Hit the golf ball STRAIGHT with EVERY club after this BEN HOGAN lesson 

Finally!! A video about Hogan's ball placement done right!! I can't begin to recount how many videos on this topic miss the mark when describing the process and how the ball needs to move in the stance when in reality the ball always stays inside the front heel while the stance narrows/widens and/or opens/closes around the ball. This video not only hits this point, but goes beyond to explain how this works to control low-point, swing path and clubface. Brilliantly done Ali.

5:24 who else’s took a screenshot ready for the driving range 😂

I was shooting in the 100’s for a decade until I read Hogans book! Now I’m shooting in the 70’s and low to mid 80’s. Hogan was an absolute genius and his guidance is such an incredible blessing!

Tried this method and hit every club like I wanted. This tip is so simple and repeatable. Thank you!

Excellent! I’ve struggled with ball position. This makes more sense than anything I’ve seen. Can’t wait to take it to the range and course!

A great video on the subject and spot on. I was taught in lessons as a beginner to always keep the ball in the middle of the stance. But as I progressed in my abilities the swing changed to be more inside out. I’ve change the ball position to adjust based on the length of club starting with driver aligned to the left heel. Each club is then adjusted to a ball position that progresses about half a ball until the shortest wedge. I place a 7 iron for instance just about mid line with belt buckle. Ball striking and distance are improved. I think I’ll work on the Hogan method to see if I can improve accuracy and strike. I’m excited.

I rarely comment on videos but this video is outstanding and I felt I had to. I know many golf professionals that don't understand this concept. Amazing what Hogan figured out without the tech we have today.

I used the same ball position after watching Nicklaus's Golf My Way. Then after reading Hogan's book's adjusted the feet to suit the club and it definitely square's the face at impact better! This should be how the modern swing stet-up is taught to beginners. One less thing to worry about if you have the same ball position! Thanks for the video 👍

This makes alot of sense to me. Taking it to the course today to work on. Thanks!

What a game changer thanks so much I’ve been trying to work this out in my head lately why driver always so much more choppy than other clubs and now I get it saves me to do all the thinking as hogan has done it

Best tutorial on RU-vid! I’ve always played every ball off of the inside of my heel as it allows me to get through the ball without having an athletic swing but I never knew the science behind moving the feet. This makes so much sense !

I've had total of 13 lessons from 2 different facilities. And never has this been addressed (get the pun there)...so after a range session this AM where my ball flight and contact was all over the place I was lucky enough to stumble on this amazing advice! I just left a range session where I can honestly say I've never struck the ball more purely and consistently. Let's see if it can translate to the course. Big thanks 5stars!

Wow, incredible video, thanks! Can't wait to try this out on the range. Thanks again & Cheers!

Great instruction. I stumbled on the idea of closing the stance for driver and fairway woods a few weeks ago. Transformational. Instead of slicing the driver I hit it straight plus added 20 plus yards. Should have read Ben's book more carefully!

Fantastic video. I’ve recently adopted this theory and have been striking the ball much better. However, I’ve found ( for whatever reason ) this tip really, really helps me stay down on ball versus popping up every so slightly which caused a lot of thin shots.

Brilliant. I’ve always had a open stance on short irons. But never seemed to work on longer irons and the driver. Now I know why! Fantastic video makes so much sense. Now I’ll go to the range and see how badly I can screw up your lesson :)

You are so right about Mr Hogan- The Five Fundamentals of Golf is the second best book ever in print... Thank you for the explanation of swing path in regards to foot position..

I think your instructional videos have helped me in my game more than any other on RU-vid. Since following you, my handicap has gone from being stuck at 23 to now 18, which is as much as I want as an OAP. So thank you.

Watched your video other day , been struggling with irons for years. Was a bit sceptical to start with but struck irons brilliantly, direction was a bit left but still hitting greens , will definitely be trying to fine tune this , eliminated one side of greens ! Thanks

I think you moved into default comfy mode when you hit that driver. Feet were looking pretty square. Thank you so much for this video. Gives me something to practice.

I gave this a try on my last round...lol. unfortunately I didn't put in any time on the driving range. I aimed my first driver shot left on a dog leg right hoping to compensate for my huge slice. Took up my in practiced Hogan stance and drove it 273 straight left on the neighboring fairway. Lesson learned. I found it extremely effective for my wood and long irons as well. I didn't care for it on my shorter irons. Thanks for the video

Perfect video well done with the visual and direct implementation of his idea

Amazing explanation of the Hogan stance. This really simplifies it for me.

great video thank you for explaining it so well, going to play 9 tonight and will try this. Maybe help with that fade... Again thank you for what you do.

