| In Harvey Penick's Little Red Book, he said the | | | | From another point of view, I heard Byron |
| putter, driver, and wedge were the most | | | | Nelson, Hogan's contemporary, say on a televised |
| important clubs, in that order. Ben Hogan, he | | | | golf match from the 1950s, "If you can drive and |
| reported, said driver, putter, and wedge. Penick | | | | you can putt, you can play this game." |
| went on to give the reasons for his order, but | | | | And the wedge. Sometimes we miss a green, or |
| we never heard Hogan's reasons for his. Here | | | | in the case of a par 5, we need a third shot to |
| they are, gathered from what I have read of | | | | get on. Hogan prided himself on being able to get |
| Hogan's writings. | | | | his wedge shots close. He felt if you could, there |
| Hitting a good drive puts you on offense. It | | | | was no way a pin could be hidden from you. In |
| leaves the ball in the part of the fairway here the | | | | fact, he called his pitching wedge his "equalizer", |
| green can be attacked, and even the pin. You | | | | and Ben Hogan iron sets do not include a club |
| should have a plan at the outset of every hole, | | | | marked P or PW. They all have an E. |
| and getting the ball off the tee into the right place | | | | How can this inform your game? Practice your |
| is the key to carrying out your plan. | | | | swing with your short irons. Hit very few drivers |
| Hogan off the tee wasn't interested in distance. | | | | in practice. It's a seductive club that can ruin you. |
| Getting the ball "out there in the fairway" wasn't | | | | When you hit a driver, just stand up a little |
| good enough for him. He had a spot marked out | | | | straighter, play the ball forward, and use your |
| where he wanted the ball to end up and his goal | | | | short iron swing. That's all you need to do. |
| was to hit it there. | | | | Practice your putting every chance you get. |
| The putter is next, of course. Hitting your | | | | Practice your stroke at home every day for ten |
| approach shot close doesn't count unless you sink | | | | minutes or so with 3- to 8-foot putts. Every time |
| that birdie putt. Getting on the green in regulation | | | | you go to the range, practice approach putting |
| doesn't count unless you get your approach putt | | | | from 30 feet to leave the ball inside 18 inches. |
| close enough to make the second. | | | | Wedge? Find two distances, 30 yard and 60 |
| Yes, Hogan hit his irons close, but he didn't make | | | | yards, and practice until you can hit the ball on a |
| birdies by hitting six-irons to two feet. In his prime | | | | dime from each one. |
| he was regarded as one of the tour's best from | | | | If you practice like this, you will play your best |
| 10 feet in, and he made his share of 12- to | | | | golf and no course will be too difficult. |
| 15-footers, too. | | | | |