Opinion & Analysis
The strengths and weaknesses of Bryson DeChambeau’s game
Bryson DeChambeau made waves last season in the golf world after he won the NCAA individual championship and the U.S. Amateur. Between his swing mechanics, unique golf clubs and knowledge of physics, he’s became one of the most interesting players on Tour. He turned professional after the Masters, and here is how he as performed on the PGA Tour so far this year.
- Arnold Palmer Invitational: T27
- The Masters: T21
- RBC Heritage: T4
- Valero Texas Open: MC
- Wells Fargo Championship: MC
- AT&T Byron Nelson: MC
- Dean & Deluca Invitational: MC
- The Memorial: T38
- U.S. Open: T15
This has raised some eyebrows from readers who have asked for a more in-depth look at DeChambeau’s game, as he was in contention at the Masters at one point, played very well at Harbour Town before missing four cuts in a row, and started to regain his form back in the U.S. Open.
While DeChambeau missed four cuts in a row and has only recorded one top-10 finish, his scoring metrics have been sound thus far. Furthermore, he has done well on the Par-4’s which has the strongest correlation to Total Adjusted Scoring Average.
Driving Data
The rankings are based out of 202 golfers. So, DeChambeau ranking 100th means he’s at about the average in terms of effectiveness off the tee. He certainly generates a good amount of club speed, but he also appears to hit his driver with a bit of a downward attack angle in competition, which saps some of his power away.
I was a bit surprised by his Tee Shot Aggressiveness, which estimates how often a player is laying up off the tee. He was ultra-aggressive off the tee at Harbour Town and had great success there. But since, it appears he’s become very conservative off the tee and that may be giving him issues. He also has a fairly pronounced rightward miss bias.
Approach Shot Data
The approach shot data gives us a better idea as to why DeChambeau has had some struggles. The interesting part is he’s one of the best on Tour from the Yellow Zone (125-175 yards), but the worst on Tour from the Red Zone (175-225 yards). This will typically translate to a lot of birdies, but also a lot of bogeys. When players get into the Yellow Zone, those that hit the ball closer to the hole on average are set up to make more birdies because they are hitting those approach shots into a makeable range. From the Red Zone, the players who hit it more closely save themselves from making bogeys and double bogeys.
What I find more interesting is that Augusta National and Oakmont are very Red Zone-centric courses, and he performed well there. His best finish was at Harbour Town, which is more of a Yellow Zone-centric course. My interpretation is that there is little reason to press the panic button. While the Red Zone is the most important range
for approach shots, DeChambeau’s poor performance is likely due to the learning curve of transitioning from collegiate and amateur golf to the PGA Tour. He’s excellent from 150-175 yards, and I believe that in short time he will greatly improve his Red Zone play.
Short Game and Putting Data
Putting has also been an issue for DeChambeau. He has putted well from 15-25 feet, but putts from 5-15 feet have a stronger correlation to Adjusted Scoring Average. Much like approach shot play, these are the growing pains for a young professional. His Short Game data indicates he’s fairly competent around the greens and that his putting is likely holding him back from saving more pars.
In the end, DeChambeau has shown flashes of becoming the next top young professional on Tour. There has been a noticeable learning curve, but his Yellow Zone play and putting from 15-25 feet will lead to a ton of birdies on the Par-4’s. The performance at Oakmont is promising, since it is a course that stresses shots from 175-250 yards. One more thing to note; he has played the 4th toughest schedule on Tour at this point in time. The general idea is that once he starts playing in events with weaker fields, he should be able to have even stronger finishes.
As the editor-in-chief of this website and an observer of the GolfWRX forums and other online golf equipment discourse for over a decade, I’m pretty well attuned to the grunts and grumbles of a significant portion of the golf equipment purchasing spectrum. And before you accuse me of lording above all in some digital ivory tower, I’d like to offer that I worked at golf courses (public and private) for years prior to picking up my pen, so I’m well-versed in the non-degenerate golf equipment consumers out there. I touched (green)grass (retail)!
Complaints about the ills of and related to the OEMs usually follow some version of: Product cycles are too short for real innovation, tour equipment isn’t the same as retail (which is largely not true, by the way), too much is invested in marketing and not enough in R&D, top staffer X hasn’t even put the new driver in play, so it’s obviously not superior to the previous generation, prices are too high, and on and on.
Without digging into the merits of any of these claims, which I believe are mostly red herrings, I’d like to bring into view of our rangefinder what I believe to be the two primary difficulties golf equipment companies face.
