Ben Hogan Magic Moves | Right Elbow 

Hey guys - Mary here - apologies on the occasional audio static here. Making technical adjustments in our winter location so we can do better for you moving forward. Enjoy the video and thanks for watching!

Will try that - arms across pec is new to me. The sound of your strikes wow- music to my ears. Thanks eric - best coach ever in the history of golf.

Excellent! This is the piece I have been overlooking forever. Thank you!

Eric best tip ever. Over 50years ago I was given the very same instruction by my golf coach. At impact Hogan said he felt he could hit the ball flush like he had 2 right hands. I was hitting the ball so flush that I felt I could actually hit the call off concrete. I played my best golf and my coach told me to get Hogan’s book on the 5 Fundamentals. Over the years I gotten away from the move you just showed me. I can’t wait to get out and do this. Thanx So Much

Everything you demonstrated with the flying elbow has been exactly what I have been struggling with. Thanks for helping visualize.

Great stuff. Ben Hogan has been my golf idol and inspiration for over 60 years now. I started teaching myself golf from his book, "The Modern Fundamentals of Golf", which is still as true and clear as it was then. Thanks.

Elbow over the wrist bone.....a key phrase. The bowing of the wrist helps drive that elbow to that position.... Hogan did the opposite in the backswing to that which he wanted on the downswing... Cupped wrist going back....bowed wrist coming down Internal elbow rotation going back...external rotated going into downswing... Doing this gives the moves more power as they reverse themselves into the downswing. Very Good Video! Ballard talked of this. Ballard referred to Hogan pointing his trail elbow away on the backswing, then driving it in on the downswing. The videos you choose are from Hogan in his 50s. His 1953 swings are his best IMO. The arm working across the chest is a new one to me.. SO the arms gain speed on the chest? Again, great video, thanks.

One of the simplest videos I’ve seen in a while. Good job

you know how i love old school golf Eric. no you're talkin dirty to me! lol looking forward to the rest of these.

Eric, I am from Chile. I appreciate so much yours tip, especially this one " The right arm moves", I started playing golf just 2 years ago, and right now I have hdcp 15. Thanks for all your lessons. Sorry my english.

Eric, Best tip ever. Hogan said in his book 5 Fundamentals at impact he felt like he had 2 right hands. Over 50 years ago my golf coach showed me exactly what you just showed. I played my best golf then actually feeling like I could hit my irons flush off of concrete. Over the years I lost that feeling and have been searching to get it back. He told me the only reference I should refer to is Hogan’s 5 Fundamentals and not to read any other magazines or books on golf instruction since it could lead to paralysis by analysis. You have done it Thanx so much. Can’t wait to get out to the range.

Great stuff, Eric, as usual. I was watching a Greg McHatton video and he was relaying a story told by Jim Waldron who asked Tom Weisskopf what was his greatest lesson ever. Weisskopf said Mr. Hogan told him to superglue the right arm (from just above the elbow to the arm pit) to the right side of his body as he was delivering the club into the ball. That’s the adduction concept you are referencing here in your video (he also said to do the same thing with the left arm!). That feeling of tightness or connection adds to the stability of the club working through the hitting area as the strike is delivered more with the pivot than with the arms and hands. Great explanation of the external rotation and the lining up of the pit of the elbow with the wrist bone. Looking forward to future videos on Mr. Hogan’s magic moves. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks again- great lesson & information about the golf swing - wonderful explanation and communication I’m telling your RU-vid fans this guy is a great golf instructor - enjoy the day to all - keith

Always appreciated the great content and your style of presentation Eric,thankyou for doing it for us.The right arm across the chest is definitely a light bulb moment for me,feels great and will stop my flipping tendencies 👍

That was a great detailed explanation...Thank you!!!

Brilliant video Eric. The best explanation of these concepts I have ever seen.

