ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Bryson DeChambeau is bombing it.
His tee shot on the first hole at Muirfield Village Golf Club was mind boggling.
Three weeks ago, DeChambeau blew away the field at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. And he broke the record for longest average driving distance by a PGA Tour winner at 350.6 yards.
“I did something a little different, I changed my body. I changed my mindset in the game. And I was able to accomplish a win while playing a completely different style of golf,” said DeChambeau following his 6th win on the PGA Tour.
That’s not the only difference. Bryson has put on 40 pounds since September and gained two shirt sizes. It's something that stood out to Jack Nicklaus.
“If he’s carrying 250 pounds, that’s a lot of weight for Bryson. But he doesn’t look heavy, he looks big," said Nicklaus, an 18-time Major Winner.
The metamorphosis began at Muscle Activation Techniques in Englewood, Colorado. Greg Roskopf’s training program might be the wave of the future for golfers.
“The program that we have him on is designed to increase his mobility while we’re increasing his strength," said Roskopf, the founder of Muscle Activation Techniques.
With a background in exercise science Roskopf recommended a steady diet of isolated strength training exercises to help DeChambeau make gains in the weight room. Muscle mass and improved flexibility added power to his swing.
“Along with the fact that it increases his clubhead speed and ball speed. Basically, there’s a perfect transfer of the strength that he’s gaining and the mechanics of the golf swing," said Roskopf.
The 26-year-old leads the tour in driving distance, and says he hopes to pack on more muscle. Which begs the question: Is swinging that hard sustainable?
"Could we see Bryson playing into his 50’s? Do you see him hitting the ball that far that late in his career?" I asked Roskopf.
“I believe as long as he maintains the integrity of his neuromuscular system, which reduces the risk of injury. If he maintains the muscle balance, and the strength that he has throughout his body, I believe that he can do it forever," said Roskopf.