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 means of the ‘worst six months of his life.’
He returned to competitors eventually yr’s American Specific 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 occasions and made 15 cuts in 2024, exhibiting flashes of brilliance that earned him a spot on the 2021 Ryder Cup group.
However it took him some time to search out his groove and regain each side of his sport. He lastly feels 100% wholesome, and his latest type displays that. Berger arrives at this week’s Cognizant Basic 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 sport took the longest come again.
“I’d say undoubtedly membership head velocity,” Berger mentioned Wednesday.
“Over a yr in the past, I used to be swinging like 106 miles an hour, which doesn’t translate into lengthy drives. That took me in all probability 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 enormous 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 enjoying out of the golf green has been enormous for me within the final yr.”
Berger averaged 298 yards off the tee final yr, good for 118th on the PGA Tour.
This yr is a special 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 yr. He defined that taking a special method to his coaching can also be a big motive why he has regained his velocity.
“I employed a brand new power and conditioning coach with a ton of expertise in that. I prepare utterly in another way than I did earlier than. I by no means actually appreciated 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 sport,” Berger defined.
“I do lots much less heavy lifting, and I do much more velocity coaching the place I’m actively making an attempt to maneuver quick and fireplace rapidly, and I feel even simply practising hitting balls onerous, I by no means used to go to the driving vary and tee up 10 balls and hit them as onerous as I might. You rise up to a par-5 and go, ‘I’m going to hit this as onerous as I can,’ however if you happen to’ve by no means completed that earlier than, you don’t have that muscle reminiscence and that fast-twitch in your mind to fireplace at that velocity. So simply doing that extra usually has translated.”
In case you are a golfer and ever maintain a again damage like Berger, persistence is required firstly. It’ll 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 Enjoying By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
