Amazon.com
Ben Hogan's premise in this 1957 classic is driven home in bold letters: "THE AVERAGE GOLFER IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE OF BUILDING A REPEATING SWING AND BREAKING 80." Religions are founded on less, and Hogan's detailed analyses and illustrated demonstrations of grip, stance, posture, and the two basic components of the swing make up a sacred book. Though its very simplicity seems dated, this is the tome of technique that should serve as the foundation of every golf library.
Book Description
The building blocks of winning golf -- from one of the masters of the game.
Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, believed that any golfer with average coordination can learn to break 80 -- if one applies oneself patiently and intelligently. With the techniques revealed in this classic book, you can learn how to make your game work from tee to green, step-by-step and stroke by stroke.
In each chapter, a different tested fundamental is explained and demonstrated with clear illustrations -- as though Hogan were giving you a personal lesson with the same skill and precision that made him a legend. Whether you're a novice player or an experienced pro, Ben Hogan's Five Lessons is a must-have reference for anyone who knows that fundamentals are where champions begin.
Customer Reviews:
Classic Instruction.......2007-10-17
Hogan's lessons are as relevant today as when this book was first written. This is a great instructional tool. Golfers at any level would benefit.
Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf.......2007-10-11
This book is an absolutely must have for any one really committed to improving their golf swing. I read it and improved immediately. Since then I have read it over and over again, always finding some little tid-bit that helps me to play a little better. Don't start another golf season without it!
Essential for the beginner.......2007-10-10
Whether you're a beginning golfer, or need a refresher, Hogan's book is the starting point.
Very good but.............2007-10-07
not as good as How to Build a Classic Golf Swing by Ernie Els. Hogan's book explains in great details the basic to a golf swing. If you learn these basic fundamentals of the swing you will never have a bad swing. The difference in Hogan's book vs. Els' book is illustrations. Els' book does a better job with photos from different angles where Hogan's illustrations are sketches which don't hammer home the points the same. In my opinion I would order both while reading Hogan's book first. Els' book will help you understand the statements made in the first book.
Super Book.......2007-09-26
Super book. If your an experienced golfer or new to the sport this is a must read for establishing the basic fundamentals of the swing.
Book Description
Was there ever a year in golf like 1960?
It was the year that the sport and its vivid personalities exploded on the consciousness of the nation, when the past, present, and future of the sport collided. Here was Arnold Palmer, the workingman's hero, "sweating, chain-smoking, shirt-tail flying"; Ben Hogan, the greatest player of the fifties, a perfectionist battling twin demons of age and nerves; and, making his big-time debut, a crew-cut college kid who seemed to have the makings of a champion: twenty-year-old Jack Nicklaus.
And of course, the rest: Ken Venturi, Chi Chi Rodriguez, Doug Sanders, Gary Player, and the many other colorful characters who chased around a little white ball--and a dream.
Would Palmer win the mythical Grand Slam of golf? Could Hogan win one more major tournament? Was Nicklaus the real thing? Even more than an intimate portrait of these men and their exciting times, The Eternal Summer is also an entertaining, perceptive, and hypnotically readable exploration of professional golf in America.
Customer Reviews:
GREAT GOLF STORY.......2005-08-31
If you love golf and its history, this is the book.
Curt Sampson is once again great and meticulous with the details.
He loves the games and its immortal characters.
This is a great golf history book.
The coming about of the greatest rivalry in golf between Palmer and Nicklaus is well detailed here. Ben Hogan, already the greatest golfer of his generation, seemed to be reaching out for his last glory.
It seems that the sport is no longer as elegant as it once was because the characters are no longer as heroic as they once were.
Highly recommended and a very good book to read over and over.
Down Golf's Nostalgia lane.......2001-09-03
Curt Sampson has ably resurrected the magic of golf in 1960, the famous year in which Palmer became King, Nicklaus loomed, and Hogan and Snead made last runs at majors. Reading this tale one is transported back to what seems to us nostalgically as a simpler time. For a golf nut it is so much fun to relive those dramatic events. I would have given this book 5 stars except John Feinstein has demonstrated what a 5-star golf book is really like (The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled). Sampson does not quite write with the same level of detail and insight as Feinstein, and lapses a bit more into the rehashing of familiar stories, but he is still quite good.
Just A Great History of one of Golf's Turning Points.......2001-05-25
Only on the fringe of my teenage years in 1960, Sampson marvelously chronicles this year in golf and society. Society we all know because of the revolution that was gaining momentum.
TV is growing and would play a major role in golf's history as well. Along with three individuals, Hogan, Palmer and Nicklaus.
The "y" in the road is the televised Open at Cherry Creek, when Palmer made the celebrated charge. Hogan tries but comes short, and Nicklaus, not knowing for sure his position, didn't really grind, or he likely would have tied. Palmer wins, the sport grows, and as fate seemed to dictate, the game is on the way to the marvelous heights we now see it occupy.
