Ben Hogan's Timeless Tips
Advice from the legendary ball-striker that ran in Golf Digest through the years
December 2011
Ben Hogan's nine major championships speak for themselves, but he also had an authoritative voice when it came to golf instruction. Hogan wrote two books on the golf swing -- "Power Golf" in 1948 and "Five Lessons" in 1957 -- that are still sought after by golfers of all levels. Known for his meticulous practice habits, Hogan constantly worked on trying to perfect his swing and these books were his outlet to share the knowledge he'd gained with the general public. Along the way, Hogan's lessons were sporadically published in Golf Digest as well. Here, we look back at some of these gems that are just as applicable today as when he doled them out.
Accelerate through impact (Summer, 1950)
In an article on how to hit the ball farther, Hogan emphasized acceleration on the downswing, but more through following a certain sequence of movements than by merely trying to swing hard. Hogan believed following the proper chain of events (hips, then shoulders, then arms and hands) built up more energy. Once you start from the top in that particular order, he said to "execute the remainder of the downswing with gradually increasing tempo" so that the club is traveling its fastest just after impact.
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