Are you short in height? Don’t worry, you can still be long off the tee

Stats are crucial in how we measure golf performance these days. But, some things are more difficult to measure than others. Take pound for pound driving distance, for example.

What we mean by this, is how far someone can hit the ball, relative to their stature. When Bryson DeChambeau steps on the tee, it’s no shock when he sends the ball 350 yards down the fairway.

For others though, prodigious distance can come as something of a surprise. Take Alejandro Tosti for example.

The man from Rosario is representing Argentina at the Olympics, and he caught the eye of Brandel Chamblee, who suspects Tosti could be one of the longest hitters, pound for pound, on the PGA Tour.

Tosti, who secured his PGA Tour card at the end of last season, is five foot, six inches tall. According to his PGA Tour bio, he’s just 168lbs, which is 12 stone, or 76KG.

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Despite that, Tosti is one of the longest hitters on tour. This year, he ranks eighth in driving distance on the PGA Tour, with an average hit with the driver clocking in at 312 yards. That’s longer than Nicolai Hojgaard, Jake Knapp and Gary Woodland, three players who you might associate with hitting it an awful long way.

So, how does he do it? Well, Brandel Chamblee took to Twitter to break down a video taken by Brad Faxon, who is on the ground at Le Golf National.

Chamblee reckons that Tosti might be one of the top ten longest hitters, pound for pound, in the history of the game. That power, he says, stems from Tosti’s move “off the ball a lot and up as you can see by him lifting his left heel.”

It’s certainly apparent at the very start of the 28-year-old’s swing. Before the club has even moved from behind the ball, Tosti’s left heel is off the ground. If you’re trying to hit the ball as hard as possible, it’s not a bad place to start.

Playing a practice round for @OlympicGolf this is Alejandro Tosti ( video courtesy of @BradFaxon ) who is just 5’6” tall and is currently in the top 10 in driving distance on the PGA Tour. It is tough to be precise about the top 10 P4P and I4I longest players of all time as there… pic.twitter.com/LEJHkhKBYW

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) July 31, 2024

As Chamblee points out, there’s more to come.

“He then has massive thoracic extension at the top of his swing,” Chamblee says.

That’s clear to see, as Tosti’s spine is rotated all the way to face the target at the top of his backswing.

Then, as Chamblee says, he makes his move towards the ball.

Several things, most notably as you can see in this video that I’ve slowed down at keys spots, he moves off the ball a lot and up as you can see by him lifting his left heel. He then has massive thoracic extension at the top of his swing and squats in transition as the left knee… https://t.co/bjJUfaB0wl pic.twitter.com/sglWrK8QD6

— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) July 31, 2024

“(Tosti) squats in transition as the left knee moves out over his left foot without a lot of lateral hip movement, which allows him to turn his trunk very fast and then massive amounts of extension through the ball.”

In simple terms, Tosti loses some height as he starts his downswing, but that allows him to produce power from the lower body. To see the lack of lateral hip movement, notice how his front left short pocket stays in largely the same place throughout the downswing. Rather than moving his hips towards the target, he’s rotating his whole upper body incredibly quickly towards the ball.

Would this be a textbook swing to teach if you’re looking to hit every fairway? Possibly not. But, if you’re of a similar stature to Tosti and want to start gaining some yards, then it could be worth trying to copy his move.

Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor