Masters leader Bryson DeChambeau is using irons made by a 3D PRINTER… and they were only approved for use at Augusta by the USGA on Monday
Bryson DeChambeau’s lead in the Masters after the first round is incredibly thanks to the help of 3D printed irons, which were only approved for use in Augusta this week.
DeChambeau, who has been nicknamed “The Mad Scientist” for his near-obsessive attention to golf’s margins, parted ways with Cobra-Puma Golf last year and eventually teamed up with a small clubmaker called Avoda, as noted by Golf week.
The 30-year-old’s new single-length irons were only approved by the USGA on Monday and have been described by the golfer himself as making him feel ‘more comfortable on the ball’.
The clubs, which reportedly had to be 3D printed in time, were deemed to have too narrow grooves last week before they were modified to meet USGA standards.
‘I put in new irons this week. I think that’s a pretty big change,” he told reporters on Thursday. βAnd I’m using this new driver, 3-wood and 5-wood,β he said. βSo pretty much my entire bag is different from last year’s Greenbrier, and the putter is the only thing that has stayed the same.β
Bryson DeChambeau uses a set of 3D printed irons for the first time at The Masters
He leads the field after the first round with a 7-under 65 at Augusta National
DeChambeau β nicknamed ‘The Mad Scientist’ β has always strived to succeed on the margins
His old coach, Mike Schy, also told Golfweek, “The faces have some bulge, they’re one of a kind.”
βWhat happens if you hit him on the toe? It hooks a lot, right? What happens when you hit the heel? It makes a big difference. If you have bolts, that compensates for that.β
DeChambeau appears to be enjoying his new clubs as he opened the Masters in the first round with a 7-under 65.
The use of 3D printed clubs isn’t the first time DeChambeau has sought advantages where his competitors haven’t.
According to the Independenthe looked at ‘barometric pressure calculations’ and ‘spin rate decay with altitude’ to get an edge in hitting the ball.
DeChambeau cut his weight last year after previously gaining a lot of weight
DeChambeau also underwent a hugely significant body transformation ahead of the 2020 season.
The golfer said he ate about 3,500 calories a day to add 50 pounds to his body and become the most powerful driver in the world during the 2019-2020 season, with an average distance of 322.1 yards.
That ridiculous strength helped him win the 2020 US Open, but DeChambeau subsequently struggled with injuries and fell down the rankings, returning him to a leaner frame last year.
He revealed he lost 18 pounds in 24 days after receiving a wake-up call from doctors about his health.