Show eG R CE ST. ST T PETERSBURG FLA A A year or so ago Sammy Snead the ex- ex hillbilly from the uplands of West Ves Virginia was golf's most famous entry Through the thelast thelast thelast last year this mantie mantle mantle man man- tle tie had floated to the should shoulders ers of Ben Hogan from the plains of Texas v Snead in one season season season sea sea- son picked u up over in prize prizeS prizeman S 4 man money e y Hog Hogan an hasn't yet reached that mark but his tM general average Grantland Rice through the last 12 months has been one of golf's sensational stories Gene thinks Hogan today is the greatest golfer in the game- game one of the greatest of all time as asfar asfar asfar far as and grim competitive competitive competitive com com- concentration are con con- What is there left Snead played brilliantly through the recent international four-ball four championship but Hogans Hogan's luster carried an even deeper roseate tint or glint The slender Texan was phenomenal H How ow They Com Compare pare I asked Bob Macdonald not only one of the star stylists of his time but also one of the best instructors and keenest observers to give me his idea of their swings Bob Macdonald Macdonald Macdonald Mac Mac- donald is a veteran Scot who has played golf for 40 years and has seen them all drift by Snead and Hogan have different methods of hitting the ball Bob said Snead gets most of his p power largely from his left shoulder which controls a good part of his swing lIe He has a a magnificent left shoulder turn Of course the left side of his body left hip and left knee turn with the left shoulder He doesn't depend so much on hand and arm action Hogan uses his hands as well as any golfer I ever saw I might even go further and say he uses them better better better bet bet- ter than any golfer I ever saw Of course Hogan also has a sound left r ic Yr Y v. v i ik f k SAMMY SNEAD side body turn But from the top of the swing he calls on the whiplash whiplash whiplash whip whip- lash power of his hands to speed the on through the ball Hogan Hogan Hogan Ho Ho- gan uses his hands much more than Snead uses his Snead uses his left shoulder more than Hogan does At the time we were following the final match together Here are some other details that should be watched Macdonald said Watch Vatch how well both Hogan and Snead use their feet By that I mean the transference of major weight from the left side to the right righton on the I should say that Snead has more width to his swing than any golfer Ive I've seen His arc is tremendous They are both in position at the top of the swing to use their full power which so few golfers ever are Not enough golfers ever think enough about the They only think of hitting the ball which means the downswing How can you have a good downswing when you have no no for a foundation in the way of balance Dela Delay at the Top Watch this the veteran contin contin- I HI mean the smooth unhurried unhurried unhurried ried pace of Sneads Snead's and the slight delay Sam has at the top You never see him hurry either a or the start of down down- swing Timing after all is largely a matter of taking your time Snead does this all through his I swing He De completes his large arc without any rush at any time Hogans swing is faster but just justas as well timed tuned His hand action takes care of the entire situation once his is finished prop prop- erly His two hands work perfectly in relation to the accounting accounting accounting account account- ing for his marvelous iron play Because of the tenseness and concentration concentration concentration con con- required through his tournament tournament tournament tour tour- play I asked Ben if he weren't might burn himself himself himself him him- self out Im taking that chance he saidI saidI said I figure Id I'd have to get all I could from golf for two or three years more and then settle down on a small Texas ranch You have to work hard to meet the pace in this modern golf It leaves you dizzy Here Ive I've been playing my head off for months and when I landed at Belleair Bellenir I hadn't won a ment |