I have so many thousands of swing clips that I’ve compiled over the years between 2007-2022 that it is sometimes surprising to look back on the various models I’ve worked on.
It is beyond doubt to me, however, that my favorite ever driver swings to watch face-on are from May 15, 2015 – I hardly ever swung exactly the same way from day to day, as I was conducting swing research, but that day stands out to me as the day I nailed it.
Sometimes, just as how it sometimes happens that you pass the road you’re looking for, you realize that you went past it and have to double back to reach your destination.
These swings weren’t perfect – I will show down the line later for my opinion on why not – I had a slightly angled foot stance, my arms were more extended than I would likely stand today, and of course, I think that my right hand grip was overly strong.
These minor details aside, I don’t think I could have looked any better observing my face-on swings – again, perhaps the grip.
The stance over the ball, the ball position itself, everything about my setup makes me perform the “chef’s kiss” when I watch these swings back a decade later.
I even had, less than a year removed from my “Ben Hogan Project” video, the signature Hogan Waggle:
Here is a gif. of that above swing:
The pivot action was everything I say one should have in a pivot – the full hip and shoulder turn, stable head on the back pivot, the down move from the top and the impact position.
Another swing from that day, in slo-mo:
And the impact position:
I can look through my archives until the cows come home, but when I get to that May 15th folder from 2015, these are the only driver swings I can sit and watch all day long.
WAX Golf 
Beauty!
I love watching the old classic swing instructions where they always stress the importance of the waggle!
Over the weekend I watched a Shell match between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. The course was over 7,000 yards in length and they average about 260 yards off the tee.
Ben hit every fairway and every green and usually had a long iron or fairway wood in his hand for his second shot (unlike today’s pitch and putt). It was amazing to see these guys hit and shape 1 and 2 irons.
Had me thinking, if the PGA rolled back the golf ball and club tech (maybe even force them to hit blades) to where it would take a Hurculean effort to drive over 280 yards, how many of these guys would still be competitive if they were forced to hit long irons and woods into the green? I don’t think very many…
Thing is, Snead and Hogan were both 53 in that match, so they were well off their prime.
Hogan wouldn’t have been much longer in his 40s, but Snead could slam it out 300+ in his day.
Your point remains, however – today’s players would end up in traction with a ball and club rollback and they don’t often hit long irons – they would struggle but, as always, the better ones would learn proper swings and rise above the rest.
I can’t imagine how far guys like Snead and Nicklaus could hit their Driver with today’s tech. Would it be ridiculous to say that they would push 400 yards?
400 yards, yes sir. Nicklaus said as much…