Lee Trevino and the 6 Wood

[Shallowface]

Too bad there are no close-ups of the actual club, but still a neat story of how he designed it.

 

 

 

 

[freddiec]

Thats awesome. Good example of a great ball striker who worked or invented his own gear. No need for an "Equipment" rep telling you how high you need to hit it or a launch monitor for Merry Mex. Lee must have had a blast hitting that club, the ultimate "original" utility club.. Good post..

[BIG STU]

I read this story a long time ago and it prompted me at the time to go to a 6 wood (Northwestern Laminate) Now it did not hurt that a good friend of my Dad's who was a pro in Florida at the time carried and hit a 6 wood in fact he showed me some of the same Trevino tricks with it. In fact he was the guy that showed me that same article. I carried that little 6 wood for years. I had a strange set up for the time I carried a Spalding 4 1/2 wood that 6 wood and a 1 iron. Back in those days I only carried 2 wedges a Spalding 10 iron and a MacGregor or R-90 Wilson sand wedge. folks thought that was strange that I carried that "funky" 6 wood and could hit a 1 iron. Today I carry a 7 wood and a great member on WRX is sending me a 9 wood to match the 7 wood so when it gets here the 4 iron is coming out of the bag

[BIG STU]

[quote name='freddiec' timestamp='1420754172' post='10711199']
Thats awesome. Good example of a great ball striker who worked or invented his own gear. No need for an "Equipment" rep telling you how high you need to hit it or a launch monitor for Merry Mex. Lee must have had a blast hitting that club, the ultimate "original" utility club.. Good post..
[/quote]Trevino was always a club tinkerer and so was Mr. Palmer. I got to see in his bag close up at the old Kemper open in Charlotte one year. he had wedges that he had took a grinder to with plenty of lead tape and I do remember what must have been that 6 wood sticking up sans head cover. don't remember the driver or irons but remember that wood and the wedges

[Texsport]

Basically the modern hybrid design.

I have a Wood Bros " Lob Wood" prototype that was similarly designed.

Texsport

[super20dan]

i had a northwestern 7 and 9 wood way back in the 70,s

[parpar41]

Great bit of history from 1982 and still entirely relevant information and advice.

I was just reading in another golf mag that Cobra introduced their Baffler ( a wooden utility club with 25 degrees of loft and a weighted sole plate) in 1973.

The inspiration for the first modern hybrid clubs, circa 1999.

Apparently the entire Cobra company started with the introduction of a single product, the Baffler.

Thanks for posting.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='parpar41' timestamp='1420755940' post='10711379']
Great bit of history from 1982 and still entirely relevant information and advice.

I was just reading in another golf mag that Cobra introduced their Baffler ( a wooden utility club with 25 degrees of loft and a weighted sole plate) in 1973.

The inspiration for the first modern hybrid clubs, circa 1999.

[b]Apparently the entire Cobra company started with the introduction of a single product, the Baffler.[/b]

Thanks for posting.
[/quote]

Very true. I read that the founder of Cobra, Tom Crow, would take the original Baffler to club pros and demonstrate its usefulness by hitting shots off the club's asphalt parking lot. I don't doubt it. I've hit them out of divots and the ball came out just like it was in the fairway.

There was one of those What's In The Bag shows on Golf Channel a couple of years back where Cobra clubs were featured. Jesper Parnevik was hitting one of the original Bafflers. He liked it.

[jmoore22]

I have a faultless 6 wood in the garage Lee Trevino edition, pretty cool little club

[Shallowface]

[quote name='jmoore22' timestamp='1420767281' post='10712301']
I have a faultless 6 wood in the garage Lee Trevino edition, pretty cool little club
[/quote]

Please post a picture if you can. I'd love to see it!

Back in the early 70s when Lee was hot, I saw an ad in The Sporting News for something called "Lee Trevino's Club for Golfers." It was basically a fan club, but they sold a clone of the putter he was using at the time (looked like an 8802) and they also offered 6 woods. Never saw a picture of the 6 wood. Maybe you have one of those.

