like the wrists are making things happen, but I am not sure.

[Hogan Project]

Ben Hogan DTL view - address vs entire swing - Shell Hole #3

I put together a comparison of Hogan's address vs the rest of his swing. Want to understand how different body parts compare to the address position, such as hand and head movement.

[BuckeyeNut]

I looked at your swings on page 1........looks very good.  And you are a 25 index?

Maybe mimicking the 'look' of a swing isn't what you need?

[Darth Sidious]

Don't know vann white , let's say ask you a question . What has elbow plane and intact flying wedges which is the pic above of hogan got to do with an angle hinge ?

[Darth Sidious]

The hogan waggle with the loop is well documented , even Clem from pursuit of perfection yapped on about it

[Hogan Project]

This video is from an 8mm tape of my first time ever setting foot on a golf course or holding a golf club. Sorry for the bad quality, but it's the best I can get it for now. It was a company outing that I only attended for the free food and prizes. I was into competitive softball in those days and figured that golf couldn't be that hard. One of the "expert golfers" you see in the vid (my coworkers) gave me a lesson on the first tee box; how to grip the club as well as how to align myself to the target. I'm the guy in the light blue shirt, beige cargo pants, white tennis shoes, and black Nike cap (borrowed the cap from one of the coworkers). I had fun out there but didn't get any further urge to play again until another company outing in 2007, where a guy bet me money that I couldn't hit the ball in the fairway, and that I could use any club I wanted to. I shrugged my shoulders and said "no prob, you're on!" Of course I picked the driver cause it was the biggest, baddest and most violent looking, and cause my ego wanted to hit it as far as possible.......I failed. Sliced every ball off the map. Then I was hooked!

Wow! I just noticed at 10:55, I hit some kind of draw or hook!! How the heck did I do that?? Been trying to hit a draw for the past 2 years now...with no success!

[Hogan Project]

Just playing around with the right hand(s). This is a vid I made on Dec 29, 2011. I'm posting it now because a discussion topic came up today regarding Hogan's club path.

RIght now, I'm only working on the teeup - walkaway - walkin. NOT the full swing or any part of it.

[Hogan Project]

Today, 1-21-12, working on the teeup - step back - step in. Took a few weeks to convince my mind and body that teeing up the ball on my right foot was normal. Still a long way to go.

00:07 My old method from 2007 thru 2011
00:26 1-4-2012 teeup
00:45 1-8-2012 teeup
1:07 1-21-2012 teeup
1:53 1-21-2012 Hogan teeup comparison
4:11 1-21-2012 DTL 2-right hands practice
4:27 1-21-2012 FO 2-right hands practice

[Hogan Project]

For all you Hogan fans out there; I'm sure you've already heard of http://www.35mmgolf.com/ . Cool images there!

[Hogan Project]

01-22-12 Tee-up, Step-Away, Step-in:
(a) My club is rising too early. While stepping back, Hogan's clubhead is always in contact with the ground. It slides on top of the grass. From initial tee-up, all the way to the stepaway, bottom of club is touching grass. Club does not rise until left hand adjusts left watch-pocket. Looks like left pants adjustment is in sync with right forearm/wrist raising the club to parallel. Club rises as final left foot is planted and weight begins to shift towards stepping back into ball.

(b) During stepaway, my chest is turned too open to the target; need to be a bit more facing the ball.

( c ) I am stepping back much too far. Need to take smaller steps.


01-25-12 Tee-up, Step-Away, Step-in:
Getting better. I'm starting to understand the rythm of this part of the swing.


Up next: Waggle Stage 1 (training should start within the next few weeks.)
As left heel makes contact with ground:
- Head look to target
- Right foot rise turn slightly CW (weight is on left foot)
- Wrists pull in to waist using bent elbows (during pull-in, weight settles on right foot and is now distributed evenly between R and L foot)
- Slight bump of clubhead towards target (need to investigate what is triggering this; wrists? elbows?)
- Look to ball
- Waggle (needs complete breakdown)

[Hogan Project]

Still working on the tee-up, step-away, step-in. I notice that I am stepping into the hitting box with right foot too open.