Hogan set up his right arm to fold as it did by how he gripped the club in the air with bent elbows then straightened the arms while lowering it. Using the Vardon grip correctly with the left thumb fitting into the groove created by holding the left thumb tight to the left index finger causes the ulna and radius bones to rotated around themselves putting them mid-way in their range of motion and twisting the arms as illustrated in Five Lessons with the illustration of the hands wringing the towel. With the club lowered he then pressed down with right arm against left thumb in the grip pulling all the slackness and “give” out of his arms. That’s how he achieved that tight V connection between upper arms and rib cage that countless clueless golfer try to create by trying to pull arms in against ribs with gloves or towels in their sweat armpits. Getting the right arm to stay tucked in during the backswing up to the top is just a matter of letting the club face open with wrist action in the takeaway because the swing plane going up to the top is influenced by the direction the toe of the club head is pointing. If pointing forward toward the target line the path up will be steep like Nicklaus whose preferred shot is a high fade. To the the very tight inside path Hogan let the toe point backwards which steered it on a much lower path preventing his right arm from separating. The moving club generates so much force, so quickly it becomes difficult to steer with the hands after the first 18 inches or so why pre-torquing the arms and hands with the techniques I mentioned is critical for a consistent swing. So is never grounding the club. Letting the club hang freely and swing in towards body as you lean over at the hips brings the wedges and irons into balance like a pendulum and the counter weight of the club head mass hanging out at the ball is what allowed Hogan to sit down backwards balanced on his heels at address to anticipate being pulled forward by the club force before impact. All Hogan’s secrets are seen in plain sight in videos of his swing including the waggle move which at address was actually a rehearsal of how he “hammered” down at the ball maxing out ulnar deviation and locking wrists with face square to target just as ball released like a bullet from the face because of the wrists locking. The clue for that is in how he released the extension in his right wrist as he waggled down and lifted his back foot at the same time in a very controlled way to keep allow the hips and ands to resume moving. He copied that wrist action from Harry Frankenberg.

Great tip, and fantastic explanation and demonstration. Bravo! About 6-7 years ago I developed a “feel” in my swing that I would lean with the right elbow, and it worked fantastic. Perhaps I never should have gotten away from it.

Thanks Eric, loved the video, the info was VERY helpful. Here's something that really helped me regards to "feel" at the start of my downswing, I try to feel as if my right elbow is pulled straight down towards the ground. I hope this helps others to obtain the "feel," again thanks, keep up the great work..

I am glad you covered this. Good inside info.

As someone who has limited external shoulder rotation this drill has helped me get a more shallow downswing. Been lucky to try this on the course and the results are amazing. A massive thank you from me.

Such a great video. This relates to the RIT release method for 1 plane swingers.

Thank you Eric for helping me understand and appreciate the all time great 👍

Trailing elbow differently the key to hitting good shots. As discussed I do have a small fade so the club face is open a smidge. Timing getting the club face square I’m working on. Your the best golf instructor on RU-vid. I look forward to hopefully meeting you someday. Stay safe, and enjoy the holidays.

This video is one of your best. Tell Mary understand and not to be to concerned about the sound problem - the video was great.

I know Ive probably said this before but I think that’s your best video ever! This move makes everything else good happen in my opinion.

Only if I knew these many proper positions to be in while hitting a golf ball years ago. No broken clubs or lost sanity. LOL. Great basic visuals and instruction once again. Glad I found your channel.

This is great. I have incorporated it into my golf swing.

Great explanation provided here. Thanks!

brilliant work, thanks!

I have been struggling to hit anything under an 8 iron, dang this tip just took me to another level. Last night at the range I was able to hit my 6 iron straight with loft I never had before; keeping my lead arm elbow tucked felt a little awkward at first but once I got the feeling my consistency improved so much. I just bought the Orange Whip too; so with the orange whip my tempo and back swing are a 3:1 ratio, and with the elbow trick it all came together to produce some amazing long iron shots. I noticed the elbow is almost attached to my side with the short irons and begins to travel a little bit away from the body with the longer irons. Amazing, Simply amazing. Thanks, Eric!!

Great lesson Eric thank you!

Eric this video is killer. It makes so much sense especially the tip on the start of the downswing. I can see how if the wrist gets ahead the over the top swing rears its ugly head. I always thought it was me moving my shoulder across to early. I'm going to check my videos to see if indeed it's my wrist. Thank you for this analysis.

Great tip and vid! This move results in lag coming down to the ball and shaft lean at impact. It also virtually eliminates fat shots. Thanks!

If you are looking for the heart of the golf swing this video demonstrates it.

