Bryson DeChambeau
BIO: No. 6 Official World Golf Ranking; No. 2 PGA TOUR Official Money List; No. 3 FedEx Cup; No. 1 Average Driving Distance (323.5 yards); No. 1 Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee; 8 PGA TOUR titles; 1 Major (2020 U.S. Open).
4D SWING: Saturday, Round 3. Hole measured 534 yards.
BACKGROUND: At -1 for the tournament, DeChambeau stepped on No. 6 and bombed the drive 352 yards into the middle of the fairway. From 170, he stuck it pin-high and rolled in the seven-foot putt for birdie. For the day, he shot 3-under par (68).
TAKEAWAYS
00:00:00 to 00:00:03 — As Bryson readies for launch, the ball is teed as high as possible. He hovers the club above the ground to free the tension at the start of the swing. (Both Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman used the technique.) Bryson’s right shoulder is well below the left one, which is a beautiful setup position for achieving high launch angle.
00:00:04 to 00:00:06 — Bryson has a very vertical swing plane. As he coils to the top, you see maximum extension of the left arm. He also lifts the left heel off the ground. This ensures the hands get as high as possible and have time to utilize the force of gravity to gain speed down to the golf ball. Many long-drive champions employ this move for maximum power.
00:00:07 to 00:00:09 — As he coils onto the right side, Bryson’s left shoulder gets well behind the ball, which contributes to tremendous power.
00:00:10 to 00:00:13 — He replants the left heel to start the transition to the golf ball. Using the ground to push up, his hips rise as the force moves both vertically and rotationally.
00:00:14 to 00:00:16 — At impact, the right shoulder is lower than at address, which is a sure sign of an upward strike. Typically, Bryson wants the ball to reach an apex of at least 130 feet. Plus, the shaft is bowing, which adds loft.
00:00:17 to 00:00:18 — All of the club’s force is traveling toward the target. Notice the arm extension and the clubhead is as far as possible from Bryson’s body. A great visual for power.
00:00:19 to 00:00:21 — Bryson alleviates stress on the left knee by allowing the left foot to rotate toward the target. These properly-timed motions enable him to achieve the fastest average clubhead speed on the PGA TOUR—132 mph!