Hair today, gone tomorrow! Is there anything Bryson DeChambeau won’t try to get ahead?
The Scientist isn’t afraid to try new things to gain an advantage. But has his latest follicle-based revelation taken the biscuit?
From mad diets, to strange swings, and even compasses, Bryson DeChambeau is all about those one per cent gains.
But has he outdone himself this time?
As his Crushers GC team celebrated scooping more millions after winning the LIV Golf Team Championship, at Doral, in Miami, the first question at his side’s victorious press conference wasn’t about his excellent final round, or an impressive season which brought multiple victories on the LIV tour and an historic 58 at The Greenbrier.
It was this: “I know you shave your legs, you’re all about performance and advantages. How do you think that gave you the edge this season?”
From a guy who once ate 400 grams of protein each day – with a breakfast that included five slices of bacon and four eggs – the answer should not have been a surprise.
“It was all about aerodynamics so cleaning that up gave me a little more speed on the tee and was allowing me to hit it farther out there.”
“A quantifiable aerodynamic benefit”
Anyone who has checked out LIV Golf this year will have noticed the streamlined Bryson, made possible because players on the Saudi-backed tour can wear shorts in sharp contrast with those on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour.
Shaving body hair to accentuate athletic performance isn’t new to sport. Cyclists have been doing it for decades and British Cycling revealed that recent wind tunnel testing performed by a major bike manufacturer had shown a “quantifiable aerodynamic benefit to shaving your legs”.
The average time saving was 70 seconds over 40 kilometres – easily enough to make a huge difference in race conditions.
Swimmers do something similar but what difference could it make in golf?
Presumably any decrease in air resistance during a swing could mean faster speeds and more distance.
Hopefully DeChambeau, or someone with a lot of letters after their name, will be able to reveal the numbers but with the American able to produce incredible clubhead and ball speed – getting up to 149.5mph and 221mph respectively in late 2021 – it would be no surprise if Bryson was finding performance benefits that other golfers just can’t reach.
But the jury is still out on whether the rest of us will start going for a close shave to try and make more pars.
Now have your say
What do you think of Bryson’s latest escapade? Will you be wielding the razor anytime soon? Why not let me know with a comment on X.
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Steve Carroll
A journalist for 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long. A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A's prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.
Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men's Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.
A part of NCG's Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He currently floats at around 11.
Steve plays at Close House, in Newcastle, and York GC, where he is a member of the club's matches and competitions committee and referees the annual 36-hole scratch York Rose Bowl.
Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NTCJ exams at Darlington College of Technology.
What's in Steve's bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; TaylorMade Stealth 2 irons; TaylorMade Hi-Toe, Ping ChipR, Sik Putter.