Excellent explanation...thanks Eric

Good morning Eric and Mary another fabulous video you are truly a gift to all us golfers I want to wish you and Mary Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year

Great video👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Thanks Eric!!🔥

Wow, awesome video. Have noticed that keeping trail elbow in really helps iron hits. Emphasis here on Hogan moves, wrist-elbow, even better. Great video Eric

Great instruction,Thanks

I’m watching the video two years later and feel that I need to go to the driving range and implement external rotation of my right elbow and having my right hand come across my chest as you suggest. At 73 years old I can still find myself 100-120 yards from the green for my second shot on par 4’s. Some fellows are set in their ways and will not consider anything different. They say my ideas are too complicated.

Great video! Thank you

Great video again Eric. I tried this, just focusing on keeping my R/elbow in front of my R/hip throughout. It felt a bit awkward at the start of the round but surprisingly quickly began to feel 'normal'. However, the difference in ball-striking was phenomenal, being both straight and long and feeling so solid. I was making 500yd par fives in two, (Never done that before) and adding at least 2 club lengths to my irons. Then like one of the comments below, for some strange reason I stopped doing it. Need to get back to it, pronto.

30 years ago when I was 10 my dad made me read Power Golf by Ben Hogan and from there he began my tutelage in golf. I would say my swing is very Hogan-esque and I too fight a hook or over draw in my game when not playing well. After seeing this video I am thinking the adduction component or lack there of is the difference between great golf for me and a poor round. I feel if I remember to think about the adduction component of this video I think it will improve my weight shift and body rotation and keep me from getting stuck or from being too far inside.

As someone who has a strong grip and struggles with a hook, this is great advice to help keep the clubface from closing too much.

Gold dust as always Eric, felt something on the range today...right elbow leading the wrist on the start down and you just gave it clarity so thanks for that. Watching Morikawa gave me that feel!

It's a shame about the audio because this is one of the BEST videos about the trailing arm I've ever seen. Nice job.

Great model for us amateur swings! Mr. Hogan to me had the best swing ever!

You promote dragging the handle through impact. Like a check swing in baseball. Hogan threw (released) the the club head past the handle. Powerful effortless release by using a Right Inward Throw release. Love all your vids Eric.

This is my favorite practice tip. You've got a sub from me bro!

Thanks for this video👍🏻

it was good to hear you add "qualifiers" to this advice .. this kind of rotation advice works best for people with long(er) arms. someone like me, with t-rex arms can't use this approach because I would never get the clubhead down to the ball.

Fantastic many thanks

thanks, this is excellent!

Great stuff, Eric

Outstanding!

Thanks for this advice, I have subbed and liked, I am going to work on this and hopefully it will eliminate my slice. I also swing too fast I think. I always have the feeling I have to kill it. Like hit a homer.

Great video and explanation, I noted one feel that might help is that I felt as though I was coming down and through the ball with right palm facing up, didn't actually happen that way but that feel helps.

This actual swing saved Matt kuchar's career great video of Eric

At the top of Hogan’s downswing his trail elbow and trail forearm; hands and wrists were all passive and yet highly reactive as you broke it down except in order to achieve this at the start of Hogan downswing he knew to simply push his radius humerus bone against his trail rip gage and to continues pushing with his trail humerus bone all the way to the finish of his swing. Every great player does exactly this This works for him and everyone who can realize for themselves that the trail shoulder blades is the true axis of a great golf swing and that the trail humerus bone ( upper arm) is the primary lever/spoke that can actually turn our entire body back and forth in our golf swing. It was Hogan’s secret and believe me now that I know it; at 73 my ball striking accuracy has improved 100 percent. Cheers

Eric, I’ve always struggled with this aspect of my swing. I cannot wait to work on this at my next range session. Great video!!!

A real gem of a tip

another gem !!

Thanks for the insightful video. When and where do you start the trail forearm rotation during the downswing in order to square the club face?

love this video. love external rotation. viktor hovland is another player who does this well.

Another good visual. Especially how low/horizontal the club looks coming into impact. It seems passive means almost a lack of a release w/ the wrists. Just a-little forearm rotation to square?

Superb!

Brilliant!

AMAZING!!

