Haters Gonna Hate
Bryson, 'mad' science and silencing doubters
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'Cause you haters got PhDs
Y'all just some major haters and some math minors
Tiger Woods, don't make me grab iron
- ‘So Appalled’ by Kanye West, Jay-Z, Pusha T, Swizz Beatz & RZA
I have been a golf fan since I was young and used to go caddy for my Dad early on a Sunday morning. The caddying only lasted a few weeks as I had a habit of rolling around in the bunker and occasionally picking up the wrong golf ball! (A story for another time!)
As a teenager I used to spend my summers caddying in the K Club or playing 3-4 times per week at my local club.
I was 12 when Tiger Woods came on the scene with his first Major breakthrough win in 1997 that changed the game of golf. The fact that it also happened at the Masters made it even more special.
It’s the US Masters week again, which for any golf fans out there (me included), is probably the most anticipated week of golf of the calendar year.
The bookies favourite, and man that all eyes will be on this week, is Bryson DeChambeau.
Despite recently winning the US Open by 8 shots, it is not so much his skill level that is drawing attention, rather his method of playing.
People call him "The Mad Scientist of Golf." Critics write and talk about him being bad for the game.
Me? I think there is an argument to be made that he is one of the most innovative athletes in world sport.
Let’s look at some of the innovation:
Bryson's swing is inspired by a 1969 book called The Golfing Machine. It is a highly controversial golf book that describes 144 ways you can swing a club and inspired Bryson to adopt a "single plane swing" (meaning he swings on the same line each time).
In order to maintain this swing plane, all of Bryson's clubs are 37.5 inches long. Unlike most other pros, all his clubs have the same swing weight and the club face angles are 10 degrees more upright than usual.
Professional golf is, for the most part, set up to reward players who drive the ball far. When Bryson set out to be #1 in the world, he knew that needed to hit the ball farther.
To do that, he gained 40 pounds during the lockdown that significantly changed his appearance. He started swinging his driver as hard as possible.
The additional weight and upper body strength gives him stability, which is the base for his power. This has helped him increase his swing speed to 135mph and his ball speed to 200 mph. For reference, the PGA Tour average ball speed is 167 mph.
Bryson has climbed from 55th to the number 1 longest driver on tour.
But, it is not just about strength and swinging the club as hard as you can (something my Dad would always tell me not to do when I was younger!)
Bryson is incredibly focused on data and what he can measure. Instead of relying purely on ‘feel’, he leans on physics and geometry.
Bryson uses a system called vector putting where he uses math to compute the break and determine how the ball will roll along the grass.
He brings a launch monitor onto the course so he can mimic tournament conditions. With all that data, he can study trends and identify where he can improve.
He also uses a handheld EEG monitor to monitor his brain activity on the course. The goal is to recreate tournament conditions so Bryson can avoid the spikes that occur at the most stressful, intense times
He has also honed another critical area of success. All golfers know the saying ‘drive for show, putt for dough’. Bryson has heeded this advice and also put huge emphasis on improving his putting. When he first turned pro, he was 157th in putting. He has recently gotten as high as 12th.
What Bryson is doing is using all available tools and information to formulate a strategy that gives him the best chance of winning.
And yet, he gets ridicule and negativity from fans, commentators and even fellow pros. Rory McIlroy spoke after the US Open that he felt Bryson has ‘taken advantage of where the game is at the minute’.
The strange thing about all of this hate….history is repeating itself.
We all know that Tiger Woods destroyed the field in ’97, but who remembers how he did it?
He overpowered Augusta National. That week, Tiger averaged over 320 yards off the tee. He out-drove every other player in the field by 25 yards.
That advantage allowed him to beat up Augusta in a way that was never seen before. This was especially evident on the par-5s where Woods was 13-under par on those holes alone and often playing a short iron or wedge into the green. His fellow pros could simply not keep up.
It led to golf courses bringing in ‘Tiger-proofing’ and extending hole length and making courses harder. Commentators talked about him being bad for the game as he could hit the ball too far.
As it turned out, Tiger Woods inspired the next generation of golfers to consider themselves as athletes and focus on their physical fitness.
And, he also benefitted their bank accounts.
The year Tiger Woods turned pro in 1996 the money leader was Tom Lehman with $1.78m, and just 9 players had made over $1million. In 2018, Justin Thomas topped the list with a cool $8.69m from 23 events, and 114 players made over $1million.
Hopefully, in 20 years time, history will look more favorably on Bryson’s accomplishments and innovation.
Why Should You Care?
You have an idea.
You want to start your own business or launch a new product.
Maybe you are looking to challenge the status quo or go after an incumbent.
Maybe you are doing something that has never been done before and are ahead of the market.
People are critical, they tell you its a waste of time or a bad idea.
Ignore the voices, block out the noise.
Believe in yourself and your process. Use all available information and do what works for you
Be like Bryson!
Tell me why I’m wrong…
- Eoin
Left Field
How do I describe ‘Left Field’? It’s a place to put the content (newsletters/articles, etc) that we have amassed over recent weeks or previous years that really make us think or change our thinking on a particular topic. All the content will offer an alternative view of some topic in financial services, technology or sport (or a combination of all three!)
This fascinating blog post from Tim Urban (see below in newsletter recommendations) sets out the amount of time a person has left in their life visually or by comparing to events that have happened/are left to happen.
Where it gets especially deep, and poignant, is when Tim breaks down the amount of days he has left in his life to spend with his parents.
Anyway, I won’t give away too much. Enjoy the article and feel free to get in touch to discuss more!
- Eoin
Can’t Sleep?
MoneyNeverSleeps podcast episode from this week:
We’ve flipped the tables this week, with Ken Coyne from OpsTalent interviewing Pete Townsend on his own digital awakening, insights on the startups he’s working with, the origins of enterprise blockchain, the present and the future of digital assets…and who stole Pete’s car stereo in 1990!
Podcast Recommendation: Highly recommend checking out ‘Tech People’ podcast with Ken Coyne. It is a series of interviews that shares the experiences of some truly inspirational leaders on their journey to success.
Newsletter Recommendation: I highly recommend the newsletter, ‘Wait But Why’, written by Tim Urban, which covers a whole range of fascinating topics such as technology, life partners, death, naming babies, Facebook, etc
This newsletter has been written by Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend
Want more MoneyNeverSleeps?
Check out the MoneyNeverSleeps Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast platforms.