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Trevino told me Byron Nelson believes the modern golfer has two advantages over the older generation. Trevino agreed with his fellow legend at first. Yes, today’s courses are much cleaner.
And the second?
Trevino had some ideas, as only he could pass on them.
The conversation came this week at A new breed of golf Shown on SiriusXM. Host Michael Breed, a longtime and acclaimed teaching professional, pitched Nelson’s idea to Trevino. And before we get into their adorable dialogue, we should note two things. First, you should listen to Breed regularly, and You can do that here. And Trevino, as often as he can flip a phrase, can just as easily translate the short game. Google it. Lee Trevino’s Short Game buried treasure. It’s a wedge whisperer.
And on his show, Breed asked Trevino this:
“I remember having a conversation with Byron Nelson at Augusta National, and he said there were two things about his era of player that the advantage a modern player has over his era of player — one, is your perspective, the conditions of the golf course and trying to figure out a way if you have a lie in the middle The fairway, the second is the 60 degree wedge. You’re well known for playing your wedge. How important, how important is the 60 degree in today’s game for this modern player vs. when you were playing with that big thick sole Wilson’s R-90 wedge that was easy Getting him out of the dugout but very hard hitting him with high shots around the greens?”
Trevino’s answer started nonchalantly.
“One of the best clubs I’ve had, believe it or not, was Sandy Andy,” he said on the show. “It had about 22 degrees of bounce on it. But you know, I played my hand forward and got the ball back, so actually the bounce on the club was only 13 by the time I hit the ball. And that’s the way it was.”
Then Trevino hit a score of 60, which began to become popular in the 1980s.
“But a 60-degree wedge is the worst thing that ever happened to a high-speed user, because he can’t use a 56 yet,” he said on the show. “I mean, he has to learn to use the 56 before he gets to 60. I don’t know why they’re carrying the 60. They can’t use the damn thing. They always lack it.”
“The reason they fall short is, if you play an amateur who has an eight or more, if he gets 60 out of 60, he’s generally short; he’s always short. The reason is that they don’t realize how much loft is in that thing and they tend To swing it as fast as it swings a 56. And it’s not going anywhere. I mean, it’s not going anywhere. Lies tight, and all of a sudden, now they’re getting these little things – built the way the architecture is with fall greens and everything “That’s the worst club you want to use out there is the 60 because the grain is against you. And that club is sharper. You don’t bounce on it so much. The secret is to open the 56 wide to get a little more bounce and then rotate it; close the toe a little bit.”
Trevino had more guidance.
“I’ll tell you how I do it,” he said on the show. “I took the club yard. You can use this. I will give you permission to use this.”
“Oh, believe me, we recorded this,” said Brid.
In short, Trevino said you don’t need to speed to get out of the cellar.
“We need to take turns,” he said on the show. “And the reason they need to spin is simply because they keep the sand on the club surface longer. And the longer they keep sand on the club front, the farther the ball will come out. The problem is people open the club front and then hold it normally. And then when they swing at it They open it more, or try to open it.
“Well, the secret to a guy playing a slow cellar with a club who can’t get out is to take the wedge, hold it in the air, close it, make a fist, and then open it with your arms and wrists. In other words, open your arms wide. And you’ll feel the rubber band effect. You’ll feel it.” With tension in the forearms. And what that does when you go down on the ball, it releases on its own; you don’t have to do it manually. …
“And then what happens is, you turn it back up a little bit, and you hold the racket — you hold it closed a little bit and then you run your hands wide open where your right hand is pointing almost in the air, right palm up, holding that stick. And you feel the tension in your arms and your forearms. And then as you come down, The club will close automatically; you won’t open it anymore. And then you’ll have a chance to get out of that cellar.”
With that, Trevino’s lesson is over.
On the show he said, “And if it works out, just send the check to Dallas, okay?”
Editor’s note: To hear about Trevino’s entire appearance on the show, go to: Please click here.