Ben Hogan gave Gary Player some brilliant advice way back in 1957, and now every single amateur golfer can learn from one of the greatest golfers of all time.
Player has shared numerous golf tips with amateur golfers throughout the years, but this one came via the late great Mr Hogan.
Player recently described himself as the third-best golfer of all time, behind only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
Interestingly, though, Player has often referred to Hogan as the greatest player who ever lived.
Many believe that the nine-time major champion, who won 64 PGA Tour titles in total, would have been the most successful golfer of all time had he not been involved in a life-threatening car accident in 1949.
He was a real joy to watch when he was in action and his swing is still one that many players in the modern era try to replicate.
Gary Player’s priceless tip for amateurs which Ben Hogan gave him
Back in 1957, Hogan had already won nine majors, while Player was only 21 and still hadn’t won any of the four biggest tournaments in the game.
Player was speaking about where most amateur golfers go wrong, during an instructional clinic, and he shared a priceless tip given to him by Mr Hogan.
He said: “This I only learnt when I was 70 years old. I won nine majors, 165 tournaments. 18 majors, nine on both tours swinging the wrong way.
“The greatest player in the world did it, Ben Hogan, he mentioned to me but I was too damn dumb to understand what he was saying.
“He mentioned it to me in 1957 and I did not understand it. I only figured it out when I was 70 years old.
“I was always taught straight back (leaving a big gap between your lead arm and your chest on the backswing).
“You’ve got to be able to swing the exact same way, and even then it’s tough. So now, if you go back with your left arm across your chest, you’re the same every single time. Whereas you go back there (outside the line), you’re different all the time.“
Ben Hogan’s ‘pane of glass’ drill
Hogan had a wide takeaway, with his trail arm connected to his chest.
This enabled to him to get the club in the perfect position at the top of his swing, as his one piece takeaway was connected with his body.
As a result of Hogan’s perfect connection between arms and body, he was able to ‘swing under a pane of glass’.
Hogan spoke about the drill in his book – Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, which was published in the late 1950s.
The idea was that Hogan could have a pane of glass resting on his shoulders and the plane of his swing would ensure that he never touched the glass.
Ask anyone who is genuinely knowledgeable about the game who was the best swinger of the golf club in history and the vast majority would say Ben Hogan.
Now amateur golfers can use the tip that Hogan gave to Player nearly 70 years ago in order to improve their own swings.
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