On Sunday Bryson DeChambeau clinched his second major championship just beating Rory McIlroy at the 2024 US Open in one of the best finishes in a Major championship for some time. DeChambeau does divide opinion partly down to his decision to join LIV Golf in 2022 but also as his athleticism and methods which have led him to be one of the longest hitters in the history of golf. Some debate that he is changing the rules on how and who can play golf at the top level.
Salty Balls
Bryson was asked over the Open weekend about some of his methods and one that captured significant interest was Bryson and his team use Epsom Salt to float his golf balls to detect any imperfections on the ball.
DeChambeau said “I put my golf balls in Epsom salt. I’m lucky enough that Connor, my manager, does that now. I don’t have to do it. But essentially we float golf balls in a solution to make sure that the golf ball is not out of balance. There was a big thing back in the day where golf balls are out of balance, and it’s just because of the manufacturing process. There’s always going to be an error, especially when it’s a sphere and there’s dimples on the edges. You can’t perfectly get it in the centre”.
This level of attention to detail is incredible and whilst it is probably difficult to prove or disprove scientifically if it makes a difference, the fact that Bryson and his team have devised this shows they are thinking well beyond the limits of ordinary golfers.
Eddie May