Ben Hogan Radial Ball Position

HOGAN
Part 4
The 'Radial' Ball Position
I WAS BORN IN 1957, the same year that
Ben Hogan published his seminal instructional book 777e Modern Fundamentals of
Golf. For five decades, the work and teach-
By Luther Blacklock
HEAD PROFESSIONAL, WOBURN GOLF CLUB
Photography by David Cannon/gettyimages.com
ings of Hogan have loomed large wherever
golf is taught. What Hogan discovered in his
pursuit of perfection has left a precious lega-
On Page 125 of Ben Hogan's book The Modern Fundamentals of Golf (and.
cy to students of the game and golf teachers
as ever through this series of articles it will help you to have a copy to hand)
everywhere.
Everything that Hogan achieved was
is a very simple graphic by Anthony Ravielli. This little drawing is, to me, the
second most important picture in the whole book (the 'Pane of Glass' image
through hard work and perseverance, and we
on Page 78 being the first). To my mind it is puzzling that this illustration
are fortunate that he recorded his findings so
should appear so late in the book, some three pages from the end, in the
carefully and thoroughly. If you haven't yet read
"Summary and Review" section. The picture - which we have recreated
Hogan's masterpiece I strongly urge you to do so. Serious students of the swing
here using as reference simply the Driver, 6-iron and Wedge (right) - gives
will find his writing fascinating and stimulating, and his technical analysis of the
us 6 principles that relate to the Set-Up and the Golf Swing itself:
fundamentals that govern a biomechanically correct golf swing is as relevant
today as it has ever been. In fact, it will help you - the reader - to have a copy of
1. Alignment of Body
The Modem Fundamentals of Golf at hand for reference as you study this, the
2. Alignment of Shaft (more of that next issue)
fourth in a series of five articles for Golf International, in which I explore and re-
3. Distance from Ball
visit the teachings of Ben Hogan.
4. Swing Path
5. Swing Plane
My goals are as follows:
1.
6. Ball Position
To ensure that the significance of Ben Hogan's writing on the
2.
Fundamentals of the game is not'lost'in the modern era-with
As I have stated previously, 90% of all Swing Faults can be traced to a faulty
specific reference (part i of this series) to the importance of the
Address Position (and the other 10% originate at Address as well!). Of the
Overlapping or 'Vardon' grip
six areas listed above, I believe that understanding the Ball Position fully
To respectfully correct and clarify minor details of Hogan's
and properly will lead to the most effective application of the remaining five.
teaching on the 'Swing Plane' (part 2) and 'Plane Shift'
If we get the Ball Position right at the outset, everything else will fall into
(part 3), and to re-affirm their validity and relevance. [Note: Despite
place.
tiny inaccuracies, Hogan's explanations still serve us better than
most of today's muddled doctrines.]
3.
4.
5.
To recover Fundamentals that have been 'lost' by being
misconstrued or distorted through the passage of time - such as
The Modem Fundamentals of Golf was first published in 1957 nearly 50
those concerning the Ball Position (this issue).
years ago. For thirty-three of those years I have been teaching golfers of all
To reveal 'Lost' Fundamentals that I believe Hogan used
levels. During all of that time there have been two schools of thought in the
instinctively without realising their significance - i.e. Shaft Alignment.
golfing fraternity regarding ball position. One was called the 'Constant Ball
To name, or re-name according to their function, certain principles
Position' whilst the other was named the 'Progressive Ball Position'
that I believe are key to a correct golf swing - such as the 'Parallel
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Two Schools of Thought
(one University of Confusion...)
The Constant Ball Position placed the ball just inside the golfer's left heel
Left Thumb' the 'Optimum Biomechanical Swing Plane', 'Shaft Alignment'
for all clubs, the idea being that that the position of the right foot would be
and the 'Radial Ball Position'
adjusted to create the ideal width of stance for the club being played (i.e.
Nov/Dec 2006 www.golfinternationalmag.com
ENS'
'LOST' FUNDAMENTALS OF HOGAN
Medium Irons
Simplify your ball position - follow Hogan's
example (correctly!) and you will find that
you achieve the ball position that suits the
type of shot you are intending to play with
the club you are using.
the widest and fullest stance for a driver, narrowing
progressively as the player worked down through to
The 'Progressive Ball Position, meanwhile, sets
As with the 'constant' ball position, the width of
the ball opposite the Left Heel for the Driver, left
the stance is widest with the Driver and narrowest
the shorter irons, the narrowest stance, quite natu-
centre of the stance for the 6 iron and dead centre
with the Sand Iron.
rally, being reserved for the Wedge.
