All eyes were on Bryson DeChambeau this year, and let’s be honest, he wasn’t exactly hard to miss. From his one-length irons to his incessant protein shake consumption, the 27-year-old became a constant conversation starter, injecting fresh ideas on how the game could (should?) be played. Will amateurs follow in his deeply compressed footsteps? Will the one-length iron ever really catch on? We’ll have to see.

Bryson DeChambeau went from relative golf obscurity, whose equipment oddities were only discussed by avid onlookers, to becoming one of sport’s most recognizable names. With his stated goal to drive the ball as far as possible, implementing a 48-inch driver and continually bulking up for faster swing speeds, DeChambeau has put a special emphasis on hitting bombs.

Although a joy to watch, his Happy Gilmore approach has garnered critics, dumping gasoline on an already incendiary distance debate. When he won the U.S. Open by six shots, bringing Winged Foot, one of golf’s most storied courses to its knees, all the hype suddenly got very real. As Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley said at The Masters, the distance issue has arrived at a crossroads, and many feel DeChambeau accelerated the journey. But there are also those who love it, who admire his quirkiness—his funky hat, his one-length clubs, his cross-examination of rules officials on the dangers of ants merely existing near his ball. One thing everyone can agree on, DeChambeau is one of golf’s most intriguing players.

Yet the question remains: will amateurs take to his philosophy? Will one-length clubs catch on? Will 48-inch drivers become the norm? That is yet to be seen, but there is some evidence these trends are—no pun intended—gathering speed.

When Cobra, the club manufacturer that uses DeChambeau as an ambassador, first came out with their one-length irons (all the length of a standard 7-iron), they suspected they would comprise about 10% of their iron sales, enough to make manufacturing worthwhile. The actual number of Cobra’s one-length irons being sold is about 35% in their game improvement category—far higher than their for-profit threshold. It seems like a big number, but when you take into account Cobra’s market share, you’d be hard-pressed to come across a set of one-length irons in your next foursome. In 2017, Golf Datatech, a market research firm that specializes in golf retail sales, determined fewer than 2% of players use one-length irons—far from a revolution and more along the lines of third-party polling numbers. Those stats are a few years old, however, and Bryson’s impressive play may have convinced more players to give one-length irons a shot.

Cobra says one-length provides a more repeatable, consistent swing, which leads to fewer variables, greater accuracy and more distance. “Most people struggle with golf, and if you give them some simplicity, and then they see some benefit, there’s a good reason to think it will be successful,” says Tom Olsavsky, Cobra’s research and development lead. Now, let’s remember, it was Bryson DeChambeau, and he alone, who spearheaded this concept that defies decades of club manufacturing know-how. Does that mean he’s wrong? No. After all, Galileo defied centuries of scientific study to determine the sun’s stationary presence. The question is, is DeChambeau our generations Galileo, and if so, what’s he doing playing golf?

In much the same way Tiger changed the game in the early 2000s, leading to the Tiger-Proofing of courses, will DeChambeau’s latest feats have the same staying power? It remains to be seen. But Cobra has no plans to discontinue their production; in fact, they’re doubling-down on one-length, implementing it across more of their iron models.

And what about DeChambeau’s 48-inch driver? It’s no secret longer drivers generate more lag and speed, which is why the USGA has capped their length at 48 inches. But should 15-handicappers be leveraging longer shafts to help them squeak out extra yards off the tee? Although a longer shaft promotes faster swings, it also makes them a bit gangly, even unwieldy. The cost-benefit of playing a longer driver then comes down to whether or not finding the center of the clubface more consistently is offset by added swing speed. Does a heel cut from a 48-inch driver at 105 mph swing speed outperform a drive hit out the center at 10 mph less? In an ode to Bryson, perhaps the scientific method of acquiring an answer is your best bet—rigorous trial and error is needed to discover the truth.

Regardless of whether you’re a DeChambeau convert, playing a 48-inch driver with one-length irons and wearing a newsboy cap, or you’re dismissive of his idiosyncrasies, bulky Bryson is making everyone rethink the game. USGA officials dealing with unending distance gains have him top of mind, as do amateur players purchasing their next set of clubs.

In a year that’s been anything but normal, one of golf’s most abnormal figures continues to turn, and infiltrate, our heads time and again.