Unique 'Face Bulging' Irons Help Fire Dechambeau Up Masters Leaderboard

Bryson Dechambeau has never been one to do anything by the book and is always tinkering with equipment outside the box in the search for better performance. With his nickname the 'golfing scientist', it should come as no surprise that he was instrumental in the design of some prototype irons in conjunction with Avoda Golf.

Speaking to the Golf Channel's Todd Lewis after his opening round of 65 at The Masters, Dechambeau referenced a new face curvature design on his new irons with added bulge and explained the reason for the switch. 

"It's just a speed thing, when I hit it on the toe or heel a little bit, it just seems to fly a lot straighter. This is what has allowed me to hit some iron shots a lot straighter and be more comfortable over the ball."

Bryson's new irons are said to feature 'face bulging', which isn't new in the golfing world and is featured on all the best drivers and fairway woods but hasn't been seen before when it comes to irons.

The Bulging of the clubface is the curvature of the clubface from heel to toe and allows 'gear effect' to take place, which is why Dechambeau feels as though these irons are far more forgiving on his miss-hits.

Bulge and roll essentially allows the ball to start  when struck from the heel or toe but then curve back towards the intended target due to the spin created by the way the clubface opens and closes as the ball is in contact with the face. This would be in contradiction to a typical iron face where the ball would start on a straighter line but then over-turning curve away from the target. 

These new irons are said to be 3D printed in order to create the required bulge shape and were only approved by the USGA earlier this week, meaning that while Dechambeau has probably been practicing with these irons a lot, he has not been able to use them in competitive golf. 

This makes his opening round 65 at the 2024 Masters even more impressive. He shot a 73 on day two to sit at six-under-par. 

Avoda Golf is a brand that currently sells just irons and caps, with its irons coming in both 'Combo' length and 'Same' length. It claims to have made the 'World's First Combo-Length Iron Set'.

Instead of all the irons being the same length, like Bryson DeChambeau uses, Avoda's 'Combo' length sees the lob wedge to 8-iron in the same length of 36 inches, which equates to a 9-iron length. The 4, 5, 6, and 7 irons then each come in variable length but slightly shorter than standard, and they have heavier heads to help maintain ball speed and forgiveness.

"Both variable and same-length irons offer advantages and drawbacks," the company says. "We've designed a set that eliminates the downsides while leveraging the strengths of both for superior accuracy into and around the green."