Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele have been turning heads for many reasons. DeChambeau is one of the only golfers who has improved after joining LIV. He also made it to the 2025 Ryder Cup as the only LIV golfer on the American team. Xander Schauffele recently got a rare achievement of winning his 200th start at the 2025 Baycurrent Classic. He also registered his 10th PGA Tour title at the event. They are turning heads again, but not for the reasons fans might expect.

The 2025 Ryder Cup teammates are chasing something that a golf analyst says is a very bad move. They are trying to improve their ball speed. And golf instructor Chris Como says that it is dangerous for a professional golfer. Como was on Golf Channel’s 5 Clubs, where the host asked him about pursuing more speed. He gave an example, saying that the usual reaction golfers gave when someone pursued speed years ago was, “Oh no, that’s a dangerous endeavor.”

“Yeah. Or you know, even Bryson, right, during COVID, we did a lot of that stuff. So yeah. I think it is dangerous for a tour player a bit. It can be right because there are people who have lost their game on the PGA Tour of chase distance. If you’re ranked, for example, 75th in the world, you want to get better, and maybe you think getting more club head speed will help you get better. And it could if you keep the same level of accuracy, but if you lose that accuracy, you could very quickly lose your job,” Chris Como said on 5 Clubs.

Chris Como is an excellent golf instructor. Over the years, he has worked with Xander Schauffele, Jason Day, Tom Kim, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau, and many others. So his words are backed by both experience and expertise. If he says something is dangerous, it certainly could be.

Bryson DeChambeau is known for pushing the limits of swing speed. He averages around 133 mph with peaks up to 138 mph on tour. He even collaborated with World Long Drive champion Kyle Berkshire to increase his ball speed, reaching recorded speeds of 211 mph during practice. This quest for speed has given him drives of over 400 yards.

In fact, DeChambeau even helped Golf.com’s Sean Zak increase his swing speeds. “When we’re doing this,” DeChambeau told him. “I want you to rapid-fire. I want you to hit as many balls as you can. And I want you to keep trying to apply force in different ways.”

The same goes for Xander Schauffele as well. Schauffele has driving speeds of around 180 miles per hour. His swing metrics show elite consistency and excellent impact control, with a smash factor of 1.50 and ball speeds around 125 mph during iron shots. His approach reflects a more measured increase in speed with a focus on maintaining precise ball flight and spin characteristics.

While this has helped both Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele, Chris Como says that it could be dangerous if a golfer loses his or her accuracy. However, he also believes that there are ways to counter it, especially for recreational golfers.

“For a recreational golfer, I mean, just being able to create more speed is by far the lowest-hanging fruit to get better at the game. I mean, they have less risk. They’re not risking their job. There’s tremendous upside. So, if someone is, you know, not playing for a living, I think the risk factor goes down quite a bit in terms of the overall picture. And it just creates so much more upside,” Como said.

Recreational golfers don’t rely on golf for their income. Thus, they can lose their accuracy at first and then improve over time. On the other hand, for a pro golfer, losing accuracy can cost them their exemption card. Therefore, the risks are higher for professional golfers like Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele.

It is this speed that has actually helped Bryson DeChambeau achieve a lot of records. One of them was the lowest single-round score at Belmont Country Club in Fresno, California. He broke his father’s record to achieve this.

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Bryson DeChambeau broke his father’s record

DeChambeau has increased ball speed to hit longer drive shots. Since he also maintained accuracy, the 2024 U.S. Open champion has improved his game significantly. He returned to Belmont Country Club in Fresno, California, where his father, Jon, first taught him golf. It was Bryson DeChambeau’s first full 18-hole round there in 14 years and the first without his late father, who passed away on November 5, 2022.

Bryson lost his father in November 2022. His mission to the Belmont Country Club was to break his father’s course record of 8-under par from the blue tees and make him proud. As he played, he expressed intense nervousness because he cared deeply about making his father proud. Bryson DeChambeau birdied the 17th hole to reach 9-under par, officially breaking the record. On the 18th, he aimed for an eagle with a 23-foot putt.

When the putt dropped, Bryson shot an 11-under 61. Overcome with emotion, he fought tears, saying, “First time playing 18 holes without my dad where he taught me to play. I love you, Dad. 61’s for you.” And although not big, his speed had played a small factor in this.

Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele’s push for more speed highlights both the promise and the pressure that come with competing at the highest level. Chris Como says that as long as a golfer protects the accuracy that keeps them in contention, their pursuit of extra power will continue to shape the next chapter of their careers.