It was an interesting final day with a lot of twists and turns, but Bryson DeChambeau is now a 2 time US Open winner. The mad scientist of golf is always an interesting character analyse to lets take a look at what he used to bring home the trophy:
Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro 6 *
Shaft: LA Golf Bryson Series
3 Wood: Krank Formula Fire
Shaft: LA Golf Bryson Series
Irons: Avoda Prototype (5-PW)
Shaft: LA Golf Bryson Series
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 46, 50, 56, 60
Shafts: LA Golf Bryson Series
Putter: Sik Pro C-Series Armlock
Key Points
3D Printed Irons:
It’s a catchy headline but the most interesting technological conversation when it comes to Bryson’s irons is the club face. Looking down at the top of them, you will notice that they’re curved. This, in itself isn’t new, ‘bulge and roll’ is implemented on every driver and fairway wood to reduce the impact of gear effect which creates side spin on toe and heel strikes. The face curvature starts the ball, for example with a toe strike, out to the right as the ball will then spin to the left off that strike location. This is common in woods as gear effect only tends to happen when the centre of gravity is deeper and further from the face, hence a wood’s longer profile, but generally won’t happen in irons. However, Bryson claims that at his speeds and with the lofts as low as they are on his irons, gear effect does in fact occur despite the science generally theorising that it wouldn’t. I, myself, would be interested to see the data to prove its necessity!
Long Drive Woods:
Always against the grain, Bryson uses a driver and fairway wood that is much more commonly found in long drive tournaments than in competitive golf. This may sound like he’s after long drive distances on the course, however it isn’t the primary reason that he uses these clubs. The real reason? Durability. Long drive clubs are far more equipped to withstand high speeds and Bryson did tend to break a lot of drivers before he switched to a more durable driver.
Graphite Iron Shafts?
Yes, Bryson DeChambeau uses graphite iron shafts, he must swing it pretty slow eh. Obviously not, the 125 gram graphite iron shafts are absolute rods in order to keep up with Bryson’s speed. While the view is that graphite is most appropriate in slower speeds or only in woods, graphite being such a versatile material does allow manufacturers to make them just as heavy and stiff as steel. The reason it is good for slower speeds is that it’s more stable in thinner quantities than steel is, however it doesn’t mean graphite shafts can’t be made to very stiff specs.