Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you — including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.
Nothing hits quite like a Lee Trevino golf tip — especially on a Monday after a holiday weekend. So in that spirit, today’s Shaving Strokes lesson comes from the six-time major champ, who provides an easy-to-follow nugget to help put yourself in a better position to succeed with each shot.
First, a mental exercise: Do you address the ball with both hands on the club?
Vintage Lee Trevino video reveals the secret to hitting crisp irons
If you do, there’s a good chance you do a little wiggle to get yourself loose — and maybe even help align yourself towards the target better. But when you do this, guess what happens to the clubface? It often turns, meaning you’re now out of position since the clubface moves as you do.
This is where Trevino provides today’s lesson: Always address the ball with just your left hand.
Follow Lee Trevino’s tip when addressing the ball
In the video above, which comes from GOLF Teacher to Watch (and Short Game Chef) Parker McLachlin, Trevino reminds players to avoid the habit of addressing their ball with anything but just their left hand.
But why’s this the way to do it? Allow Trevino to explain.
“Don’t ever go into a shot with the club in your right hand, because it sets the angle way back,” Trevino says. “Then, when you put your left hand on the club, it opens up the face to go too far to the right. Then you’ve got to do all of this wiggling to help get back to center.”
This simple grip hack will confirm if your clubface is square at address
So if you often fight a slice (which many amateurs do), a quick fix could simply be rethinking your address. This way, both your hands and the clubhead aren’t in two different positions at impact, and your clubface control is consistent from start through finish.
“If you address the ball with your left hand, you can see the line [you’re aiming for], and you’re on it,” Trevino adds. “And then I wouldn’t even have to look up again, and I can just hit the shot, because I know I’m on line.”
It might seem too easy, but by simply following Trevino’s advice here, you should see better results straight away.
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