One: As Terry Koehler, back when he was the CEO of Ben Hogan, told me at the time of the Ft Worth irons launch, if you can’t regularly hit the golf ball in a coin-sized area in the middle of the face, there’s not a ton that iron technology can do for you. Now, this is less true now with respect to irons than when he said it, and is less and less true by degrees as the clubs get larger (utilities, fairways, hybrids, drivers), but there remains a great deal of golf equipment truth in that statement. Think about it — which is to say, in TL;DR fashion, get lessons from a qualified instructor who will teach you about the fundamentals of repeatable impact and how the golf swing works, not just offer band-aid fixes. If you can’t repeatably deliver the golf club to the golf ball in something resembling the manner it was designed for, how can you expect to be getting the most out of the club — put another way, the maximum value from your investment?
Similarly, game improvement equipment can only improve your game if you game it. In other words, get fit for the clubs you ought to be playing rather than filling the bag with the ones you wish you could hit or used to be able to hit. Of course, don’t do this if you don’t care about performance and just want to hit a forged blade while playing off an 18 handicap. That’s absolutely fine. There were plenty of members in clubs back in the day playing Hogan Apex or Mizuno MP-32 irons who had no business doing so from a ballstriking standpoint, but they enjoyed their look, feel, and complementary qualities to their Gatsby hats and cashmere sweaters. Do what brings you a measure of joy in this maddening game.
Now, the second issue. This is not a plea for non-conforming equipment; rather, it is a statement of fact. USGA/R&A limits on every facet of golf equipment are detrimental to golf equipment manufacturers. Sure, you know this, but do you think about it as it applies to almost every element of equipment? A 500cc driver would be inherently more forgiving than a 460cc, as one with a COR measurement in excess of 0.83. 50-inch shafts. Box grooves. And on and on.
Would fewer regulations be objectively bad for the game? Would this erode its soul? Fortunately, that’s beside the point of this exercise, which is merely to point out the facts. The fact, in this case, is that equipment restrictions and regulations are the slaughterbench of an abundance of innovation in the golf equipment space. Is this for the best? Well, now I’ve asked the question twice and might as well give a partial response, I guess my answer to that would be, “It depends on what type of golf you’re playing and who you’re playing it with.”
For my part, I don’t mind embarrassing myself with vintage blades and persimmons chasing after the quasi-spiritual elevation of a well-struck shot, but that’s just me. Plenty of folks don’t give a damn if their grooves are conforming. Plenty of folks think the folks in Liberty Corner ought to add a prison to the museum for such offences. And those are just a few of the considerations for the amateur game — which doesn’t get inside the gallery ropes of the pro game…
Different strokes in the game of golf, in my humble opinion.
Anyway, I believe equipment company engineers are genuinely trying to build better equipment year over year. The marketing departments are trying to find ways to make this equipment appeal to the broadest segment of the golf market possible. All of this against (1) the backdrop of — at least for now — firm product cycles. And golfers who, with their ~15 average handicap (men), for the most part, are not striping the golf ball like Tiger in his prime and seem to have less and less time year over year to practice and improve. (2) Regulations that massively restrict what they’re able to do…
That’s the landscape as I see it and the real headwinds for golf equipment companies. No doubt, there’s more I haven’t considered, but I think the previous is a better — and better faith — point of departure when formulating any serious commentary on the golf equipment world than some of the more cynical and conspiratorial takes I hear.
Agree? Disagree? Think I’m worthy of an Adam Hadwin-esque security guard tackle? Let me know in the comments.
@golfoncbs The infamous Adam Hadwin tackle ? #golf #fyp #canada #pgatour #adamhadwin ? Ghibli-style nostalgic waltz – MaSssuguMusic
Episode #16 brings us Cliff McKinney. Cliff is the founder of Old Charlie Golf Club, a new club, and concept, to be built in the Florida panhandle. The model is quite interesting and aims to make great, private golf more affordable. We hope you enjoy the show!
Last week, I came across a reel from BBC Sport on Instagram featuring Scottie Scheffler speaking to the media ahead of The Open at Royal Portrush. In it, he shared that he often wonders what the point is of wanting to win tournaments so badly — especially when he knows, deep down, that it doesn’t lead to a truly fulfilling life.
View this post on Instagram
“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about it because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said. “To have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I think, is a pretty cool feeling. To get to live out your dreams is very special, but at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers. I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world, because what’s the point?”
Ironically — or perhaps perfectly — he went on to win the claret jug.
