Reddit reviews Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Reading: Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf I've always been all arms in my swing, but want to (need to) bring my game in the next level.

Hit a new indoor spot this past weekend and Jesus does that make a difference.

Using a shitty old banged up Wilson driver (still haven't pulled the trigger on my Cobra F7) and bringing rotation into it, I was hitting 240-270yds reliably and straight, which is about 30 yards better than my best drives. Felt great too.

Can't wait to get comfortable with it and pair it with a new driver and some decent soft balls and really drive the green.

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Read this book if you have the time. Worth it and will assist in grip issues. https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492457995&sr=8-1&keywords=ben+hogan+5+fundamentals+of+golf

Looks good for 2 weeks. Maybe a touch closer to the ball while standing a little taller at address. Shorter swing and fire down and through.

Read this on the beach: https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

Honestly, I had a huge slice issue until this year when I actually started trying to fix it instead of playing into it.

Grip was stage one (don't go too strong, that causes a whole new set of slicing issues potentially), backswing check points have been stage 2 (face angle at parallel, club angle at the top, wrist at the top). Ive hit quite well on the range lately since I havent been able to get out due to weather, but with my lesson saturday I'm hoping to get out the next weekend.

If you need something to read:

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

If you need people to watch:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHZHhZaH7Rc_FOMIzUziJA - great resource on club face, swing path, and face to path

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNk5S5zjcX9iyOmbK2AzdVA - just really good resource for later tinkering

Check this out: Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf Booklegger https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671612972/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdb_4IZ-zbXWHF1Z2

Best book i ever read. Will teach you a ton about form and consistency.

In my experience, taking lessons will help, but there is no quick fix.

I got back into the game about 2 years ago, and started taking lessons. They improved my swing, slowly but surely. I bought a few books and kept working at it. Progress was slow and frustrating at times when I would backslide, but there was progress for sure.

I eventually hit a wall with my first instructor though. I tried a few more guys, and even a lesson with robogolf, but none of it clicked. I would still recommend a robogolf lesson if you have one around you, for someone trying to find the basics of a swing its very helpful analysis.

What finally did click for me was going back to the books and really understanding the swing. Its a chain reaction of things, and if you dont understand that chain and set yourself up for success at each step then you wont every have a consistent repeatable swing. The two books that helped me the most are:

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons:
https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

Hank Haney's Essentials of the Swing
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470407484/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

"don't have a driving range within 30 miles of my house"

I just threw up in my mouth. This is my nightmare.

Ben's got you covered.

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQESBJB-vyQ

Also easiest way to get good around the green... Google Jim Furyk Chipping

Ben Hogan's 5 Lessons-great for fundamentals
Tiger Woods: How I Play Golf -great for teaching you different shots
Harvey Penick's Little Red Book-great for learning fundamentals and interesting little stories

You should be able to find all 3 for >$50

Rick Shiels is a PGA coach that posts a lot of content on Youtube. He did a complete swing guide that is a very good starting point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG1vJJAceYM&list=PLKnkfgDBi62mkWMNmNipPUUep6vcj8nYm

Check out Ben Hogan's book called The Five Lessons. It is pretty much the beginner's bible as it sets you up with the fundamentals: https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

Don't be afraid to ask your buddy LOADS of questions. If he did paid lessons at some point, you are getting all that information for free. Take advantage of it.

Don't worry about "new technology" in the newer clubs. A set of irons from 10 years ago will be just fine. Get a putter you like and feel comfortable with. Possibly don't even think about swinging a driver until you are able to consistently make good contact with irons/hybrids/woods.

You mean Ben Hogan's Five Lessons, right? Didn't want anyone to think you meant "go get five lessons" -- the book is a fantastic resource and was my first thought, too.

Maybe this is just kinda situational for me but a couple of the courses in my area do a range pass deal for a month/year. I paid $65 for unlimited range balls for a month. Putting and chipping greens are (typically) free at golf courses as well. I usually hit 75 balls and then do 30min to an hour on short game and that cost only the $65 a month that I paid for the range pass.

