[PHOTO: David Cannon]

Bryson DeChambeau is turning heads everywhere on the heels of his US Open victory, but the heads most equipment geeks want to know more about are those self-designed, 3D-printed irons that DeChambeau has used since debuting them at the Masters in April. Specifically, when are they coming to market?

During a press conference ahead of this week’s LIV Golf Nashville event, DeChambeau said that a consumer-version of his irons is on the way. But specifically when and at what price point is still uncertain.

“They’re one of one right now, and we’re working on building a set for the mass consumers,” DeChambeau said, “but it takes a little bit of time to get everything in production in the right way.”

DeChambeau’s clubs are from Avoda, a small manufacturer that makes single-length designs and combo-length designs. The company’s models are typically forged heads featuring a kind of muscle-cavity shaping. DeChambeau’s irons, however, are more of traditional muscleback look, although not a traditional design, of course. DeChambeau’s prototype set features face curvature from heel to toe (bulge), particularly on the lower-lofted irons. (DeChambeau’s irons are traditionally very strong-lofted, including a 5-iron that has 17 degrees of loft.) That characteristic, somewhat unique in the design of most irons but commonplace in woods, creates a starting angle that’s further right of the target for a toe miss. That means a mis-hit will curve more efficiently back towards the centre line.

US Open 2024: The clubs Bryson DeChambeau used to win at Pinehurst No.2

DeChambeau believes that a typically straight-faced iron that doesn’t feature bulge, particularly for extremely fast swing speeds like his, would hook too severely. Hence, he designed the unique curvature to combat that tendency. However, the only way those irons initially could be made was to have them 3D-printed, a manufacturing process that doesn’t use moulds like in a typical casting, but “builds” the shape by depositing steel powder on a grid the way a laser printer deposits ink on a piece of paper.

DeChambeau explained the concept on Golf Channel earlier this year after the USGA approved his irons just days before the start of the Masters.

“Essentially, when I was hitting it on the toe, I was hooking it like crazy,” he said. “On the heel, I was missing it right like crazy. So I created curvature on the toe and the heel [of the iron faces] to get it started a little farther right on the toe and on the heel start it a little farther left so it makes sure it doesn’t go too far offline. Much like the driver.”

It’s unlikely that a consumer version of DeChambeau’s irons would be 3D-printed, if only because that would mean the set might cost five times as much as a typical set of irons. It’s also not clear why irons with bulge would be particularly helpful for average players with non-Bryson-like swing speeds. One scientist we spoke with said such a design might see a three to five-metre improvement in curve correction at high speeds but decreasing effect at lower speeds: “For average consumers the complexity of the squeeze of making an iron with bulge may not be worth the juice of the improvement, and consumers are mostly happy with hybrids, anyway,” our source suggested.

But DeChambeau thinks so far out of the square that what’s left of the cardboard is already off to be recycled. He’s also got a prototype driver in the works that isn’t yet on the conforming list.

Bryson DeChambeau: ‘Stop’ this golf swing mistake – use my power draw feel instead

“You’re going to see some pretty interesting stuff coming out here soon within the next month with a driver that could be pretty unique for the market, and it’ll help a lot of golfers out,” he said.

And that wedge that hit the bunker shot heard round the world? DeChambeau even worked on that design (a Ping Glide 4.0 56-degree), too.

“I almost have no bounce on my wedge, but it has a wider sole, and that was a massive thing for me,” he said. “I literally built it, I think, about less than a month ago, so my wedge game has just gotten really good recently because of that grind.”

After the past few days, we’re wondering what it is that DeChambeau can’t do. Stay tuned.

The post Bryson DeChambeau says his US Open-winning irons are coming to market, date still TBD appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Sean M. Haffey]

Question: I was watching the US Open with the pro at my club who said the extra length on Bryson DeChambeau’s wedges helped him pull off the bunker shot at 18. Is that true?

Answer: It certainly didn’t hurt, and DeChambeau believed it, saying afterwards, “That bunker shot was the shot of my life. I’ll forever be thankful that I’ve got longer wedges so I can hit it farther, get it up there next to the hole.”

