Posted at 5:00 a.m.
Bryson DeChambeau frightened many when he arrived with his new musculature and his extraordinary exploits in 2019. Some argue that the development of new equipment should be limited. Others that it would be necessary to lengthen the grounds. Has golf become too easy for professionals?
The answer is unanimous in the golf community: no. On the contrary. Obviously, new technologies and training methods favor longer tee shots. Nevertheless, golf is still an extremely difficult sport to master, even for the best in the world.
Bryson DeChambeau wowed all the fans, as well as his competitors, when he showed up with an extra 30 lbs in 2019. Thirty pounds of muscle. His average drive distance increased from 302.5 yards to 322.1 yards over the ensuing season. He broke a 17-year-old distance record. In 2021, the scientist increased that average to 323.7 yards per tee shot.
Some observers have worried that golf is no longer a significant enough challenge for DeChambeau and other athletes who are gaining power and distance.
A stable average
However, even if these elements can make us fear the worst, the statistics do not lie. The average score per round played has remained relatively stable for 20 years in the PGA. In 2002, the league’s average score was 71.411 and the top player was Tiger Woods with an average score of 68.561. Today, the total average is 71.344 and the player with the highest average score is Cameron Smith with 69.338.
The beauty of golf is that even if you hit 350 yards, you still have to put it in the hole eventually. It’s never over.
Antoine St-Jean, coach at McGill University, owner of the Generation Golf center and coach of the year in 2021 at PGA Quebec
Rémy Arnaud, manufacturing engineer at Taylormade, agrees: “It’s obvious that it’s an advantage for Bryson, but does he win all the tournaments he participates in? No. He also made concessions and there he has been injured for a while. »
According to Massimo Roch, founder and director of the East Coast Pro, it is clear that golf has undergone many transformations. The players and the gear they get are better, sure. However, he believes it’s not a problem if the competition remains level and strong. “The guys play under the same conditions. They all play on the same pitch, the same day, with the same weather. For me, there is no problem. Let’s advance the sport as much as possible and see where the limits of sport for the human being are. »
The most dangerous, in his opinion, is to compare the statistics of today’s players with those of older generations. It is obvious that there has been progress since the Palmer, Nicklaus and Player era. However, this difference is not problematic. She is normal.
When it comes to regression, Antoine St-Jean thinks of amateur and recreational golfers, who account for the majority of golfers on the planet. State-of-the-art equipment helps these golfers generate more power, be more accurate and ultimately have more fun.
This is why Yohann Benson, professional at Le Mirage golf club, professional caddy and analyst at RDS, believes that there should be two different standards of equipment: one for professionals and one for amateurs.
“The PGA Tour is a different animal. The associations want to impose very strict limits on the trampoline effect on the face of the stick, but the manufacturers would be able to make sticks that are much more efficient for Mr. and Mrs. Everybody. It just needs to be regulated so that professionals can’t have those kinds of sticks,” Benson said.
On this subject, Rémy Arnaud confirms that the manufacturers have already started this shift, giving more and more importance to amateurs: “Taylormade was really focused on the PGA Tour, a few years ago […] We have changed our position and now we only have a few professional golfers on the Tour who we have really targeted, who represent our values and who will perhaps have a more particular influence on social networks. We have really changed this aspect and now we focus more on the customer. »
The real revolution
All speakers confirm it, the most significant change in the world of professional golf has not been the increase in distance or the new equipment, but rather the fact that golfers have become true athletes.
Yohann Benson, who regularly rubs shoulders with some of the best players in the world, speaks of the “Tiger Woods effect”. Thanks to the Tiger, golfers have become great athletes, who train and spend many hours in the gym. Woods imposed a way of life. It was the only way to keep up with his rhythm at the time. This is still the case today, especially since, as Benson confirms, most players on the PGA Tour excelled in other sports, such as baseball, basketball or hockey, before choose golf.
“Even if you gave them a bamboo branch with a wooden head, they would hit the ball 300 yards. Brooks Koepka can lift 250 lbs in the bench press, it’s not the same game anymore. We’re constantly talking about equipment, but Koepka could be an NFL linebacker! That’s the big change,” added Benson.
PHOTO ERICH SCHLEGEL, USA TODAY SPORTS
Brooks Koepka
Today, it is more the fact that golfers take care of themselves that promotes the acquisition of power. Benson observes the same phenomenon among female golfers in the LPGA. He takes as an example the sisters Nelly and Jessica Korda. “The Korda sisters could excel in different sports, they train like mad,” he explains. Nelly is No. 2 in the world rankings, is 22 years old, 5’7″ and has an average drive distance of 268.64 yards.
“There is an awareness of the players and we are adapting to this development, underlines Rémy Arnaud. With ball spin rates and launch angles that are different from 10 or 15 years ago. The bullets go very high, very fast. Before, they were much lower and had more bearing. Our clubs are truly programmed to increase performance, whether it’s ball speed, distance or forgiveness. »
Despite everything, playing golf does not necessarily become easier, according to Antoine St-Jean. Sport becomes easier to analyze. With new training methods, advanced statistics collection and technological tools like the Trackman, which is able to analyze a swing with tons of data and images, golfers work much better and improve more easily.
Before, they were hitting balls to hit balls and they got better over time. Today they can hit 100 balls in a day and it will be better than hitting 1000 balls without knowing what they are doing. It’s more profitable.
Antoine St-Jean, coach at McGill University
Even if these changes in paradigm, culture and approach can be dizzying, all the stakeholders we met agree that it is beneficial for golf. Sport has never been so spectacular, upbeat and trendy.
Power is one thing, sure, but the best players in the world right now aren’t necessarily big hitters. Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith and Collin Morikawa aren’t the most dominant when it comes to striking distance, but they excel in all facets of the game, especially with their short game.
Golf is a difficult sport and it will remain so. Happy finding for lounge enthusiasts who like to enjoy their Sunday, but a less charming conclusion for amateur golfers who hope to smash the 90 mark before long.