LEE TREVINO - who has met him or taken a lesson??

[MadGolfer76]

This puzzles me a little bit. There is so much talk about Ben Hogan and his swing (all rightly so), but Trevino is often mentioned in the same breath and has no where near the cult following. If Hogan were still alive, I imagine people would be flocking to him for information.

 

Why is this not the case for Trevino? Has anyone met him or taken a lesson with him? I would have thought it would be game affirming to take a lesson from one of the few remaining masters of the golf swing. Anyone else?

[juststeve]

I've known Lee for years. We are currently members of the same club. I played with him quite a lot, watched him like a hawk, but never had anything like a lesson.

He was for a long time a great ball striker but not with the kind of swing you would teach others.

Steve

[MDP1555]

met him years ago while I was a junior in high school 1972.

The reason he is not held in superior regard in terms of his golf swing is because it was not one to imulate unless you had Lee's back problems. you have to understand Lee had cronic back issues as a young teen. he also had very little formal instruction. he learned to swing by playing. While he is a great mentor and a very compatent instructor his swing is not a very teachable swing nor desirable for the masses.

Lee's swing is the ultamate homemade swing and consiquience of his back issues

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='juststeve' timestamp='1344461382' post='5432462']
I've known Lee for years. We are currently members of the same club. I played with him quite a lot, watched him like a hawk, but never had anything like a lesson.

He was for a long time a great ball striker but not with the kind of swing you would teach others.

Steve
[/quote]

I am totally jealous of you, Steve! What is it about the swing that wouldn't translate well? I have always admired that swing.

[Body_Visions]

Probably couldn't stand it.

I did meet his son one time. He seemed to be a nice guy, he must have taken that from his mother. He looked a lot like him and swung almost identical, so maybe Lee would try and get everyone to swing that way, and that is the answer.

[lobub]

[juststeve]

MadGolfer:

I intend no criticism of his swing. I admire it as well. For him it produced some of the purest shots anyone has ever hit.

The reason no one teaches that swing is that to make it work like Lee does takes a great athlete willing to practice almost endlessly. If you consider Lee's leg action, so necessary to keeping that strong grip from closing the face down, you will realize that most mortals just can't do what he did, and still does even at 70 years old. An absolutely beautiful action below the waist that is not accessible to very many other golfers. Who else can do that?

Steve

[MadGolfer76]

[quote name='juststeve' timestamp='1344467290' post='5432940']
MadGolfer:

I intend no criticism of his swing. I admire it as well. For him it produced some of the purest shots anyone has ever hit.

The reason no one teaches that swing is that to make it work like Lee does takes a great athlete willing to practice almost endlessly. If you consider Lee's leg action, so necessary to keeping that strong grip from closing the face down, you will realize that most mortals just can't do what he did, and still does even at 70 years old. An absolutely beautiful action below the waist that is not accessible to very many other golfers. Who else can do that?

Steve
[/quote]

Steve, I agree. I didn't perceive any criticism at all. Just looking for information and opinions from folks who have first hand interaction. Trevino's swing just looks so "real" to me. Nothing contrived, just an honest expression of the man using it, so far as I can tell.

[juststeve]

You are absolutely right. Lee's swing is Lee's swing. When you see it from a distance it couldn't be anyone else. Just so repetitive and pure.

Steve

[MadGolfer76]

So, what are the components of a Trevino-like swing? What type of golfer would it fit?

From my untrained eye:

1) Open stance
2) Strong grip
3) Hard leg drive (as Steve mentions)
4) Two plane swing?

Am I correct on the last point? It seems as though he is coming into the ball on a shallower plane than the backswing. Is this a product of how he turns through the ball?

Also, he seems to pull hard left with his irons and almost saw off the finish? The driver swings I have seen, he appears to go all the way through with the arms in contrast to irons/wedges.

[fireguyfrank58]

I saw Mr. Trevino about a month ago at Gaylord Springs. He is one incredible ball striker. Hit a lot of draws and a few hooks but still on the money. He was putting on a hitting exhibition for Bridgstone Golf. He has many lessons to teach golfers and has the ability to convey a message in simple terms that make is easy to pick up. I would give my left lung to have a session with him but I'd be laughing so hard I'd pop the other lung and die. Truly a golf great.

[Cwebb]

[quote name='juststeve' timestamp='1344467290' post='5432940']
MadGolfer:

I intend no criticism of his swing. I admire it as well. For him it produced some of the purest shots anyone has ever hit.

The reason no one teaches that swing is that to make it work like Lee does takes a great athlete willing to practice almost endlessly. If you consider Lee's leg action, so necessary to keeping that strong grip from closing the face down, you will realize that most mortals just can't do what he did, and still does even at 70 years old. An absolutely beautiful action below the waist that is not accessible to very many other golfers. Who else can do that?

