May 29, 2022 Mark Holloway

The worlds most fearless golfer - Bryson James Aldrich DeChambeau (Updated)

Why is he so remarkable?

Frank Sinatra sang that famous song 'I did it my way', and if there was ever a golfer who is doing it 'his' way its Bryson DeChambeau. So, a golfer doing it in their own way isn't so remarkable. Every year dozens and dozens of different golfers win golf tournaments . Each one having done 'it their way', each having a back story as unique and individual as they themselves are. One of the many remarkable things about Bryson is that he has followed an abstract teaching to become a winner.

In a different industry, just imagine. An idealistic dreamer decides he wants to become an author, and write a great novel. Due to his individuality though, his creative process in writing that masterpiece, can only be accomplished under certain conditions. He has convinced himself that to do his best work, he can only write it whilst being immersed in an ice bath, and written using his left hand (he is right handed).

Bryson's remarkable because to took the 'ice bath' approach to becoming the golfer he is today. If you go back through the decades you can argue that legions of players did it their way. Nicklaus and his flying right elbow, Trevino and his loopy motion, Seve's fiery presence, John Daly's length of backswing, and more recently Jordan Spieths chicken wing left arm, and Justin Thomas and Bubba Watson both, pretty much leaving the ground as they swing the driver.

'I planned each chartered course

Each careful step along the by-way

And more, much more than this

I did it my way'

Individuality

Bryson's brand of individuality has never been seen before. His swing is 'manufactured, it has to go from 'there to there' in a way that he intellectually understands. He isn't the typical golfer with a dream. The typical golfer is one who finds out what works through practice and dedication, and learns how to score well using it. Not this way for the scientist. The level of complexity in the path that Bryson has chosen increases the difficulty a lot, an awful lot. He decided that he 'knew' a better way to play golf...…..even ''before' he knew 'a better way to play golf' (and before the results confirmed it)!...…. That takes guts, heart and huge chunk of self belief.

He is convinced his body needs to work in a certain way to strike a golf ball consistently..... and not do as pretty much all other golfers do, which is to allow 'the body' to find out how to consistently strike the golf ball. Getting the brain to suggest to the body, that it actually knows better than the body does, in how to make solid contact with a golf ball, ramps up the difficulty and makes DeChambeau almost superhuman. Along with that is Bryson's thoroughness in needing to know intellectually, not only that it works, but how and why it works in the most granular fashion.

He also decided that his love and understanding of physics (earning a physics degree at the Southern Methodist University) would help him too. This layered on yet another level of complexity.... Doing it his way has meant that he has had to marry up his ball striking talents, with his physics knowledge and his personal beliefs, to work in a fashion described in a book, and then make them all work together. Has anyone every done anything like that before? Its actually genius.

Swing theories

Most golfers try out alternative swing theories during their career in an attempt to get better. Tiger Woods made many successful swing changes with different coaches. However, golf is also littered many more swing change failures than successes, as a host of players cant seem to perceive and adopt a concept being taught to them by their coaches.

For me, only Nick Faldo, teaming up with, and placing his trust in David Leadbetter could be judged as having done something similar to what DeChambeau is doing (and getting great success with it). However, Bryson is deciding pretty much everything for himself. He is the architect of his own skyscraper, and has also laid every brick to build it.

Following the 'single plane' swing theory concept from Homer Kelley's book The Golfing Machine is no mean feat in itself, as this book happens to be the most complex golf instructional book every written. Still, it just seems to splice snugly with his D.N.A

His quirkiness extends to the irons that he uses which are all the same length, (just like the legendary Bobby Jones used). The super thick Jumbomax grips on his clubs, and he even wears a Peaky Blinders Cap of the type worn by Ben Hogan. If he was a stick of rock, it would have the word 'unique' running through it. Even his clubs have individual names. So Bryson DeChambeau, 'the golfing scientist', along with his eccentric oddness has a self confidence very few people can ever get near to possessing...… qualities that exceptional people often have. He deserves all the success that comes his way.