Good Friday Afternoon from Classic Swing Golf School!
Enjoy this once again by our guest blogger Dan:
Hogan’s Secret by Dan DeFreest
Ask any golf enthusiast who was the greatest golfer ever and the short list is usually the same. Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Nicklaus, Tiger, and Ben Hogan.
Bobby Jones grew up in privilege, the son of a successful attorney and began playing golf almost as soon as he could walk. At East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta where his father was a member, the resident professional was a Scottish pro named Stewart Maiden who molded Jones into the greatest golfer of his generation. Palmer’s father, Deacon Palmer, was the head professional at Latrobe Country Club near Pittsburgh where he taught his son the game and then continued to advise him through his career. Nicklaus met his mentor Jack Grout, a PGA tour professional, when he was 10 years old; Grout is credited with helping his young protégé achieve greatness. Tiger Wood’s father Earl put a golf club in his hands at the age of two and guided his son’s career as he became a child prodigy and then a superstar.
Ben Hogan’s path to greatness was a bit different. Hogan grew up in poverty in Dublin Texas, moving to Fort Worth where his father committed suicide in 1922. Hogan dropped out of high school and worked at odd jobs including caddying at Glen Garden Country club where he learned to play by watching the local players. Hogan tuned professional around 1930 and struggled over the next decade, twice quitting the tour without making any money. Hogan was plagued by a duck-hook that often left him scrambling from trouble and losing tournaments. Then Hogan claimed to discover a “secret” that changed his game and his career.
Whatever his secret was, Hogan took it to his grave. When approached by a young golfer for advice he once famously quipped; “Dig it out of the dirt, that’s what I did.” Hogan’s real secret may have been that he never turned down advice. Henry Picard, a successful pro and a man that Hogan admired, gave Hogan a lesson in 1939 and convinced him to weaken his grip, he applied the tip and eventually turned his uncontrollable hook into what became known as the “Hogan fade”, allowing him to drive the ball with precision. From his first win in 1940 until his retirement from competitive golf in 1956, Hogan won 63 tournaments including 9 majors.
Do you need a secret for your golf game? At Classic Swing Golf School in Myrtle Beach, we share secrets with our students every day. We can help you to get rid of your duck-hook or straighten out your slice. And when you start shaving strokes off your score card…we’ll be your little secret!
Classic Swing Golf School guarantees a maximum 3:1 student to teacher ratio in all golf schools and offers private golf lessons for those golfers that prefer one-on-one golf instruction. Classic Swing also offers custom golf club fitting. The staff of Classic Swing Golf School abides by their motto, "We Love What We Do and We GUARANTEE Improvement." We invite you to preview the Classic Swing Golf School experience today! www.classicswing.com.