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Chasing Distance...Sustainable Swing?

Sean

Sean

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I was watching Bryson DeChambeau hit balls at the ANGC driving range. I got to thinking, what with this never ending quest for more distance, what kind of damage that will do to one's body over the long term, and as a result what kind of longevity the golfer will have? How long can the body sustain that kind of "torquing"? I guess time will tell.
 
I think he will be fine until his late 30's to early 40's. That is the time injuries started to set in on me and my peer group. I also don't know that the injuries had much to do with the prior 25 years of weight lifting just the body does not heal as well at that age. He is getting some wins and a ton of attention so if I was him I'd keep going until mother nature stopped me
 
I think it’s fair to speculate or to give an opinion as to how long one believes his body will hold up. But, with Bryson, I somehow think that he’s not concerned with longevity.
 
Sean said:
I was watching Bryson DeChambeau hit balls at the ANGC driving range. I got to thinking, what with this never ending quest for more distance, what kind of damage that will do to one's body over the long term, and as a result what kind of longevity the golfer will have? How long can the body sustain that kind of "torquing"? I guess time will tell.
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The negative factor to swinging hard at the ball is that it is more challenging to consistently repeat than swinging with a relaxed pace and rhythm.
 
Isn't his swing otherwise different? More Moe Norman style? If that's true then might he have less wear and tear? I wonder with his added weight/bulk a possibly different swing (that conventional) and being in overall great physical shape (plus his physics/engineering background) maybe he has knowledge of some things (health wise) that the rest of us don't?

I have had a number of issues (as some in this thread know, but - despite my poor scores - I feel better than I have in 5 years and I am in better shape than I've been in since maybe 2010 or earlier. Of course, my swing is not like what we on TV - even from the lowest professional level!

On the other hand, maybe he's just looking to grab as much cash as he can now and let the chips fall where they may?!
 
Anything will wear and tear the body, but it depends on how you rehab it. These pro athletes have access to countless treatments and remedies, and the time for them.

Hell probably be toning it back at some point, chasing the distance while he can, but I think he has access to enough treatments where long lasting damage will be minimal.. Unless he does something major like slip a disc
 
Body treatment remedies have come a long way and for pro athletes that have the resources, options abound. That said, time is undefeated. I think he's taking a "win now" approach to it all.
 
As analytical as he is, I'm sure he has dissected all possibilities of the outcomes. Having personal trainers helps a ton.
 
Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general. I would like to think the added muscle mass will help keep Bryson healthy.

People have back problems and knee pain regardless of golf, chasing distance, activity level, or swing technique. Bryson will probably lay his head down on his big pile of money.
 
blugold said:
Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general. I would like to think the added muscle mass will help keep Bryson healthy.

People have back problems and knee pain regardless of golf, chasing distance, activity level, or swing technique. Bryson will probably lay his head down on his big pile of money.
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In general stronger muscles help protect those tendons and bones. That said, technique definitely plays a role. But yes, he'll sleep on a stuffed mattress for sure.
 
I remember reading a few years back that when Rory bulked up. It was in response in part to his speed and needing to be more dense to prevent injury. Yes, his bulk was nothing compared to Bryson but Bryson's size could be as much a form of insulation from injury as it is a motor for power.

Bryson has also started to slim down some according to him to try to get to a more healthy level.
 
I read an interesting article about how Bryson has approached the issue. He worked pretty extensively with Greg Roskopf, who has done a lot of training and rehab work with NFL and NBA players. Roskopf said they spent a year and a half balancing his body out and increasing his range of motion with a lot of drills and movements. Apparently his system consists of 43 different individual movements designed to strengthen, reduce stress on the joints and increase ROM. There's also been discussion about things like how he lets his front foot pivot, to reduce stress on his knee and hip.

It sounds like Bryson is taking a pretty deeply thought out approach to it (unsurprisingly), rather than just "grip it and rip it". Father Time is undefeated so it won't last forever, but he may be able to sustain it longer than those who just swing as hard as they can without regard for how it affects their body.
 
Snowman said:
I read an interesting article about how Bryson has approached the issue. He worked pretty extensively with Greg Roskopf, who has done a lot of training and rehab work with NFL and NBA players. Roskopf said they spent a year and a half balancing his body out and increasing his range of motion with a lot of drills and movements. Apparently his system consists of 43 different individual movements designed to strengthen, reduce stress on the joints and increase ROM. There's also been discussion about things like how he lets his front foot pivot, to reduce stress on his knee and hip.

It sounds like Bryson is taking a pretty deeply thought out approach to it (unsurprisingly), rather than just "grip it and rip it". Father Time is undefeated so it won't last forever, but he may be able to sustain it longer than those who just swing as hard as they can without regard for how it affects their body.
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That seems to be the way he is with everything.
 
