Nothing lasts forever
I’m constantly striving to improve, and over the last few years have worked on my swing and fitness. I’m lucky to have access to the latest custom-fit clubs, yet my handicap had risen from 6 to 10.
I started to think that I needed a technique or process to improve my mental game, so I put out a social media post saying I was looking to work with someone. Andy didn't volunteer but was recommended. When we started chatting, what he was saying really resonated. He helped me understand that no one can get into, and stay in, a perfect state of mind, nor will we always be stuck in negative thinking. Nothing lasts forever - that’s the nature of thought and, indeed, life.
Andy then joined me on a round at JCB Golf and Country Club after I had told him that I played my best golf when I play at a good pace and don’t think about the technical side.
I began well – just one-over after seven. But as I started to think about a good score, I began taking more time over ‘important’ shots, and rehearsing my swing or stroke more than normal – the opposite of what I do when I say I play my best golf. I was shaking the snow globe!
Andy’s approach of not trying to control thought has given me a feeling of more freedom, on and off the course. I know that having a really good mental game is not the thing that will transform my scores – sound course management and playing with freedom will do that.
Good scores won’t happen every week – that’s not how golf works – but when I’m in a position to shoot a good one, or on a bad run of holes, I’m just going to acknowledge a wide range of emotions, focus on my next shot and try to execute as best I can.
ryson Dechambeau is well known for thinking outside the box and bringing a unique take to the tried and tested methods we usually see in professional golf. Here, the man himself tells us about how he prepares for competition. From driving to putting, he explains his meticulous routine and how it helps him play his best. We shouldn’t be surprised to hear his preround prep is slightly different to most other tour pros...
What’s the focus and length of your pre-round warm-up?
If I’m not driving it well, I’ll be working harder on that. It really depends on the week and I’ll pivot each and every week depending on what my Strokes Gained is in all of the categories. So, sometimes I’ll need to focus a little more around the greens and on putting to put me where I need to be to win a tournament.
How long will your typical warm-up last?
Well, it depends. If I’m feeling super-calm and confident, it might be short and sweet. If I’m not comfortable, it could be a couple of hours trying
to figure it out. It’s a work day, so I’m just as focused on these days as I am on the tournament days.
With putting, how do you want to feel after you walk off the practice green?
For me, I want to feel like the stroke is smooth, consistent and controlled. I want to have great speed on the greens, obviously. You’ll see me working on my speed every single day, controlling that. I also want to start it on my line.
If I can start it on my line with great speed, and I feel comfortable with the stroke, I’m usually a top-30 putter in the world.
What’s your most useful training aid on the greens?
I would definitely say measuring launch angle and whatnot. We don’t use this pre-round, it is for practice days, but the most important numbers to have are the ball speed numbers from a device that tells me how fast the putt is going, or how fast I’m hitting the putt. We then measure out how far it goes. Let’s say it’s 40 feet and the number that we want to achieve is 10.1 miles per hour. We can then see if it comes up short or long, and then we can adjust our percentages based on whether it’s slower or faster that day. So knowing the speed of the greens is super-important and we use how fast I’m hitting it as a gauge.
On the driving range itself, what’s the go-to device for you?
Flightscope [launch monitor] is obviously helpful for measuring swing speed and ball speed and seeing how far the golf ball is going. Every golf course and every environment is different, so
we’re definitely checking out how far golf balls go in the latest environment compared with the previous week’s environment. And knowing those numbers is very, very helpful.
Mentally, how do you want to feel when you’re done with your warm-up?
The mental game is all based on if I’m confident with the golf swing. If I’m confident with my putting and chipping, based on all of the stuff we do, then my mental game’s in a great state, we’ve got no issue. I’ve always said the mental game changes the way you play by about ten per cent up or down.
Your skillset is your skillset. So if you usually shoot around 80, you could shoot 75 on a good day. You could even hit 72 if you’re playing unbelievable golf and in the perfect mental state with everything going for you. Or you could go the other way and shoot 85. So I would say the mental game is a ten per cent buffer. It may be different for other people, but for me, it’s always been around ten per cent. If I can keep it in check and I’m positive about my game and comfortable with my stroke, ball-striking and everything, I could take a 72 and turn it into 65 pretty easily.
What do you focus most on with your chipping and bunker warm-up?
The grass and the bunker types. I’m really good from ryegrass and bunkers that are a little firmer. If bunkers are like that, I’m usually pretty good around the greens. If they’re softer, I’ve got to work a little harder to get comfortable around the greens, but that’s just my technique.
How much of a boost does it give you when you arrive at Augusta National to use the amazing practice facilities before a round?
I think it’s a really cool way to prepare for the golf course. I still have my process that I go through. It’s very nice, it’s got everything we need. At most tour events we have everything we need, but I’ll say Augusta is always in primetime tip-top shape. It’s fun to be able to have a practice range and a couple of holes that look similar to the golf course. It gets you kind of comfortable if you’re trying to work on a shot shape on a hole or something – you can do it out there easily, which is pretty special.
If you’re trying to hit a shot and be comfortable with a shot on the course, Augusta’s range can definitely help with your confidence.
You can listen to the full interview with Bryson Dechambeau on Garrett Johnston’s Beyond the Clubhouse podcast