Eight sleeps out from the opening day of this year’s Ryder Cup and Bryson DeChambeau admits it’s the preparation he’s been putting in for the following week’s Professional Long Drive World Championships that’s taking its toll on his body.
Bryson surprised many when confirming his participation in this month’s Long Drive tournament, set to take place the Monday after the Ryder Cup on September 27. No slouch when it comes to driving the golf ball, at least by Tour standards, the world number 7 has been ramping up his preparations before going toe-to-toe with the big bombers of the Long Drive circuit, admitting us mere mortals have no idea just how difficult the competition is.
“My hands are wrecked from it,” DeChambeau admitted to Golf.com, just what you want to hear if you are U.S. team Captain Steve Stricker.
“People don’t realise how difficult long drive really is. In golf, it’s the one thing where you can judge your accomplishments by a number.
“Not necessarily by going out and playing golf, because you can catch a sprinkler head or catch a bad break or bad wind. On Flightscope, you can see the ball speed number. And when you obtain a ball speed number, it’s so different and unique.
“It’s like a shot-putter shot-putting a new record number. You’re trying to find that full potential to break through.”
Leaving no stone unturned in his bid to match up with the sport’s biggest hitters, DeChambeau was asked how he was balancing his speed work with the subtleties of the ancient club and ball game as the Ryder Cup approaches.
“I do it every week,” he said. “Is it daunting? Hell yeah. At first, when I was trying to do it last year, it was very scary.
“But now that I’ve been through it and experienced the worst pains from it, and the most relaxed state of it where I’m not doing any speed training, I know how to kind of balance it – for the most part. Why not go hard at life and do both?”
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