‘I PROBABLY HAD 238MPH IN THE TANK, I JUST DIDN’T QUITE MIDDLE IT’
Long drive king Kyle Berkshire has just set a new ball speed world record… and now he wants more
Barely a day goes by without a discussion on how far the modern pro hits the golf ball breaking out, be it excited fans gasping at a 400-yard rocket or dismayed pundits bemoaning classic courses being overpowered. Let’s hope the latter never meet World Long Drive Champion Kyle Berkshire, a man who makes DJ and Rory look like short hitters – and who’s just set a new ball speed world record.
“If anyone wants to say they hit it past me, I’ll fly wherever and hit side by side with them and people can look at the Trackman numbers,” he says. “I’ll use their club if they want me to. I’m not saying this to slight them, because they are phenomenal at what they do, but they can’t hit it as far as me, and that’s a fact.”
Now, he’s proved it, too – setting the new speed record by hitting ball a staggering 236.2mph on a simulator... In fact, he did it three times, just to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
The 26-year-old – who’s become a long drive mentor to LIV star Bryson Dechambeau – achieved the feat last month. But despite breaking the Trackman ball-speed record, he says he still wants more.
“Honestly, it’s frustrating because I think I topped out at 158.9mph (clubhead speed),” he says. “I probably had 238mph in the tank. I just didn’t quite middle it. I just didn’t have that freak ball where I smoked one and swung really fast at the same time. It’s great to go 236.2, but there’s more in the tank.”
To put it into context, his friend Dechambeau – one of the longest players on tour – hit a personal record of 219mph during the 2021 World Long Drive Championships.
The current ball speed leader on the PGA Tour, Brandon Matthews, averages 190.12mph, while Rory Mcilroy averages 185.78.
“This is what I live for,” says Berkshire. “Pushing the limits and showing people what is possible, showing how exciting long drive can be. It was great to be able to break another limit.”
Berkshire’s advice if you want to hit it further is simple: “Go to the range, hit a basket of balls as hard as you can and just keep pushing your numbers up. See where your numbers are with a launch monitor, and have fun smashing balls.”