That question — what’s the point of winning? — cuts straight to the heart of the human journey.
As someone who’s spent over two decades in the trenches of professional golf, and in deep study of the mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of the game, I see Scottie’s inner conflict as a sign of soul evolution in motion.
I came to golf late. I wasn’t a junior standout or college All-American. At 27, I left a steady corporate job to see if I could be on the PGA Tour starting as a 14-handicap, average-length hitter. Over the years, my journey has been defined less by trophies and more by the relentless effort to navigate the deeply inequitable and gated system of professional golf — an effort that ultimately turned inward and helped me evolve as both a golfer and a person.
One perspective that helped me make sense of this inner dissonance around competition and our culture’s tendency to overvalue winning is the idea of soul evolution.
The University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies has done extensive research on reincarnation, and Netflix’s Surviving Death (Episode 6) explores the topic, too. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, the idea that we’re on a long arc of growth — from beginner to sage elder — offers a profound perspective.
If you accept the premise literally, then terms like “young soul” and “old soul” start to hold meaning. However, even if we set the word “soul” aside, it’s easy to see that different levels of life experience produce different worldviews.
Newer souls — or people in earlier stages of their development — may be curious and kind but still lack discernment or depth. There is a naivety, and they don’t yet question as deeply, tending to see things in black and white, partly because certainty feels safer than confronting the unknown.
As we gain more experience, we begin to experiment. We test limits. We chase extreme external goals — sometimes at the expense of health, relationships, or inner peace — still operating from hunger, ambition, and the fragility of the ego.
It’s a necessary stage, but often a turbulent and unfulfilling one.
David Duval fell off the map after reaching World No. 1. Bubba Watson had his own “Is this it?” moment with his caddie, Ted Scott, after winning the Masters.
In Aaron Rodgers: Enigma, reflecting on his 2011 Super Bowl win, Rodgers said:
“Now I’ve accomplished the only thing that I really, really wanted to do in my life. Now what? I was like, ‘Did I aim at the wrong thing? Did I spend too much time thinking about stuff that ultimately doesn’t give you true happiness?’”
Jim Carrey once said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
Eventually, though, something shifts.
We begin to see in shades of gray. Winning, dominating, accumulating—these pursuits lose their shine. The rewards feel more fleeting. Living in a constant state of fight-or-flight makes us feel alive, yes, but not happy and joyful.
Compassion begins to replace ambition. Love, presence, and gratitude become more fulfilling than status, profits, or trophies. We crave balance over burnout. Collaboration over competition. Meaning over metrics.
Interestingly, if we zoom out, we can apply this same model to nations and cultures. Countries, like people, have a collective “soul stage” made up of the individuals within them.
Take the United States, for example. I’d place it as a mid-level soul: highly competitive and deeply driven, but still learning emotional maturity. Still uncomfortable with nuance. Still believing that more is always better. Despite its global wins, the U.S. currently ranks just 23rd in happiness (as of 2025). You might liken it to a gifted teenager—bold, eager, and ambitious, but angsty and still figuring out how to live well and in balance. As much as a parent wants to protect their child, sometimes the child has to make their own mistakes to truly grow.
So when Scottie Scheffler wonders what the point of winning is, I don’t see someone losing strength.
I see someone evolving.
He’s beginning to look beyond the leaderboard. Beyond metrics of success that carry a lower vibration. And yet, in a poetic twist, Scheffler did go on to win The Open. But that only reinforces the point: even at the pinnacle, the question remains. And if more of us in the golf and sports world — and in U.S. culture at large — started asking similar questions, we might discover that the more meaningful trophy isn’t about accumulating or beating others at all costs.
It’s about awakening and evolving to something more than winning could ever promise.
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Snoopy
Jul 11, 2016 at 12:28 am
Rich, (or anyone), I’ve always wondered this about Bryson… if his swing gets off, will he play around his miss or is he 100% committed to his swing chart and his swing plane? As in, if he misses one right, will he make the same swing and aim left, or will he try to correct?
MAC
Jun 26, 2016 at 3:11 pm
IF I DIDNT KNOW BETTER I WOULD THINK YOU ARE ON THE SPECTRUM. LAST GUY I KNEW LIKE THAT WAS MOE BUY YOU COULDN’T HOLD HIS JOCK.
Millennial
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:38 am
About as funny as a syphilis.
