DISTANCE: Is It Something You Should Be Chasing In Your Game?

Drive for show, putt for dough. We’ve all heard that before. We were also taught to believe that practice makes perfect.

Well, I’m living proof that neither of those adages are true…for now. As I rebuild my game, I constantly struggle with hitting the ball left, due to coming over the top. Because of this, all the practice I do means nothing. If I can’t learn a technique that changes this move, practice will do me no good.  

The same goes for the PGA Tour. They have their share of long ball hitters, including the now protein shake enhanced monster we know as Bryson DeChambeau.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau) on Oct 7, 2020 at 8:31pm PDT

Let’s just put this out there right now: There is only one player in the world doing what Bryson is doing. And that’s Bryson himself. So the roster of stars from DJ, to Rory, down to the who’s who of the PGA TOUR, don’t need to worry about beating him at his own game.

Why you may ask? Because Bryson is human, and he’s bound to slow down.

Yes, believe it or not, Bryson is human, just like us. We don’t always swing the same swing. We don’t always hit it off the screws. We don’t always make perfect contact with our irons. Heck, that’s noticeable every weekend on TOUR, and even with his expanded power and puffed up physique, it happens to DeChambeau.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Bryson DeChambeau (@brysondechambeau) on Aug 14, 2020 at 1:35pm PDT

So what are TOUR players supposed to do now, with the “Scientist” quickly becoming “The Incredible Hulk”? They should worry about themselves, hit as many accurate shots as they can, with as much distance as they can simultaneously muster, and try to do that consistently in hopes that they’ve given enough to win.  

Why? Because Bryson won’t always win, and it won’t necessarily help your game. And to be honest, chasing distance is a fool’s errand. Chase accuracy, chase consistency, chase building an arsenal of shots that will bring lower scores across a multitude of scenarios. Get the right gear that’s built right for you, and then do it again as you improve, and again.

Sure, I love a monster drive that blisters the fairway. But when the wheels fall off, it makes no difference if you were me last weekend swinging with desperate abandon or a pro like Bryson DeChambeau on the big stage. We’ll be the same exact golfer at that time: a lost golfer.

Cover Image via Instagram