Perhaps that is why DeChambeau’s caddie, Greg Bodine, was so confident in DeChambeau’s ability to pull it off. “G-Bo just said, ‘Bryson, just get it up and down. That’s all you’ve got to do. You’ve done this plenty of times before. I’ve seen some crazy shots from you from 50 yards out of a bunker.’ I said, ‘You’re right. I need a 55-degree. Let’s do it.'”

That 55-degree was a Ping Glide 4.0 model. As with all of DeChambeau’s irons, his wedges check in at 37.5 inches in length. That’s the length of a 6 or 7-iron and 2.25 inches longer than Ping’s standard 54 or 56-degree Glide 4.0.

Still, does it really make sense that a longer shaft helped with a shot that noted statistician Lou Stagner estimated at less than 1.7 percent chance of success? We reached out to Sonny Burgo, master clubfitter for Pete’s Golf, a perennial Golf Digest 100 Best Clubfitter for some context.

US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau called it ‘the bunker shot of my life’. Here’s the stat that proves it

“It would make sense in theory that the longer length would help, but there are always trade-offs,” Burgo says. “What you would gain on that random long bunker shot might well affect the full shot in terms of distance control or turf interaction. Wedge shots will probably fly higher, too.”

Most pros prefer to flight their wedges into greens on the lower side, and distance control is paramount. However, we are not here to nitpick a two-time US Open champion’s equipment decisions but to answer your question. In that regard, the longer shaft appeared to provide more speed and more height, which resulted in one of the great shots in US Open history.

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post Did a longer wedge shaft help Bryson DeChambeau win the US Open? appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

We know Bryson DeChambeau does things differently, but every now and then he reveals a nugget of information that serves as a reminder of just how different.

During the US Open at Pinehurst No.2, a member of the media asked him about floating his golf balls in Epsom salt before putting them in play. Here was his response:

The post Bryson DeChambeau floats his golf balls in Epsom salt. Here’s why appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Alex Slitz]

In what turned out to be an epic final round of the US Open, Bryson DeChambeau used a pair of mis-steps on the greens from Rory McIlroy to nail down his second US Open title.

The win at Pinehurst pairs with the one he captured at Winged Foot in 2020, the US Open that was held in September due to COVID. Not that DeChambeau had it easy, needing a par from the left junk on 18 followed by an all-world sand save to win.

US Open 2020: The clubs Bryson DeChambeau used to win at Winged Foot

With DeChambeau it always starts with the driver and Bryson did not disappoint. Although he had difficulty finding fairways, DeChambeau averaged a whopping 338.3 yards (309.3 metres) off the tee – a full 28 yards above the field average – with his 6-degree Krank Formula Fire Pro with an LA Golf Bryson DeChambeau prototype shaft. For those not familiar with Krank, the company is a favourite with the long-drive crowd.

US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau was forced to make a last-minute equipment change before final round

Of course, no mention of DeChambeau’s bag would be complete without mentioning his 3D printed Avoda irons that he first put into play at the Masters. “It’s a speed thing,” he told Golf Channel at the time. “When I mis-hit on the toe or the heel it flies a lot straighter for me and that’s what has allowed me to be more comfortable over the ball.”

Not comfortable, however, was the incredible up and down from the sand from 55 yards on the last hole to secure the win, a remarkable shot with his Ping Glide 4.0 sand wedge to just inside four feet that he then calmly rolled in with his LA Golf Armlock prototype putter.

Epic indeed.

What Bryson DeChambeau had in the bag at the 2024 US Open:

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Left Dash

Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (LA Golf Bryson DeChambeau prototype), 6 degrees

3-woods: Krank Formula Fire, 10 degrees; Krank, 13 degrees

Irons (5-PW): Avoda

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 (45, 50, 56, 60 degrees)

Putter: LA Golf Armlock prototype

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post US Open 2024: The clubs Bryson DeChambeau used to win at Pinehurst No.2 appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

Just minutes before his final-round tee-time in today’s last pairing at the US Open, Bryson DeChambeau drew attention for an equipment change. And it involved his most important club.