Reading this wonderful book, it gives one more insight and compassion into those early pioneers who made it what it is. Today's pros seemed so pampered, however, the stress is large and looming larger.
Sampson is articulate writer and delivers great insights: Hagen's saying to Sarazen before the shot heard round the world at Augusta: "Come on, hurry up, I've got a date tonight."; and Gary Player calls up Hogan for some advice on his swing, so Hogan asks, whose clubs do you play? When Player answers Dunlop, Hogan responds, "Ask Mr. Dunlop."
Empathy for those like Sampson who wrote passionately about the game and didn't really make a living, let alone get rich. Loved the story about Bob Drum being snubbed by his paper until they hear Palmer is leading The Open, then cable him to send a story. Upon receipt of telegram, Drum crumbles it into ball, and said: "Hope to hell you get it."
This is a must for any serious golf collection of books on the game.
One of the greatest golf books ever, back in print........2000-10-12
I've read a lot of golf books. This is one of my favorites, and I'm glad to see it's finally back in print--there are a lot of golfers I need to recommend this to. It's more just plain fun to read than almost any one I can name. One of golf's great years, and one of the sport's all-time great cast of characters: Hogan, past his prime at 48 but trying to win one more major; Arnie, the greatest golfer of the 50s, trying to win the Grand Slam; 20-year-old Nicklaus, the chunky college kid; and plenty of other characters, like the irascible Charlie Sifford, the first black player on the tour; the legendary Sam Snead; Chi Chi Rodriguez, who weighed 118 pounds; party animal Doug Sanders; Gary Player, the Man in Black from South Africa; and several others. Reading about these guys is just fascinating, they come alive in this book, and the story of how several of them could have and should have won the Open is one of the best in golf. Sampson has a breezy, highly readable style and has a good sense of humor. I highly recommend this book to any fan of golf.
Amazon.com
Arguably, Ben Hogan was the most technically precise striker ever to hit a golf ball. Revered and feared throughout a marvelous career, he was his sport's most complexly dark personality, as well. This opulent coffee-table homage to the "Wee Ice Mon" combines the Spartan imagery of Alexander's photographs with a trio of perceptive essays by Dave Anderson, Ben Crenshaw, and Dan Jenkins to capture Hogan's rare, imperial essence and the powerful authority of his game with majesty, but without fawning.
Book Description
An album of collector quality photographs of an intensively private athlete playing at his prime.
Customer Reviews:
Be sure to understand what you are getting.......2000-04-26
Whether you find this book worth the money will depend on whether you think Ben Hogan was the God of Golf (or at least one member of the Trinity). It is a large-format book, and the quality of the photographs (all black-and white) is excellent. I believe they were all taken on the same day, when Hogan allowed Jules Alexander to accompany him. They pretty much just show Hogan at work on the course, and they do capture who he was. The accompanying comments and essays are interesting, but the photographs are the stars of the book. Just make sure you realize that you are getting a series of photographs taken on one day -- this isn't a retrospective of Hogan's career, and there are no swing sequences or anything like that. If you are a Hogan worshipper, however, this book is a must.
A must-have work for the Hogan fan.......1998-08-03
This book is appropriately titled. The photos are truly classic and do a wonderful job of portraying the on-course Hogan, particularly his steely focus and gorgeous swing. The accompanying text is solid. I most enjoyed Ken Venturi's comments which accompanied the photos, as well as Dan Jenkin's recounting of the man behind the mystique. I was somewhat disappointed that the photos are all from the late 50s, mostly from the same tournament. Yet, this is only a minor issue. Every true Hogan fan should add this work to his or her collection.
Book Description
Praise for The Secret of Hogan's Swing
"The Secret of Hogan's Swing goes beyond pure instruction, offering insightful shot-making and strategy tips passed on to former tour pro John Schlee from Ben Hogan and interpreted wonderfully by Tom Bertrand and Printer Bowler."
—John Andrisani, author of Tiger's New Swing and Heaven Can Wait
"Like finding the Rosetta stone of golf. . . . Tom Bertrand and Printer Bowler's The Secret of Hogan's Swing gives us a pipeline to the Master's wisdom that we thought had been lost forever. Secret is an instruction book like no other. It's the Hogan book Hogan himself never wrote, packed with the insights the great champion passed on to John Schlee (in a fascinating mentor-disciple relationship) and that Schlee, in turn, bequeathed to Tom Bertrand. We'll probably never have anything like this again. Hogan's gone, Schlee's gone, but thank goodness we've got Tom Bertrand to preserve the nuggets of pure golfing gold that the Master dug up 'out of the dirt' of ten thousand practice tees and a thousand tournaments. The Secret of Hogan's Swing demonstrates that the vein of wisdom left by the peerless champion still yields up precious ore, not just in the technical aspects of the golf swing (Hogan's concepts are not only absolutely modern but even quite radical) but in his insights into the psychological and mental aspects of the game. His concept of the 'moving wall' is worth the price of the book alone. A must-read for every serious student of the game."
