One of the major discussions on the PGA Tour in 2020 is the drastic change in Bryson DeChambeau’s swing. His monstrous drives have eclipsed the imagination of many players and I am fairly sure that many golfers will try to emulate his success. Personally, I see little chance that I would be able to come close matching the powerful swing, but it is fun to watch.
There are many amazing things about DeChambeau’s swing that the video dissects. Just watching the sheer raw power starting with his takeaway is something that many will fell is the key to hitting a longer ball. However, I have a different take; the torque he generates between his hips and shoulders.
Now, this is something I think I can ape. Trying to increase the separation between my shoulders and hips flies in the face of flexibility. I remember that my friend, Mike Clarezy, described the physical separation as two rubber bands attached to opposite hips and shoulders. As I first move my hips towards my target, I should feel some tension in my back.
I realize that tension might be the wrong word, but as I increase my flexibility, I should be able to increase the hip / shoulder separation. This is not a euphony because I have know that this movement would be a benefit to increase distance. I do not have to swing faster because my arch would be larger, thus creating more club head speed. Of course there is more to creating a larger arc and swing speed and Chris Ryan shows me how:
It is interesting that this article started off talking about Bryson DeChambeau’s powerful swing and results in another thing I can work on in my off season. And the wonderful thing about this possible fix is that it is an extension of what what I am already doing. Now that is a good thing!
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
Around then, Jon took Bryson to meet his old acquaintance Mike Schy, a golf obsessive who had been developing a unique, science-focused approach to the game. Schy and Jon DeChambeau knew each other from the junior golf circuit in Northern California in the 19 and had kept in touch after their careers ended. Immediately, young Bryson and Schy saw eye-to-eye philosophically—well, as much as a grown man and a 12-year-old boy can, anyway.
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Great point. Thanks.
Cheers Jim
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Jim, that Chris Ryan video is key. I need to figure out how to get a bigger turn and take some pressure off my left elbow. Working on a new stretching routine. Hope that helps!
Brian
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Brian,
More to follow wrt the way forward. It is exciting times for sure.
Cheers Jim
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Everything he tells us in that second video not to do is what I used to do when I hit it longer. Sometimes, if you get just enough bad it might equal good? lol
Then again, what he is showing is what has brought back most of that distance and the only thing holding me back from getting the rest I think is my turn. Of course some golf specific exercises would also likely be useful, but I’m not interested in chasing Bryson. I think chasing Tiger is what sent Duval off the path. He bulked up and played worse for it. The science of physical training to perform in specific sports has advanced a lot in the days since Duval went chasing Tigers distances and I’m sure Bryson has some of the best in the world in the field at his disposal. I’m not going to be that lucky. But after we have a vaccine, I do plan on making use of the facilities we have here for some light work to help me at least keep my range of motion and maybe lose a little around the middle in the process. I’m pretty fit for my age, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room to improve. In the meantime, exercise with resistance bands is my go to tool for the job.
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Kevin,
I enjoyed your comment. What sticks with me most is “range of motion”. More to think about…….thanks! 😉
Cheers Jim
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