Andrew Tursky
Bryson DeChambeau’s quest for more speed started in 2019, and it’s been an arduous road full of doubters, protein shakes, intense gym sessions and speed training.
Most recently, we saw DeChambeau put his heightened speeds on full display at the 2021 World Long Drive Championships where he finished 7th place and recorded a high ball speed mark of 219 mph.
“Getting the 219 mph ball speed out here was a dream come true,” DeChambeau said after the long drive event. “I never thought I would get to that type of speed. I broke the barrier by three miles an hour faster than I’ve ever gone in my entire life.”
Well, apparently DeChambeau hasn’t plateaued yet.
On Tuesday, he took center stage on the range alongside his long-drive mentor Kyle Berkshire at Dove Mountain in Phoenix, Ariz., for a Cobra media launch event. The duo was set to put on a display of long drive prowess and speak on an unreleased Cobra driver.
The event turned into something much more significant for DeChambeau, though.
As we’ve previously reported, DeChambeau has had his sights set on cracking the 220 mph ball speed mark for months. To put that in perspective, the PGA Tour average ball speed hovers around 167 mph. Berkshire, the world’s longest driver, tops out at just over 231 mph.
During the Cobra media event, DeChambeau and Berkshire went back and forth ripping drives, and Cobra fitters were shouting out their Trackman numbers to the onlookers. Berkshire was cruising around 224 mph of ball speed at first, and DeChambeau settled into the 214 mph range.
As the session progressed, though, DeChambeau and Berkshire egged each other on, competing and pushing themselves to their limits. With pump-up songs such as AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” reverberating on the range, DeChambeau and Berkshire began grunting and yelling, firing themselves up to hit the ball farther and faster.
Adrenaline was pumping, and Berkshire’s ball speeds started creeping up into the high 220’s, topping out at a blazing 231.3 mph. DeChambeau, whose face progressively got redder and shouts louder, crept into the high 210’s. With each ball, he got closer to the 220 mph promised land.
That’s when the magic happened.
Using an unreleased Cobra prototype driver and his Bridgestone Tour B X golf balls, DeChambeau officially eclipsed the 220 mph mark, topping out at 221.5 mph.
“221 guys!” DeChambeau exclaimed to the crowd on-hand after the booming drive. “That’s my fastest ever recorded. Faster than [the world championships].”
Following the impressive session, DeChambeau addressed the audience: “I never would have expected to be this fast today. Maybe 215, whatever. But I have no idea what happened. Sometimes, when you keep pushing, you experience those highs that you never thought were possible. That’s what speed training is about, that’s what long drive is about, and that’s what’s so much fun to do…whenever you’re at a low, just keep pushing…I can’t thank Kyle enough for helping expose me to this potential so that hopefully we can all grow the game in a really, really cool way, and I’m glad to be a part of that with Cobra-Puma, and I’m excited for the future for all of us.”
Unfortunately, Cobra isn’t yet publicly speaking on the name or design of the unreleased driver that Berkshire and DeChambeau used in the exhibition. But we’ll keep you informed, so be on the look out for more.
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