—Steven Pressfield, author of The Legend of Bagger Vance
Customer Reviews:
Another way to understand Hogan.......2007-10-17
Bertrand and Bowler's book about the "secret" of Hogan's swing presents Ben Hogan as inscrutable, an enigma wrapped inside a riddle. The book is very well-written and Bowler is acknowledged as one of the best writers on golf. However, it suggests that Hogan can only be understood through the tragic figure of John Schlee, who, ostensibly, was the trusted inheritor of Hogan's "secret."
Unintentionally, the reader becomes much more interested in Schlee's personality and the burden associated with carrying Hogan's secret that one becomes less interested in actually learning the secret. When the secret is finally divulged - a greater concentration on the left elbow during the downswing - one can't help feeling that this information will barely help the average golfer.
All in all, a very readable book. It will add to the current debate about who will have greater influence on young golfers -- Nicklaus or Hogan?
Puts it all together........2007-06-11
As a new golfer I've been reading books and magazine articles trying to get the aspects of a good swing into my head - this book puts it all together. The end of the book simplfies all of the elemements into a clear and concise summary and gives a plan for practicing those elements, which is exactly what I needed. Besides all of that, this book was a really fun read.
Finally the Truth about Ben Hogan.......2007-03-09
This is an excellent book about the legacy of Ben Hogan's legendary work and discoveries that revolutionized the game of golf. Like the ancient oral traditions of many cultures, the transmittal of wisdom from person to person, master to student, has been the most certain way to insure that real knowledge survives and continues on from one generation to the next.
Here the authors have written a fascinating chronicle of Hogan, the master, passing on his hard-earned wisdom to John Schlee, the student, over a period of five years during the late 60s and early 70s. Schlee, a Tour player whose ailing back forced him to retire in 1978, later founded the Maximum Golf School and became well known for teaching Hogan's swing secrets to students from around the country. In 1985 Schlee met Tom Bertrand, an eager young player searching for the real thing, who became his student and later partner. Tom's focus was to learn, teach and record in detail the wealth of knowledge that Schlee had received from Hogan, much of which came after the 1957 publication of Hogan's "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." Hogan never stopped working, experimenting, and discovering more about his life-long obsession, the game of golf. And Schlee was the beneficiary of almost two decades of new revelations unearthed by the master and unrecorded until now.
This book is as close as John Schlee may ever get to having his own biography. While the authors highlight Schlee's career (winner of the PGA's first Q-School in 1965, second to Johnny Miller in the 1963 U.S. Open at Oakmont, one of Hogan's less-than-a-handful of long-term students, developer of the long putter and clubhead adjustable weighting systems, pioneer of lightweight milled putter heads, and more), their primary purpose was to gather up the sum and essence of Hogan's wisdom and offer it to all of us. This they have done with clarity and simplicity so that any golfer can understand and use these teachings to refine his/ her game. For this purpose, Hogan's relationship with Schlee is important for what it yielded in practical golf wisdom, and the authors have covered that aspect quite thoroughly.
This book is very well written in a simple yet eloquent style that makes you feel like you're part of a conversation with the authors. They look you straight in the eye and just share their story, like one golfer to the other. What Hogan gave to Schlee, and Schlee gave to Tom Bertrand, the authors now give to us as fellow seekers in our endless pursuit of golfing excellence. There's a lot of magic and light bulbs going off in this book, and I won't spoil it for you. Check it out yourself and be ready for some pleasant surprises and new understandings about the game we all love.
A great disappointment.......2007-03-05
I must disagree with the people who have given this book five stars. Like many of them, I believe Ben Hogan was - and is - the greatest technician the game has ever seen. This book is, however, a disappointment.
The book can be broadly divided into two sections. The first is an account of John Schlee's Maximum Golf school. It covers Tom Bertrand's work with Schlee, Schlee's relationship with Hogan, and his use of Hogan's techniques in his teaching. The second section is a breakdown of Hogan's swing fundamentals, including points that he hit upon AFTER publishing his 'Five Lessons' book.
The first section of this book provided an opportunity for an in-depth look at John Schlee and Hogan. It can hardly be coincidence that Hogan, a very singular character, chose Schlee - an equally singular character - as one of the few to whom he confided the secrets of his life's work. A thorough examination of these two men, their characters, and the parallels between them, would have been fascinating. It may also have shed some light on the nature of the relationship between golf and character. (I can't think of another sport with such potential appeal to character traits like obsession, perfectionism, even masochism.) While this is, at the end of the day, an instruction book, I would have loved to have seen the authors try to shed some light on Hogan & Schlee's characters through their golf - their approach to the game, their methods, techniques, goals and systems. It would have greatly enriched the book. It could have even added some depth of understanding of the techniques themselves. Perhaps most importantly, such an attempt may have given dignity to, and acknowledged the memory of, John Schlee. He deserved a better hand than Life dealt him in his last years. This book does not do him justice.
