Golf Tips Handbook: Your Free Guide Awaits

Unlock our Exclusive Golf Tips Handbook- a curated collection of the smartest, most practical lessons we’ve published this year.

Download now

Back in 2011, Bryson DeChambeau’s instructor, Mike Schy, handed him a set of oversized grips and suggested he try them out. Fourteen years later, DeChambeau finally opened up about that switch during a recent interview with Martin Brogmeier. And the reason had nothing to do with strategy or performance gains. It was just pain!

DeChambeau stated that his strict practice routine has caused him hand injuries. He has used an interlocking grip for years and has hit a number of golf balls every day. This repetitive action has caused his knuckle to become thick and swollen. “Oh man, because I well, broke my finger. When I was interlocking for the longest time. I mean, I was doing so many golf balls and my hands were hurting,” he revealed.

“This knuckle got really thick and big and I popped and my pinky was hurting one time,” DeChambeau said. At just 15 years old, he switched to an overlapping grip, which provided some relief but didn’t solve the problem entirely.

The real breakthrough came when Schy attended the PGA Show and discovered JumboMax grips. Schy, described by DeChambeau as “a tinkerer as well,” immediately put them on his clubs. The wider diameter made an instant difference.

“I tried it and it was wider and it just made it so much easier. I didn’t have any pain. So I stuck with that, and I’ve used it ever since,” DeChambeau recalled. When Brogmeier asked if he started with the XL size, the 32-year-old confirmed, “Yeah, it was the biggest size.”

That early choice set the tone for what would become Bryson’s signature setup. As his game got better and his gear changed, so did the grip he chose. He switched to JumboMax’s reduced-weight model, the “JMX UltraLite,” between 2018 and 2020.

The clubs still had a large diameter, but they were lighter, making them simpler to swing. This helped him keep his “single-length / one-plane” swing while putting less stress on his body and making it more consistent.

Then, soon before the LIV Golf Greenbrier in 2023, he changed his gear again. He replaced the UltraLite grips on all of his full-swing clubs with the heavier, counter-balanced “JumboMax Tour Series (XL)” grips.

That shift was planned: the added weight helped him shape shots better (especially when pulling the ball more easily) and improved his play from tough lies.

By 2024, Bryson DeChambeau had finalized his grip setup. When he won his second U.S. Open title, all 14 clubs he used had JumboMax grips—Tour Series XL on his full-swing clubs and JumboFlat 17 on his putter. What began as a way to ease physical pain evolved into a successful formula for winning major championships.

Well, the 2024 US Open was an interesting tournament for him.

Top Stories

Tiger Woods Gives Fan 1-Word Reply About PGA Tour Comeback Amid Leaked Schedule

Paige Spiranac Rubs Salt in Colt Knost’s Wounds With Latest Comments on His Amateur Golf Dreams

Watch: Scottie Scheffler Left Stunned as the Ball Betrays Him

Justin Thomas Lays His Feelings Bare About Scottie Scheffler’s Dominant Form Affecting Him

LPGA Legend Drops Upsetting Comeback Update Following 3-Year Hiatus – Report

How Bryson DeChambeau used a key ruling to his advantage

Bryson DeChambeau’s meticulous approach to his gear wasn’t the only factor that contributed to his win at the 2024 U.S. Open. He also had a very good understanding of the rules, which helped him win his second major title.

During the first round at Pinehurst, he found himself in trouble on the par-five 5th hole. He saw a small, link-cable pole right in front of him as he considered his alternatives. Most players would have accepted their destiny, but DeChambeau saw an opportunity right away.

He brought over a rules official to be sure of what he already thought: he could get around the immovable obstacle.

“I looked at it, like, whoa, that cable is right in line with the flagstick where it was coming down, and I know it’s an immovable obstruction,'” DeChambeau said after the round. The ruling let him relocate his ball 30 yards closer to the green, turning a hard recovery into a simple 250-yard approach.

He took advantage of the chance to make a birdie, which left him just one shot behind early leader Ludvig Aberg.

“I used the rules to my advantage to where I had a cleaner, better lie and was able to get it up on the green,” DeChambeau said.

That same level of attention to detail, whether it’s learning about grip specifications or the intricacies of the regulation, is what has made him successful.