Every golfer wishes they could add 10 more yards of distance off the tee. It’s true from weekend warriors all the way up the ranks of the PGA Tour. If you play golf, increasing distance off the tee is always top of mind.
With advanced analytics taking over the game, players have been enlightened to the importance of distance. The old adage “drive for show, putt for dough” is starting to become an archaic saying. Sure, putting is important, but if you can’t keep up off the tee with your competition, you are at a distinct disadvantage.
Bryson DeChambeau brought the pursuit for distance to the mainstream over the past several years, bulking up with a carefully calculated regimen that has seen him balloon in size. The gains have been impressive, and other players on Tour have taken note — especially since his win at last year’s U.S. Open.
And while it might appear that his gains have been solely the product of guzzling protein shakes and hitting the gym more frequently, there’s another secret to his success — one that it’s easy for you, too, to employ.
“Anything that helps you train for speed is a worthy device,” DeChambeau told GOLF.com. “But the best one is your desire.”
What he means is, if you want to add speed to your swing, step 1 is wanting it, and then working toward that goal. Hitting the gym wouldn’t hurt, but that extra muscle mass isn’t the only thing that will have you hitting bombs.
“Say you’re in a speed session and you’re getting to the 15th or 20th ball hitting really hard, then all of a sudden, you see your numbers drop,” DeChambeau told GOLF.com. “That’s when most people stop. Don’t! Convince yourself to continue swinging — I’m talking 50, 60, 70 balls. Push your body’s limits. Get your endurance level up so that you can swing that way at any point in time. We all have the ability to gain five miles an hour.”
If you can push yourself past the point where you think you’ve hit your ceiling, then you’ll begin to see gains. So next time you’re speed training, and you start to get discouraged, take a deep breath, regroup and keep pushing.
Your desire could be the most effective training aid you didn’t know you had.