As far as actually playing, check if any of the courses in your area do twilight fees. That'll probably be somewhere around $15-$20 after 6pm and you just get as many holes in as you can.

Then for instruction, YouTube videos and I highly recommend Ben Hogan's book "Five Lessons" to learn the proper swing. Can't beat it for $7

Do yourself a favor and learn to at least have a good initial grip and posture when learning how to play. Either get lessons or read the following:

Ben Hogan's Five Lesson's: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Good Luck!!

Ben Hogans 5 Lessons - Solid foundations from one of the games legends. Great for beginners or those with funky swings, grips, stances, etc (which your <10 handicap dad likely doesn't need) but it's a classic golf instruction book with fundamentals in mind and the first golf book i read. Best part is it's full of really cool old illustrations to describe what he's talking about in each segment.

Next is Harvey Penicks Little Red Book - It's a good coffee table or bathroom book. Each "chapter" is a page or two usually. Harvey Penick was a legendary instructor and he famously had a small red book full of one-liner lessons that he finally published late in life. Another classic golf instruction book that keeps it super simple.

Then we have Golf is not a game of perfect by Dr. Bob Rotella It's written by a sports psychologist who specializes in "the mental game". Ideal for the weekend warrior that wants to have more fun while shooting better scores. I read this when i felt like i had all the skills but was getting in my own way mentally. Helped me work on consistency, course management, and managing expectations for those hot-head moments.

After that i read Dave Pelz' Short Game Bible Written by a now short-game guru and former actual nasa rocket scientist, this book is thicker than most bibles and is super (exhaustingly) detailed. Honestly it is solid science that would work for everyone if they had the time and discipline to practice and implement. But it burned me out before i could finish it. I'm just not at the level where i need to know all of the "how's" and "whys" to every shot ever imaginable inside 150 from every lie to every landing.

Next up is Zen Golf: mastering the mental game by Dr. Joe Parent Another sports psychologist who specializes in thinking smarter/better. A very interesting read. Lots of tips that helped and i plan to re-read very soon. It actually has many lessons that translate well to everyday life, not just golf.

Finally, Lowest Score Wins This last one is a more modern approach to the game. Very simple and straight forward. Very data driven. Kind of like a fundamentals book but more aggressive and concerned with one thing, lowering your score. There's some great chapters on "seeing the course differently" that really helped my course management and it's great for drills on every aspect of the game.

I think the last two are the best all-around.

everyone is saying your swing is flat, but not really giving you advice with how to fix it: i'll try. first thing i noticed is you're standing too far away from the ball (this shows up more in the driver than the 8-iron). i had this problem last year, and my instructor said the arms should just hang down in a natural position. when you put a club in your hands, then you address the ball and you should be at a proper distance away from the ball (trust me it's tough getting used to standing that close, but worth it). i also had an issue with swaying my hips from back to front instead of rotating them around my spine. i believe this was caused by my standing too far away from the ball; along with too wide of a stance. from the front driver angle, it's kind of hard to see if you are doing the same, but it looks like you do on your down swing and through impact; i think can also bring your feet together a little (shoulder width apart). about rotating vs swaying was something my instructor said that really clicked (finally!) with me was a quote from (Ben Hogan's book)[http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972]. he says "imagine you are hitting a shot inside a barrel." basically if you are in a barrel that is as wide as your hips and you have to swing, you will rotate your hips as you cannot sway back and forth. from there, work on your take away ... set down an alignment rod and take the club back on the shot line. this should help you improve your flatness if you incorporate what i've already mentioned. i hope this helps a little, and i hope you get to your goal to be scratch. cheers

Buy this and read it. Spend a few months practicing what this book tells you before trying to do a full strength swing. There’s a lot fundamentally that is wrong with your swing and you’d be better served starting from scratch instead of making small tweaks. This was the first thing that started vastly improving my swing, even after I had a lesson.