The instructional section of the book is at best, adequate. Much is made by the authors of their "tracking Hogan's secret" chronologically - which is nothing more or less than a quick run through Hogan's writing and interviews as to what he revealed and when. This section is not illuminating for anyone with even a passing knowledge of Hogan. Lastly, the detail of the swing moves and fundamentals themselves are set out briefly, with photos as visual aids. While adequate, they lack the flavour, clarity and depth that Hogan, Herbert Warren Wind and (illustrator) Anthony Ravelli employed with such skill and care in Hogan's 'Five Lessons.'
In short, this book strikes me as a magazine article that has been padded out with the intention of cashing in on Hogan's mystique and the obsessive need that golfers have to tinker with their swings. It serves as a pedestrian, adequate piece of instruction, but it's a missed opportunity. It is poorly written and it lacks ambition. It could have, and should have, been so very much more.
The Secret of Hogan's Swing.......2007-01-12
A beautifully written book. Clear and concise. Golfers cannot afford to miss this book.
Average customer rating:
- Sport or Game?
- Dated info plus things that never change
- Hogan's Wisdom
- But only one star if you're expecting instructional help
- Further Insight into a Legend
|
Power Golf
Ben Hogan
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
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Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf
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The Fundamentals of Hogan
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The Secret of Hogan's Swing
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Golf My Way: The Instructional Classic, Revised and Updated
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How I Play Golf
ASIN: 0671729055 |
Customer Reviews:
Sport or Game?.......2006-03-23
I grew up with a Dad who loved the sport. And he loved the game. This book has been a great look at the little things that can be worked on to make the game fun, and not just a long walk spoiled by a small white ball.
Dated info plus things that never change.......2004-05-23
This book is best geared to beginning golfers who want a broad view of what different clubs are for and to get a general idea of how the game is to be played. Illustraitons accompany everything described, and is a good match for Hogan's Five Lessons.
One thing that should be kept in mind, however, is that the info in the book is somewhat dated in regards to equipment and some parts of the swing. For example, Hogan calls the forward bend in the downswing for a driver a natural part of the swing, which for his day it was. Now, we look at it as the right time to use a stiffer shaft as the premature whipping of the shaft leads to inconsistant shots.
Putting is also another area the book is not great on explainations, but this has more to do with Hogan's own view of putting more than anything else.
If you don't want to pay more to get the PGA Manual or another, more complete and modern volume on golf, or simply want to see what has and has not changed in golf over the past 60+ years, this would be a good book to pick up. For the beginner as well this may help add some light to a few aspects of the game that are not clear from other, more extensive books.
Hogan's Wisdom.......2002-07-23
Always interested in getting better in the field of my golf game, I read this book with the hopes of gleaning some useful information on the swing, and how to hit the ball farther. Hogan offers a breakdown of the swing, and it is easy to follow. Not only is the book illustrated, Hogan did a nice job articulating how to get better and hit it longer. One thing I found that was very helpful was in the last two pages, Hogan talks about course management, and tricks to saving shots when you are playing in all types of conditions. This was a very informative and useful section of the book.
There are many golf-instruction books out there, and this book stands the test of time, as did Hogan's golf game. I recommend it to any golfer.
But only one star if you're expecting instructional help.......2001-06-26
This was written in 1948 and is utterly useless as a "how to" guide for a beginning or intermediate golfer in 2001. I'm sure that even Hogan, if he were alive, would tell you not to buy it as an instructional guide. It is, however, FANTASTIC for the scores of photographs of Hogan at all stages of his swing. You'll clearly see why this man hit the ball in a way that we amateurs never will and 99% of professionals never will. As someone else pointed out, this is Hogan's swing before his near-fatal accident and before he developed a controlled fade. Some of the positions he achieves are mind-boggling and completely beyond anyone without his supreme talent. For the best quality in the photographs, I'd look for a used hard-cover copy (they are still plentiful). Buy this, but only as a piece of golf history. For instruction from Hogan, buy Five Fundamentals or one of the recent videos analyzing his swing.
Further Insight into a Legend.......2001-05-11
Although it is often overshadowed by his second book, 5 Lessons:The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, Hogan's first book, Power Golf, still deserves it's place on any golf addicts bookshelf. Power Golf offers Hogans wisdom on other facets of the game than the full swing, especially shotmaking.
The difference in the quality of writing can easily be understood because Hogan wrote his first book alone and the second with the help of one of the greatest golf writers of all time, Herbert Warren Wind.
I found this book to be a fascinating look at the way Hogan played the game and a great source for more of the clear practical thought that we found in 5 Lessons.
