Most people would be happy to just have a printer that works. Bryson DeChambeau has a printer that might just win him the Masters.
The power of technology has found the golf world in the form of 3-D printed clubs, which DeChambeau is using at Augusta National. After just getting the approval from the USGA on Monday ahead of the Masters, the clubs were immediately put in the bag for the weekend.
A bogey-free opening round and his place atop the leaderboard heading into the weekend might be enough to ensure those clubs remain in use for well beyond a few days.
Here is everything you need to know about the new additions to DeChambeau’s bag of clubs.
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Bryson DeChambeau irons
The irons are made by a company called Avoda Golf and are sold as either combo-length or same-length clubs.
After splitting with Cobra-Puma last year, DeChambeau was on the hunt for some new gear and the innovative Avoda came through with the right answers to the golfer’s questions.
“It’s just a speed thing,” DeChambeau told Golf Channel after his first round. “When I miss-hit it on the toe or the heel a little bit, it just seems to fly a lot straighter for me and that’s what’s allowed me to hit some iron shots a little bit straighter and be a lot more more comfortable over the ball.”
There is a curvature on the face of the club, known as “bulge” in the golf world. It’s typically found on drivers and is a way to help DeChambeau if he doesn’t strike the ball perfectly.
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“The faces have some bulge to them, they are one-of-a-kind,” Mike Schy, DeChambeau’s coach, told Golfweek. “What happens if you hit it on the toe? It hooks a lot, right? What happens if you hit it on the heel? It cuts a lot. When you have bolts, that offsets that.”
DeChambeau worked alongside Avoda to craft these new clubs that are all the rage at the Masters. He has been practicing with them for some time, but could only start using them professionally after the USGA approved them earlier in the week.
The concept is one that has many wondering if it will catch on, especially as DeChambeau’s success is a complete 180 from last year when he was cut.
What is Avoda Golf?
Avoda Golf is a brand that is currently just in the business of selling irons and caps. The irons come in “combo” and “same” length. They claim to have made the “World’s First Combo-Length Iron Set.”
The company’s name, Avoda, is a Hebrew word meaning precision. They are owned by Tom Bailey, who has previously worked alongside DeChambeau’s coach.
The personalization is what sets Avoda apart for DeChambeau since the clubs can be designed to the exact specifications that the golfer desires.
Mainstream equipment makers weren’t doing this yet, allowing Bailey to pounce. He initially started it as a way to fund his golf habit, as he told Golfweek.
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“It’s such a niche, they just they weren’t going in those places,” Bailey said. “So I decided that I’ll do it myself and started a company up mid last year and built proto sets myself, caught a lot of traction very quickly with people wanting them as well. So I figured if I can sell a couple hundred sets a year, it would fund my golf. And we did that very, very quickly.”
Partnering with DeChambeau, who is always looking to try new things with his equipment, has paid off for Avoda, who have found themselves as one of the top stories at the 2024 Masters with DeChambeau tied for the lead after two rounds.
If DeChambeau can continue this level of success, he might just make Avoda the new kids of the golf block.
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