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

At first glance it just looks like your swing is a bit rough. Almost robotic. This is very similar to how I was hitting a year or two ago. To get more consistent, I would work on having a more fluid motion with your swing.

I read a book called Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf - https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972. It is a very easy read which breaks down all pieces of the golf swing in detail with pictures. In this book he explains not only the what but the why. I highly recommend this book, since it has helped me become a decent and accurate ball striker almost over night. I am not saying I am a great golfer by any means, but I am much more consistent with my shots which has opened up a whole new world of golf for me. Now I am able to focus on my range with different clubs and situational shots and my scores have vastly improved.

Good luck.

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Modern-Fundamentals-Golf/dp/0671612972/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1313517044&sr=8-1

This is my bible.

Read this book: Ben Hogan’s 5 Fundamentals of Golf

Then once you get the right clubs, start practicing with a purpose. Try to get to the driving range at least once a week even if you just hit a small bucket. Work on a specific part of your game with every range session (grip, posture, specific club, putting, chipping, etc). Don’t just go and hit balls randomly. Muscle memory is key.

Try to play at least 9 holes once a week too. I love the post-work 9 holes myself. Take it seriously, but not too seriously, and enjoy the process. Good luck!

Edit: I also agree with getting an instructor. You get what you pay for in a coach too. You don’t need to see them every week. Take a couple lessons and work on everything your coach tells you. When you feel comfortable with those improvements, see you coach again for your next focus.

LIIIIIINK!?!?!?

Nah, just playing. Here it is for those interested in purchasing it used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0671612972

If i were to suggest you getting new clubs they are going to have to be beginner ones like Taylor Made Burners. Those clubs are forgiving and are for people who are fairly new to the game. The ones your teammates sounds like they are talking about are blade type clubs or just other clubs in general for people who shoot decent scores. Having said that if you already have clubs i would stick with them until you can shoot a lower score. I would suggest going to the range a few times a week and playing at least one round per week. A lot of people will set a goal on this sub reddit of shooting a certain score and then they will buy themselves irons. Shooting 110-120 isnt obviously the best but honestly the average golfer shoots around 110. I woul say maybe if you can get down to breaking 100 or around there i would see why you couldnt look for some new clubs, HEck you can buy used ones for pretty cheap as well. MY current training schedule has me on the range 2-3 days a week and playing a round on sat and sometimes second on Sunday(depending how my sat night goes). As far as a book... ive heard this one is pretty good from a few people. THE MODERN FUNDAMENTALS OF GOLF

I am in the process of getting my wife to learn how to play golf so we can start going out together. We are starting with this book

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Modern-Fundamentals-Golf/dp/0671612972/ref=la_B000APRZ1W_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369609342&sr=1-1

its amazing on how simple and easy it is to read and follow and how solid the information is in the book. And then follow that up with a bunch of easy par 3 courses. So you can then go over the etiquette and the subtle unwritten rules of the course. And also it shows her that a lot of other people suck at golf also and its just fun to go out and smash some balls

Read this book. It’s quick, to the point, and better advice than any of us can provide.

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671612972/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MYORCbT80DQQG

I learned to golf when in my early twenties, and I think Ben Hogan's book is fantastic: http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Modern-Fundamentals-Golf/dp/0671612972

I found that book was really helpful.

Buy this book and read it five times while adjusting your swing. Then read it every spring.


r/https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972/

You're in a really good spot right now because you're just getting started out and you don't have to unlearn any bad habits.

First thing I would say is learn what makes a good swing. Not what makes your swing good, but what makes a good swing. Watch the pros. Read books. Get a much information as possible and don't try and replicate what they do, but learn what makes a truly good swing and learn how to make your swing the best it can be.

