At 6’7”, Seb Twaddell looks like he was engineered in a lab specifically to annihilate golf balls. But here’s the thing: up until he was 19, the Australian was averaging a decidedly mortal 270 yards off the tee, swinging around 110mph, and grinding his way through amateur tournaments with dreams of Q-School dancing in his head.
Then came the transformation—proper training, proper nutrition, and a body that suddenly understood what it was capable of. The drives stretched to 350 yards. The swing speed jumped to 133mph. And while most golfers would celebrate that leap and call it a career milestone, Twaddell just shrugged. “To be honest, at the time that just felt normal to me.”
Normal? Try again. After his first speed session put him straight into the top five fastest in the world, Twaddell ditched his DP World Tour ambitions entirely and committed his life to becoming the fastest golfer on the planet. Now based in Dubai, surrounded by world-class facilities and year-round sunshine, he’s not just chasing records—he’s rewriting the physics of what’s possible when you put a golf club in the hands of someone who works 70 to 80 hours a week perfecting the most violent swing in the sport.
“I was a high-level amateur golfer, playing off +4 and competing on the Australian circuit and a few international events. I’d grind on the range every day, chipping and putting until the sun went down. Golf was my life.”
SO LONG DRIVE WASN’T ALWAYS THE PLAN?
“I actually had the intention of eventually entering Q-School for the DP World Tour and working my way up through the professional ranks. That changed after my first ever speed session where my numbers put me straight into the top five fastest in the world. From that point on I committed my life to becoming the fastest golfer in the world.
Not long after, I met my best mate and training partner Matt Stubbs, my coach Craig Parker, my mentor Bradley Charles Stubbs, and my club builder Chris Ra, and together we turned that into reality.”
“Up until about 19, I was only averaging around 270 yards off the tee and swinging at roughly 110mph. Once I started learning about proper training and nutrition, I was able to completely transform my body, which allowed me to start hitting it 350 and averaging around 133 miles per hour on the course. To be honest, at the time that just felt normal to me.”
Only 270 yards. Sure, Seb.
“I would say that I’m yet to unlock my peak potential for speed. I’m constantly working with my team to maximise what I’ve been born with.”
“There’s never been a challenge. With my coach Craig Parker we have always worked to get 1% better every day with what we have at our disposal. My height and wing span has always been an advantage in long drive.”
“My natural athleticism has been an advantage but the speeds I have achieved have only happened due to consistent training with the best team over a long period of time. I’ve spent more time training for long drive than anyone else in the same time period.”
“Having a high-level golf background helped me a lot in terms of how I move my body and how I strike the ball. When it comes to handling pressure in competition, that really came from the work I’ve done with my mindset coach and mentor, Bradley Charles Stubbs.”
FROM AUSSIE RANGES TO THE WORLD STAGE
“I knew I belonged eight months before I ever stepped onto the grid at my first World Long Drive event at the 2022 World Championships. Actually, not only did I know I belonged, I knew I was going to change the game, and that is exactly what I did and what I am continuing to do.
You always get adrenaline when you step onto the grid, so experiencing that for the first time was big. I later learned how to harness and how to use that adrenaline from my team which allowed me to secure wins in my debut season.”
That’s not confidence. That’s certainty.
WHY DUBAI?
“Everything that is considered the greatest ends up in Dubai. I remember seeing a video on Instagram where H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid was being interviewed and he was asked why he wanted Dubai to be the fastest and the biggest. I will never forget his answer. He said, ‘Why not? I want Dubai to be number one.’
That frequency and level of belief is what produces the greatest results, which is clear with everything in Dubai and the UAE, so it made complete sense for me to move to a country where its leaders openly live by it.”
“It is great. Let’s just say it cuts my warm-up in half because my body is already warm before I even start. That means instead of needing five balls to get to +160mph club speed, I can do it in two or three.”
“Having access to the training facilities and golf courses over here which in my opinion are the best in the entire world. I am excited to see golf and long drive in the UAE lead the way for the rest of the world.”
“I’ve driven a lot of par fours out here in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but one that really stands out is the par five 18th on the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. From the back tees, I’m usually left with about 100 yards for my second.”
A 100-yard approach. On a par five. From the back tees. Casual.
THE SPEED SCIENCE
“Long drive swings are extreme, which is why I put in around 70 to 80 hours a week to make sure I can swing at these record-breaking speeds while still having control over the strike, trajectory, and ball flight.”
“I always see golfers talking about lag and trying to ‘feel’ it. That’s actually the worst thing for speed. Real speed comes from arm width.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
“When I become the first person to break +250mph ball speed, I’ll jump straight back into training and start chasing +260mph. +250mph will just be another benchmark. I still have a lot more speed to unlock, all right here in Dubai, my new home. I expect people will see that when you commit your life to achieving a certain result and living at your highest state, there is no ceiling to how high you can go and nothing you can’t achieve. Long drive is my vessel to show that.”
WHA’S IN THE BAG?
“I carry about 6-7 drivers in my bag, 6 of those being long drive heads with 2.5° of loft and 48” shafts ranging from senior to regular flex. I also have a normal gamer driver, 7° with a 46” X-stiff shaft. You can never have too many drivers.
The rest of my bag is a 3-wood, 3-hybrid, and 4-PW. My wedges are 52°, 54°, and 58°, and I carry a blade putter. Being tall, all my shafts are 1 1/3” over standard and have kangaroo leather JumboMax grips. They’re thicker and super tacky, which are great because they allow me to never worry about the club slipping or flying out of my hands. For context, I see a 3-5mph club speed difference if I have slippery grips.”
Seb Twaddell isn’t just chasing records. He’s rewriting what’s physically possible with a golf club in your hands. And he’s doing it from the desert, where the sun never stops shining and neither does he.
