Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons is a book that outlines the fundamentals of golf. It was written by Ben Hogan, one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport, and Herbert Warren Wind, a renowned golf writer. The book is divided into five chapters, each of which covers a fundamental aspect of the game of golf. The five lessons are:
- The Grip
- Stance and Posture
- The First Part of the Swing
- The Second Part of the Swing
- The Follow-Through
RESULTS via THE MIND
1. The club tells the ball what to do
2. The body moves the club
3. The brain moves the body in response to where the you want the ball to go…the target
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Think of a time you casually walked past a trash can and threw something into it very accurately and precisely. You didn’t stop to consider the perfect arm and wrist movements needed to complete the task. You didn’t have to consider how your walking speed would affect where you needed to aim to compensate for your movements. You simply told your brain WHAT you wanted to do and allowed it to figure out the HOW.
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The golf swing is a complicated motor pattern. It requires thousands of precise muscle contractions. But so does riding a bike or walking. Training your skills and swing is very important. But when it comes time to play, you must ALLOW your brain to do its thing and not try to consciously control the movements of the body.
This line of thinking is proven time and time again by research of elite athletes performing amazing feats in extreme pressure.
Golf Tip… Rotate.
It would seem self-explanatory that a good golf swing generates power from the whole body. To many people just use their arms. Insufficient body rotation is a major cause of an inefficient golf swing. To get the extra yards that’ll give you the change to birdie that par 5, you’ll need your left shoulder to rotate round to be almost above your right foot on the backswing, and vice-versa on the downswing.
Golf Tip…The Fringe.
Have you ever hit a horrible shot from the fringe? Maybe you stubbed your wedge and watched your ball dribble just a few inches forward. Or, maybe you used your putter but you hit it way too hard and watched your ball roll way past the hole. Either way you’re going to wind up with an extra shot on your scorecard and an overwhelming sense of frustration.
The next time you find your ball on the fringe avoid these common mistakes by keeping a few simple tips in mind.
Use your putter. A bad putt is almost ALWAYS better than a bad chip. That’s why I always recommend using your putter whenever you are playing from the fringe.
Evaluate the terrain. As you walk up to the green make sure you are evaluating the slope of the terrain. Is the hill above your ball, below your ball, or even with your ball? This can have a huge impact on how your ball will roll out so it’s important to make a mental note.
Evaluate the grain. Bend down and take a look at the grass. If it’s growing toward your ball you can expect a slower roll and if it’s growing away from your ball you can expect a faster roll.
Evaluate the turf. Is the grass wet or dry? Wet or damp turf can slow your ball down while dry turf can cause your ball to roll out much faster.
Accelerate through impact. Once you’ve evaluated the terrain, the grain, and the turf, and established your target line it’s time to address the ball and make your stroke. Just remember to accelerate your putter head through the ball at impact. Slowing your putter down through the ball at impact will lead to stubbed putts and inconsistent performance.
Keeping these tips in mind will give you a big advantage next time you find your ball on the fringe. Just don’t forget to give them a try on the practice green too!