Before Michael Block’s heroics at the PGA Championship, he had built a long career as a club pro, so it's safe to say he knows plenty about the correct techniques needed to master the game. Of course, there is a world of difference between offering golf instruction and utilising that knowledge and ability in a Major.
That Block achieved it so impressively at Oak Hill was one of the marvels of the tournament. However, it is clear he is no novice with the club in his hands. He appears to have passed that know-how to his 17-year-old son, Dylan, too, as evidenced by a fascinating slowed down video of his swing.
Strength and conditioning coach Mike Carroll, who specialises in helping golfers, is responsible for the video, which he posted on Twitter with a detailed explanation as to why, in it, Block Jr achieves 122mph club head speed and 182mph ball speed with a 3 wood at such a young age.
Learning From The Outliers This is 17 year old Dylan Block (Michael’s son) hitting 122mph club head speed and 182mph ball speed with a 3 wood.I slowed down the video so you can get a good look at what he does in transition. It is amazing. Towards the end of the backswing… pic.twitter.com/ynx8mYkAUUMay 25, 2023
Carroll explained why some players who neither seem big nor strong can generate such incredible speed with their swings, and he breaks down why that applies to Block Jr, including “kinematic sequence,” or the order different parts of the body move in the downswing.
Carroll wrote of the video: “This is a great example of amazing swing mechanics, elite mobility, and probably great genetics all interacting. I can’t stress enough how impressive this speed is at 17, while looking so ‘effortless.’"
As if to prove he is mastering the art of impressive speed, another video, albeit where Dylan is attempting to generate the fastest speed he can, shows him achieve an even more incredible club head speed of 133.9 mph and a ball speed of 197.9 mph.
Michael Block’s logic about his own game aside he’s making sure his son isn’t leaving any speed on the table.Here he is speed training197.9 mph ball speed133.9 mph CHS pic.twitter.com/ZWF73yA4MXMay 25, 2023
According to Block Sr, he’d be ‘one of the best players in the world’ with Rory McIlroy’s distance. Judging be the videos, it seems his son is well on the way to reaching the speeds needed to achieve the distance his dad lacks.