The 54-hole leader at Pinehurst No.2 was seen changing the head of his Krank driver on the range just moments before he made his way to the first tee.

Tee time approaching, US Open on the line, Bryson is swapping driver heads pic.twitter.com/GvjXekKd8v

— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) June 16, 2024

NBC showed video of DeChambeau making the change and Brandel Chamblee noted, “That’s highly unusual.”

“He might have cracked the face of that,” Chamblee continued. “If he did, for a guy who likes to nail down every single detail, that may be a little off-putting.”

US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau calls for physio to work on injured hip amid third-round charge at Pinehurst

Minutes later, NBC’s Jim “Bones” Mackay reported Bryson “hit one so hard at some point he flattened the face on his gamer so he had to go to the back-up he had nearby”. Talk about less than ideal timing.

Not surprisingly, DeChambeau has been overpowering Pinehurst No.2 this week. In counting drives, he ranks second to Rory McIlroy in driving distance through three rounds at 337.8 yards (308.9 metres). But look at all the bombs he hit during that electrifying third round in which he grabbed a three-shot lead:

pic.twitter.com/zHGKSwEDkH

— Australian Golf Digest (@GolfDigestAU) June 16, 2024

The LIV Golf star is looking to win a second major and second US Open having won at Winged Foot in 2020.

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau was forced to make a last-minute equipment change before final round appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Jesse Rieser]

As golf-club and golf-ball designs have pursued less spin in search of extra distance, average golfers aren’t always reaping the benefits for one reason: loft. If you want distance, speed is great, low spin is helpful, but launch is paramount.

Nowhere is that more of a struggle than with your fairway woods. This is particularly true when it comes to your lowest-lofted fairway wood. The fact is, a healthy percentage of average golfers are playing too little loft on their lowest-lofted fairway wood, and our Hot List testing reveals that more loft is going to be a better choice more often for as many as a third of all golfers.

Data from our Hot List testing, as tracked by Rapsodo’s MLM2 Pro launch monitor, shows that of the 22 players on our Hot List panel who hit 3-woods, 4-woods and 5-woods, eight produced similar or better results with a more lofted 4-wood or 5-wood than with the lower-lofted 3-wood.

Now, it is true that 3-woods have become easier to hit thanks to weight-saving technologies like lightweight carbon crowns that help lower the centre of gravity to improve launch. Turf-friendly sole designs have mitigated the negative effects of poor contact, and ultra-thin, fast-flexing face designs have yielded the potential for extra ball speed. However, it’s also true that many of those same attributes are part of the higher-lofted versions, which are easier to hit.

Golfers need to rethink their fairway-wood make-up in a more regimented fashion, says Woody Lashen, co-owner of Pete’s Golf, a perennial Golf Digest Best Clubfitter in Mineola, New York. From Lashen’s viewpoint, a golfer needs to be aware of his or her driver distance and the distance of the longest iron or hybrid in the bag. Then it’s a matter of fitting two or even one fairway wood in that gap. It isn’t a matter of automatically choosing a 3-wood with a loft of 15 degrees. A 16.5-degree 4-wood or 18-degree 5-wood might be more effective and easier to hit, he says.

“I’m not worried about what the number says on the bottom,” Lashen says. “I’m worried about what’s happening to the ball. I don’t care if it says 3-wood, 4-wood, 5-wood. I’m not even worried about filling all 14 slots in your bag. It’s what can I give you that’s going to give you the most consistency to fill a distance gap.”

Hot List 2024: Best Fairway Woods

In our Hot List test, of the eight players who hit higher-lofted fairway woods as far or further than their 3-woods, six had driver swings slower than 100 miles per hour, a speed that is comfortably above average for recreational golfers. That would mean the majority of golfers ought to be looking at more loft on their lowest-lofted fairway wood.

