After lacking the lower on the 2022 U.S. Open at Brookline, Daniel Berger didn’t make a PGA Tour begin for almost 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 finally yr’s American Categorical within the Coachella Valley, the place he tied for thirty ninth — a strong consequence contemplating the circumstances. The previous Florida State Seminole went on to play 26 extra instances and made 15 cuts in 2024, displaying flashes of brilliance that earned him a spot on the 2021 Ryder Cup crew.
But it surely took him some time to search out his groove and regain each facet of his recreation. He lastly feels 100% wholesome, and his latest kind displays that. Berger arrives at this week’s Cognizant Traditional on the Palm Seashores recent 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’d say undoubtedly membership head pace,” Berger stated 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 having the ability to take some bunkers out of play that six months in the past I wasn’t in a position to 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 complete 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 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 presently ranks 62nd on the PGA Tour, a stark enchancment from final yr. He defined that taking a distinct method to his coaching can be a big motive why he has regained his pace.
“I employed a brand new energy and conditioning coach with a ton of expertise in that. I practice utterly otherwise 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 necessary it’s for my well being and for my general golf recreation,” Berger defined.
“I do rather a lot much less heavy lifting, and I do much more pace 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 stand up to a par-5 and go, ‘I’m going to hit this as onerous as I can,’ however should you’ve by no means achieved that earlier than, you don’t have that muscle reminiscence and that fast-twitch in your mind to fireplace at that pace. 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’s going to 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 employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.