Feats Of Strength
Karl-Anthony Towns is a future long drive champ if these incredible simulator numbers are real
We've long known that Karl-Anthony Towns is one of the most talented basketball players on the planet. But he also might be one of the longest drivers in the world.
Towns has boasted about his prodigious power on the golf course in the past, once claiming he could drive it 400 yards. Well, we certainly believe him if these incredible simulator numbers are real.
Somehow we just came across this jaw-dropping video from August that shows the Minnesota Timberwolves star taking a swing—and absolutely crushing a golf ball. Have a look:
"Two hundred and 31 with a 7-iron," Towns says admiring his handiwork. "Down the middle." Damn.
And if you look closely, the screen backs it up. Actually, it was a ridiculous 231.7 yards total with 224.9 yards of carry. Even more absurd are KAT's swing speed (101.8 mph) and ball speed (138.1 mph). Imagine having this guy as your partner in a scramble?
To put those numbers in perspective, according to TrackMan, a PGA Tour pro averages a 90-mph swing speed with a 120-mph ball speed with a 7-iron. And that produces an average carry of only 172 yards. Weak.
At the 2021 Masters, Bryson DeChambeau, who finished runner-up at the World Long Drive Championship last year, said, "Once you get somebody out here that’s a 7-foot-tall human being and they are able to swing a golf club at 145 miles an hour effortlessly, that’s when things get a little interesting. That’s when I’m going to become obsolete, potentially."
Well, Karl-Anthony Towns is 7 feet tall. And if he ever quits his day job in the NBA, well, you never know. At the very least, Kyle Berkshire and the rest of the guys on the World Long Drive circuit better watch their backs.
We connected with Karl Anthony-Towns about his golf obsession, where he revealed his big golf bucket list item and much more. Please have a listen below.