I have a 5 iron swing from when I shot the “E = MCS” video back in 2017, and you can see how deceptive the Hogan pivot action is with the low heel lift – but the fully turned hips provide all of the leverage power here.
I know that if I can successfully transfer the knowledge of how to perform this pivot, it will be a game-changer, even for the WAX Nation citizens of old – there is a Classic Golf Swing pivot, and then there is the Classic Golf Swing pivot, which is Ben Hogan’s.
The reason that people (in my opinion) have focused more on Hogan’s swing than Jack Nicklaus’ (even though Nicklaus’ swing was superior, except for the pivot action) is because of how elegant it looked when he was swinging.
One thing – notice how Hogan’s shaft went past parallel but today’s Modern-obsessed swingers and analysts, even as they sing his praises, would criticize this move in any other swinger.
You also see what people are missing and why no one out there talking about Hogan can swing like him – when you watch his transition from the top, he has a distinct “step” into the down swing, which you can only get from fully turned hips and a leading leg “gate swing” from setup to the top.
Notice that Hogan doesn’t have a hyper-extension of the leading foot through impact-finish phase, no spinning on the heel, no Flying Foot. Just great mechanics, Classic-style.
That step into the down is where all the leverage is generated. Watch that club just flash through the bottom at impact.
Looking at my sequence with the 5 iron, you see:
- Fully turned hips even though the leading heel lift is so slight that you barely see any,
- Plenty of stored energy in the cocked leading wrist – coming into impact, my hands are nearly to the ball and yet I still have a 90 angle between the leading arm and club shaft,
- Weight into the leading foot at impact with the trailing foot releasing and
- A balanced comfortable finish, watching a smashed ball fly toward the flag.
It all begins with a proper address, and once again, you’ll get the best results using the Jack Nicklaus-style setup (MCS differs slightly but is modeled after his):
Nail that address, nail that pivot, and you will transform your ball-striking in ways you never thought possible.
More to come.
WAX Golf 
Hi I had a question about something additional. I saw in an article that you said would remove the content of this point in quotations below from one of your swings. By saying that you’d change your angled foot line, does this mean that you’d change the flare of your feet to being square at 90 degree angles and perpendicular to the target line or what is your opinion about the optimal foot flare? Thanks either way.
“I had an angled foot line (optional for those who want it), but the standard model won’t have that.”
The feet are always flared, Michael – by “angled stance line,” I refer to the line of the feet in reference to the target line.
Open foot line turns you toward the target, closed line away from the target.
Okay, thanks. My fault for misunderstanding. For angled stance line referring to the line of the feet in reference to the target line do you endorse a square one on all clubs?
No worries. And that is correct – I recommend standing square to the line of swing, whatever shape you’re choosing.
With a draw, you change your stance line to closed regarding your target, but you swing square to the stance you’ve taken and the closed face will draw the ball to the target.
And so on.
it’s hilarious that tiger woods and morikawa have gone on record through taylormade’s clinic about off-setting their feet or aiming at their knee to hit fades – deviating from a single simple swing and pushing joints where they shouldn’t
nicklaus had a beautifully simple video about shot shaping where he discusses path to face can be simply manipulated by changing your stance line & closing/opening face while swinging square for repeatability
Yes, sir! Such an easy concept – set up square to the line of flight that you want your ball to start, turn the face left or right to fade or draw.
That’s why Nicklaus was so long playing a power fade – he struck the ball squarely swing straight down the line and the face determined the shape and destination.
how would you describe the mechanically correct trail elbow & wrist hinging assuming the optimal grip you’ve outlined?
noticing people either keep them at their address position until the weight transfer completes the shoulder/hip turn then hinge both naturally to top OR gradually hinge the elbow and wrist throughout the takeaway & backswing (like chipping where the entire sequence is scaled down)
conceptually it seems like as long as both shoulders and the lead arm levers rotate about C7, you will always stay on plane to hit straight
I like to begin the arm and hinge motion as the weight begins to transfer, Kaushal – that may be just a personal thing, but the one-piece takeaway just feel synchronized, the way you would draw back a baseball or cricket bat. Again, the simplest way is usually the best.
At the end of the day, if you’re set up properly and don’t move the C7, all roads lead to the same destination at the top, as you stated! The way I do it, precisely, I will be sharing in the upcoming video.
agreed – it seems purely aesthetic the obsession with zero movement until weight transfer completes (much like the obsession with top parallel etc)
natural & simple one piece is not only repeatable/efficient but scales up to full swings easily from chipping as your short game video pointed out
anyways excited for the new video and thanks again
Very welcome, Kaushal!