Power Golf

This was written in 1948 and is utterly useless as a "how to" guide for a beginning or intermediate golfer in 2001. I'm sure that even Hogan, if he were alive, would tell you not to buy it as an instructional guide. It is, however, FANTASTIC for the scores of photographs of Hogan at all stages of his swing. You'll clearly see why this man hit the ball in a way that we amateurs never will and 99% of professionals never will. As someone else pointed out, this is Hogan's swing before his near-fatal accident and before he developed a controlled fade. Some of the positions he achieves are mind-boggling and completely beyond anyone without his supreme talent. For the best quality in the photographs, I'd look for a used hard-cover copy (they are still plentiful). Buy this, but only as a piece of golf history. For instruction from Hogan, buy Five Fundamentals or one of the recent videos analyzing his swing.

Although it is often overshadowed by his second book, 5 Lessons:The Modern Fundamentals of Golf, Hogan's first book, Power Golf, still deserves it's place on any golf addicts bookshelf. Power Golf offers Hogans wisdom on other facets of the game than the full swing, especially shotmaking. The difference in the quality of writing can easily be understood because Hogan wrote his first book alone and the second with the help of one of the greatest golf writers of all time, Herbert Warren Wind.I found this book to be a fascinating look at the way Hogan played the game and a great source for more of the clear practical thought that we found in 5 Lessons.

I found this book to be an exceptional "how to" for basics- grip, stance, ball position, ...Contrast Hogan's basics in this read from his widely popular "Five Lessons...". There are notable differences in grip, for example. Like most of us, he continued to evolve his game and approach. Both books are a must have. Power Golf was a great find.

Sorry to disagree with the other esteemed reviewers! I love this book. Not as great as his more famous "5 Fundamentals", but nonetheless still packed with valuable insights, and superbly written.This was done before his great transformation. He had already reached the pinnacle of pro golf but had not yet suffered the car wreck. His swing at this stage was a classical, long, professional swing of that era.

Ben Hogan, one of the great legends of golf, describes his own playing style in order to help other golfers shave points off their game. Numerous illustrations show every aspect of the mechanics of the game in great detail. Golf history buffs will enjoy stories from Hogan's career. If you're looking for a comprehensive golf instruction book, look no further. Chapters include EVOLUTION OF THE HOGAN GRIP, CLUBS ... SELECTION AND USE, STANCE GIVES YOU BALANCE, THE FULL SWING, TURNING ON THE POWER, IRON SHOTS FOR ACCURACY, PUTTING, BUNKER SHOTS ARE EASY, UPHILL AND DOWNHILL SHOTS, and STORMY WEATHER GOLF. Also includes EIGHT HINTS ON HOW TO LOWER YOUR SCORE and advice on MATCH PLAY GOLF.