Lee Trevino On the Right Forearm Flying Wedge

[EdZ]

Interesting segment yesterday on The Golf Channel's Champions Learning Center.

Lee Trevino was giving Jerry Pate a lesson on the practice tee of the Ford Senior Players Championship, and as Jerry addressed the ball, Lee had this to say:

"This elbow" -- Lee punched Jerry's right elbow with the butt end of a driver -- "should be broken a little...inside...just a tiny bit. Then you can go from there. That's where your power comes from."

Despite the focus on the subject on this site, very few students come to me with this alignment in place. It is given scant attention elsewhere, and most advice, e.g., "let the arms hang naturally," totally ignores it.

So, the handicap golfer labors on in the ignorance of either omission or misconception.

But not Lee.

As I watched Lee punch Jerry's right elbow, I was transported back to January 1982, a public range in Seattle, and the lesson I took from Homer Kelley. With me in my address position, Homer leaned over, took his hand and forcibly bent my right elbow.

"Your arm's too straight, Lynn. Put some bend in it."

Good advice then.

Good advice now.

It is basically impossible IMO to feel the proper plane, the 'slot', without this critical right elbow position at address.

When you get this correct, in combination with properly set flying wedges, the plane 'staying between your arms' feeling is very clear, as is the feel of straight up the plane, straight down the plane motion of a zero shift. The right forearm 'magic'. The left thumb becomes a very clear 'guide' as well.

As I write the Open is on, and I see that even the greatest, Tiger, has an issue here. In fact, the biggest thing keeping him from winning every single event is his right forearm postion and his grip. His current grip has him fighting his alignments, which he manages to 'save' often, but which fails him on his wild right shots (ironically, those have his right forearm in a better impact position, but due to his grip it goes wide right)

[blehnhard]

Ed - do you feel that Tiger's right hand is too much "on top" and not enought to the side?

thanks - Bruce

[EdZ]

Ed - do you feel that Tiger's right hand is too much "on top" and not enought to the side?

thanks - Bruce

yes - both hands, IMO, are on the 'weak' side, which forces him to 'do' something to square up. He does this in two ways, by getting into an arched position at the top at times, and by effectively moving clubface control to his right hand (especially on iron play).

In 2000, he was keeping his flying wedges in place, both of them.

Now, he either keeps his left wedge and goes right, or keeps his right wedge and 'blocks' his irons (with some left side breakdown)

A very slight adjustment to his left thumb and a slight strengthening of his right hand would allow him to keep both his wedges.

With his current motion, he would do best always playing a fade and/or adding FULL roll. Either of which would be a compensation for not taking his grip at impact fix.

The rest of his motion is so outstanding that he can compensate, but the long term issue needs to be addressed before he is back on 'auto'. He is stuck between his natural trend towards using his right arm, and a grip that requires giving up control to CF and using full roll.


Get his wedges back and grip from impact fix and watch out world!

[jim_0068]

yes - both hands, IMO, are on the 'weak' side, which forces him to 'do' something to square up. He does this in two ways, by getting into an arched position at the top at times, and by effectively moving clubface control to his right hand (especially on iron play).

In 2000, he was keeping his flying wedges in place, both of them.

Now, he either keeps his left wedge and goes right, or keeps his right wedge and 'blocks' his irons (with some left side breakdown)

A very slight adjustment to his left thumb and a slight strengthening of his right hand would allow him to keep both his wedges.

With his current motion, he would do best always playing a fade and/or adding FULL roll. Either of which would be a compensation for not taking his grip at impact fix.

The rest of his motion is so outstanding that he can compensate, but the long term issue needs to be addressed before he is back on 'auto'. He is stuck between his natural trend towards using his right arm, and a grip that requires giving up control to CF and using full roll.


Get his wedges back and grip from impact fix and watch out world!

His grip might have been "stronger" on the club but his left wrist was still just as flat as it is now at the top of his swing.

[EdZ]

His grip might have been "stronger" on the club but his left wrist was still just as flat as it is now at the top of his swing.

Yes, the key is the left thumb position in either case. Right now his left thumb is not in a position to provide the most 'support' at impact and he must compensate for that with his right side and a slight left wedge breakdown (or wrist arch). When he doesn't - fore right. The right side being a touch too high (too much on top of grip, forcing right forearm too high) doesn't help that either. Combined they require a very full roll to square up. I would tell him to either adjust his grip slightly, or hit a full roll fade from his current position.

[blehnhard]

Looks like Chris DiMarco sets his right forearm on plane right before takeaway. Very 'high hands' at address compared to most.

Bruce

[rogerdodger]

Watching Bobby Clampett in the early 1980's hit balls at a Kemper Open, I noticed he "pumped" his right arm towards his left as a preswing waggle, bending it twice before starting his swing. He absolutely was a phenomenal ball-striker then and I tried to copy this move unsuccessfully, not realizing until now that it was impact fix. Moving away from a low hands address and soleing on the toe has made a huge difference in my swing. The right elbow under the left completes the picture.

[EdZ]

yes - both hands, IMO, are on the 'weak' side, which forces him to 'do' something to square up. He does this in two ways, by getting into an arched position at the top at times, and by effectively moving clubface control to his right hand (especially on iron play).

In 2000, he was keeping his flying wedges in place, both of them.

Now, he either keeps his left wedge and goes right, or keeps his right wedge and 'blocks' his irons (with some left side breakdown)

A very slight adjustment to his left thumb and a slight strengthening of his right hand would allow him to keep both his wedges.

With his current motion, he would do best always playing a fade and/or adding FULL roll. Either of which would be a compensation for not taking his grip at impact fix.

The rest of his motion is so outstanding that he can compensate, but the long term issue needs to be addressed before he is back on 'auto'. He is stuck between his natural trend towards using his right arm, and a grip that requires giving up control to CF and using full roll.


Get his wedges back and grip from impact fix and watch out world!

From the few close up of Tiger's grip aired on Sunday, it is in a MUCH better position than earlier in the season (even earlier in the week IMO). In fact, his motion on Sunday was simply outstanding - the best combination of this old move from 2000, and the work he has done recently I have seen to date.

[blehnhard]

I did notice that all of Tiger's divots were pointing 'left' - lots of controlled fade working yesterday.

Bruce