Disclaimer... I wrote this before the Arnold Palmer Invitational 😅 but I still stand by my point 😏 and everything in this is all my own opinion and please treat it as such! I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on it!
Soooooo..... I have recently seen a lot of people focusing on getting stronger to increase their swing speed. Especially since Bryson DeChambeau (pic below) has beefed up and started smashing his driver. But.... I personally think that he has proved over the past 6 months that smashing the driver doesn't mean everything, where is his consistency in hitting the fairway? My issue is that so many people are focusing on how far he can hit it rather than whether he is hitting it well. Hitting over 300 yards is all well and good but hitting it over 300 yards and landing at a completely different hole, is it worth it?
When I've been researching the biomechanics of the swing, it gets broken down in to more than just strength and smashing it. A swing relies on mobility, flexibility and balance as well as strength. Look at JT, he is built like a twig and in his 2019/2020 season he was averaging 304.2 yards off the tee.
Dr Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Institute highlights that the most efficient and effective swing is one that creates a smooth kinematic sequence. Each movement and technique builds upon the previous one creates energy which is then transferred to the ball as the club hits it. The more precise this movement, the more energy will be generated, any deviation from this causes a decrease in the transfer of energy.
You could be the Worlds Strongest Man but if you don't have the correct technique or a smooth chain of energy, you will still end up doing a Molinari at Pebble Beach on the first tee
I am not saying that DeChambeau hasn't got the correct technique, he's a PGA pro and I'm not.... I am just saying that I feel there is far too much emphasis on how big he has got and how far he is hitting. I am just jealous shhhh haha....
Golfers getting stronger is not a bad thing, it can help you in so many areas including injury prevention but it needs to be stressed that it is not the be all and end all! If you are training for golf, please make sure that you are focusing on all areas of the swing including mobility, flexibility and balance!
Let me know what you think about it all in the comments :)