Bryson DeChambeau is known around the PGA Tour for being a man who doesn’t float the mainstream, a golfer who does things his own way. He makes no attempts to hide the fact that he’s a bit out there, and that’s definitely evident in a recent interview he did with Golf Digest during which he discusses the potential of rolling out a ‘side-saddle’ putting technique next year on tour.
If you haven’t heard of side-saddle putting you’re not alone, I hadn’t ever heard of this until I came across a clip of side-saddle putting over on Business Insider. Essentially, while putting you are directly facing the hole and the golf ball is to the side of your foot (hence the name side-saddle):
via Golf Digest:
“I’m the one that’s used to being not normal,” DeChambeau said.
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“It’s in development now,” DeChambeau told Golf Digest’s Tim Rosaforte. “I think it’s an easier way to putt and could be another game-changer like the one-length [irons].”
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DeChambeau has toyed with side-saddle in the past, including in a college tournament, the Jones Cup, in which he had the lead going into the final day. At the time, however, he said he didn’t have the proper-length putter for it. Side-saddle has been used only sparingly at the game’s highest level. K.J. Choi toyed with it for a few tournaments in 2010, and Sam Snead used it at the end of his career — this after his initial method of putting croquet-style with the ball between his legs, was declared illegal.
This has been a recommended putting method for golfers with the yips, golfers that jerk the ball on the green and have extreme difficulty with putting. I’ve never heard of a PGA pro doing this because they’re the Crème de la Crème of the golf world and don’t struggle with trivial things like us weekend warriors do.
In his Golf Digest interview, Bryson DeChambeau said he expects to roll out this bizarre putting technique during the 2017 PGA Tour season. If he starts winning tournaments with this side-saddle putting technique I fully expect other PGA pros to hop on board with this putting style and before you know it every pro on tour’s going to look like a goddamn jabroni on the green.
…(h/t Business Insider via Golf Digest)…