Harrington backs DeChambeau's individuality and confidence but says "he's got two swings"

Bryson DeChambeau in action in Abu Dhabi last week. Picture: Getty Images

Rory McIlroy isn't the only major winner to try amateur Bryson DeChambeau's set of unusual irons.

Pádraig Harrington hit them in Memphis last year and while he's impressed with 22-year old Californian's individual style, believing it will be good for his confidence when he turns professional after the Masters, he insists the flat-cap wearing American has two swings, not one.

"I hit his clubs in Memphis — he got an invite and was practicing near us, so I actually went over and had a go with all the clubs to see what they are like," Harrington revealed at the recent Irish Golf Writers' Association annual dinner at Castleknock Golf Club.

Here's DeChambeau in action pic.twitter.com/axPK86o3h9

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) August 21, 2015

"If somebody told you, that's the way it should have been when you were five years of age, you would have believed it, no problem. I was brought up a different way.

"They say all his clubs are the same length as a seven iron and he plays with this one-plane swing. But he changes again for his woods. So he has two swings. Even though he says all his irons are the same, the driver is swung like a normal driver because it has the normal lie, so it clearly doesn't work for every club."

Despite his misgivings about DeChambeau's uni-swing theory, Harrington is impressed by what he sees. 

"He is just particularly talented," Harrington said of a player who was tied 45th on his PGA Tour debut during the FedEx St Jude Classic in Memphis that week.

Here are Bryson DeChambeau's amazing clubs, all the same shaft, different lofts pic.twitter.com/Uq1aCLYrJf

— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) August 21, 2015

"Give him a normal set of golf clubs and he is going to do very well. He is very talented.

"It does help for an amateur coming into the pro game that he is so used to being an individual. He has always had people looking at him because he is different. And that brings a huge amount of self-confidence.  

"He is not necessarily looking to anybody else to find confidence. He is  committed to what he is doing and I think that will really help him when he turns pro."

Describing himself as a "scientist" DeChambeau opened with a 64 to take the first round lead in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last week but ended up tied 54th after subsequent rounds of 72, 78 and 72.

Irish fans have been familar with him since he beat Paul Dunne in the quarter-finals of the US Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields and led the losing US Walker Cup team last September.

The Irish Golf Writers' Association annual awards dinner was kindly sponsored by Carr Golf.