I have been saying for a while now that he looks so stiff and robotic like there is no fluid motion at all. I just don’t see how you can sustain doing that and not eventually hurt yourself.
 
The power that these guys produce with their swings is phenomenal, but I don’t believe sustainable. Most anyone watching Tiger when he first entered the scene would have to question whether he could sustain that swing at 40 or 50, if posed the question.
I don’t believe Bryson is any different.


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My honest opinion? He is doing a lot of good things. The way he turns through impact with his front foot, really relieves a lot of the tension through the lower back and effectively frees up the body to rotate in a more efficient fashion. Something has to stop rotation, and when you use the lower back and front knee as a "traditional" or Tiger-esque swing does, you are correct, it puts a ton of pressure in places that don't like it.

Watch the master's division of LD, guys like Jeff Gavin, or Eddie Fernandes. These guys are 50+ and still 140+ all day. How? Correct biomechanical movements and the front leg flying a bit through impact. Don't be afraid of letting that front foot clearing hard when you go after one, I promise us LD guys aren't all brute force and adrenaline ;)
 
I think injury is inevitable in high caliber athletes. Heck, your defending Masters champion had to withdraw as the favorite after falling down the stairs a few years back. His increase in strength and size seems to be helping him get faster, and he has said himself that he feels better than he has before.

Will he stay healthy? I don't know. He could hurt himself with a bad swing, or he could trip while chugging his protein shake and walking at the same time. Injuries happen.
 
DFitz364 said:
My honest opinion? He is doing a lot of good things. The way he turns through impact with his front foot, really relieves a lot of the tension through the lower back and effectively frees up the body to rotate in a more efficient fashion. Something has to stop rotation, and when you use the lower back and front knee as a "traditional" or Tiger-esque swing does, you are correct, it puts a ton of pressure in places that don't like it.

Watch the master's division of LD, guys like Jeff Gavin, or Eddie Fernandes. These guys are 50+ and still 140+ all day. How? Correct biomechanical movements and the front leg flying a bit through impact. Don't be afraid of letting that front foot clearing hard when you go after one, I promise us LD guys aren't all brute force and adrenaline ;)
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But also a lot of brute force and adrenaline.
 
His swing is unique to say the least, it might add longevity or not who knows ? But hitting 1000's of golf balls monthly with such a high torque would take it's toll on anyone over time.


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The long-tenured PGA Tour Pro without back issues is the exception rather that the rule.
 
MonroeBob1955 said:
The power that these guys produce with their swings is phenomenal, but I don’t believe sustainable. Most anyone watching Tiger when he first entered the scene would have to question whether he could sustain that swing at 40 or 50, if posed the question.
I don’t believe Bryson is any different.


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Phil is 50 and still hitting "filthy bombs"! :LOL:
 
Regarding Bryson specifically he built his body up to withstand the effort/torque on his body I think it is yet to be seen how the wear and tear will play out for Bryson and others over time. I think if Bryson had embarked on this path without building his physical base he might have broken down already.

A good comparison might be looking at the longevity of long drive competitors. I have no idea how they have stood up over time but what Bryson is doing is similar to that.

I do think for Bryson he pushes hard in training so that when he is in a tournament his baseline speed is elevated so he feels like he is swinging a bit more conservatively but still generating more speed than before he began the process.
 
There were stats from 2020(?} about Finau and Bryson. As hard and fast as Bryson was swinging, Finau was consistently hitting the same distances with a smoother, much more effortless swing. Even Rory was right up there. Not sure if anyone else is following Peter Finch’s efforts at building swing speed. He wants to be able to get 140mph swing speed- with some accuracy at peak effort. But he does explain that he wouldn’t be doing that in competition. The 140 max effort with some consistency means he would be able to make 130 SS more reliable without over exerting himself.
 
I found this interesting...
in 2017 at age 57 Freddie Couples averaged 300 yards driving distance with a swing that is as smooth and effortless as can be found (and with back problems, no less)
in 2021 Bryson DeChambeau (what is he26/27?) is adding muscle mass, swing speed and torque (which he probably can't maintain, long term) and is averaging 344 according to numbers i've found.

I mean.... sure , go ahead, let 'er rip, go for whatever you're going for... More power to you.. BUT perhaps distance gains are found more in quality of the ball strike, and gains in equipment and the ball itself, rather than increased physical ability.

Don't think so? Freddie Couples at age 57 was 28 yards longer in his average driving distance than he was at age 30. I would posit that a 30 year old Freddie Couples, using todays equipment and ball, would likely be one of the longer players on tour with a swing as smooth as silk. Maybe not 344 long, but not far off and with far less wear and tear on his frame. Is Bryson simply compensating with brute force to overcome inconsistencies/inabilities in his swing and less than optimal ball striking quality?
 
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