Large chris
Jun 25, 2016 at 3:29 pm
Very interesting analysis as always…. The surprising thing is (and I do think he has a lot of game) is that his red zone play is so poor (ranked last), when you consider from previous articles that:
A) 175 to 225 is the most significant indicator of success
B) single length clubs are mainly supposed to improve the long iron game, yet this is his weakest point.
Happy Troll
Jun 25, 2016 at 12:01 am
Yet you are down here reading and commenting. Seriously go read ESPN. Golf WRX is fine and my favorite website because of ease of commenting.
Lee Layfield
Jun 24, 2016 at 11:23 pm
I love to watch him play. He’s going to be one of the greats.
Delusional
Jun 25, 2016 at 1:27 am
Lol no he won’t
Steve
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:17 pm
I hate Facebook.
Bob Pegram
Jun 24, 2016 at 2:31 pm
His very high hand position at address probably contributes to his tendency to miss to the right.
Bob Pegram
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:18 pm
I disagree.
Bob Pegram
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:33 am
Pretty sure I was talking about Schitzus Smizbags.
Agreed
Jun 24, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Totally agree. Make it happen GolfWRX.
Shallowface
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:52 pm
Yeah, let’s link it to Facebook whose existence is the reason we need Snopes.
All of you millennials are really going to be sorry when Freedom of Speech disappears altogether.
Tin Foil Hat
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:01 pm
Yep. So many conspiracies. So little time.
Not a millennial
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:02 pm
What a ridiculous assumption to make.
Assumptions
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:17 pm
Why would you assume that they are millennials? Suggest that it is not just your face that is shallow.
Shallow Assumption
Jun 24, 2016 at 7:21 pm
Very shallow of you to assume that they are millennials.
Millennial
Jun 26, 2016 at 6:35 am
Facebook can eat a kransky
Andrew
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:21 am
Maybe time BC to consider a blended set. 3-5 same length, 6-8 same length and 9 through to wedges same length. This will hopefully cover his short comings with the longer distance.
Steve
Jun 23, 2016 at 5:09 pm
Excellent article.
At what sample size is this data reliable enough to predict future performance?
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 6:42 pm
In no way does it predict future performance, but it does show current performance. Like I, and others, have pointed out he is in the learning curve. Also, he is under tremendous pressure to prove himself in order to gain entrance as a full time PGA Tour Player.
He sought to enter the tour like Tiger did, win enough money or a tournament for automatic qualification. He is not Tiger. He needs seasoning on the mini tour.
His problem is not his clubs, it is lack of experience and playing against a deep pool of talented Pro’s.
He may have been the best in college and as an amateur, but this is a different stage. Everyone (!) on the tour are good, and all were successful as amateurs.
There have been many who failed who were touted as the Next Great. No verdict yet on whether he will turn it around, go to the mini and up his game, become an average player, or rise to the top.
Tc
Jun 23, 2016 at 4:53 pm
Poor guy. Getting analyzed this way just because he has them clubs.
Shallowface
Jun 23, 2016 at 6:09 pm
When a club or method is touted as being something that is going to revolutionize the way golf is played, it deserves this kind of scrutiny. Something truly revolutionary would be producing great results NOW, not after some sort of “learning curve.” I think Bryson is a quality individual and I hope he is successful, but I won’t be surprised if there are some changes along the way.
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 10:46 pm
This has nothing to do with the clubs.
Shallowface
Jun 24, 2016 at 3:54 pm
If has everything to do with the clubs. If not for the clubs, Bryson wouldn’t be drawing anywhere near the interest he is getting.
Joe
Jun 24, 2016 at 10:07 pm
You seem to forget that he was the NCAA and U.S. Champion. I believe this has only been done twice before. He would get interest regardless of what he plays.
The article is about how he is doing competitively, not so good. There is no comparison between his clubs and what others are using. His stats have little to nothing to do with what he plays, but how he is playing. At this time his game (not his clubs) are what is in question.
Single length irons are not new, they were used extensively in bygone era’s. I neither believe they are superior or inferior to the accepted current irons in use. They will not fit into everyones game, but I would think the ability to set up the same for every club would help the non-initiated golfer quite a bit. One-swing, one-setup.
John
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:29 am
Poor TC. At least your mom loves you
Joe
Jun 23, 2016 at 4:09 pm
There is a learning curve. I think several years on the mini tour will help him. I do wonder about his resolve, this is an arrogant person with a lot of pride. Having to go to the Mini will affect him, the question is Negative vs Positive.
Kuch came in heralded and disappeared for awhile, Bubba also spent some time in Time Out also.
