Bryson DeChambeau admits to using ‘salty balls’ – “We float golf balls in a solution to make sure the golf ball is not out of balance”
Bryson DeChambeau admitted to using salt balls at the 2024 US Open. The American golfer methodically surged to the top of the leaderboard of the ongoing Major at Pinehurst No. 2, considered one of the toughest golf courses in the world.
He dominated since the start of the first round, and during the press conference after the third round, he revealed that he uses golf balls dipped in salt to play. DeChambeau explained to reporters the science behind his strategy and how it has been helping him with his game.
He acknowledged that his manager now dips the balls into Epsom salt for him to ensure the balls are "not out of balance." He said:
“I put my golf balls in Epsom salt. I'm lucky enough that Connor, my manager, does that now. I don't have to do it. But essentially, we float golf balls in a solution to make sure that the golf ball is not out of balance.
He went on to explain that golf balls are often out of balance due to the manufacturing process.
“There was a big thing back in the day where golf balls are out of balance, and it's just because of the manufacturing process. There's always going to be an error, especially when it's a sphere and there's dimples on the edges. You can't perfectly get it in the center. So what I'm doing is finding pretty much the out-of-balanceness of it, how much out of balance it is," he added.
Furthermore, DeChambeau elaborated on the science behind how the balls dipped in salt help in playing.
"Heavy slide floats to the bottom, and then we mark the top with a dot to make sure it's always rolling over itself. It kind of acts like mud. If there's too much weight on one side, you can put it 90 degrees to where the mud is on the right-hand side or the mud is on the left-hand side. I'm using mud as a reference for the weight over there. It'll fly differently and fly inconsistently. For most golf balls that we get, it's not really that big of a deal."
Bryson DeChambeau's salty balls have seemingly provided him with a significant advantage. He performed well at the last two majors, and at the ongoing US Open, DeChambeau took the lead after the third round.
Bryson DeChambeau jumps one spot on the leaderboard to take lead at 2024 US Open
DeChambeau leapt from tied for second place to take the first spot on the leaderboard at the 2024 US Open. He has been having an amazing outing at the Major, starting the game with a round of 67. He played a round of 3-under 67 with four birdies and one bogey to maintain his position in the top-10 on the leaderboard.
In the second round, he started with a bogey on the second hole, followed by a birdie on the sixth. He carded two bogeys, two birdies on the front nine, and three birdies and two bogeys on the back nine to score 1-under 69.
In the third round, he started off with a bogey on the fourth hole and then added two birdies on the front nine. He carded four birdies and one double bogey on the back nine to score 3-under 67 and topped the leaderboard. Bryson DeChambeau took a three-stroke lead in the game heading into the final on Sunday, June 16.