Quick 9 with Hogan Author, Tom Bertrand

1. Why did you decide to write a book on Ben Hogan? (The Secret of Hogan’s Swing)

My main purpose was to give John Schlee more credit for his time with Ben Hogan and to bring to light some of Hogan’s fundamentals and principles that have been miss-represented over the last twenty years.


2. Why does Ben Hogan still continue to have a mystique after all these years?

I believe it was his guarded personality and how he carried himself. He always felt that people were going to say what they wanted to say no matter what. So he never gave anybody an opportunity to dig deeper. He gave out very little so everybody wanted more.

3. There is so much information/mis-information on the Hogan “Secret” Can you shed any light on exactly what the “Secret” is?

The “secret” is really a combination of actions in the swing along with the grip setting. First, you have to have the proper grip for all the actions to work perfectly. Mr. Hogan called it a ‘proper’ grip, everybody else called it an extremely weak grip.

Even in her new book Kris Tschetterexplains that she couldn’t get her grip weak enough to satisfy Mr. Hogan. In the ‘proper’ grip the left hand is neutralized to be only the guide and the right hand is the power hand.

Then the arms can work correctly in the backswing and downswing allowing for the left elbow to turn toward the left hip. Simple.

4. What can an amateur golfer learn by studying Ben Hogan’s swing?

One can see and imitate Hogan’s “chain action”. From the top of the swing the unwinding starts with the lower body all the way through to the finish. Don’t copy his lateral motion. He really didn’t like that part of his swing. He felt it was unnecessary to move from side to side like that but he was to old to change. Takes too much practice, to time the strike in the impact area.

5. What couple of “sure-fire” golf tips would you give your neighbor amateur golfer?

I would suggest first – to keep the core of your body still and rotating. Try not to sway. Too many amateurs feel they can get a running start when they sway back away from the ball.

Next I would have them keep their backswing more compact. I believe there is no reason to get your hands above shoulder level on the backswing. Once you get your hands shoulder high it’s easier to initiate the downswing with the lower body.

6. What do you know now that you didn’t know before studying Ben Hogan?

The golf swing is simple. We just make it complicated. There are a lot of variations based on body types – no two swings will look the same, but the fundamentals will apply to all golf swings.

7. What mistakes do you see amateur golfers making over and over?

The main problem most golfers have is the inability to start the downswing with their lower body. A lot of people think they do, but most want to slash the club with their hands like a sword.

8. How important is practice to improving one’s golf game?

The human body needs to feel comfortable when trying to perform a task. The more we try the more comfortable we feel and the better we get. Just make sure you are following the proper procedures.



9. Where can we get your terrific book, “The Secret of Hogan’s Swing” and any other resources you would like to share?

My website is TheSecretofHogansSwing.com.  I have a variety of books and DVD’s to help any level golfer with their swing. I invite all your readers to take a look.

Also, get the book here on Amazon: The Secret of Hogan’s Swing

Related posts:

1. Hogan’s Sweet Swing
2. The Last Word on Hogan’s Swing?
3. An Amazing Ben Hogan Golf Video
4. The Sweet Swing of Ben Hogan
5. Quick Nine: Interview with Golf Fitness Pro Katherine Roberts

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