Brilliant many thanks

Hogan’s book is great,it’s been a while since I read it. Thanks for the lesson!

Great explanation 👌.... I'm getting to the range first thing.... thanks

Never heard this before, glad I did. ON MY WAY TO THE RANGE, THANK YOU 😊

Great input can’t wait to try this out.

Been waiting for someone to do this! ❤️

WOW! I actually pulled out his book a few weeks ago when I was struggling with chunking everything and noticed that my stance was too wide with the shorter clubs, causing me to dig in early…so, I pulled that exact diagram up and started to follow it again…I’ve always been a very straight ball hitter, even with driver. This was just great confirmation of my current practice plan…thank you! On another note, you, and all the other RU-vidrs provide great recommendations about practice, etc…BUT, when I go to my local range (as I’m sure it’s the same for everyone else), the balls are not balls I would ever play on the course, ie., the dreaded RANGE BALL! I’ve even been to some ranges where they have limited distance balls…Since they don’t fly and spin the same as my gamer, how do we work on the finer points of the game like ball flight control, or curvature, with range balls?

You are amazing for this video and instruction behind it thank you

Got his book. Well done, great explanations

Well holy moley that has just changed my whole issue of small fades / slices. Went to the range altered the stance as blimey it was awesome. Hardest thing is aiming now my feet are uneven .. any tips on that? Great work

I've been doing this for 5 years. The driver is the most noticeable improvement. Sometimes with the irons, I am off on my ball position. Your explanation is excellent.

Great video as ever Ali: Spot on content clearly explained👍🏻

Tried this yesterday 7\8 drives straighter than I have ever driven before and of course longer, great vid, keep them coming.

Good stuff, very interesting!

Great vid I have this book somewhere! Anything to think about on shoulder and hip alignment? Thanks

Excellent explanation thanks

Fantastic lesson

I just tried this, all I have to say is wow! I hit beautiful shots almost every time. Thank you for this it's a game changer for me!!!!

Tried this for first time yesterday. Didn’t really go that well on the range, but about 3 holes into the round it clicked. Shot 78 with 2 doubles. Bit warmer this week, so hope to get to the range a groove it further !

Great video, thanks.

Thank you 🙏

What I’ve never heard explained is hip and club face position. If you move feet as shown, do you align you hip to your feet, or in line with the hole? Also do you keep the club face facing the hole or the direction of the stance? Thanks.

Ben Hogan was the master! Watch videos on how he set up. When he made his stance narrower he would pivot on the ball of his right foot to open the stance, an when he widen his stance he would pivot on his heel. He was able to precisely control how wide/narrow, open/closed his stance was. There will never be another like him in the game! (George Knudson came close!)

Nice!!! I start today 🏌️‍♂️⛳️🤓

Great video

Fantastic

awesome, thanks

Ali, great content, used this for a few rounds now and an absolute revelation! Is it correct to say that the face should be squared to target? I felt the face was closed to stance on long irons/hybrids and open to stance on short irons and wedges when I squared the face to target and that’s how I found some really consistent flights Great video, very informative!

Good information

does hogan mention anything about weight distribution, at set-up, especially in relation to the short to mid-irons? thank you.

Took this to the range this morning - awesome!!!! Very encouraging and 🤞🤞it stays with me as it was the best/straightest i have hit with minimum left and right errors - even slight mishits were in the decent range of error (left/right)

A forgotten gem. Thanks

The golf swing has not changed over 50 years! This is perfect for any new golfer who wants better power and a great swing!

Congratulation from Paris!!!!!

would that actually make our swing adjust to the lenght of the club? kinda making all irons the same lenght? awesome video, awesome tip!!!

It helps on Trackman to put : Angle of Attack / Swing Direction / Club path next to each . As you can start to learn the relationship between the first two, and how they produce the path

Just to make sure. Closed is rear foot back and open is rear foot ahead of the front. Essentially if I pjt a stick down for a line I would have my back foot on it with wedges and mid irons and not on it with longs to driver. I may try this as I have a consistent swing but I do have a draw but it’s a little harder of a draw. If no wind it’s not too bad. It’s much better after going to x stiff shafts from regulars.

Great advice! Sorry you couldn't manage 300 on camera. If the Titleist is good for you it'll do for me. Would go well with my #4 wood.

Sorry if this has already been asked, but with 160+ comments… When incorporating Hogan’s feet positions, do the hips and shoulders stay parallel to the target line or do they move too?

Great video … I read the book several times and never really grasped it until I watched this. Brilliant (though if I close my eyes you sound like Rick S!! 😂- no offence meant btw) 😊

Damn I'm 54 and have never seen this. Fascinating. Had an albatross once.

