Bryson DeChambeau’s swing has been a moving target for most of 2026. Fans have seen some variation, from hip-turn tweaks in Korea to a mid-season driver switch. At LIV Golf UK, the Californian was seen in his newest quirk: a jump that sends both feet off the turf through the ball. But is Bryson the only one with antics? Kevin Kisner doesn’t think so. The PGA Tour pro widened the lens on the Fore Play Podcast‘s latest episode, tracing golf’s love of theatrical body language all the way back to Tiger Woods.
Frankie Borrelli and Sam “Riggs” Bozoian kicked off the exchange by comparing DeChambeau’s exaggerated shot-making to Riggs’ own bunker mishap. They joked about players adding needless flourishes to their routine shots. Kisner then pushed the conversation, asking whether Woods was the one who normalized post-swing dramatics.
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“Don’t you think Tiger Woods was the main driver of the post-swing antics? Like behind trees, he’d do his arms, and I think he brought that in. We should make fun of him for that because Jack Nicklaus wasn’t doing that. And Lee Trevino and Tom Watson weren’t doing that.”
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Tiger Woods has been the starting point for most of the traditions players follow today. Be it the strong reactions he was known for or the competitiveness he brought to the sport. Kevin Kisner pointed that out jokingly, meaning no disrespect, when he hinted at the pattern.
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At LIV’s $30M event, DeChambeau’s dramatics reached peak theater: a six-foot lunge into a bunker on a soft shot that didn’t warrant it. Kisner called the reaction a huge exaggeration, as it left fans confused at a sudden six-foot lunge with no clear cause.
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At the Open Championship, DeChambeau’s 18th-fairway shot from a divot triggered a skip-hop and arm flail—less recovery, more theater.
Golf coaches have a different read on DeChambeau’s airborne antics. They say it’s usually a byproduct of his all-out speed chase rather than a deliberate show. His trail foot stays planted so long that the lead foot has nowhere to go but up, a pattern golf coaches have flagged as a swing fault as much as a signature move.
Not every tour pro plays the drama card, though. For example, Arnold Palmer’s helicopter swing had substance.
Woods’ signature moves — a fist pump on success, club throw on failure — became his on-course identity. Woods has been seen throwing his arms to the sides as if steering a ball back into play or slumping his posture the instant contact told him a shot had missed its line.
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Kisner’s point: Woods didn’t invent dramatics, but he made them part of golf’s theater.
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