Wanted to dabble with Step-in/Waggle Stage 1. Whew......lots going on there, and LOTS that needs understanding/tweeking.

0:36 Totally confused. Brain doesn't know how to translate what I described in words into physical movement.
0:56 Doing in my mind what I think the waggle should be.
1:25 A little later in the practice session. I've taken a few looks at my waggle vs Hogan to understand the differences.
1:55 My left, right, top, and bottom brain is fried.

[Hogan Project]

Last nite, I kind of dabbled with the settling of the left foot and Waggle Stage 1. Gonna take me a while to work all this out. The most impressive thing I've learned so far with the tee-up / step-away / step-in (grrrrrrrr. I'm getting tired of typing that whole name....gotta find a cool abbreviation....maybe TU-SA-SI or TUSASI lol) is that there is a distinct rythm to it. Almost like a dance. No, not almost like one....definitely one. You should have seen me when my wife and daughters were dancing to the Wii game. I stepped in and started doing the TUSASI as a dance. I have to find as many creative ways as possible to ingrain this into muscle memory. Also, when I drop something on the floor, or have to pick anything up from the floor, I ALWAYS do the TUSASI. I was in Kroger with my son and told him to drop something on the floor so I could pick it up lol. His comment "ugggggg, Dad....not HERE?! One of my friends may see me!" Of course he dropped it anyway, and I hit the TUSASI to the best of my ability, right there in the checkout line.

Another thing....I understand the generalities of the TU-SA-SI, but only from one angle; FO. I will need to analyze/compare to all the other angles I can find, because things may be different. So far, Shell Worldwide match Hole #5 is a good LR (left rear) angle. I will have to search for other angles of the TU-SA-SI. Same goes for Waggle Stage 1.

This whole project will go in cycles. The first 6 months was all about experimenting with different things to understand my physical capabilities/limitations and to get an overall feel for the new movement. Now, I'm working my way through the entire swing. When I work all the way through it, I will be kind of a white belt. I will then start all over again like I've never seen it before. Then I'll be a yellow belt.......and so on. And right now I'm proud to say I am a bright-eyed bushy tailed no-belt lol.

[Hogan Project]

Sorry....this isn't golf-related, but I had to post it..........

I just got a youtube PM from a guy (or gal) that said I'm a loser and need to get a life and find a better hobby.

Soooooooo, I took their advice and did a quick google search for "what's the best hobby for me?" Well after searching for a while, I ended up stumbling across "The 10 most unusual hobbies in the world." http://smashingtops.com/weird/10-of-the-most-unusual-hobbies-in-the-world/

I'm still laughing at it LOLOLOL!!

I think I'll stick with golf for now....I don't think Kim would be able to deal with me laying on the living room floor like a corpse!

Tonite I'm gonna put on my most serious face and tell Kim that her wish has come true....I'm giving up the Hogan Project, and I'm gonna pick from one of those on the top 10 list.

[Hogan Project]

I'm taking a family trip to Mardi Gras this weekend. Bruce said he's bringing his clubs. I'm bringing mine too wooohooooo!!! I've had enough of this stinkin basement. Although I shouldn't get too excited......I'm probably gonna be the only guy on the first tee that tees the ball up like Hogan, steps away from it like Hogan, steps back into it like Hogan, waggles 3 times like Hogan, then picks the ball up and says "OK guys, that's all I know right now. Who's up next to hit?"

[Hogan Project]

