Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(222)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This excellent teaching device found me at the right time, having mysteriously started struggling with my takeaway and back swing [right elbow flying out at the top!]. I poured through it in a night to search for the secret cure and I found it. I can't believe it took me 18 years of golf to discover this book. This really should be in every beginner's bag, to get his or her mechanics and fundamentals together, as well as any long time golfer who occasionally 'loses' it. It's quite a testament to its staying power to note that there are no reviews of less than five stars for this wonderful manual [my rating will be no different]. Hogan boils down the game to one important aspect, striking the ball. Grip, stance, setup, back swing, downswing are all meticulously verbally described, and then highlighted by amazingly detailed and accurate drawings. Written as a series of SI articles in the 50's, the teaching voice has lost none of its punch over the ensuing years. The gods are in the details, and I noted immediately in the setup section things I was doing to hinder the chain-reaction of his preferred swing. Left foot out a quarter turn, hmm, that's new but makes sense, elbows at hipbone at address, and arms very close to chest to allow the right elbow to fold properly. That's what I needed. His description and the images of the glass / back swing / downswing plane will provide appropriate visual clues during practice. I found his discussion of the waggle and supination of left hand on follow through also quite interesting. I've purchased copies of this for my long-time golfer mother and my girlfriend who's just taking up the game, hopefully they'll enjoy it as much as I did, and we can discuss Hogan's straightforward instruction with a common background understanding.

Forget all the other gimmicks you see on television infomercials; the super drivers, wedges, trouble clubs, fairway woods, videos, swing trainers, etc. Also, don't pay any attention to the lessons presented monthly in the two leading golf magazines. They're often in conflict with each other and give you too many things to think about during the swing. If you really want to improve your golf, buy this book.

Written by one of golf's greatest players and clearest thinkers on the mechanics of the golf swing, this book will, in simple and concise language and wonderfully detailed drawings, improve your game. My belief is, someone who has trouble breaking 100 will be able to get to 90 in short order. Anyone who shoots bogey golf (90) will be able to work him or herself into the low 80's. And if you're like me, in the 7 to 10 handicap range, the book presents a number checks on the grip, stance, and swing plane so that if your game does occasionally go awry, you'll soon be back in the groove. Mr. Hogan was correct. Anyone who is reasonably coordinated and applies the principles detailed in this book, should be able to build a repeating swing and break 80 on a consistant basis.

I had to smile as I read some of the other reviews of this book. Like many of the other reviewers, I too have had to repurchase this book a number of times because of the difficulty in getting the book back from those I've loaned it to. Other than getting a lesson from a top flight teaching pro, this book will do more to improve your game than anything else that's on the market.

As a kid I took a few lessons from a top notch instructor, and I always found it helpful to think back and swing the way he taught me. Now in my early 40's, after years of infrequent play and bad advice, I lost my game. I read Hogan's book, and realized that it was the Hogan method - grip, stance, everything - that I was taught as a kid. This book was a godsend.

Hogan doesn't just tell you what to do, he explains why. He shows how to make the basic REPEATING swing that can be used with ALL clubs, driver through PW. This makes the game so simple. You can use this book to quickly learn the correct swing, and confidently hit a good shot every time because you know you are doing it the right way. This lets you think less and less about swinging mechanics and more and more about strategy, and the game becomes immensely more pleasurable.

Put this book and a 9 iron by your bedstand, practice as you read it, and you will find youurself hitting with more confidence and consistency after the first chapter.

GET THIS BOOK !!!
Repeat GET IT NOW and it will, without a doubt IMPROVE YOUR GAME and outlook on golf 10 fold! I have had and read this book like a bible over the past 3 months and I will tell you unequivocally, It is simply the best book on what makes a golf swing a TRUE golf swing. I have been a golfer for 20 years and through all the articles I have read, any lessons I have taken, none have come close to breaking down what the mechanics of a golf swing truly are.
This book takes you from the start to a finish of a solid fundamental golf swing. As every individual has their own style, I would recommend once you learn these basics, make your own minor adjustments to suit your own physical limitations due to factors such as flexibility and body size.
Now I have to tell you, I am slow to comprehend and grasp new ideas but once I catch them, if they are indeed true, I embrace and preach upon them like a priest in the church. This book is a true awakening for a golfer and what it takes to make a real golf swing.
The amazing results of this book and what a golfer actually experiences when making a true swing as a result of the study of this book are absolutely astonishing. You should make this book your BIBLE to a great golf swing. The results you see (and feel) will leave you in total awe of how simple a great golf swing is and how easily it can be accomplished.
I endorse this book 100% and promise you will not be disappointed. Indeed you will be delighted and your game will see the dawn of a new day.
5 ***** book. A MUST for every golfer

Quite simply the single most valuable book a golfer looking to begin or master the golf swing can read. I have read the book three times and look forward to the fourth. It is a no nonsense instructional guide with detailed drawings and precise text. It reveals to the reader exactly what is necessary to enjoy the game of golf by mastering the necessary fundamentals of the proper golf swing. A must read for any serious golfer.

I'm 39 years old. I started golfing 5 weeks ago. Not counting the local par 3 course, I've golfed 18 holes of "real" golf in my whole life. I bought the book. I read the book. I struggled with the book. Today, I was taking practice swings in the back yard, and I learned how to supinate my left wrist. I grabbed my 12-year old and headed to the driving range.