Great

Nice video. Did did Hogan play with progressively shorter clubs ( the modern club set where the iron length gets shorter as the club number gets higher)?

This is truly amazing. And like you say he didn't have the technology 50 years ago

So with driver, does the face stay square to the target line ie. closed based on your stance?

Will this work using the single plane method? Thanks

So I hit the fairly straight now. So if I practice this I have one length irons every iron is the length of my 7 so should be able to setup with my 4 the same as my 7.

The Hogan method is the best method. I have been fortunate in that my teacher taught me the Hogan swing that he used later in his career. Neutral grip is a key element in making his method work. Left thumb straight down. Most call it a weak grip but it is actually neutral. Strong is right of center and weak is left of center for a righty. It is not the best way to hit it long? Wrong again. Since it is called by most the weak grip, I will just say, that the weak grip is actually the strong grip. It put the wrist in alignment square. The hinge of the wrist with a strong grip mak the hinge go upward at impact. The weak grip make the hinge go downward. The "Neutral" grip make the hinge of the wrist straight. Hold our arm straight out fingers together, thumb on top in line withe index. Using only your wrist fold your hand in so the inside is facing you and backhand the imaginary Brandon face all the wile keeping the thumb up. Now strengthen it. Rotate your arm clockwise a little. Now when you fold your hand back at the wrist, the inside of your hand will no longer be looking you in the face. Your fingers will be pointing to the right but down. It will be looking at your right outer hip. And as you backhand Brandons evil imaginary face, the back of your hand ends with the fingers pointing left and up. Weaken the grip and the fingers will be pointing upward on the back swing and downward on the follow through. Your wrist only hinges one way if you don't roll your arm. If you want to hit a straight ball, this is the only way to do it. My ball never fades or draws unless I want it too. After I learn to hit it straight, I simply aim right, strengthen my grip and use the same swing. The same goes for spine angle. Posture straight for irons. Tilt my spine for Driver and keep it there and you will hit up on the driver and down on the irons. We are biological machines. Learn your hinges and line them up. Lazers will soon be more common. Accuracy is far more important than distance. But distance is not sacrificed much, if at all, when done right. You will hit the middle of the face a lot more consistently and that in itself really helps in getting good distance along with consistent straight ball flight. A draw only gets you more distance because it runs out a little more. But it has to travel a longer distance to get to the same point because it it going out of its way. THe closest way to the same point is straight line. Strong grips promote hook misses. They always have and always will. Hogans new swing was only manufactured to take the left side of the fairway out of play. And in the process he stumbled into the best way to swing the club for consistency. The strong grip has to roll the wrist over. That is almost impossible to be consistent with having another movement that has to be perfectly time with the unhinging of the wrist. IT is genius and being someone that has used the method for a long, I can confirm it works beautifully and is the only way I was able to break par. Trust me, I tried the other popular method that most teachers preach. And it can work ok if your are very athletic and in your prime and lots of practice. They don't mention it ever, but some of the best ball strikers use the Hogan method. Tiger being one of them.

Very good explanation of Hogan’s ball position foot adjustments and how this affects the swing path, ball impact and flight. These little adjustments make such a difference.

So...is the reason that the ball placement changes because the shafts get shorter the more the club gets lofted? I ask this because I have a set of Cobra one-length irons. Is the variable the change in loft or the change in shaft length - or both? I have read Hogan's "five lessons" and one thing that's helped me a lot is to flare out my left foot and keep the right foot straight (I'm a righty.) This helps quite a bit with my old left knee and allows me to turn more easily.

With the driver set up you describe, where are your eyes focussing through impact?

What about the shoulders? Do they follow the same angle as feet? And the club face, should that be directed at the target?

How’d you go about hi or low shots if the ball is always in the same position? (Beginner golfer here)