Yesterday, I was sitting back relaxing on the phone talking with my Dad about our upcoming golfing season.We plan to crank up the tournaments on March 3, 2012. He is in his late 60's and retired. He's going on and on about how we have no chance against him this year because he now has the time to focus on his complete game. Says he will be counting the number of days per month that he DOES NOT practice. He says this number will be counted on one hand. He knows what I've been doing since last summer and says I will not improve my game at all hanging out in my basement. So he rambles some more about his advantage over us and that he will be offering us strokes so we don't get depressed and quit the game. (trash talking is the fun part; helps build the hype up until game time!) He mentions that he is on ebay trying to buy some irons, but can't get past the credit card section. I tell him to add his bank account as a backup funding source and everything goes smoothly. I ask what he's getting. He says "a couple of Cleveland wedges and a Hogan hybrid." I kind of joked that there is no such thing as a Hogan hybrid, cause Hogan wouldn't be caught using one. It would make the game too easy lol...he liked tough things!! I tell him that he just needs to get a complete set of irons instead of buying one here-n-there and having a mismatched set. He says that he will eventually. Then he said "yahhhh, I had a set of Hogan irons a couple of years ago....I gave them to OP (his brother). WHAT!!!! I NEVER KNEW HE HAD A SET OF HOGAN CLUBS!!!! Dad had been playing with them since we got into the game in 2007 and I had no idea. I didn't know who Hogan was until last summer. And in those days, my Dads clubs didn't spark any of my interest because they didn't have a name like TaylorMade or Ping or Nike. When I watched PGA golf on weekends I never saw any Hogan commercials. So my next question was "SO DOES OP STILL HAVE THEM???????" Dad said, "yep..I think so." Lol....all this time he knew what my project was all about and he didn't realize that maybe I would want a set of clubs made by the guy I'm studying????

Now I'm standing up pacing in the living room lol.

OP plays once a year. So I ask if I can possibly get his bag and conviently swap all the Hogan irons. I would put my set of Sports Authority specials in his. Dad went to OP's house and got the bag. I went by Dads house and picked them up. Grips are kind of ugly (some type of Lamkin royal blue with white barbells all over it. I like old-style leather wrap grips. Clubs are 3i thru E. What the heck is an E club??????? Extra????? or Evil??? or Equalizer?? or Elevator??? or Easy????

The faces are a bit worn in a spot. Looks like someone was hitting it in the same place every stinkin time! When I picked one of them up and did a practice swing, my stinkin wrist almost snapped. WHAT THE HECK IS THIS CLUB MADE OF???????? FEELS LIKE I'M SWINGING AN IRON PIPE!!! Or maybe the clubs I've always used are just extra lite or something. Whew...gonna take some time to get used to.

Club description:
Shaft label is red with Hogan Apex and a #3.
Clubhead : Hogan with red underline. Forged. Edge. Club number.

Anybody got weight specs on these? Anybody use them now?

[Hogan Project]

Full set of Ben Hogan Producer irons found at the Mobile, Alabama flea market. 2i thru 9i. And Spalding leather bag with working zippers and 1, 3, 4 head covers.

We were on the way to Mardi Gras in Mobile and Anita recommended that we stop by the flea market to browse. Of course I complained because the wives can lose their minds in there for hours. Then Kim reminded me that "you know, somebody might have golf stuff laying around....." She said the magic words!!

My daughter pointed out a golf bag at a nearby vendor. As I approached, I could start to see the "Ben Hogan" name imprinted. I tried by best to control my emotions, but I sorta yelled out and jumped in the air as I saw they were a complete set (Kim is still shaking her head on that one....says I acted like a kid on Christmas day! "Really????? Do you have to make a scene....you got people staring at us like we have no home training!") Well what does she expect lol??? She was absolutely right. Santa had come by the flea market and left me a gift!!!! You should have seen me trying to "act" unconcerned about the clubs. Lol, the lady at the booth had already seen me jumping like I won the lottery lol! I started talking loud to my kids saying "yea, these clubs are old and crusty. They are not worth anything. They look very used and no one would play with them cause they are so old and outdated. Even the bag is ancient. I can't think of anybody that would be caught being seen with it." I was saying all this really loud so the lady wouldn't jack the price up cause I squealed like a pig with I initially saw them. I walked over and said in my most neutral, monotone, non-emotional voice "I see you got these old beat up clubs here that are so outdated, my golf buddies would laugh at me if I brought them on the golf course." She said, "the price is on the bag." There was a small neon orange ticket that said "$30." I said, "Yeaaa, I don't know if they're worth even $10, just cause they are so old." She said "they were my dads....I'm not sure what he paid for them back in the 70's, but probably more than $30." I said "ok...I'll do $30 even though I'll probably get them home and toss them in a corner of my basement and let em rot."

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHAWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!