Steve
[/quote]

Lee has great leg and hip action, but he's certainly not the only one who can do that. I'm curious why you think this lower body action wouldn't be doable for many players? It's a "slide/turn" in relation to an open stance.

[mattwood]

I saw him at an exhibition a few years ago in Plano. He took a 5 wood and could hit it like a 5 wood, then like a 5 iron, then like a 7 iron, and then like a wedge. He would hit at different practice greens, all at varying distances, and change the trajectory on each one. Hitting the wood like a wedge was really amazing. Truly a great ballstriker. Absolutely love his swing!

[PingEye2]

I saw him at an exhibition when I was just a young boy. He had just won the US Open (and Canadian, too, as I recall). At any rate, it was the opening of the original course in Hot Springs Village, AR. He and Miller Barber played the course with another pro whom I don't recall.

Lee did one of the most amazing things I've seen to date...par 3 over water, probably close to 200 yards. A long iron in that day. Lee drops a ball on the tee, steps on it so maybe a quarter to a third of it is buried into the teeing ground, grabs what looks like a 3 iron and rips a head-high cut to about 15 feet. Still shake my head in disbelief thinking about it!

PS....he never missed a beat talking during the swing

[esketores]

I took a lesson from his son Tony. When Tony worked at Hank Haney's golf Ranch in McKinney, Texas.

[coops]

Enjoyed that swing compilation in lobub's reply...

 

Before seeing those in the youtube video, i've tended to remember his swing as a lot more peculiar... more exaggerated, perhaps, since a lot of the highlight swings on tv may have been specialty shots?

Anyway - I like that swing ... check it for the driver in the blue shirt at 3:10... looks great to me - like a poster boy for swinging left.

 

And as i'm a goat humping flippy swinger... i really like this screenshot from later on :-

 

[bhughesgolf]

That was my video from youtube
Trevino did it all great... we are all different beasts...stronger grip ball back a bit more all worked into his open stance and swing a bit right of his aligment
Very workable action as shown by his years of precision ball striking... looks different because of those factors but in reality his swing was right along the correct guidelines for precision... just not as much power as some for the same reasons but right up there with the great strikers of the ball.
Top 3-4 for me in that regard

[BrianL99]

[quote name='Body_Visions' timestamp='1344461878' post='5432502']
Probably couldn't stand it.

I did meet his son one time. He seemed to be a nice guy, he must have taken that from his mother.
[/quote]

That's for sure. He certainly didn't get it from Lee.

[mshills]

[quote name='juststeve' timestamp='1344467290' post='5432940']
MadGolfer:

I intend no criticism of his swing. I admire it as well. For him it produced some of the purest shots anyone has ever hit.

The reason no one teaches that swing is that [size=5][b]to make it work like Lee does takes a great athlete willing to practice almost endlessly.[/b][/size] If you consider Lee's leg action, so necessary to keeping that strong grip from closing the face down, you will realize that [size=5][b]most mortals just can't do what he did, and still does even at 70 years old.[/b][/size] An absolutely beautiful action below the waist that is not accessible to very many other golfers. Who else can do that?

Steve
[/quote]

This point is one reason why I have never understood the Hogan swing-worship. Hogan's golf swing is no more accessible to anyone than Trevino's. Ben Hogan could swing like Ben Hogan. Lee Trevino could swing like Lee Trevino. Without their work ethic and talent, it's nuts to think that any of us could swing the same way.

[juststeve]

mshills:

I couldn't agree with you more. John Jacobs the great teacher said it was Hogan's book that kept him in business. Hogan's was a great swing to eliminate the hook, but most golfers don't need to eliminate the hook. Their problem is the slice.

Steve

[gators78]

[quote name='MadGolfer76' timestamp='1344468066' post='5433040']
So, what are the components of a Trevino-like swing? What type of golfer would it fit?

From my untrained eye:

1) Open stance
2) Strong grip
3) Hard leg drive (as Steve mentions)
4) Two plane swing?

Am I correct on the last point? It seems as though he is coming into the ball on a shallower plane than the backswing. Is this a product of how he turns through the ball?

Also, he seems to pull hard left with his irons and almost saw off the finish? The driver swings I have seen, he appears to go all the way through with the arms in contrast to irons/wedges.
[/quote]

You should try to find a used copy of his book "Groove Your Golf Swing My Way", he explains it in great detail.

What you're missing is he wanted the club to travel down the target line and dead straight to the target for as long as possible, so he describes almost a figure-8 motion. He said aim 20-30* left, take the club outside (along your foot path) then on the downswing think of holding that left wrist and just extending dead straight down the target line rather than a inside-square-inside rounded path.

