"Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf"
About this Quote
The intent is instructional, but the subtext is moral: discipline beats drama. “Right position” is doing a lot of work. It’s not only fairways and greens; it’s avoiding the side that brings the bunker into play, leaving an uphill putt, choosing a club that takes double bogey off the menu. Hogan is arguing for a kind of anti-romance - not conservative golf, but consequential golf. You’re not just hitting to targets; you’re managing probabilities and pressure.
Context matters because Hogan’s era prized ball-striking purity and mental toughness, and his own career was defined by obsessive practice and precision under strain. Coming from him, this isn’t a platitude about “strategy.” It’s a window into how champions think: the next shot is already inside the current one. Winning starts before the swing does.
Quote Details
| Topic | Training & Practice |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Hogan, Ben. (2026, January 15). Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/placing-the-ball-in-the-right-position-for-the-167032/
Chicago Style
Hogan, Ben. "Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf." FixQuotes. January 15, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/placing-the-ball-in-the-right-position-for-the-167032/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf." FixQuotes, 15 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/placing-the-ball-in-the-right-position-for-the-167032/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.