Amazon.com
In the late 1950s, the great Ben Hogan consolidated his considerable knowledge of the golf swing into a small volume called Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. Nearly half a century later, it remains the cornerstone of every intrepid hacker's instructional library, and one of the bestselling sports books of all time. But there was always something missing from its pages: photos. As marvelous as artist Anthony Ravielli's accompanying drawings of Hogan were, they weren't the same as seeing the Wee Icemon himself in action.
Surprise! Ravielli modeled those drawings on several rolls of film he took of Hogan, and those photos, recently discovered, are the heart of The Fundamentals of Hogan. For golfers, they are like finding a piece of the true cross; there has never been a more perfect swing than Bantam Ben's. If some of the pictures in Fundamentals are just explanatory poses--Hogan gripping the club, Hogan standing at address--and the majority of the swing sequences are actually not true sequences at all but, given the technology of the time, individually posed photos at appropriate intervals of the swing, no matter. They convey what they need to, providing a closer glimpse of the master's mastery.
Swing guru David Leadbetter tees up the accompanying text, analyzing Hogan's swing, parsing Hogan's swing theories, and adapting what Hogan knew to fit the rest of us. Leadbetter knows most of us can't possibly re-create the effortless power of Hogan's fluidity, but that doesn't mean we can't incorporate bits of Hogan's technique into our own herky-jerky hacks. Like Hogan, Leadbetter is obsessed with golf's mechanics, and while Hogan managed to breeze through Five Lessons with the help of the splendid writer Herbert Warren Wind, Leadbetter often gets mired in the kinds of technicalities that lead to the "paralysis by analysis" that plagues over-thinkers when they step up to the ball. Still, the team of Hogan and Leadbetter makes a twosome you can't help but learn from if you're willing to pay attention. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
More than a half century after he began his professional career, Ben Hogan is still considered the purest striker of a golf ball in the history of the game. His was a swing honed to perfection, and teaching professionals agree that Hogan's technique is the perfect platform on which golfers of all skill levels can build a fundamental understanding of golf. Unfortunately, photographs of Hogan's full swing and detailed close-ups of his grip and positioning have never been available for analysis. Instructors from around the world have always begun with a serious handicap when explaining to their students how a man of average stature could generate exceptional power and control from tee to green.
Now, thanks to the newly discovered critical photography featured in this book, the mysteries of Ben Hogan's form are revealed.
One vital characteristic of David Leadbetter's teaching philosophy, which has made him the world's #1 teacher, is his ability to translate very difficult swing concepts into easy-to-understand language. When the lost photographs from Hogan's seminal instructional manual,
Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, were discovered by the Hogan estate, David Leadbetter was the immediate and perfect choice to craft the quintessential instruction book for today's golfer, based on the Hogan form. By combining his exceptional skills as a communicator and his encyclopedic knowledge of the mechanics of golf, Leadbetter uses these remarkable images of the master at work to demonstrate the basic techniques of golf.
The result is The Fundamentals of Hogan, the one book that all golfers who dream of breaking 80 need to have in their libraries. Golf's #1 professional instructor translates Ben Hogan's fundamentals for players of all skill levels
Customer Reviews:
Surprised by the Clarity.......2007-01-22
I've never been a big fan of either Hogan or Leadbetter. For me, Hogan's ideas always seemed too narrow and dogmatic, tailored to his own unique swing and talent. This is the best thing I have ever seen by Leadbetter, and this is the clearest take on Hogan's ideas I have run across. It's a very entertaining read, and it offers lots of good ideas for the recreational golfer who also is a student of the game.
Hogan De-mystified.......2006-11-10
For those are fans of Hogan's masterpiece the Five Fundemantals this book is a must. Leadbetter is able to explain in simpler terms what Hogan was getting at. Leadbetter also explains some of the fallicies in Hogan's earlier work. Hogan did not have the benfit of video tape so what he believed he was doing with his swing and what he was actually doing was different. Anyone who enjoyed or benefited from Hogan's original book should pick this up as a companion piece.
An Ultimate Guide for the Serious Student of the Swing.......2006-07-30
This is an indepth analysis and interpretation of Hogan's perspective of the golf swing by the best modern teacher alive today. Leadbetter's view clarifies and adjusts Hogan's teachings to modern times eloquently. This book is not for the faint of heart wishing to better understand the essential and detailed bio-mechanics of the golf swing. I would suggest his other books and/or DVD's to get started.
With respect, I disagree with Mr. Leadbetter's thoughts on Hogan's own hooking remedies, his grip changes and the "secret" cupping of the wrist to open the club face at the top. Early in Hogan's career he had an extremely long backswing, prompted by an extremely long hip turn. The result coming down was a very active lower body to compensate for a latent upper body. The club face would arrive from the outside and closed causing the snap-hook under pressure he hated. As his swing became more compact he was able to control it's action much better. D.L. touches on this but emphasizes the different grip and the wrist cupping as Hogan's "cure".