for the Wedge (with progressive increments taking
(Note: This method still has a hint of'progressive
Both of these schools of thought on what is one
care of all clubs in between). In other words, by
of the key fundamentals in golf contain some truth.
ball position' about it, for whilst the left foot does
placing the ball opposite the Left Heel for the Driver,
So, for nearly fifty years they have become blurred
not move the narrowing of the stance creates a 'cen-
the ball position moved progressively nearer to centre as the club became shorter.
application.
tral' ball position for the Wedge.)
in the way of communication and confused in their
www.golfiiiternationalmag.com Nov/Dec 2006
85
Hogan's Ball Position: Visually "Constant", in practice "Progressive"
If you were ever lucky enough to
body enabled him more easily
WEDGE
was 'Closed' with a Driver, 'Square'
observe Ben Hogan face on (i.e. at
(automatically) to swing from 'in-to-
Moving down to the shortest of clubs,
with a 6 iron and 'Open' with a wedge,
90 degrees to the target line) as he
went through his bag hitting full
out', and thus fire the ball down the
right-hand side of the fairway with
the Wedge, Hogan drew his right foot
closer to the ball, thus creating a dis-
in real terms, the ball position was
shots, you could be excused for
draw-spin.
tinctly 'open' stance. I am addressing
This subtle distinction has already
the ball nearest to me in response to
had an effect on the alignment of the
believing that Hogan utilised a
This is the ideal way of hitting a
'Progressive'
'Constant' ball position (just inside
long, controlled drive. If we were to
the wedge's short shaft. At first look
body, the direction of the swing-path,
his left heel) for all his full shots. But
draw a line across Hogan's toes, we
one could be forgiven for thinking that
the swing-plane and the alignment of
the fact of the matter is that Hogan
would see that the ball position is
actually opposite his left instep.
You will note in this photograph
my hands are behind the ball and that
the ball is still opposite the left heel.
the shaft as well as the ball position
did not stand square to the ball-totarget line on all shots; he varied his
However-and this is vital-if you
itself. So, we now understand that
judging ball position in relation to the
alignment according to the nature of
(above) that the shaft, like Hogan's, is
walked around to your right and
ball-to-target line is a waste of time. It
the shot he was preparing to hit (as I
a touch behind the ball when talking
stood opposite me, two things would
is far more effective to talk about ball
have recreated above).
about his intended swingpath.
immediately be obvious:
position in relation to the swing-plane
Thus, he was "shut" with his Driver
1.
The ball is in the Centre of
and the intended path of the club-
(i.e. his feet were aligned to the right
MID-IRON
my stance, in relation to
head through impact. After all, what is
of the target line), he stood "square"
the dowel rod, and
My hands, in terms of
the point of swinging 'in plane' on the
with his 6 iron (the middle club in the
Using a 6 iron (the mid-point in a full set
of clubs), Hogan adopted a square
set) and "open" with his wedge - and
stance, i.e. parallel to the ball-to-target.
my swing-path, are now
sympathetic to that plane or path?
it is vital to understand these subtle
So, in this case the ball position is
adjustments in order to appreciate
left-centre, both visually and physical-
the fundamental principle of the ball
ly! The rod across my toes is "square";
position.
the row of balls is clearly at 90
The ball position that matters most is
the one that relates to a golfer's swing-
degrees to the ball-to-target line.
There are 13 balls in the row you
2.
correct path if the ball position is not
placed correctly, slightly
ahead of the ball.
As a result of this ball- and setup position, the swing-path is des-
A thought on 'Shaft
Alignment'
With the driver the shaft appears just
tined to be slightly 'out-to-in' with
behind the ball, with a 6-iron the butt
of the club is over the ball and with a
path and swing-plane, NOT the ball posi-
see above (equating to the 13 clubs
the blade being adjusted to aim
wedge the butt of the club is just
tion in relation to the "ball-to-target line.
in a full set) so I am addressing the
directly at the target. Remember,
ahead of the ball. All of this coin-
ball that is in the middle of the row;
you cannot slice a wedge so you
cides/helps you to produce the type
DRIVER
the shorter shaft means that I am
are entitled to try!
As I have mentioned, Hogan
now much closer to the ball. (Note:
of strike you are looking for. Shaft
So, to clarify, Hogan appeared
alignment is appropriate to type of
assumed a 'shut' (or 'closed) stance
See how the butt of the club is now
(visually) to play all his shots from a
shot you are about to hit: a neutral
with his Driver, the idea being that
aligned ewer the row of balls, not
'Constant' ball position that was
draw with driver, solid and accurate
this alignment of the feet and lower
behind them as with the Driver.)
inside his left heel. But, because he
mid-irons and precision wedge play.
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