Average golfers also should think about how they use their fairway woods. If their lowest-lofted fairway wood is a club designed to advance the ball down the fairway, a more-lofted, shallow-faced club is probably going to be the most effective. If a player likes their lowest-lofted fairway wood to serve as a back-up driver on shorter and tighter holes, and especially if this is its primary use, then a slightly larger, deeper-faced fairway wood could be a better option. One basic idea is to look at fairway woods with an adjustable loft sleeve. This allows a player to see if adding loft produces better results. Generally speaking, you are looking for about 20 metres distance difference between your driver and your lowest-lofted fairway wood.

In fact, some players might benefit from clubs like the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver or Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Ti 340 Mini Driver. Those clubs have larger heads and adjustable lofts that allow them to serve almost exclusively as an alternative driver that’s easier to square up thanks to its shorter shaft length.

Although fairway woods can be the most challenging clubs to hit off the deck, rethinking how much loft is the right loft could go a long way to making that part of your game more playable.

The post You probably need more loft on your fairway woods, our test shows appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Ross Kinnaird]

The first target in the efforts of golf’s rulemakers to roll back distance was the ball. The driver might be next.

When the R&A and USGA announced last December that there would be a change in the way golf balls were tested that would make most models non-conforming, resulting in an estimated distance loss of as much as 15 yards at the elite level, it was seen as a way to penalise the fastest swingers in all of golf (top men professionals) while offering lesser and potentially inconsequential penalties at the recreational golfer level. While a similar rollback for the driver was contemplated in the early days of the ruling bodies’ research, that interest eventually waned, said Mike Whan, USGA chief executive.

Yet during his US Open-week press conference overnight (Australian time) at Pinehurst No.2, Whan talked about the distance deliberations and conversations with R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers and indicated that the driver is still in the rollback crosshairs.

“I would say comfortably speaking for both Martin and I, we had and have a real interest in figuring out a way to provide a difference as it relates to the driver, as well,” Whan said. “To date, we didn’t really come up with something that wouldn’t have a much more negative effect on the recreational game. What we did on the golf ball is going to have much more of an impact at [the elite] level than at the average level. When we started talking about changes in the driver or driving equipment, it was just the opposite. Much more significant impact across the board than just at the elite level.”

In fact, the R&A and USGA offered several initial proposals for equipment rule changes related to a distance rollback that focused on clubs not balls. Those included elements like reduced spring-like effect (specifically a rollback to the allowed Characteristic Time limit), or reductions in clubhead size or forgiveness on off-centre hits (specifically a lower limit on the measurement of moment of inertia). Those elements, all largely about reducing how mis-hits are punished less, clearly would make drives shorter and the game more difficult for average golfers, who tend to miss the centre of the clubface to a vastly greater degree than elite players.

However, changes to driver performance could be instituted in what’s known as a Model Local Rule and could be tailored to only apply to elite men’s competition, leaving average golfers not impacted at all. Doing that, though, would run counter to the position of one set of rules for all of golf, something that became a critically important element in the ball rollback discussion.

Steve Otto, the R&A’s executive director – chief technology officer, said in 2022 that a rollback only would be truly effective if it encompassed drivers as well as golf balls. “If you just do the ball, it’s like lengthening golf courses, where you’re playing into the hands of the distance players,” he said. “The nod to the club side is about the balance of skill and technology. So it’s the hybrid of both club and ball that gives us the possibility to really have a meaningful effect that buys us some time. What that period of time is I don’t know. But the nod to the balance of skill and technology should mean that they don’t all become very fast swing speed players. It’s always exciting to see the fast guys play, but we don’t want them all to be fast guys. We want the balance of a variety of skills throughout the field.”

During his comments at the USGA’s press conference, Whan made it clear the driver is still an area of interest in the pursuit to reign in distance.

“I think we said this when we announced [last December], and if we didn’t I will just tell you,” he said. “We shelved it for now because we thought it was time to make a decision and put it on there, but we didn’t retire the idea. We just didn’t, quite frankly, have an idea that we believed was worthy of going to the market yet. But I would just put a ‘yet’ on that statement.”