[Shallowface]

[quote name='BIG STU' timestamp='1420755034' post='10711273']
I read this story a long time ago and it prompted me at the time to go to a 6 wood (Northwestern Laminate) Now it did not hurt that a good friend of my Dad's who was a pro in Florida at the time carried and hit a 6 wood in fact he showed me some of the same Trevino tricks with it. In fact he was the guy that showed me that same article. I carried that little 6 wood for years. I had a strange set up for the time I carried a Spalding 4 1/2 wood that 6 wood and a 1 iron. Back in those days I only carried 2 wedges a Spalding 10 iron and a MacGregor or R-90 Wilson sand wedge. folks thought that was strange that I carried that "funky" 6 wood and could hit a 1 iron. Today I carry a 7 wood and a great member on WRX is sending me a 9 wood to match the 7 wood so when it gets here the 4 iron is coming out of the bag
[/quote]

Back in the early 90s I was privileged to get to play some golf with a group of fellows who were in their 70s. They didn't mind having me around as I was in my early 30s at the time and could play a little bit, and I grew up playing with older gents and always preferred their company. All I had to do was listen!

One of the guys had been a local government official, and managed to get a letter printed in the paper at least once a week. He was a blast to be around, smart, funny and profane. One day he showed up with a Northwestern 11 Wood that he'd scored for 7 bucks at the local Big Lots. It had one of those single step Power Kick shafts.

I'll never forget how he stiffed a shot with that club on a 125 yard par 3 and tapped it in for two. Man he was proud of that shot and that club!


Great memories.

[teevons]

here is a picture of a Jack White hickory shafted wood and a 6 wood baffler , not sure when it was made, I recently re shafted it, it has three brass runners on the sole like the bafflers,
over 100 year old idea, I am sure there are other ones with similar idea from that era.

btw i love this wood, plays like a 3 wood for me.

Hit it off the tee a couple times today about 220

[BreakingPar]

Wow. Awesome read, thanks for sharing!

[Mitchell]

Gary Adams often enjoyed recounting experiences on the range with various pros during the early days of Taylor Made. He particularly enjoyed recounting getting one of the techs to modify the original tour cleek to Trevino's liking by bending several different heads until got face progression just right and sourcing a particular Apollo stepped shaft so that feel would be most similar to "Miss Helen" wedge.

[jmoore22]

I'll post a pic tonight of the Trevino faultless 6 wood I have I'm currently at work

[birly-shirly]

Lee Trevino. Dirt-poor, self-taught, clutch, unconventional, smart-talking, all-time-great-ballstriking AND he designs his own clubs.

Nowadays we've got Ian Poulter designing his own trousers. If nothing else had happened in the good old days EXCEPT Lee Trevino, I think I'd still be nostalgic.

[Blade Junkie]

Great article on Trevino - thanks for posting.

I have a set of Paul Gibson Hand Made woods that came to me recently as 2-wood, 4-wood, 6-wood ... this thread has me itching to try them out !

[dlygrisse]

Later in his career when he was playing Taylor Made he carried one of those Raylors that had about 25 degrees loft on it. I remember in a skins game he stuff a shot tight from a fairway bunker with it, he was raving about it will being interviewed by Rossie or someone.

I assume his 6 wood would have 25* loft?

Wood club specs were usually
Driver 11*
3 wood 16*
4 wood 19*
5 wood 22*
6 wood 25*

I remember reading Billy Casper carried a 6 wood as well.

[BIG STU]

This thread reminded me of something I believe I have a couple of Stan Thompson Ginty woods in the storage house. I might look this weekend

[BIG STU]

[quote name='birly-shirly' timestamp='1420822419' post='10715907']
Lee Trevino. Dirt-poor, self-taught, clutch, unconventional, smart-talking, all-time-great-ballstriking AND he designs his own clubs.

Nowadays we've got Ian Poulter designing his own trousers. If nothing else had happened in the good old days EXCEPT Lee Trevino, I think I'd still be nostalgic.
[/quote]ROTFLMAO all around true statement if there was ever one. And you forgot one thing about Trevino he was smart talking but he could back it up! That just cracked me up Poulter designs trousers and Trevino designed his own clubs ------ priceless!!