Here are a couple things to think about:

Right now you're swinging with about 90% your upper body. Your taking the club back with your shoulders and arms and chest, and it's quite visible. When you swing through you are swinging through with your arms and shoulders and your lower body is following your upper body. A proper golf swing is almost exactly the opposite.

Try and think of the swing as something that happens from your hips, torso, chest, and shoulders.

The backswing should start with the big muscle in your left shoulder. Move your left shoulder across your chest for the first movement and when you can't move that shoulder anymore you start rotating your chest. The backswing is complete when your back is facing the target. Do not swing your arms, infact, try and squeeze your arms to your chest (if you lift weights, like when you're doing dumbell flys). Your hands should and arms should always be directly in front of your chest.

This is a good example.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cajtJHmEw3A

Don't try and swing with your arms, the shoulders lead the swing with your chest and then your hips will turn. Also, as you are moving through the backswing, the weight should be able 60-70% of your weight on your right foot.

Now the important part:

Once you've got a good backswing the downswing and impact are the most important part of the golf swing. Infact there are plenty of pro tours who have an unorthodox, or frankly bad backswing, but their downswing and impact position are perfect.

Once you're at the top of your backswing, your swing should start from your LEFT foot, knee, and most importantly your HIPS. Smoothly bring the weight to your left foot and as you do so, twist and rotate your hips. You should feel like someone is pulling on the belt loop at your left hip, and they are pulling it backwards as if they are trying to turn you around. (hope that makes sense). It is this twist that creates the proper downswing and speed for a good swing.

Watch this swing of Rory Mcillroy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qir6STNfJec

Really pay attention to his hips. Notice at the top of his backswing how he loads his legs (like a mini squat) and his HIPS really start that swing. It will look like he's swinging his arms but I promise you, he isn't putting any energy into them at all. His hands and arms are just along for the ride. His arms are just following his body, as his legs squat and his hips start to turn, so does his torso, followed by his chest and arms and hands and the club.

If you pause the video at impact, (during the slow motion part) You will see his belt buckle looks like it is almost pointed at the target, and it's probably about 40 degrees from center but all pros are well through the turn at impact. If you can start to understand that 99% of the golf swing is done by the lower body, the feet, the quad muscles, and the hips, you will be well on your way my friend. It all starts with the lower body, the stronger your legs, the more powerful your swing will be.

I know that this is a TON of information to take in all at once, but as you learn more and read more you will incorporate more of this into your own swing. And you will do it YOUR way, not Rorys, not mine, but yours. Everyone has a unique swing, but there are certain fundamentals that every good golfer has, and that's the hip turn, and the point of impact.

If you're interested in learning more from the pros, these are the 2 books you need to get. And they will explain it far better than I can. Glad you've found golf, it's a lifetime's worth of never ending learning and fun.

The Impact Zone

Five Fundamentals

Like everyone else is saying here, Hogan-esque swing. You look stuck/jammed at impact though, imo which gave you the little pull there. Just hold on to that spine angle. Setup/tempo/backswing looks pretty great!

If youre trying to be like Hogan gotta read Hogan's swing.

https://www.amazon.com/Ben-Hogans-Five-Lessons-Fundamentals/dp/0671612972

CUCK AMAZON but this is a great book

This will be the best $10 you will ever spend in your life. Buy Ben Hogan's "Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf." The only real training aide I've ever used. Has a lot of good illustrations regarding swing plane, grip, and the chain of events which must take place for a proper swing. Just about every instructor out there lives by it.

http://www.amazon.com/Five-Lessons-Modern-Fundamentals-Golf/dp/0671612972

This book.

I received the advice of my life on my drive last weekend. Flex your right leg the entire time and use it to push your weight forward as you come down.

Other tips:

Keep your head down staring at the ball.

Don't be afraid to take a step forward on your drive swing. Literally swing and step forward with your right foot.

Squeeze your elbows as close together as possible throughout the entire swing.


BUY THIS BOOK

Ben Hogan: An American Life

Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf

Power Golf