Swing like Hogan | Golf Monthly

Well as a young teen I was given the book by a neighbour - it had been her son's and he had left home.

At the side of our back garden we had a garage - and in the garden side of the garage were a glazed door and a large window. I put the book on the ground open at whatever I wanted to 'learn' and looking in the door and window (for side and face on) I matched position of my hands, arms, hips and and legs to the pictures - liking especially a couple of stance pictures and a swing sequence. I would do this for quite a while each time. And then went to the private school playing field across the road from us (it was always empty) and hit golf balls (I only had two or three and so didn't get to many reps in ). Then at weekends and holidays went to the local muni with my mates and played.

But always back to the book and the window of the garage.

I'm thinking not an ideal way to learn a swing - but 15yrs later one day out playing with a bloke I didn't know - he turned to me and said 'Though we haven't played before I have been thinking I know you - and I've just realised why - you swing it like Hogan )

it worked great for a long time - for as long as I was playing a lot - then when I wasn't it stopped working.

I still love flicking through the book.