I think that the reason I’m uneasy with the transition from the top of the backswing to the beginning of the downswing, is that I’m not securing the external rotation of my right elbow. Learning your ideas will take pressure of my lower back.

Great video

Great Great Great......thanks

Hi Eric, great video, just two things, 1) Can you relay learn just by watching videos ? or is it better to have person coaching? next there are talks how important it is to have low hands in transition and through impact. I haven't seen a video of yours explaining your theory. Can you please advice , thanks your a one of best coaches on line .

Thanks Eric! That helps One question though Hogan was big on keeping his elbow tucked in throughout the backswing (literally down and I’m not just pointed down) In the modern swing teaching I see a lot less of this and more, for lack of a better term, manipulation of the elbow to get to a good impact position What are your thoughts on Hogan keeping that elbow in and tucked (if you agree that’s what he did with most clubs) 🙏!

Hey Eric. Great video. One question: does adduction only occur once I'm in the delivery position? Or does it start from the top? Looking for clarity as a lot of instructors key in on maintaining width for more power, but I'm not sure when to start letting it go.

what works for me really well is to have the right elbow "tucked in " and try and feel like you have the elbow that way the whole swing "inwards" not outwards if the makes any sense

Tried this today for first time but sending the ball to the right all the time

i certainly agree that the v should point more up to the shoulder; but that in itself can present problems. often players can then pull the club back with the right hand, causing the elbow to pop out. so, the waggle is key to establishing control with the left hand; but, when a player waggles the club correctly the right arm will stay passive until the the left wrist has fully cocked. this folds the right arm. i do agree that the left side of the right forearm should lead, in the downswing; but, i couldn't disagree more about the idea of sliding the arm across the chest. the chest won't be in its address position at impact, anyway; but when a player slides the right arm across, the clubface will be open. the left hand releases the club by pressing against the left side of the shaft and the right hand has to go with it.

Intriguing

Eric great vid, please be clear on one thing that I'm unsure of...does the right arm stay glued to the side throughout the entire swing? It looks like Hogan does but then when you explained about the 90 degree stuff the arm was away from the body. Thanks!

Much easier to master this move if you have your right arm glued to your chest at the top of the backswing. A compact swing allows this to happen with more consistency without much or any arm lift at the top of the backswing.

great video, so at what point do you add in the right forearm pronation to square the club?

Eric, it seems Jim Hardy is saying the opposite for a one planner like Hogan. He wants right elbow to stay up and behind thru impact, not in front. Can you elaborate please.

You always talk about opposite reactions. When I start with my trail arm externally rotated like that I feel like I have a tendency to go more internal and it's difficult to hold it externally throughout the swing. Do you see any issue with going more internal, to get back to external? Not as much as someone like Wolff, but some. Thoughts?

How much angel should I maintain between my forearm and upper arm during this move?

Ben Hogan was the best. Anyone else notice how nice those guys dressed to play golf back then?

Very interesting. But what about your left elbow at setup, where does it point? I struggle to see more precisely. Thanks!!!

Do the right arm hv to make internal rotation at some point during the forward swing to release and hit the ball?

So. This trail arm movement is also responsible for shallowing the shaft as well?

Ben Hogan was the man

good vid

Great natural instincts.

Do you believe Hogan was pulling the club to start the downswing or simply a turn initiated by the lower body ?

Look at Mr. Hogan's weight shift too. Incredible.

What is the origin of the phrase "Magic Move"? The first time I remember seeing this exact move described as the "magic move" was in Harvey Penick's Little Red Book. Did Hogan use the term?

Interestingly Trevino’s very different looking swing compared to Hogan’s naturally does this trailing elbow and wrist position almost effortlessly. Trevino’s swing is also one of the few swings Hogan respected and commented on positively.

Just watched you with Mike Malaska using Mike's Red demo club - seems to me or I am a bit confused as he makes it a point to demo the right wrist release as like throwing ball at impact and in this video different but probably me trying to see something not there - hope you see what I mean as Mike says to you, wrist rotation a taboo, seems unclear especially when watching your demo. Thanks great job as usual.

Dude! Dude.. 👍😎💪

i think this movement is key in any good swing but it is super important to add rotation through impact otherwise you will get this movement only in transition but lose it at impact, so rotation rotation rotation!

Have to try that elbow accross the chest