Three-time Tour winner Scott Stallings has undergone a striking physical transformation over the last several years. The 36-year-old shed more than 50 lbs. using a combination of diet and exercise.
On this week’s episode of Subpar, Stallings discussed his wellness journey with hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz, and weighed in on the ways an increased emphasis on fitness has impacted the game — especially high-profile transformations like Bryson DeChambeau’s.
“You do need a little bit of mass,” Stallings said. “When I got [my weight] down low, that was the slowest I’ve ever swung it in my life. So, understanding, whatever you want to call it, mass is power, or just kind of a way to look at it. Being strong and resilient is not bad in any situation, but you can say whatever you want, it’s impressive to see the way [DeChambeau] did play the game to the way he plays it now, in a relatively short amount of time.
“And this has nothing to do with the training aspect, but literally to go from a guy that was barely touching 170 to the guy that’s got 200 mile an hour ball speed, it’s super impressive,” Stallings continued.” And he’s played at a high level. You can say whatever you want about the way he goes about it or his personality or whatever, but the game speaks for itself. You can’t hide it. Once that ball goes in the air, there’s kind of no way to beat around the bush. It’s been very impressive to watch. It’s kind of changed the way that a lot of guys look at the game now.”
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So, what are we to make of DeChambeau’s gains? Is the Bryson bulk-up-and-bash-it method the way of the future? Will kids need to start hitting the gym like Bryson to achieve their Tour dreams?
“Cameron Smith is a 175 mile an hour ballspeed guy, and he just shot 34 under on the same course that, relatively, Bryson should have a huge advantage at, especially in calm winds,” Stallings said. “So around the green is probably still most important. But the ability to fly it 350 never hurts.”
Stallings mentioned Rory McIlroy as a player who admitted he started to chase extra distance only to find it didn’t work out the way he expected.
“Next thing you know, you start dropping from knee-height every now and then and it really starts to affect the score,” Stallings said.
For more from Stallings, including his memories of his first time playing alongside Tiger Woods, and the reason he decided to undergo his own physical transformation, check out the full interview below.
