Swing Study: Breaking down Ben Hogan’s classic and powerful swing

Ben Hogan is credited with having one of the greatest swings of all time. He rode this timeless move to nine major championships, 64 PGA Tour wins and a spot among the game’s all-time greats.

His swing had many keys that made it so fundamentally sound, and to break it down we had GOLF Top 100 Teacher Rick Silva join us. Watch the video above or read below for more.

Setup

At address, Hogan setup with his trail leg perpendicular to the target line, while his thighs were shoulder-width apart. This position allowed him to move fluidly through his hip joints during the swing.

Backswing

Hogan slightly lagged the clubhead during his takeaway. This move allowed him to balance the weight of the club while swinging it “under the pane of glass.”

Downswing

One of the trademarks of Hogan’s swing was the laid-off move he performed on the downswing. This allowed him to fling the clubhead in front of him and the handle as fast as possible.

Impact

Hogan believed hitting the ball hard allowed for a more powerful, and repeatable, swing.

Follow Through

On the follow through after impact Hogan kept his arms in close to his body until the last possible moment. This move made his swing more compact and repeatable.

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