While many traditionalists have made the case that today’s drivers are much easier to hit than in days gone by, it is clear that the majority of elite men’s professional golfers are using drivers that not only have a higher moment of inertia than were used only a handful of years ago, but also have a larger area of the face that has the highest spring-like effect. That frees up an elite player to swing a little (or a lot) faster with less fear of a mishit being as severely punished.

While golf balls in and of themselves may not be exceptionally faster today than they were a handful of years ago, ball speeds on the PGA Tour have increased in tandem with swing speeds. Since 2017, the average ball speed on the PGA Tour is up almost 4.8 miles per hour (to 173.6 miles per hour, or a 2.8 percent increase), while the average swing speed is up a little more than two miles per hour (to 115.9 miles per hour, or a 1.8 percent increase). Generally, every mile per hour increase in swing speed at the elite level equates to 1.5 miles per hour increase in ball speed. That means the increase in swing speed in the past seven years would more or less be solely responsible for the increase in ball speed.

For what it’s worth, driving distance on the PGA Tour is about one yard shorter so far in 2024 than it was at this time a year ago.

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post US Open 2024: USGA boss says driver still an area of interest in distance-rollback effort appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Tracy Wilcox]

All news is good news for Jason Day and Malbon. It’s become a major tradition at this point. Wear something a bit out there, draw the ire of Golf Twitter, make some headlines and sell a lot of clothes. Rinse, repeat.

This week at Pinehurst is no different, with Day’s round-two outfit sure to cause chaos. Hopefully, the USGA won’t pull an Augusta National and ask Day to change his look, but you never truly know when Malbon is involved.

Ahead of its launch, @JDayGolf previews Malbon Golf's upcoming Golf & Cycle Collection this week at the US Open. pic.twitter.com/tBkEJJDM5T

— Malbon Golf (@MalbonGolf) June 11, 2024

Jason Day is turning heads again with these wild (swim?) shorts at the Memorial

Day and Malbon Golf previewed the upcoming Golf & Cycle Collection the golfer is going to model this week at the US Open, and it really runs the gamut. The Thursday, Saturday and Sunday scripting all seem like reasonable, no-nonsense looks from the brown tee with embroidered chest art to the light blue vest that we’ll (hopefully) see in contention on Sunday. But when it comes to drama, Friday is the easy standout.

Adorned with a vintage MALBON across the chest, this silicon zipper pull jacket is sure to drum up some takes and controversy. It looks like it should be worn while working the pit crew at the Indy 500, not while teeing off in North Carolina.

We’re not totally sure how long he’ll even be able to wear the heavy jacket as the temperatures are going to reach the low to mid-30s by the end of the week. It’s going to be tough to putt drenched in sweat, looking like you just got out of the pool.

Masters 2024: Jason Day confirms Augusta asked him to remove controversial vest

MORE GOLF DIGEST US OPEN COVERAGE

The post US Open 2024: Jason Day and Malbon unveil Pinehurst outfits; buckle up for his round two look appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

This equipment might just be what your golf game has been lacking.

Women’s Paradym Ai Smoke MAX D Driver
The women’s Paradym Ai Smoke MAX D driver is suited for most players, from high-handicap amateurs to tour pros, who want maximum distance and forgiveness with shot-shape adjustability. The forgiving shape and adjustable perimeter weighting deliver up to
17 metres of shot-shape correction.
au.callawaygolf.com 
RRP: $1,069.95  

Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke
Fast Irons
The women’s Paradym Ai Smoke Fast line represents a total revolution in iron performance. The Ai Smoke family of irons utilises the most advanced iron face in Callaway history: the Ai Smart Face. The Ai Smart Face is designed using real player data and advanced machine learning to create a series of sweet spots all over the face.
au.callawaygolf.com 
From $289.99

Callaway ERC Soft REVA Golf Balls 
(Triple Track)
These balls are especially suited for women who want a new level of performance. New technologies promote a new level of complete performance. Leading with the cover, Callaway has created an all new GRIP Urethane Coating System that provides even more greenside spin. The unique cover is paired with an all-new HyperElastic SoftFast core that increase ball speed, while maintaining soft feel through the bag.
au.callawaygolf.com 
RRP: $69.99   