With my $25 driver, and my supinating wrist I hit longer and straighter than ever before. The bad drives carried over 200 yards, and I would have been able to find them on a course. Well over half the balls would have been in the fairway. The long ones were high and carried close to 250 yards. My three wood shots were towering, and landed softly around 200 yards.

I can't do it yet, but making a deliberate, controlled fade or draw now makes sense to me. I know how I'll do it someday, when I'm ready for that part of the game. I can't do it yet but taking a divot with my irons now makes sense, too. All in good time.

Buy the book, read the book, contemplate the book. But most of all, SUPINATE!

When I took up the game about ten years back, a co-worker (and single-digit handicapper) told me "Get Hogan's Five Fundamentals. It will tell you all you'll ever need to know about striking a golf ball." As time passed and my game improved, those words rung truer with each passing season. I've spent hundreds of dollars on other books but I keep coming back to this little treasure. My paperback copy is literally starting to fall apart from multiple re-readings. The first time I read through the book, the only things I took from it were how to properly grip the club and that awesome image of the pane of glass defining the swing plane (accurate or not...). The later chapters just went over my head at the time. As I worked on my game however a funny thing happened. One by one I would make "breakthroughs" only to find them staring back at me from the pages of Hogan's book. The comment about this book being laden with hidden gems is right on the money. It seems like every time I read it, I pick up another subtle insight.

I've heard the criticism that if this was such a great book, you wouldn't have to read it ten times to get the meaning. Perhaps there's a kernel of truth in this, but I think the nature of the golf swing makes describing it a monumental challenge indeed. Like most pursuits of substance though, diligent effort will eventually be rewarded. Talking with accomplished golfers, I'm simply amazed at the number of different benefits people have derived from this book. For me, the best single piece of advice was to start a practice journal. Over several years this allowed me to boil a million different ideas about putting down into my own very personal set of putting fundamentals. This ridiculously simple set of rules has stood the test of time, serving me well for a number of years now. I've since tried to bring the same methodical approach the other areas of my game. So my advice is get your hands on a copy of this book and be ready to invest yourself in it. Give it some time to work and check back periodically. Soon you'll be hitting those "shots with real character" Mr. Hogan and Mr. Wind speak so eloquently of.

Every literate golfer should be required to have a copy of this book in his/her library. This is a great book. Ironically, not really so much for the golf instruction. Rather more for the insight into the mind of the great Ben Hogan and his masterful inspiration for the great game of golf. It remains an inspiration to me. The man was something special and unique and he somehow captured it in this strange little book. The illustrations by Ravelli are beautiful art.

I would say the section on the grip is the best. Every beginning amateur could profit from these simple concepts and benefit for the rest of their golfing carreer. The next time you are on the course, keep a mental tally of the really excellent golf grips that you observe. Then go back and re-read Hogan's chapter on the golf grip. You may begin to appreciate the game in a new light.

I have been playing golf for many years and have been very fortunate to learn from great teachers and golfers. I have spent a ridiculous amount of time practicing and studying this crazy game. My career round is a 73. I learned a high hands, long swing with a draw which had become a pull hook. I almost quit the game because of inconsistency. My wife bought me the Five Fundamentals at a garage sale and I never read it because I thought that the book only applied to Hogan. I was WRONG!
What Hogan teaches in this book is an entire system. You can not take any one thing out of it and mix it with the two-plane swing. The grip, set-up and basic move away and back through the ball, as described in this book, are all designed to facilitate a rotary swing with low hands and minimal lateral movement. If you want to learn a LOT about the golf swing, take this book and do EXACTLY what it says on the driving range for the next two or three times you go hit balls. This book teaches a swing that is entirely around and close to the body, It is very much like swinging a baseball bat. It allows you to have predictable lower body action and most importantly, it allows you stop thinking about your hands and arms. How many books are there about the intracacies of swinging a bat? Not nearly as many as golf. All you have to do is swing the club like a bat and have a set-up that allows for a longer flat spot at the bottom of the swing and you will be more consistent than swinging around then up and then back down with the hands and arms. People really misunderstand what this book teaches mostly because they think that Hogan just switched to a neutral grip to cure a hook. The elements and techniques in the book are all basic fundamentals which build a rounded, one plane swing. If you want to have a standard, hands and arm swing with some body thrown in, then read Harvey Penick(he was a GENIUS) and do the things that he teaches. If you want to have a system where you hit the ball predictably, do EXACTLY what this book says. Hogan did not teach the classic high hands, two plane, arc driven swing. This includes the stance and ball position along with the left hand and arm starting the swing. IT WORKS and is so SIMPLE and saved my game. Trust your arms to swing behind and around you and the set up, and marvel at what a genius Hogan really was. It's a different swing than most instructors teach.

I was a little skeptical about buying a book to help my golf game, but like all golfers, if it will help, I'll try it! I read the book in about 3 days and truly felt like Ben Hogan himself had been there taking me throught the motions of the golf swing. He breaks every movement down to a form that is easy to understand and apply. The way he presents himself gave me a sense of confidence that I could improve my game if I just followed his 5 basic principles. I am hitting longer straighter shots and for the first time I can hit my driver with minimal or zero slice.......Thank you Ben Hogan!