The throwback flat cap worn by Bryson DeChambeau may be the only thing that’s traditional about the five-time Tour winner. To date in his brief career, it’s obvious that DeChambeau, 26, has no interest in playing by many of the game’s time-honored standards, as he continues to push boundaries and attack both practice and rounds with scientific, microscopic and compulsive precision. Extremely data and stats driven, DeChambeau will tinker with his Flightscope launch monitor for hours at a time, experimenting with moves and gear tweaks to generate the numbers he deems fit. There’s a method to the madness. Case in point: the recent turbocharged muscle-mass gain that saw him bulk up faster than Bruce Banner morphing into The Hulk in The Avengers.
In Bryson’s mind, more yards mean more mass, a conclusion based on proven physics that states — you guessed it — force = mass x acceleration. It’s worked. Before the stoppage of play, DeChambeau was beating his 2019 driving distance average by almost 20 yards. There’s more to Bryson’s technique than the simple application of muscle power, however. True, he’s a bit unconventional at address and a little “across the line” at the top. But as soon as he starts down, it’s as pure and traditional as a pro swing gets (here’s hoping he can live with that!) and, at impact, it’s certainly “Bryson — Smash!” See the sequence below for tips on how to incorporate some of DeChambeau’s “monster moves” into your own motion.
1. Address
Here with a 3-wood, Bryson’s hips and posture look standard, but he carries his hands high and positions his right arm slightly below his left, which makes it look like he’s pointed right of target.
2. Start
DeChambeau’s high hands at address are bound to produce a very one-piece takeaway with minimal hinge. Notice how “quiet” his body looks, with his trail leg smoothly straightening.
3. The Top
Bryson’s hands swing “deep” as he coils his body, producing an “across the line” look. The shaft is really loaded, however, and stops short of parallel — byproducts of his lower and upper body working in sync. Check his feet — he’s really screwed himself into the turf. If it’s more yards you crave, copy this!
4. Transition
Bryson starts down without disrupting his feet or hips — zero forward thrust. His upper and lower body have separated to generate fantastic torque. Muscles help, but upping your downswing X-factor stretch like this is a real power boost.
5. Impact
Bryson produces three things every golfer needs for an explosive impact: 1) forward tilt, 2) rotation and 3) side bend. (See how he’s “crunching” the right side of his torso?) Kaboom!
6. Finish
Like all pros, DeChambeau finishes in complete balance. Tip: At the end of your swing, make sure a player standing behind you can see the spikes on your right shoe, as BDC does here with his Pumas.
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