[alvoaboafoa]

Did he use a yardage book for yardages for holes or did he just use his depth perception/eye sight? what did people like him do. did he use a sky caddie

[honketyhank]

Hogan was reputed to be one of the most accurate "eyeballers" of yardage. Most good pros of the era could look at a shot and know whether it was a normal, smooth, or hard 6iron, or whatever. But Hogan could actually tell you the number of yards, then cosy up to the flag with maybe three different irons played entirely differently.

[scores]

I heard Hogan was PO'd when the Usga or the pga wharever was the running the tour put yardage markers on the course he was against it..

[Dizzub]

honketyhank, on Jun 27 2009, 08:01 PM, said:

Hogan was reputed to be one of the most accurate "eyeballers" of yardage. Most good pros of the era could look at a shot and know whether it was a normal, smooth, or hard 6iron, or whatever. But Hogan could actually tell you the number of yards, then cosy up to the flag with maybe three different irons played entirely differently.

I can't wait to hear all the "stories" about Tiger after he's done playing for as long as Hogan has been.

[Will Par]

Jackie Burke answered this question in his book. This is the formula used by Hogan, Snead, Burke and the rest of the players in that era. Burke says to look toward the green and determine what club you would need --- with $1,000 riding on it--- to fly the ball to the back of the green. Be honest in your assessment. Then take one club less and hit it firmly or softly depending on whether the pin is in the front, middle, or back. He says this formula never fails.

This is probably a good way to use a Sky Caddy. Make your club selection based on the distance to the back of the green.

[RichB]

Most likely...eyeballed it.
I've got a friend who is a mason
(though I have no idea if his profession has anything to do with it)...

faster and every bit as accurate as laser or GPS...every time.
Absolutely uncanny...to me, who has no depth perception.
When we play, it becomes a game within a game for me,
just like a little kid, I can't get enough of how accurate he is
with merely a glance at the target.

[Mike_C]

I thought I remembered a quote from Hogan when someone asked him the biggest change to golf in his lifetime, but I don't remember when he said it, he replyed "playing by yardage".....

[DaveLeeNC]

I recall reading this once a long while back. I have no idea where I read it or if it is true.

Ben Hogan was playing once and asked his caddy how far to the pin. The caddy said "166, maybe 167". Hogan stared at him in silence for 15 seconds and then finally said "well, which one".

This next one is true. It was it 1971 and Frank Beard was opening a golf course near Louisville, Ky. He and Arnie were playing an exhibition match. On the very first hole (par 4) Arnie hit a short iron to the back of the green. He said to his caddie "I thought you said it was 125". The caddy said "it is" upon which Arnie said "it is 125 to my ball" (which was a 25-30' past the pin).

dave