I also disagree with D.L.'s thoughts on moving the head back laterally with longer clubs. It's OK as long as it returns to the same position at address. Just another unnecessary variable IMHO. The head is the fulcrum of the swing. Keep it there.
Don't buy this thinking you'll find "lightening in a bottle". The golf swing takes study, focus and discipline to learn how to properly execute. As Hogan believed, anyone can break 80, even if they devote one-tenth the time he did to being one of the greatest students of the swing and players of all time.
Read only the parts on Hogan.......2006-07-27
This a fantastic book for pictures of Hogan demonstrating his swing techniques taken for the illustrations in the "Five Lessons". Leadbetter makes a very detailed analysis of Hogan's swing and some interesting observations between what Hogan said in his book and how he actually swung. A must for every Hogan fan.
However, as soon as Leadbetter starts giving his own "My Views", watch out. In "The Plane Truth for Golfers", Jim Hardy differentiates between the one plane (Hogan, Snead) and the two plane (Leadbetter). All of Leadbetter views on how to improve on Hogan's swing are two plane ideas which Hardy points out are disastrous for the one plane swing. Read Five Lessons and this book for Hogan's swing and forget all the sections labelled "My Views" or you will be swinging the golf club like David Leadbetter, not like Ben Hogan!
5 stars for Ben Hogan; 3 stars for David Leadbetter.
Great detail to learning the basics.......2006-04-18
First let me say that i don't think this is a great book to pick up if you are just begining your journey of learning how to play golf. Leadbetter definitly assumes that you know a little about golf. With that said, i learned alot by reading this book. The entire book gave me a wealth of knowledge to begin incorporating in my lessons. I learned alot through the pictures and assited guidance that Ledbetter incorporated into this book. The author tries to relay Hogan's ideals on the fundementals of golf and then the author tries to relay his opinions on how to do bring these into your gold game.
I started this book and realized that there was so much to this game that i had yet to learn, and that was only after the first chapter. This is definitly worth the read. It's a short book with a wealth of info and pictures to help you. Check it out.
Book Description
Authorized, intimate, and definitive,
Ben Hogan: A Life is the long-awaited biography of one of golf’s greatest, most enigmatic legends, narrated with the unique eloquence that has made author James Dodson a critically acclaimed national bestseller.
One man is often credited with shaping the landscape of modern golf. Ben Hogan was a short, trim, impeccably dressed Texan whose fierce work ethic, legendary steel nerves, and astonishing triumph over personal disaster earned him not only an army of adoring fans, but one of the finest careers in the history of the sport. Hogan captured a record-tying four U.S. Opens, won five of six major tournaments in a single season, and inspired future generations of professional golfers from Palmer to Norman to Woods.
Yet for all his brilliance, Ben Hogan was an enigma. He was an American hero whose personal life, inner motivation, and famed “secret” were the source of great public mystery. As Hogan grew into a giant on the pro tour, the combination of his cool outward demeanor and invincible, laser-guided accuracy on the golf course froze formidable opponents in their tracks. In 1949, at the peak of his career, Hogan’s mystique was reinforced by a catastrophic automobile accident in which he and his wife, Valerie, were nearly killed after being hit head-on by a Greyhound bus. Doctors predicted Hogan might never walk again – let alone set foot on another golf course. But his miraculous three-year recovery and comeback led to one of the greatest performances in golf history when in 1953 he won the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the British Open (something that’s never been repeated).
In this first-ever family-authorized biography, renowned author James Dodson expertly and emotionally reconstructs Hogan’s complicated life. He discovers an intensely honest man handicapped by self-doubt, buoyed by the determination to prove his own abilities, and unable to escape a long-buried childhood tragedy – the core of the Hogan “secret.” Dodson also reveals both the legendary devotion and eventual strain in Hogan’s sixty-two-year marriage, and a Hogan rarely seen by the public: a warm, jovial man whose charitable spirit and sharp business sense enabled him to build the powerful golf equipment company bearing his name to this day.
Ben Hogan: A Life is the authoritative inside portrait golf fans have long awaited.
Customer Reviews:
An honest, compelling, literary accomplishment for more than just Hogan fans.......2006-03-04
As both an avid golfer, and Ben Hogan admirer, I was more than satisfied with this book. Once i turned the first page I couldn't put it down. The information shared on the life of who I consider to be the greates golfer ever is unparalleled. Although this will instantly become a cherished part of any Ben Hogan fan's book collection, anyone who enjoys American history, sports history, sports in general, and golf in particular, as well as those who like true stories of sucess against all odds, will enjoy this book. It's a well-written portrait capturing all the good and bad of Ben Hogan and his life, and there was plenty of both. Anyone who thinks they know anything about Ben Hogan the man owes it to themselves to read this book. As Arnold Palmer himself said of the book: "I thought I knew Ben Hogan pretty well, until this book came along...". If you were interested enough in this book to read the reviews, you should buy it. You will not regret doing so.