[Zpilot]

[quote name='BIG STU' timestamp='1420845910' post='10718397']
This thread reminded me of something I believe I have a couple of Stan Thompson Ginty woods in the storage house. I might look this weekend
[/quote]I still have a Ginty. I don't play it anymore but I do carry a 7-wood just to hit out of heavy rough (which I seem to find often). I believe the Ginty had a 7-wood loft and a 4-wood shaft in addition to the center rail in the soleplate.

[Shambles]

I would agree with everything Trevino said except the business of hitting the ball out of the tall grass. Even the original 24* railor does not work well for me in the tall grass unless the ball is sitting tall and perky. I suppose I just do not have the strength to drive the head through the grass and, for me, it ends up sailing on top of the grass thereby topping the ball. That's why I still rely on the lofted irons.

Those lofted fairways had a lot of uses that the current generation is currently re discovering with the Hybrids. If I were in the States I would be haunting salvation army sales or the play it again stores for those long ago gems.



Shambles

[BIG STU]

[quote name='Shambles' timestamp='1420964999' post='10725901']
I would agree with everything Trevino said except the business of hitting the ball out of the tall grass. Even the original 24* railor does not work well for me in the tall grass unless the ball is sitting tall and perky. I suppose I just do not have the strength to drive the head through the grass and, for me, it ends up sailing on top of the grass thereby topping the ball. That's why I still rely on the lofted irons.

Those lofted fairways had a lot of uses that the current generation is currently re discovering with the Hybrids. If I were in the States I would be haunting salvation army sales or the play it again stores for those long ago gems.



Shambles
[/quote]Really it depends on a lot of different factors when coming out of the rough. It may be the type of grass and the dampness of the grass. Sometimes the lofted iron is the correct play sometimes you just have to suck it up and go for the lesser distance. I am not good myself with my 7 wood out of tall bremuda or rye grass I tend to pop it up in fact I can hit a 7 or 8 iron further or better in that case

[BIG STU]

[quote name='dlygrisse' timestamp='1420826652' post='10716433']
Later in his career when he was playing Taylor Made he carried one of those Raylors that had about 25 degrees loft on it. I remember in a skins game he stuff a shot tight from a fairway bunker with it, he was raving about it will being interviewed by Rossie or someone.

I assume his 6 wood would have 25* loft?

Wood club specs were usually
Driver 11*
3 wood 16*
4 wood 19*
5 wood 22*
6 wood 25*

I remember reading Billy Casper carried a 6 wood as well.
[/quote]I think one of the best shots I ever saw in golf happened a few years ago in a senior tour event. I don't remember the exact event but Tommy Armour III and Nick Price were battling down the streach and TA III hit a 5 or 7 wood out of a fairway bunker to the green near the pin. Even Price commented on how great of a shot he hit. I think TA III went on to win that event or finished second. Went against the grain of what my old man and other old pros used to say " wood out of the bunker wood in the head" Advances in equipment even in the Ginty days have certainly made that statement obselete

[Shambles]

[quote name='BIG STU' timestamp='1420970514' post='10726001']
[quote name='Shambles' timestamp='1420964999' post='10725901']
I would agree with everything Trevino said except the business of hitting the ball out of the tall grass. Even the original 24* railor does not work well for me in the tall grass unless the ball is sitting tall and perky. I suppose I just do not have the strength to drive the head through the grass and, for me, it ends up sailing on top of the grass thereby topping the ball. That's why I still rely on the lofted irons.

Those lofted fairways had a lot of uses that the current generation is currently re discovering with the Hybrids. If I were in the States I would be haunting salvation army sales or the play it again stores for those long ago gems.



