“Hello, my name is Seb and my golf ball can reach 400 kilometres per hour.” That’s how Australian Sebastian Twaddell, a long drive specialist, introduces himself on the 10th tee, having played the Pro Am of the Hero Dubai Desert Classic with Rafa Cabrera Bello this Wednesday. “Come on, we’re going to have fun with the beast,” jokes the Canary Islander.
Seb’s size already gives a clue. He’s a built-in wardrobe. A four by four. A three-door wardrobe. An American fridge. A moving truck. A storage room. A block of flats. A real beast. He stands two metres tall, and even so, it’s easier to jump over him than to go around him. His body is sculpted in the gym. The size of his arm is roughly the same as both of Rafa’s legs together. In a slapping championship, he’d be disqualified for being too strong.
Twaddell holds the world record registered by Trackman for club and ball speed. The first is 272.9 kilometres per hour. In the second, he has reached 397.19. Insane. Rafa explains it in the most graphic way possible: “My ball speed, about 170 miles per hour (which is over 270 kilometres per hour) is like his club speed. It’s outrageous. If we both hit it from the tee, he easily outdrives me by more than a hundred metres,” says Rafa. We can vouch for that.
There’s anticipation around him. Rory McIlroy, who is in the following group, steps forward to watch him. He has a powerful, wide swing with a pause. It reminds one of Adrian Meronk‘s, but raw. He makes a more or less controlled backswing, stops the movement halfway down, goes back up, and unleashes a colossal whip. Poor ball. The ground shakes.
He has the strength, but now it’s time to see if he can get the ball to stay within the geographical limits of Dubai. On the 10th, he misses the shot way to the left. It’s unplayable. Don’t think Twaddell is just a circus attraction; he’s a professional player and has reached a +4 handicap, which is serious, but for some years now, he’s been dedicated to long drive.
On the 12th hole, he detonates the first remote-controlled bomb. His drive is sensational. It describes a wonderful draw effect and leaves him less than 100 metres for the second shot. He hits from behind, like Rafa. Here, he’s outdriven the Canary Islander by about 80 metres. George and Sandra, the other two members of Seb’s group, celebrate the luck of having him on their team. The format is Tour Scramble, meaning the best drive of the four, including the professional, is taken, and from there, each plays their own ball. “Do you really want me to hit the drive?” jokes George, a Syrian-American settled on the Costa del Sol. A smart guy.
13th tee. Climax. Par 5. If the pros already have trouble finding the exact line that allows the driver to stay on the fairway on this hole, meaning not crossing to the right if it opens too much, or staying in the left ditch if it closes or goes shorter, imagine for hurricane Twaddell. There’s a small pause because he’s going for it in two. Just in case, McIlroy quickly finishes on the 12th green and approaches the 13th tee to see the phenomenon…
Seb’s ball goes very, very, very much to the left of the usual lines even the longest hitters take. The feeling is that it might even be on the 8th fairway, which comes from the left. Rafa thinks it will be in the rough and sand area, halfway between the two holes. Seb doesn’t comment because it’s his first time playing the course and he doesn’t know it. Rory has no doubt: “That ball is in the middle of the fairway.” It seems impossible, but McIlroy is right. There it is. 100 metres from the green entrance. Remember, it’s a par 5. George and Sandra are thrilled. It’s gone over 400 metres. You have to laugh. Rory laughs.
On the 14th, he loses it to the left, on the 16th, he misses way to the right, and on the 17th, with the 3-wood, he ends up to the left at green level. If he put them all on the fairway, he’d be the Number One in the world. Or almost. On the 18th, another bomb arrives. Three in nine holes. Not bad. He hits it on the right spot and again exceeds 400 metres. He leaves it again within wedge range, a 9-iron at most. The 18th is, as you know, a par 5. Here, he’s outdriven Rafa by more than 100 metres. It’s true that the Canary Islander was somewhat slowed by the left rough. “Wow! Let the dentist take that out for you…” comments Rafa, fascinated.
Leaving the 18th tee, an interesting conversation begins between Rafa and Seb. The Australian confesses he’s hitting at 80 percent to try to be a bit more accurate. Rafa asks what percentage he would need to hit to be consistent in finding fairways. Twaddell doesn’t know. The reality is he doesn’t even train for that, but to launch the club as hard and fast as possible. The rest of his game isn’t bad at all, a bit uncontrolled with irons, but sharp around the green and leaves a good impression with the putt.
Will the day come when a player like this can dominate traditional golf? Can the ball be controlled at those speeds? It’s inevitable to ask the question when watching the young man. Rafa sees it as very difficult. It’s a mathematical issue. “Rory, one of the longest in the world, has a dispersion of three percent on his 300-metre drives. That is, he can miss about nine metres to the right and left. If we go to 400-metre drives, let’s say the dispersion would increase to at least 4-5 percent. We’re talking about misses that can go to 12-15 metres, much worse if it’s windy,” he explains.
Nothing to object to what Rafa says. The only question that remains is whether one day the dispersion can be zero. Right now, it seems impossible, but science advances incredibly, as Don Hilarión would say.
While we reach that point or not, don’t forget to pick Twaddell for your next Pro Am match. It’s a delight.
