Any golfer who knows the history of the game of golf would have definitely heard of the late great Ben Hogan. To this day, he still has one of the purest golf swings the world has ever witnessed. Widely considered one of the best ball strikers of all time, Hogan has 64 tournament wins on the PGA Tour.
His golf resume is really impressive as he did this during World War 2 and had to fight through injuries after a tragic car accident. Hogan was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and is considered a legend in the sport after all these years. What’s more interesting is actually his swing.
Ben Hogan Personal Life
William Ben Hogan (August 13, 1912 – July 25, 1997) was an American professional golfer who is generally considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the game. He is notable for his profound influence on golf swing theory and his ball-striking ability.
Hogan was born in Stephenville, Texas, the third and youngest child of Chester and Clara (Williams) Hogan. His father was a blacksmith and the family lived ten miles (16 km) southwest in Dublin until 1921 when they moved seventy miles (110 km) northeast to Fort Worth. When Hogan was nine years old in 1922, his father Chester committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot at the family home. By some accounts, Chester committed suicide in front of him, which some (including Hogan biographer James Dodson) have cited as the cause of his introverted personality in later years
| Full name | William Ben Hogan |
| Born | August 13, 1912 Stephenville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | July 25, 1997 (aged 84) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1.74 m) |
| Weight | 145 lb (66 kg; 10.4 st) |
| Spouse | Valerie Fox (1911–1999) (m. 1935) |
The Pure Ben Hogan Swing
Ben Hogan was a secretive person whether it was about his golf game or his personal life. However, Hogan openly claimed that he knew the “secret” to the game of golf. With his impressive golf record, it is not surprising that he did in fact have some sort of secret that we have not figured out. Unfortunately, he did not reveal his secret and took it to his grave.
Wrist
Some sources suggest that he later revealed his “secret” which was cupping his left wrist at the top of the backswing and using a weaker left-hand grip. By positioning his hands in this manner, he ensured that the club face would be slightly open upon impact thus creating a fade.
If you have seen Ben Hogan hit shots before, you can tell that he consistently plays a fade. Hogan’s swing produced the famed “Hogan Fade” ball flight. His entire swing, starting with his left hand to his wrist position, was based on creating a fade. He practiced pronating his left wrist, this is when his left palm rolls upwards, therefore, closing the face in impact. If done correctly, the clubface would be pretty square at impact. This move itself does not exactly promote a cut but adding in a weak left-hand grip, allows him to create the fade. Hogan cupped his left wrist at the top of the backswing, and paired with a weak grip, he made sure that the ball did not go left.
Knee Action
Hogan used his right knee very effectively throughout his swing. He initiates his swing with his right knee similar to the recent young talent, Matthew Wolff. He starts his swing with his right knee angled inward toward the target. This essentially allows him to maintain his flex throughout the swing. As he maintains this flex, along with his left wrist condition in his swing, he has a swing with perfect balance and control.
Ben Hogan’s PGA Tour Achievements and legacy
As we know Hogan is one of the greatest golfers the world has ever seen, he has an impressive resume to back that statement. Hogan has nine major championships as he is tied fourth all-time in most majors with Gary Player. He is one of the only five players to have won all four majors:
In 2009, Hogan was ranked as the fourth greatest player of all time by Golf Magazine. Jack Nicklaus was first, Tiger Woods was second, and Bobby Jones was third. Hogan has a total of 64 PGA Tour wins throughout his career from 1938 to 1959. Furthermore, Hogan was part of 4 Ryder Cup teams where he played in two and captained three times.
Ben Hogan Death
Unfortunately, on 25th July 1997, Ben Hogan passed. A legend in the sport he definitely made a mark in the game. No one will ever forget one of the most iconic photographs in the golfing world. The 1-iron shot to the green at the 72nd hole of the 1950 U.S. Open. It was ranked by Sports Illustrated as one of the greatest sports of the 20th century.
The beauty of the photo is that he played a perfectly struck 1-iron. Lee Trevino once pointed out, “ Even God can’t hit a 1-iron”. The second is that the photo happens to capture, at the moment of impact, an improbable shot during an equally improbable comeback and victory at the 1950 U.S. Open.
Summary Of Ben Hogan
His secret technique to his golf swing may work for him and was a revelation when he figured out how to dominate in the sport. Everyone is free to try it and see if it works for them. For some, it might, for some it wouldn’t. Hogan has expressed before that he does not like hitting a hook or a draw flight. He claims that “I hate a hook. It nauseates me. I could vomit when I see one.”. That is probably why he excelled at playing the cut. Hogan was truly a legend and is still praised today.
Jack Nicklaus is also a world golf hall of fame who truly deserves praise for his career. Ever wondered what his net worth is? Here is Jack Nicklaus’ net worth. Aside from that, Phil Mickelson is currently still playing on the PGA Tour and is one of the richest golfers in the world. Phil Mickelson’s net worth is estimated at a whopping 400 million dollars.
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