Shambles
[/quote]Really it depends on a lot of different factors when coming out of the rough. It may be the type of grass and the dampness of the grass. Sometimes the lofted iron is the correct play sometimes you just have to suck it up and go for the lesser distance. I am not good myself with my 7 wood out of tall bremuda or rye grass I tend to pop it up in fact I can hit a 7 or 8 iron further or better in that case
[/quote]

It is a fact, in my book, that club design has a great deal to do with the utility of any club under different conditions. The disadvantage of woods, utility, trouble or hybrid, has always been, for me, the large flange that is a necessity with any wood or it's relative. It's like the hull of a boat and needs to be used only where it does not get in the way. Bermuda is tricky grass because of it's density but it also acts as a natural tee if the ball did not land and stop, but rather rolled onto it. You just need a slightly steeper swing to get the face on the ball.

This discussion has encouraged me to re shaft an old Fourteen 24* Hybrid that I had previously lost interest in because I was doing so well with my 22 * Hybrid and my 21* fairway. I might need to reconsider the role of my bagged clubs.



Shambles

[Shallowface]

[quote name='Zpilot' timestamp='1420960872' post='10725801']
[quote name='BIG STU' timestamp='1420845910' post='10718397']
This thread reminded me of something I believe I have a couple of Stan Thompson Ginty woods in the storage house. I might look this weekend
[/quote]I still have a Ginty. I don't play it anymore but I do carry a 7-wood just to hit out of heavy rough (which I seem to find often). I believe the Ginty had a 7-wood loft and a 4-wood shaft in addition to the center rail in the soleplate.
[/quote]

I carried one of those regularly in the late 70s/early 80s. I remember a number of shots out of the rough that went freakish distances when I was just trying to advance the ball on a Par 5. Made even more remarkable by the fact that those specs were 29 degrees and 42 inches, compared with today's 7 woods which are 21 degrees. I've never hit a similar shot with a metal 7 wood.

Must be the weight distribution. Louisville Golf sells a similar club called the Wood Niblick and claims that the weight distribution in that club is impossible to achieve in metal woods. Everybody points to the keel as the reason for that club's effectiveness, but I believe the weight distribution was the real key. I've hit plenty of keel sole metalwoods and never was impressed.

The soleplates on those first Gintys tended to separate from the head. Mine went flying down the range one summer evening. What a strange feeling that was...halfway into the follow through the club became weightless. Eventually they started running a bolt through the top of the head to secure those plates.

[freddiec]

I watched this last night. I think any Trevino fan would enjoy this. Its about his success and experience playing the British Opens. He says a lot of interesting eye opening things. He was a golfing Genius like Seve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-FsBqSOX60

[jmvargas]

[quote name='dlygrisse' timestamp='1420826652' post='10716433']
Later in his career when he was playing Taylor Made he carried one of those Raylors that had about 25 degrees loft on it. I remember in a skins game he stuff a shot tight from a fairway bunker with it, he was raving about it will being interviewed by Rossie or someone.

I assume his 6 wood would have 25* loft?

Wood club specs were usually
Driver 11*
3 wood 16*
4 wood 19*
5 wood 22*
6 wood 25*

I remember reading Billy Casper carried a 6 wood as well.
[/quote]


..i have always been a big fan of lofted woods and had the Ginty and the Heavenwood as soon as they came out and also had a Cobra baffler and the first version Taylormade raylors...

i now have a matched set of JDM Giga HS781 woods from an 11.5* driver/ 15* 3W/ 18* 5W/ 21* 7W/ 23* 9W/ 25* 11W....

..the driver has a forged titanium body and beta titanium face while the fairway "woods" have a steel body and the same beta titanium face..

..superb set of clubs and really effective for seniors like myself!!

prior to that i also had a set of 3/5/7/9/11 Callaway Steelhead III fairway woods although their lofts were not indicated..

[resnor]

Awesome article, thanks for posting it!!

[jonnygrouville]

Not quite Trevino standards, but have been messing around with some old persimmons.

Had done up an old Mizuno five wood for a mate of mine then chopped it down to two iron length as he likes his rescue clubs. Needed quite a bit of lead to get it up to a reasonable swingweight, but works well from damp rough and stuff like that.

[attachment=2587961:P1261141.JPG]

Then put the bit of shaft I had just chopped off into an old four wood, stretching that out to 41 3/4. This thing shifts. And high! Can always choke down to normal four wood length. This is a keeper...

[attachment=2587963:P1261142.JPG]