Hogan the greatest of all time in my view, given the lack tech in his era

Brilliant. I also read the book decades ago, and still believe (humbly) something is missed from the explanation . Moving the right foot increasingly behind the target line (till driver) effectively moves the ball position increasingly forward in the stance (relative to a new “square-ing” with the stance). No problem. The remaining question is that, now that the feet, body and shoulders are aligned right of the target, the swing path will also be increasingly to right of target - unless the swing is increasingly modified each time to re-align with the target. This must be the case, otherwise an increasingly in to out path would carry the ball increasingly right. Since in your demo, the ball always go straight, this correction must be the case. So, the confounding requirement that results is your feet must NOT be used to align the club face square to them. The clubface must instead be square to the target. In normal present day teachings, this (closed stance with clubface square to target) is the perfect setup for a draw (or even hook) with the driver. And yet, somehow it opposes modern wisdom and goes straight. I’d be interested in your thoughts on this. My personal take is that a more forward ball position (eg driver) increases the likelihood of a fade/slice, and Hogan's method provides a compensating draw/hook swing. In modern parlance - “a fault to fix a fault” Contemplating this further, Hogan's ball position, relative to centre is different for every club. He only has one club that sits in the middle with a perfectly square position and zero swing plane compensation. So, if we need, say, a rising hit (driver) we must choose a more forward ball "position" that inevitably produce a fade/slice setup that MUST be corrected somehow,. Hogan's method spells out how to easily set up for this without wasting years developing some compensating feel for every different club / ball position. So its not a fault to fix a fault. It is a necessary adjustment in response to a requirement of different balll positions. Simply Perplexing! Schaun.

How important is the hip move? Please?

Isn't there a "corrected" version of hogan's stance diagramm with even more closure? Watching old hogan clips my findings are, that his stance is slightly closed even with mid and shorter irons.

With a higher lofted driver, does it change the foot position?

I read his book several times and he favored a fade with his irons especially the short ones and that setup will promote a fade. I have tried it. I think with longer irons and driver it will promote a more neutral fight but for wedges u will be fading ball with Less distance.

Moving the back foot changes the ball position becuase it changes your shoulder line and your chest which defines your low point. You do need to manipulate your grip so the face stays square. Many people try this and start hitting short iron pulls and driver block fades

He used to put the leading edge of the club in line with the center of the ball while he gripped up and set up. I heard that from someone who knew him or watched him. Don't remember which.

Hogan was the first to work out D-Plane. Genius

so, what did hogan do differently with the left side of his right forearm in the start of the downswing

Absolutely what I needed to see. Over the last couple of month i’ve rebuild my golf swing using Ben Hogana 5 lesson and it has transformed my game. The consistency is what I’ve struggled with and I believe this is the peace of the puzzle I was missing. When I read it in the book it didn’t make sense to me and it felt counter intuitive that the ball position would stay in same position and you just have to build your golf swing with you stance. Because how golf it taught now a days and everywhere you look about ball positions they all teach it the same way. So I’ve generally ignored this part of the lesson and carried on with the “traditional” way of using ball position based on the club your using. I have a golf sim at home with my Skytrak and can’t wait to go execute this step which I can tell you after watching this video will unlock my golf swing and give me the accuracy and consistency im looking for. Love this video 1000%

I try to keep the same ball position with small variation (off left instep or an iNch or two inside) based on the Jimmy Ballard connection stance. He supports a wide stance for every club. My short iron play is inconsistent so I try to tinker at the edges with stance width

Around 8:27 you said the “face is 2.2 deg open to target”, but it’s actually 2.2 deg open to path. With a 1.2 deg path, 1.2 + 2.2 = 3.4 deg open to target. So the only reason that ball still curved a bit right to left is because you caught it off the toe, gear effect made that ball curve left. Otherwise that would’ve been more of a push or slice.

So square club to target then set feet?

oh man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does this apply to one length clubs?

So what happens with your shoulders? Are they square to target alignment or are they square with your feet?

Interesting but I don't think I should try it for my irons with my out to in swing🤣

As clubs get shorter the amount of lag (forward lean of shaft) built into the hosel increases. That means when the golfer’s lead arm hands vertically below the left armpit the ball must be placed further back in a parallel stance. But to eliminate that variable Hogan instead preferred to keep the ball in the same place relative to his front foot for all clubs and the only way to get the club head to that fixed ball position is to use a closed stance relative to the target for clubs longer than 7 iron and open stance for shorter ones. So one way or the other it is the difference in the hosel/shaft angle designed into the club which dictates where in the stance the ball must be placed or alternately how much the stance must be opened or closed relative to a fixed ball position. I found that learning to hit the ball both way facilitated being able to shape shots nine ways as suggested by Tiger Woods: nominal, low and high trajectory / straight, draw and fade.

Shouldn't the heel of the right leg be parallel with left leg heel?

where did u find that tee?

Excellent discussion, and I agree Hogan was a genius. I have studied his book extensively and spoke to people who knew the man himself. Most of his ideas could be well integrated into the modern swing today with the exception of the cupped left wrist. The cupped left wrist, which Hogan claimed he used to avoid the dreaded hook, would be a disaster for modern players with modern equipment. Besides, if you studied any of Hogan's swing videos, one would easily observe that he didn't actually have cupped wrist in his normal swing (practice or game swing). He played with a generally flat left wrist at the top of his swing.

4:22 START HERE FOR THE MEAT