Spornia spg-7 Golf Practice Net 
Women golfers appreciate the convenience of practising on their schedule, anywhere, without the need to travel to the course or spend money on range balls. With the Spornia SPG-7 golf practice net, they can appreciate the simplicity of the setup and takedown process, and the ability to gain consistency. In addition, Spornia has introduced the Swing Success Program, featuring a free PGA Pro Swing Analysis and access to Premier Online Coaching Programs with every net purchase. That’s more than $149.99 in complimentary coaching and training.
spornia.com.au
RRP: $499.99

Women’s Ping G Le3 Driver 
Designed to be lightweight and make the powerful 460cc head easy to swing and square the face at impact to deliver higher, longer, straighter results off the tee. The adjustable, highly forgiving titanium head has a forged face optimised to get the best performance from swing speeds of 80mph or slower. Ping’s longest women’s driver to date provides approximately four metres of added distance.
americangolf.com.au 
RRP: $895

Cleveland Ladies Bloom 23
This package is designed for the beginner to intermediate female golfer. The lightweight and forgiving set is equipped with distance-driven technology to help maximise your performance.
RRP: $1,349.95 

Bushnell A1-SLOPE Rangefinder
The 2024 Bushnell A1-SLOPE rangefinder is the most compact design among the Bushnell golf line-up, making it light and convenient to use. Bushnell’s Pinseeker and Jolt technology guides flag recognition through vibration and signals. It supports light rounding with small but optimised functions. bushnellgolf.com.au 
RRP: $479.99  

The post New Gear To Cheer appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.

[PHOTO: Michael Reaves]

With a win at the Memorial Tournament, Scottie Scheffler became the first player to notch five wins before the US Open since Tom Watson in 1980. That’s when Sansabelt pants and persimmon woods were the order of the day. Although Scheffler’s equipment is decidedly more modern, his winning score of eight-under-par was old-school, matching that of 1980 Memorial winner, Australia’s David Graham.

Muirfield Village Golf Club was at its testing best. Still, Scheffler knew the final day was going to require some fortitude.

“This is one of those places where there’s certain holes where you just got to step up and hit a great shot,” said Scheffler after the third round. “There’s a lot of spots out there where if you play too conservative, you can get into some pretty tough spots pretty quick, so just do your best to execute and when you need to, just really hit great shots.”

One of those great shots was a 16-foot par putt at the par-3 16th hole that kept him one in front of Collin Morikawa, who must be getting tired of facing Scheffler on Sunday (see: Masters, RBC Heritage). Scheffler changed to a TaylorMade Spider Tour X X1 mallet putter from his Scotty Cameron blade at the Arnold Palmer Invitational after doing extensive testing at home and has been on a tear ever since. The putter is half-an-inch longer than his previous model and has an L-Neck hosel and TaylorMade’s True Path alignment aid on top with a full line sightline on top. The putter has 3 degrees of loft with a lie angle of 72 degrees. The insert is an 80/20 TaylorMade Pure Roll insert and the grip is a Golf Pride pistol.

Although Scheffler putted well enough to post positive strokes gained/putting numbers (picking up almost two shots on the field), the approach game was more quintessential Scheffler as he ranked first in strokes gained/approach the green, gaining a remarkable 13-plus strokes on the field. He also topped the field in greens in regulation.

Scheffler’s TaylorMade P7TW irons are based on Tiger Woods’ muscleback blades and have True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts and Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

Muscleback blades? Maybe Scheffler is more 1980s-like than we think.

What Scottie Scheffler had in the bag at the 2024 Memorial:

Ball: Titleist Pro V1

Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (Fujikua Ventus Black 7X), 8 degrees

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10, 15 degrees

Irons (3-4): Srixon ZU85; (5-PW): TaylorMade P7TW

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM8 (50, 56 degrees); Titleist Vokey WedgeWorks prototype (60 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X X1

The post The clubs Scottie Scheffler used to win the 2024 Memorial appeared first on Australian Golf Digest.