Emmizzle
Jun 23, 2016 at 2:37 pm
lol
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 1:44 pm
he hits the ball so low.
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 3:48 pm
such a bully on the internet. so tough.
mr b
Jun 23, 2016 at 3:50 pm
you def win the award for golf internet forum tough guy of the year. congrats!
Kevin McKevKev
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:46 pm
At least he still plays Smizzo. The last time I saw you you were in the clubhouse smashing beers and talking about how you could have won the club championship if it wasn’t for a very unlucky 17 on the first.
Flavour Saver
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:52 pm
I remember that. He had an absolute brain fade and hit 5 shots out of bounds and then after a 4 putt he stripped of and kept yelling “I am the Smizzle. This can’t happen to the Smizzle”. From there things got really weird as he started coating himself in yogurt and then rolled around in the bunker for 4 hours before finally snapping all his clubs and throwing them in the lake. He still comes to the club everyday and is propped up at the bar telling anyone who will listen about how close he went to winning the club championships.
First Person
Jun 24, 2016 at 12:05 am
Did he really refer to himself in the Third Person? What a weirdo.
M Smoghurt
Jun 24, 2016 at 6:06 pm
People started to get suspicious when you were carrying a second golf bag.
larrybud
Jun 23, 2016 at 1:08 pm
Iron data is the most telling, to me, and is a result of his single-length club setup. How easy can it be to control a finesse shot like 80 yards when you’re using clubs the length of a 6 iron?
Rich Hunt
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:34 pm
One should remember that the sample size is small. Furthermore, he switched from Edel to Cobra irons and I think there is a learning curve with that as well. I would not give up on them just yet.
es
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:22 am
what is his status on the tour? did he use up all his exemptions for the year yet? he hasn’t qualified from his own merit yet correct?
mctrees02
Jun 23, 2016 at 11:28 am
So far, DeChambeau has earned the equivalent of 212 FedEx Cup points. He needs to earn 361 points before his 7 sponsors exemptions run out.
Any event in which he finishes in the Top 10 automatically gets him into next week’s tournament and does not count against his 7 exemptions. As of today, he has the Quicken Loans (received invite as US Amateur champ) + 3 sponsors exemptions left to earn an additional 149 points.
(below from a Golfchannel article)
DeChambeau needs 361 points – the equivalent of 150th on last year’s FedEx Cup points list – to earn special temporary status on Tour, which would allow him to receive an unlimited number of sponsor exemptions for the rest of the season.
If he reaches that threshold, he is playing for points or money equal to or greater than 125th in this year’s standings to earn exempt status for next season. That number is still a moving target, but for the sake of comparison, last year’s No. 125 had 458 points or $747,899 in earnings.
At the very least, DeChambeau needs to earn enough points to finish inside the top 200 to reach the Web.com Tour Finals at the end of the year. That guarantees at least some status on the developmental circuit next year, with an opportunity, if he plays well, to earn a PGA Tour card.
es
Jun 23, 2016 at 12:12 pm
wow mctrees02, thank you for the detailed information.
Looks like he really helped his cause by qualifying and playing well in the US Open. pressure is on to do well in those last 3 exemptions. if he makes it to 361 points i think he’ll make it to no.125
Emmizzle
Jun 23, 2016 at 2:40 pm
thanks
Rich Hunt
Jun 23, 2016 at 9:08 am
That tends to be a bit of a learning curve as well. From my experience working with Tour players is that they tend to hit them too hard when they start out. Bryson is very speed conscious and works with Vector Putting (although he was taught AimPoint, first). But his putting from 15-25 feet usually indicates a firm putter of the ball and that may be a bit too firm on short ones.
Forsbrand
Jun 23, 2016 at 8:54 am
When he scores well he’s wragged with his putter.
He used totally different clubs to others and has faith in them, which is great, but I’m yet to see a major difference in his length or scoring with his clubs , ie knocking it closer than those average guys with standard equipment.
If he wins two majors then I’ll change my mind
M.
Jun 23, 2016 at 10:36 am
Short irons are too long and long irons are too short?!
Concerned Troll
Jun 24, 2016 at 9:36 am
If you’re waiting for a definitive answer regarding whether or not single-length irons are “better” or “worse” than standard length irons, you’re not going to get one. They work for him because he likes them and has hit thousands of balls with them. Even if he were “knocking it closer” than the guys with standard equipment, that still doesn’t tell you jack about which set is better. It’s the indian not the arrow.