After lacking the minimize on the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline, Daniel Berger didn’t make a PGA Tour begin for practically 18 months. A again damage debilitated him for this era, throughout which he labored by the ‘worst six months of his life.’
He returned to competitors eventually 12 months’s American Categorical within the Coachella Valley, the place he tied for thirty ninth — a strong end result contemplating the circumstances. The previous Florida State Seminole went on to play 26 extra instances and made 15 cuts in 2024, exhibiting flashes of brilliance that earned him a spot on the 2021 Ryder Cup crew.
However it took him some time to search out his groove and regain each side of his recreation. He lastly feels 100% wholesome, and his latest type displays that. Berger arrives at this week’s Cognizant Traditional on the Palm Seashores contemporary off a T-2 end on the WM Phoenix Open and a solo twelfth on the Genesis Invitational.
Earlier than the primary spherical, Berger spoke with the media and revealed which a part of his recreation took the longest come again.
“I might say positively membership head pace,” Berger mentioned Wednesday.
“Over a 12 months in the past, I used to be swinging like 106 miles an hour, which doesn’t translate into lengthy drives. That took me most likely eight or 9 months to get again as much as the excessive 119 and 120s. So now I really feel like I can compete with the opposite guys. It’s an enormous benefit to hit the ball — I’m not lengthy by any means, however to get into that 300 carry quantity was big for me, and with the ability to take some bunkers out of play that six months in the past I wasn’t capable of do, now I’m hitting a ton of fairways. I feel statistically, I’ve been fairly excessive up there the final couple of years in driving accuracy and whole driving, so taking part in out of the golf green has been big for me within the final 12 months.”
Berger averaged 298 yards off the tee final 12 months, good for 118th on the PGA Tour.
This 12 months is a distinct story. He has already added 9 yards, averaging 307 yards off the tee within the 5 occasions he has performed this season. His driving distance common at present ranks 62nd on the PGA Tour, a stark enchancment from final 12 months. He defined that taking a distinct strategy to his coaching can be a major cause why he has regained his pace.
“I employed a brand new power and conditioning coach with a ton of expertise in that. I prepare utterly in a different way than I did earlier than. I by no means actually preferred figuring out. It was by no means actually one thing that I loved doing. Now I understand how vital it’s for my well being and for my total golf recreation,” Berger defined.
“I do quite a bit much less heavy lifting, and I do much more pace coaching the place I’m actively attempting to maneuver quick and fireplace rapidly, and I feel even simply practising hitting balls arduous, I by no means used to go to the driving vary and tee up 10 balls and hit them as arduous as I may. You stand up to a par-5 and go, ‘I’m going to hit this as arduous as I can,’ however in case you’ve by no means executed that earlier than, you don’t have that muscle reminiscence and that fast-twitch in your mind to fireside at that pace. So simply doing that extra typically has translated.”
In case you are a golfer and ever maintain a again damage like Berger, persistence is required at first. It should take time to rediscover each nuance of your swing, however the very last thing to return will undoubtedly be your distance, which makes all of the sense on this planet.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
