In case you haven't heard, Bryson DeChambeau has put on some weight in recent months. He's been bulking up and adding muscle, while he's simultaneously been trying to become more pliable and flexible -- like the gymnastics influencers he's been following on Instagram.
There's clearly been something to the approach, as DeChambeau has already picked up some 10 yards on his PGA Tour driving average in this young 2019-2020 season.
However, DeChambeau hasn't solely been using his newfound muscle to launch drives into orbit. He's had to make adjustments to his equipment to keep up with his swing speed, which can now approach 125 mph with a driver.
DeChambeau said ahead of the 2019 Presidents Cup that he's moved into a driver with a 4.8-degree head. That's not a typo. A 4.8-degree head.
"I was producing too much spin," DeChambeau said with a laugh on Wednesday in Australia. "I mean, a six-and-a-half degree was producing 3000 (rpm). I'm like, 'OK, it's not really going any farther. I mean, my ball speed is up but it still spins 3000.' Maybe getting 6 or 7 yards out of it.
"So, once we got the driver in and it got approved last week, I used it. It was 2000 (rpm) spin -- perfect. And I immediately gained a little bit of ball speed and maybe 15 yards more in carry."
It sounds insane that DeChambeau had already slotted down in loft to 6.5 degrees. Moving sub-5 degrees with his driver puts him in a loft range on level with World Long Drive competitors. However, for Bryson, he's found a way to kill some spin with the lower-lofted head and still generate more carry. That has to do with his angle of attack and how he gets to the ball at impact, in concert with loft. For most golfers, they're looking at ideal spin rates in the mid-2000s, not on the low end. But, most golfers aren't Bryson DeChambeau.
So far, so good it seems at Royal Melbourne. DeChambeau had to get special clearance from tournament staff at the Presidents Cup because he has been consistently carrying his driver over the range netting.
That carry? Some 310 yards.
