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Thread: Is Strength for Golf Finally a Real Thing?

  1. #1
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    Default Is Strength for Golf Finally a Real Thing?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Rip I am not a golfer but my brother says this is a big deal in golf. They guy who won the US Open,
    Bryson DeChambeau, recently put on 40 pounds of muscle, and no surprise, crushes the ball with an explosive swing. Granted, he was a great player before he added the 40 pounds of muscle, but now he is a beast and makes the other players look scrawny.

    His nickname is The Scientist because he methodically breaks down every facet of his game, and he concluded additional strength is a competitive advantage. (Not news to us).

    I will be curious to see if SS sees an uptick in novices wanting to improve their golf game as a direct result of this guys very visible success.

  2. #2
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    I don't know if these people can figure this out. We've tried several times, I swear.

  3. #3
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    I literally just opened this forum to make the exact post. Bryson's shoulders and arms made the golf club look like a toothpick. I'm sure golf trainers everywhere are praying for his first injury so they can instantly discredit his method of gaining muscle mass. This guy selected a pitching wedge from over 200 if memory serves.

  4. #4
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    Unfortunately, I don't think so. Mainly because the two-factor model is not understood and there are relatively easy distance increases for most players from improved technique and (especially) driver launch conditions.

    The two-factor model separates strength and skill into two components. Many players have changed their swing in search of 'something' and many have got hopelessly lost and confused. A few (Tiger, Faldo, Nicklaus) have done this successfully. This gets confused with simply being stronger/faster and just being able to do the same swing faster (or with more control in the rough). Coach sees a player bulking up, hitting driver longer, but as a result hitting wedges further from the hole because they go too far. Scoring gets worse in the short term so the coach gets the player to stop.

    Also, Bryson is not the first. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Keopka were marvelled at for their 'massive' strength (i.e. being able to bench 225 for reps). Tiger gained strength, but used it to be able to tough shots out of the rough etc rather than maximising swing speed. Remember Jason Zuback!

    Also, look at what passes for golf fitness and Bryson's workout regime, and the fact that many of the athletic freaks can still hit if further than him if they want too (prime examples Mat Wolff outdrive him pretty often in the final round, Tony Finau can hit it miles when he ever takes a full swing.

    Bryson was not the longest driver (he was 7th IIRC), Rory Mcilroy was longer and hit more fairways. The difference was Bryson was also near the top in other major stats too.

  5. #5
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    Jun 2020
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    He put on 40 pounds alright, at best 10 pounds of muscle...

    Still, massive respect for having a plan and following it through when everyone thought he was crazy.

  6. #6
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    Apr 2017
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    I used to work with a guy who was a former golf pro, he said part of his "training" was to attach a club handle to a cable machine to strengthen his swing. I'd imagine this is what most golfers will think of when they think of getting stronger for golf. Maybe not as bad as attaching a bat to a cable machine for baseball, because timing isn't as critical for golf (ball isn't moving).

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Le Comte View Post
    Unfortunately, I don't think so. Mainly because the two-factor model is not understood and there are relatively easy distance increases for most players from improved technique and (especially) driver launch conditions.

    The two-factor model separates strength and skill into two components. Many players have changed their swing in search of 'something' and many have got hopelessly lost and confused. A few (Tiger, Faldo, Nicklaus) have done this successfully. This gets confused with simply being stronger/faster and just being able to do the same swing faster (or with more control in the rough). Coach sees a player bulking up, hitting driver longer, but as a result hitting wedges further from the hole because they go too far. Scoring gets worse in the short term so the coach gets the player to stop.

    Also, Bryson is not the first. Dustin Johnson and Brooks Keopka were marvelled at for their 'massive' strength (i.e. being able to bench 225 for reps). Tiger gained strength, but used it to be able to tough shots out of the rough etc rather than maximising swing speed. Remember Jason Zuback!

    Also, look at what passes for golf fitness and Bryson's workout regime, and the fact that many of the athletic freaks can still hit if further than him if they want too (prime examples Mat Wolff outdrive him pretty often in the final round, Tony Finau can hit it miles when he ever takes a full swing.

    Bryson was not the longest driver (he was 7th IIRC), Rory Mcilroy was longer and hit more fairways. The difference was Bryson was also near the top in other major stats too.
    Damn you for your pessimism. I know nothing about golf and you sound like you do, so I defer to those more knowledgeable than me. But is it enough for a hack weekend golfer to seriously consider strength training based on seeing this guy crush the ball? I mean, when mark McGuire, Barry Bonds, and Jose Canseco got "huge" in the 90s crushing baseballs over the fence, every average MLB player jumped on that bandwagon. In baseball it was a trickle down effect, maybe it could be in golf. But I digress.

  8. #8
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    Having watched a bit on both Saturday and Sunday, what Bryson really showed, was hitting fairways matter very little simply because hitting out of the rough was not a problem. His strength gains allowed him to hit solid shots from anywhere compared to some of the other golfers who struggled in the longer grass. Just my observation....

  9. #9
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    Dont get me wrong, everyone should do the novice linear progression. If others golfers dont, happily take their money in your $5 Nassau and enjoy a few extra yards.

    Bryson was not that inaccurate compared to field (t26 driving accuracy I think) nor was he the only one able to play out of the rough (Mat Wolff round 3) for example. Pro golf is increasingly attracting freak athletes, more than it did in the past.

  10. #10
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    Mar 2014
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    Savannah GA, and White Springs FL
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    starting strength coach development program
    Reminds me of a joke about a guy who teaches a gorilla to hit a golf ball. The gorilla could drive it 300 yards down the fairway. The guy takes the gorilla to the club to show off the beast's skill. First shot off the first tee - 300 yards, leaving an easy 50 yard approach to the green. Second shot by the gorilla - 300 yards...

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