Lee Trevino swore by 3 putting tips — and thought he’d win if he followed them

Lee Trevino had just laid out three pieces of his putting approach, all in just under a minute, when an observer asked a question. 

Is that it? Follow those three, and your ball will find the hole?

The man’s words had just left his mouth when Trevino opened his in response. 

“I’m going to putt good and I’m going to win [if I followed them],” he said. 

“If I’m doing two, I’ll finish pretty close to the top. 

“If I’m doing all three poorly, then I’m way down at the bottom.”

Trevino was talking via a video recently posted to the Lee Trevino Fans Instagram account, and you can watch the video here and find other videos from the account here. It also serves as a good introduction to the legendary six-time major winner, though you’re very likely already familiar with the now-84-year-old. 

Trevino, wise and a giver of his wisdom, shares with utmost confidence, which has made him much adored by his many followers.

As to why Trevino would make this bold claim? In the video, Trevino also explained the three pieces of his putting approach. First, you should watch the video, and it’s below. Below that, we’ll talk about it. 

3 pieces of Lee Trevino’s putting approach  

1. ‘The position of the left hand’

In the video, Trevino said he often sees players holding a putter with their left palm facing outward. 

But he believed you shouldn’t, and here was why.

“The one thing that I want to talk about here is the left hand, the position of the left hand,” he said in the video. “A lot of people get down and they get the left hand and it’s too weak. [He demonstrated by holding the putter with the left palm facing the camera.] You notice how the back of the left hand is actually pointed away from the line. In the stroke, this left hand will want to work back up. Which what happens to the face of the club that opens? 

“The ball goes to the right.”

2. ‘Left shoulder up’

In the video, Trevino said he also often sees players taking the putter back and breaking their wrists — “instead of the right hand taking the club back smoothly.”

He had a thought on how to correct things.  

“To do that,” he said in the video, “you must have the left shoulder up, you see what I’m saying. It’s got to be up, in this position.”

3. ‘Your hands have to be forward’

In the video, Trevino also suggested a slight putter lean forward. 

He also had a thought on how far it should go. 

“Almost to the point to where if you close your left eye, look down at the top of your left shoe [and] that [putter] shaft should be center of the left shoe,” he said. 

In the video, Trevino then dropped about an 8-footer that broke left to right. 

Like he said he would.