[MDP1555]

Hogan's swing is held in high regard because it was the the best of the classical form. Built on the classical centerpedal fundamentals. It became the form that pro felt was the corrcet form to teach. Lee's swing while still fundamentally sound wass built on how he had to swing the club due to his back. While an amazing ball striker Lee's swing was a "work arond swing" (as in work around the limitations of his body).

When you break Hogan's swing down in to mechanical actions. Hogan's swing was extremly efficent in the energy exserted to energy applied. it was based on square alignment for a straight shot. A very good model to teach around. You cant say that about Lee's swing. Lee was effective with it but it was never a swing to use as a model to teach by. that does not make it a bad swing for Lee. Just not a great model to teach by.

[Cwebb]

Great wedge shot footage at the end of this video, from both face on and down the line. Also at about 7:00 in, a view of him "crushing the bug" with the outside of his left heel to start the downswing and his "slide/turn", as he describes it

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQXcfRmm3ic[/media]

Then in the next clip he describes how to hit a low spinner "check wedge"....

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5J43wMQXZ4[/media]

[hoganfan924]

Met him once at a lunch counter at O'hare airport when I was about 9 years old. Didn't know it was him at the time, my Mom (who knows nothing about golf) told me afterward. He kind of yelled at me from across the store because I was waiting for a seat and looking at magazines and he was getting up to leave. I think he was there with his son who looked to be a few years younger than me. Just a few years later when I played golf for the first time, I played "Supermex" golf balls. lol

Played with a guy about 6 years ago in the city am who claimed to have met Trevino and talked to him for a while. Said Lee was going to start a golf school and open them up around the country to teach his swing concepts. He seemed sincere so I took him at his word. Wonder what happened if this was indeed Lee's intent?

[AlexCzervic]

LeeBuck's right arm alignments in the downswing are nearly ideal.

AC

[jtotto83]

[quote name='juststeve' timestamp='1344518231' post='5436096']
mshills:

I couldn't agree with you more. John Jacobs the great teacher said it was Hogan's book that kept him in business. Hogan's was a great swing to eliminate the hook, but most golfers don't need to eliminate the hook. Their problem is the slice.

Steve
[/quote]

I grew up around Ft. Worth. Got to see Hogan in person several times. Played Hogan clubs. Collect Hogan stuff now. Love to read Hogan books.

I have never tried to swing like Hogan because I know why Hogan swung the way he did. To fight an overly long swing and a hook. You hit the nail on the head.

[Cwebb]

[quote name='AlexCzervic' timestamp='1344532491' post='5437732']
LeeBuck's right arm alignments in the downswing are nearly ideal.

AC
[/quote]

Yeah, he gets his right forearm right down on the plane line. His feel and description of "swinging down the line for as long as possible", from an upright armswing takeaway and open stance, is a big key in allowing him to get those right arm alignments.

What's interesting though, even for him and being one of the greatest ball strikers ever, is that his feel in that regard is not real. He doesn't chase down the line at all. He actually comes right back to the inside on the arc after impact. I think it feels like a long chase down the line, because it's in relation to an open setup,.....but in relation to the target line, it's right on the plane and arc into and post impact

[rustyputterguy]

It's threads like this why I started reading GolfWRX. Great thread, great comments, thanks guys.

[sompin2do]

I met him in "76" when I was 16 living near Seattle. He spoke at an Ernst Hardware of all places. At the time I had a pair of white golf spikes with the trademark Super Mex sombrero on the flap. They were at least a half size too big but I just wore an extra pair of socks. Loved those shoes and loved watching him play.

Then in the early 90's while stationed at Dyess AFB I was a volunteer marshal for a Sr event and got to see Lee, Chi-Chi, and many others play.

[AlexCzervic]

[quote name='Cwebb' timestamp='1344533924' post='5437882']
[quote name='AlexCzervic' timestamp='1344532491' post='5437732']
LeeBuck's right arm alignments in the downswing are nearly ideal.

AC
[/quote]

Yeah, he gets his right forearm right down on the plane line. His feel and description of [color=#0000CD]"swinging down the line for as long as possible", fro[/color]m an upright armswing takeaway and open stance, is a big key in allowing him to get those right arm alignments.

What's interesting though, even for him and being one of the greatest ball strikers ever, is that his feel in that regard is not real. He doesn't chase down the line at all. He actually comes right back to the inside on the arc after impact. I think it feels like a long chase down the line, because it's in relation to an open setup,.....but in relation to the target line, it's right on the plane and arc into and post impact
[/quote]

Clubface motion.