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Moe Norman was a Canadian legend and a man revered by golf professionals, touring and teaching, all over the world for his uncanny ability to hit a golf ball straight every time. Moe’s golf swing was called many things during his lifetime, “weird, unorthodox, different” , but his genius for striking a golf ball could never be denied.
Lee Trevino said of Moe, “When you talk about Moe Norman you are talking about a legend. And I'm talking about a living legend. Because the public doesn't know Moe Norman. But you ask any golf professional whether you are an Australian or whether you are in the U.S. or whether your are in Great Britan, and you say that's the Canadian guy that hits is so damn good and I says that's him. He's a legend with the professionals.....I think that if someone would have taken Moe under their wing and I think if they would have taken Moe and said, look we are going to play here, and don't be afraid there is no telling what Moe Norman would have won. I think he would have won the U.S. Open, I think he would have won all the tournaments around the world. I mean he is that good and he is still that good....I think the guy's a genius when it comes to playing the game of golf."
Moe developed his ‘unique’ swing over 5+ years of trial and error starting at the age of 15, and  enjoyed much success as both an amateur and professional golfer. With 17 holes in one, three scores of 59, four scores of 61, and over 30 course records during his career , Moe dominated Canadian golf through the mid 20th century. An unnaturally shy man, Moe shunned public appearances and speaking. His shyness only disappeared while he held a golf club in his hands. During tournaments, Moe would hit drivers off of 6” tees, soda bottles, and play par 4 holes ‘backward’, hitting a wedge off the tee and a driver onto the green and still make par or better. After a brief stint on the U.S. PGA tour, these antics earned Moe a ‘dressing down’ by some members of the tour, and he left to never play in the U.S. competitively again.
Moe’s accuracy with a golf ball earned him a meager living until in 1995. During one of his clinics, Moe hit over 1,500 drivers in a little over 7 hours, all of which where within 15 yards of one another. It was this accuracy that eventually earned Moe the respect and notoriety that true genius deserves. In January 1995, Titleist decided to pay Moe $5,000 per month for nothing more than his unique contribution to the game of golf. Moe passed away September 4, 2004 at the age of 74, with hundreds coming to Kitchener, Ontario, Canada to pay their respects to the legend.
Moe’s genius with a golf club was seen by thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, throughout his lifetime. He often hit balls at the Canadian Open for the touring professionals when the tournament was in town. 
When asked “Who’s the best golfer you’ve ever seen?” in a September 2004 USA Today interview , Vijay Singh answered, “Moe Norman. I've hit balls with him lots of times. He was incredible. Whatever he said he could do, he could do. If you talk to Lee Trevino and other greats of the game they'll tell you how good he was. He could talk it, and he could do it. God gives people little gifts, and Moe had a gift for golf."
After his win at the season ending 2004 Target World Challenge, Tiger Wood's commented , "Only two players have ever truly owned their swings - Moe Norman and Ben Hogan," Woods said. "I want to own mine. That's where the satisfaction comes from."
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Click 'Play' on the video below to hear Todd Graves, co-owner and President of the Graves Golf Academy explain the simplicity and genius of Moe’s golf swing. |
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