If you’ve gone through my breakdown of the Ben Hogan Swing video that was so shockingly incorrect in its analysis that I had to go through it point by point, then you know that I believe that this very video is responsible for all of the flawed Hogan swing instruction.
I decided to go through the clips online that I could find, and I’ll show the most egregious two YouTubers with a pretty large following.
Also, guess what the first video was?
It was a chap who was using the exact same video as he talked about Hogan’s pivot, which you will all know by now, I feel was a “perfect pivot” action.
I have the video marked to start where you only need a few seconds, hopefully, to see what I’m talking about.
Watch No. 1
You see that? I mean, you could see it in the video thumbnail without even watching it.
Nothing remotely approaching Hogan’s pivot and head position, and look at that nailed down leading foot compared to Hogan’s leading foot.
For someone hawking the “simple magic” of Hogan’s pivot… not so magical.
Let’s try another one.
This next one is an absolute fraud. He’s been around since my own Ben Hogan Project back in 2014 when Jim McLean so annoyed me that I decided to break it down for myself and my WAX Nation citizens.
No. 2 – Nope
I call him a fraud because it takes more than wearing a Hogan driving cap to swing like Hogan, plus Ben Hogan didn’t teach the golf swing to students. I searched high and low for any references online to find 1. Hogan teaching students and 2. Teaching them this drill.
He was a playing professional, not a teaching pro. So, whatever this fellow is saying is fraudulent. Not to mention his ridiculous attempt at imitating Hogan’s pivot:
No word of a lie, I kid you not – that is the top of his back pivot. That’s as far back as he takes it (or course, with such a flat plane and planted leading heel), absolutely no hip turn to speak of, and watch his off-balance twisting foot finish. It’s just awful, but a lot of people have bought this rubbish as a Hogan swing.
You can find others purporting to know what Hogan was doing, and you know what? I still think they’re all working off that 60’s video absolutely mangling the mechanics.
Not one of them actually show what Hogan did in his pivot.
Back in 2014, I was telling people Hogan did this, and I actually compared it to Tiger Wood’s top position to show the disconnect of the kinetic chain when you don’t let the leading heel move naturally:
I was still working out the pivot action in July of ’14, but again, a far sight closer to Hogan than anything you’ll find online:
I can even tell you where I wasn’t quite there yet, and that was in the right leg not straightening as much as the legend’s.
I got there, though:
Again, I never tried to swing or teach a swing exactly like Hogan, but I loved his pivot action and used it in my modeling thereafter:
2016 – From the “MCS – Perfect Pivot” Video
… and I was able to absolutely pummel the ball using this pivot action, albeit from a setup more like Jack Nicklaus’:
Jerry “BT” Crowell helped me demonstrate in an earlier video from 2015, how these people pivot when they nail their leading foot down, and doesn’t this below look a lot like what they’re all doing out there?
… and of course, we know how sweet Hogan’s pivot action looks when someone actually knows how to perform it:
Also BT
So, calling a dog a cat doesn’t make it a cat, and calling this garbage you see online “Hogan’s swing” absolutely doesn’t make it so.
Only Hogan swung like Hogan, but you can certainly use his pivot action to great effect!
WAX Golf 
I feel sorry for people who’ve actually paid to gain access to the “miracle swing” secrets.Somehow he’s managed to gain access to interviews with the likes of Nicklaus and Player,and the late Mr Burke himself.Just a few weeks before the old man’s death as well.
Yh,Jackie Burke even said Hogan would question Jackie when he gave tips to people.The Hawk didn’t believe in giving potential competion help.
Ben Hogan’s “secret” must be the ultimate golf grift.I’ve lost count of how many videos and books there are that hold the “key” to his “secret”.
People forget or don’t even know that Hogan wrote very little of his “5 Lessons,” and he never really did share the precise details of his mechanics.
If you know anything about the man, you know that he would hit balls until his hands bled when he was trying to make it on the tour circuit. Later, when he became a legend, having dug it out of the dirt over years of failure and misery, he once remarked to pros who were watching him hit balls, “No wonder you aren’t getting better – you’ve all got calluses on your asses.” He wanted nothing more than to play golf, hit balls, and to be left alone. Anyone who thinks he was going to just give people anything more than the basics, doesn’t know Hogan.
Interestingly, just yesterday, I had pulled up DJs Hogan pivot video on my laptop to watch again. Inspired by this work, I decided a trip to the range to practice my renewed vision of pivot greatness. At the range, I found my favorite spot unoccupied and donning earbuds to listen to the dulcet tones of DJs instruction and placing my phone where I could glance at it if needed, I realized my tech genius struck again – no video downloaded onto my phone! Undaunted, I typed Hogan swing into the YouTube app and who should pop up but the Christo Garcia “Over the Top” swing. Eeesh! Mr. Garcia is really a professional actor turned professional golf swing salesman. Honestly, I don’t understand this methodology except to liken it in some small part to Jim Furyck’s loopy swing. I tried to imitate Christo’s motion – no luck. DJ, your work remains distinct and untouched viewing a heap of “secrets” and “the one thing you need” sales pitches for swings out there. Jerry’s swing is a thing of beauty. Your swing is a thing of beauty. Don’t stray folks. It isn’t safe out there!
I don’t know that I’m worthy of such heady praise, Peter, but thank you, sir. You are correct however – the less said about that charlatan, the better, and Jerry’s 2016 swing was poetry. I enjoyed watching him hit balls and working with him on his setup and mechanics.
Actually, Jim Furyck’s swing is more an up, out and down in move and Garcia teaches taking back to the inside and swinging down “over the top” or looping a bit outside from the inside takeaway. Didn’t want folks to think Furyck’s swing was the same…
Understood. Basically, the opposite of Furyk but still a loop. I personally don’t really understand the obsession with back swing path and plane, to be honest – if you’re in the proper, mechanically-sound position at the top from which to swing down to a proper impact (path, plane, shaft and club face angle), then I don’t care what the back pivot looks like.
In this fellow’s case, nothing is proper. It’s all slick talk, costume and BS.
DJ, great article. I have been studying Kelvin Miyarira’s chi line and you just nailed it. You get your lower portion of your lead leg onto that line in the backswing and then keep your hips from moving way beyond the chi line on the downswing. How beautiful! I have been making 100 or more backswings per day as I need to get better and you just gave me the major piece of the puzzle. Getting into that position makes the transition and downswing so much easier. Thank you very much.
http://kelvinmiyahiragolf-articles.com/index.php/articles/45-2009-03-the-sadlowski-rotational-axis?highlight=WyJjaGkiLCInY2hpIiwiJ2NoaScsIiwibGluZSIsImxpbmUnIiwibGluZScsIiwibGluZScuIiwiY2hpIGxpbmUiXQ==
I remember Kelvin from back in the winter of 2013-14, Bob! Time sure does fly. And you’re welcome 🙂