Outstanding .......2006-01-11
I would greatly recommend this book. It is a very comprehensive study into the life of a true legend and is also a very incisive insight into America during the thirties and forties. In the course of reading about such an outstanding career the name Tiger Woods inevitably enters one's thoughts. Just how would Hogan have compared to Woods during the prime of his career. Woods continues his gallop into history but Hogan's name will always be the one who was responsible for taking golf out of the country clubs and into the municipal courses.
The truth be known.......2005-10-18
An outstanding insight to the life and times of Mr. Hogan. So much was presented that never came to the public eye. And even though a discredit was given by one reviewer in his May 9, 2005 review, based on the fact that 10 birdies in an US Open on a par 74 course was not possible, this individual did not do his homework. The US Open was played on a par 74 course in Savannah, Georgia in the early 1930s. A great book, a wonderful revelation, a must read for those interested in golf history.
Weak Effort.......2005-05-10
Only reason I'm not giving one star is simply because Dodson had access that no other writer was previously granted. I can only imagine what Curt Sampson would have done with all this extra information. The only reason I made it through this book is because I'm a Hogan geek. Anyone remotely well versed in Hogan's history will notice a factual error in just about every chapter. And for those not well versed in Hogan's history, there are many basic golf facts that don't make sense. I write this without the book in front of me, but one instance still stands out: Dodson refers to a 10 birdie round of 64 - with no bogeys. I know times have changed, but I don't recall many par 74 courses back in the day. By itself, this can seem like an innocent mistake, maybe even a typo. But when you pair it with the 100 other similar mistakes you lose credibility in the author. You also get the idea that Dodson himself isn't very familiar with the game of golf itself - the type of guy who keeps score on his wrist watch and uses 'golf' as a verb. The last half of the book I was just reading to find a decent quote or two. There's a reason Sampson's book was so popular and this one wasn't.
Perfect.......2005-03-19
I just finished this book last night and think it was perfectly written. I can't imagine a more in-depth look at the life of the greatest golfer to ever walk the planet. I highly recommend it to anyone that considers himself a fan of the game of golf.
Book Description
Ben Hogan's former ball shagger recounts firsthand stories of the golf legend—and reveals, for the first time, Hogan's Swing Secret, a source of mystery to golfers for more than fifty years.
Ben Hogan's pro-golf record is legendary. A four-time PGA Player of the Year, he celebrated sixty-three tournament wins and became known as a man of few words and fewer close friends. Most of what we know about Hogan has been based on myth and speculation. Until now.
In the 1960's, though Hogan's competitive career was over, he kept the practice habits that had made him famous and remade modern competitive golf. He hired fifteen-year-old Jody Vasquez to help. Each day, after driving to a remote part of the course at the Shady Oaks Country Club, Hogan would spend hours hitting balls, and Vasquez would retrieve them. There, and over the course of their twenty-year friendship, Hogan taught Jody the mechanics of his famous swing and shared his thoughts on playing, practicing, and course management—unknowingly revealing much about his character, values, and beliefs, and the events that shaped them.
In Afternoons with Mr. Hogan, Jody Vasquez shares dozens of stories about Hogan, from the way he practiced, selected his clubs, and interacted with other star players to his little-known humor and generosity. Combining the gentle insight of Tom Kite's A Fairway to Heaven (which recalls Kite's golf education under Harvey Penick) with the sage perspective of Penick's own Little Red Book, Vasquez's tribute is funny, poignant, and full of advice for golfers of all levels.
Customer Reviews:
A Pleasant Book with Interesting Lessons.......2005-11-15
Any novice golfer interested in developing a good swing eventually finds his way to Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons." That book, however terrific, provides little information about Hogan's life as a golfer and raises curiosity about a man that some have called "the Garbo of golf." "Afternoons with Mr. Hogan" provides insight into a golf legend from the point of view of a young man who worked for him for several years.
This is indeed a "small" book - it doesn't pretend to be anything else - but the stories are interesting, unusually personal, and quite revealing. The author clearly has great respect and even love for Mr. Hogan, and presents vignettes that provide windows into the personality of an extraordinarily talented, driven, highly secretive man. Even the "secret" of Mr. Hogan's swing is presented as an interesting story, rather than as a crucial tip that will unleash the latent PGA champ in all of us. (I suspect the "wrist cup" tip will be helpful primarily to those who have trouble controlling a hook, which was Mr. Hogan's main golfing issue for many years).
In sum, Mr. Vasquez offers his book as no more and no less than a series of stories that might be of interest -- and most students of golf will find the stories interesting, educational, and touching in their sincerity. An enjoyable and rewarding read.
