Swing Sequences: Lee Trevino and Son

By Peter Morrice Photos by Stephen Szurlej

February 18, 2013

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Lee Trevino has always said that his self-taught swing was an accident of nature, and warned that those who tried to imitate him could wind up in a world of hurt. So when Trevino's youngest son, Daniel, took up the game seriously three years ago, he taught him sparingly and sought help from teacher Randy Smith in Dallas. The result: Daniel the golfer is developing a sound, modern swing, one that bears no resemblance to that of his famous father. The apple is falling far from the tree.No player in history hit the ball more solidly than Lee Trevino—so said Ben Hogan—and few were as accurate. So why the reluctance to pass along the best lessons from his swing to his son, who is eager to learn the game? "I was good, a pretty big gun," Lee says, "but my swing had a couple of drawbacks. I couldn't hit the ball high, which you have to do on courses today. My swing was hard on my body. I wasn't much of a long-iron player. If Daniel's going to play with the big boys, he can't have the limitations I had."Daniel's swing is the opposite of mine," Lee says. "I fade it, he hooks it. He nails it high, I still hit it low. His swing is pretty long, mine is short—and getting shorter. Daniel's has adequate power; he blasts it 290 even though he's only 5-foot-6. I can only carry it 235. His irons are exceptional. But his best trait is something you can't see: passion. You can't teach that."For his part, Daniel, a plus-2 handicapper with little competitive experience except for a few amateur events in Dallas, knows his dad's swing well. "We played 52 days straight once. I beat him about half the time, and it would be more if he didn't chip in so much. He'll get after me for not listening. If he tells me something and I ignore it, he says I have to polish his trophies when we get home. That's a lot of trophies."Dad's control is amazing, especially with wedges. He's as good as the young tour players when it comes to creating shots and managing distances. He hits it so solid, and holds the angle beautifully through impact, even with the driver. I can see why Dad's in the Hall of Fame."—Guy Yocom

LEE: My dad dances into the shot. He moves his feet a lot to get comfortable over the ball.__DANIEL:__Daniel tends to play the ball too far forward in his stance. Another inch back would be better.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

LEE: See how lightly he's holding the club with his right hand? That's his feel hand.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

__LEE:__By hinging his wrists early, all he does from here is turn his shoulders to the top.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

DANIEL: He's wound up nicely, with no sign of tension. I wish my backswing looked this good.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

LEE: Dad says he feels like the back of his left hand is a reflection of the clubface.DANIEL: Daniel shifts his weight to the left but stays behind the ball. That's key with the driver.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

__DANIEL:__With his weak left-hand grip and the bowed wrist here, no way he's overhooking.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

LEE: In the old days, Dad's hands wouldn't have rolled over. I guess this comes with age.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

DANIEL: Small golfers have to go at it hard. Daniel has left nothing in the bag on this swing.Analysis by Lee Trevino (Daniel's swing) and Daniel Trevino (Lee's swing).

Fortinet Championship

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Swing Sequences: Lee Trevino and Son

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