A ground-up perspective of the 2022 Majors
Do you remember what happened on the 6th of March 2021? Let us give you a hint … it had something to do with Bryson. Still struggling? It was the 3rd round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Fine, here you go. It was when Bryson “chocolate milk” Dechambeau hit a 370 yard drive over the lake on a Par 5 to within 70 yards of the hole. Arms raised as the ball reached its 34 second apex, he bellowed at it, using his protein shake enlarged torso to propel it even further.
It was the most memorable moment in golf of 2021 (bar of course the actual most memorable moment, when Hideki’s caddie bowed to Augusta National after his Masters win) and will stick in the memory for a long time.
Content aggregators leapt on the shareable views. Sports fans from every nook and cranny were talking about Bryson. Did it matter that his 60 yard pitch languished 40 feet from the hole? Not in the slightest. We had reached another ‘overpowering of golf’ moment.
Putting Bryson to one side, which is no mean feat, let’s take a look at the macro picture.
Fitness in golf has become a hot topic in recent times. The greater athleticism of golfers has been on a steeply inclining curve. You only need to look at the Instagram profiles of the top 20 men and women in the world to see it cluttered with PTs and TRXs.
Brooks Koepka’s four-major-heater reaffirmed the benefits of being in unbelievable shape. As his rippling sm-edium Nike shirts overpowered the rest of the field in golf and in the weight room.
Tiger Woods, naturally, was the godfather of this trend. Immortalising navy seal fitness regimes and four hour weight sessions becoming the norm.
So how has that filtered down to the amateur golfer? I wonder if you the reader have changed your fitness regime to better your golf? Would you even admit it to your fourball if you had?
On the whole, it seems that amateurs are becoming more fitness conscious as a consequence of the professional game. Snacks pulled out of golf bags are much more likely to be a cereal bar rather than a mars equivalent – pro shops will have their fridges filled with protein shakes alongside the obligatory Lucozade.
‘Fitness for golf’ twitter accounts followers are booming as they plug a way to keep the dream alive that doesn’t include a £1,000 driver.
Where do the Harry Higgs, Shane Lowry’s and Joel Dahmen’s of this world then fit in?
Are they a romantic nod to the ‘gamers’ of yesteryear who would look a single digit body fat percentage opponent up and down on the first tee, in full knowledge it would be them that would be opening their wallet at the end of the round?
Or are they a declining trend in the midst of swing speed and “smash factor” Trackman golf that is present on college golf driving ranges at the moment?
Speaking of Trackman, we leave you this month with a comparison of Bryson’s 2018 and 2020 seasons. His 2018 season saw him rise to 5th in the world, with four victories (three of which were stellar PGA Tour events). His 2020 season, post lockdown bulk, saw him win only twice (crucially one of which was his US Open victory).
All we know is that we favour golf not being purely a game of carry distance. It should still require skill, imagination, feel and the control of your emotions. Hitting it incredible distances accurately is a skill, which the likes of Bryson should be rewarded for. However it should not be the only skill that is rewarded.
How much does fitness impact your golf game? Are you a Bryson, or a Dahmen? Feel free to reach out and let us know.
Finally, head over to the VPAR fitness section in your app to discover some great golf related workouts!