Great book...ignore the 1 star reviews..........2004-08-07
The 1 star reviews were written by a pitiful little man who has a personal vendetta against the author. If you read the review you understand it is an attack and not a reflection of the book material. The stories in the book are personal experience stories telling of the human side of Hogan. These stories have never appeared in print before. The reviewer is simply jealous of the experience as everyone in Ft. Worth, Texas well knows....sad that jealousy plays here...To see real reviews...go to WWW.JODYVASQUEZ.COM
Don't Believe low Ratings on this book...........2004-07-27
Do not believe the low ratings on this book. I am a Hogan "Nut" and this was a great little book to get a refreshing glimpse of "The Man". I cannot remember the last time I laghed out loud when reading a book, but I did in several places while reading "Afternoons with Mr. Hogan". This book is written by a person who saw Ben Hogan in a very different setting, ie. as a caddie and ball shagger. Mr. Vasquez treats his subject with respect but not with the blind hero worship that sometimes accompany stories or books about Hogan.
Buy this book and enjoy a refreshing and unique look at the man, Ben Hogan!!!
Not much to this book.......2004-07-16
Not much here that hasn't already been written about Hogan, including the ?Secret? which is nothing more than a rehash of some old swing tips from years ago. I thought it was interesting that the author (a scratch golfer) never thought the ?Secret? was important enough to incorporate in his own swing, but now after 37 years he thinks it is ?book material?. In my opinion there isn't much to this book at all and it wasn?t very interesting. I watched Hogan hit shag balls and that was a lot more interesting than reading this book.
Not much to this book.......2004-07-16
Not much here that hasn't already been written about Hogan. The so-called "Secret" is nothing more than a rehash of old swing tips that the author (a scratch golfer) apparently never thought was significant enough to incorporate in his own swing, but now after 37 years, believes is "book material". In my opinion, there isn't much to this book and it wasn't very interesting. I watched Hogan hit shag balls and that was a lot more interesting than reading this book.
Book Description
Returning as an honored guest to the exclusive country club where he worked in his youth, Jack Handley remembers the summer of 46 when he caddied for Ben Hogan in the last Chicago Open. Now a respected historian, Jack recounts, to the assembled sons and daughters of members he once knew, the dramatic match between the mysterious and charismatic Hogan and the young club pro he idealized. Filled with dazzling description of hole-by-hole match play drama, laced with anecdotes from that golden age of sports, this novel of friendship, lost love, and great golf is told through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy whose life is forever changed by one of the greatest players of the game.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful read.......2007-08-15
I really loved this book. The author did a tremendous job of weaving historical facts about Hogan (one of the legends of the game) into a compelling, yet tragic story.
Very entertaining.......2007-07-31
I loved this book. It had me turning pages faster and faster. Really good read if you love golf. As I read the book I could imagine all the shots that were being made. Very touching, I truely enjoyed this book.
Golfers, a great read. Literati, a nice read, especially if you dabble in the game of golf........2007-07-02
Hey! This is a great read. You'll finish the book in 2 days or less--and that's a great compliment to the author John Coyne. Of course, those who play this passionate game will enjoy it the most. Coyne's knowledge of golf as well as his sense of the game's history is dead on. So your understanding of the game will be delightfully increased while reading this excellent novel. Yes, the melodrama is not the most original, but it is satisying to read and-- to think about. Kudos, to you John Coyne, for an engrossing and delightful read. Golfers, you will love it.
Hogan portrayed poorly.......2006-09-27
I have no problem with a little historical fiction. It's among my favorite genres. My problem is with how Coyne portrays legendary golfer, Ben Hogan. I didn't know Hogan, and after reading "The Caddie..." I can say with certainty that Coyne didn't either. I'm sure John Coyne amassed the obligatory pile of resources to create, in his mind, solid and realistic dialogue for Hogan, but every word out of the fictitious Hogan's mouth made me gringe. In Coyne's hands, Hogan became a cartoon of himself; a steely-eyed competitor and nothing more.
Imagine the pain of reading a Churchill biographer as he only allows poor Winston to use his trademark snappy, historically significant one liners. Coyne's conversational exchanges are just as painful to endure. Hogan has no depth, speaks like a robot and remains a non-human, monolithic figure within a story that could've revealed so much more of the man's true depth.
After I finished the book I wanted Coyne to repay me the hours I wasted reading when I could've been working on my putting stroke. A sub-par performance.
the caddie who knew ben hogan.......2006-07-31
I enjoyed the book tremendously. I was a caddie during the Ben Hogan era. This book was an authentic reminder of the events of the time, valuable experience that caddying provided and the ability to have an input into a golfer that no other sport provides at such an early age.
Upon completion, I passed it onto another caddy of that time.
Book Description
A follow up on The Hogan Mystique, this book should be a best seller and a must for every serious golfer.
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