Swing Thoughts and Lee Trevino

Thought this would make a really good topic for discussion. My golf instructor really favors an open stance to the ball, with all clubs, loaded into the left side. The downswing is initiated with breaking the knees towards the target and then just turning to the finish. The club just drops to the ball. It reminds me so much of Lee Trevino's swing it's crazy. Best of all, I am starting to hit shots so solid, with little effort, I can hardly believe it.

What is everyone's opinion of Lee's swing and the open stance setup? I noticed looking at youtube videos that even Tiger sets up with an open stance, left foot flared and back about 2 inches from the line. Hogan did the same. I am wondering if it wasn't just for conjuring a fade, but to promote overall great ball contact.

I read a very interesting article a while back talking about how it was a shame that what Lee Trevino discovered in his swing, more amateurs don't use. Lee's swing could actually be very easy for the amateur, because it promotes body movement, and not a really high degree of athleticism. I'll see if I can find the article. In the meantime, thoughts anyone?

I think it's a good method, for sure! Especially if you're swinging back outside & closed as Trevino stated. I guess his knees sliding forward pulled his club back to the inside slot where he could rotate through.

I'm wondering if he flared the left foot to help get his knees & hips rotated out of the way with his knee slide maneuver. I thought Hogan flared his foot to across the ball in order combat his hook as well.

If you go by his book, Hogan used an open stance for the shorter clubs, but a closed stance for the longer clubs. But yes, he flared his left foot.

I flare my left foot, but just realized I setup with a closed stance. This was pointed out at a local pro shop. the guy then predicted I would hit low and a little left. He was right, but I'm not sure how he knew. I have to aim right about 10-15 yards with my irons and wedges and pull the ball back to the target. Maybe I should look into the open stance and Trevino style. I know I play with a closed face, flat swing and laidoff backswing position. And I take a fair divot with everything up to the 7 iron.

(Thanks, that was a thoroughly enjoyable clip. What a character, very likeable guy.)

But wow, his feet and legs are very active. I'm trying to reduce the variables. However the flare of the front foot makes it easier to rotate for me.

I couldnt agree more. He is a genius.

many people play with open stances because it is easier to rotate the hips through impact. a pro suggested i do it, but when i tried it a hit consistant slices... this might be because of my flat semi-swing though. works for some people, but not for others... best try everything and see what works for you, just like putting.

I am not sure but I think that Lee Trevino's right foot was parallel to his open left foot so that both feet we pointing toward the green.

You are right, in both cases. In my opinion, based on results with golf students, Hogan has a swing worth copying. Trevino's was effective for him, but is NOT worth imitating. I watched him play 18 holes in an exhibition in Old Forge, NY, in 1972, and observed him close up. As we all know, he had very noticeable lower body action in order to get his hands "in the slot" on the downswing. If a player has a good backswing, there is no need for such an exaggerated action to get into good position at impact.

BUT let me tell you this-----I may tell people "Do NOT copy Lee's swing", but he was a great ball striker, and his record attests to that.

^Pez is correct in my view. Trevino is to be admired for hard work enabling him to repeat his moves at will, but there are just too many of them to try to start the learning process with. The flared lead foot serves to ease hip clearing and is employed by near all top strikers.

just wondering if people have formulated these post with or without knowledge of how trevino himself described in his own words (with the help of an editor and illustrator) in one of his books? This book which I speak of is a masterpiece. Has anyone read it?

That swing looks like a recipe for back problems down the road. . .

I do this when I hit finesse shots into greens. I flush it almost every time and can hit the little baby cut I prefer into a tight pin. The only bad thing is that, once in a while, I'll hit one dead on the line I'm lined up 'open' towards.

Give it a try at the range and mess with several variables to see what it does for you.  I'm one of those people that if stuff isn't working, I'll tweak it in a heartbeat (nothing extreme).  I had been using a closed stance for everythnig for a long time and gradually kept hitting on the toe, to the point I was ligning the ball up in the heel of the club.  I switched to a slightly open stance (I mean ever so slightly opened) and bam, center strikes and I was clearing my left hip out so nicely.  I was pulling my shots left, so I had to manipulate my aim point a tad, but it worked out nicely.

I do it on my shorter clubs, I don't on the longer clubs because if I do I tend to double cross and hit a big hook. Might be a balance issue. I did start doing it because I have a bad left hip and it seems to help.

Quote:

Yes. I got a copy recently and have gone through it several times. There are just a few new things you to have to put into your swing. It's not that hard. I'm trying it out just for fun. When I get them right, I hit balls that are wicked straight.

The open setup makes ball position and aim problematic, and he doesn't address these well or at all in the book.

Also, he says in the book he stands open 30-40 degrees. That makes you pull your left foot back a LOT more than 2 inches. It's more like 10. I'm not copying that.

As for my bad back comment above, if someone were to hit many thousands of golf balls with this swing, I still think so, but so far I haven't felt anything and my back is quite sensitive to that stuff.