Dobbyn takes ’em deep

One second.

Hulking Mike Dobbyn addresses the tiny ball.

Tiny, because it's a golf ball, all of 11/2 inches in diameter.

Tiny, because Dobbyn stands 6 feet 8 inches and weighs 307 pounds.

The Las Vegan settles his feet, then sizes up his shot -- his final swing of October's World Long Drive Championship in Mesquite.

Four seconds.

Secure with his stance, Dobbyn pulls back his club -- all 48 inches of it -- slowly, gracefully, measured.

The swing is powerful, a hammer dropping on a Titleist. The Paul Bunyan of the long drive has sent the tiny ball flying, and if you pause the video of his swing, the club shaft appears to bend.

Six seconds.

A spectator screams "Go!" as, well, the ball goes. And goes. And goes.

Dobbyn simply watches the flight, the white speck rocketing across the sky.

He's used to the sight, after four years as a long drive specialist. One day in 2004, while watching a replay of the 2003 world championships on ESPN, the former junior college baseball player thought to himself, "Hey, I can hit it that far."

"I hit my first 300-yard drive at (age) 11, started hitting 7-irons 150 yards at 9," Dobbyn, 27, said after smashing countless balls Saturday at Bear's Best Golf Course. "Knowing that I could hit it that far, I wanted to give it a shot."

It might be the best shot of his career.

Nine seconds.

Dobbyn cheers the tiny ball on, yelling at it, pleading for it to keep going.

The shot eventually is worth $125,000 and a striking crystal trophy -- a champion's haul.

There aren't many hauls, though, because there aren't many long drive tournaments.

In 2004, Dobbyn's rookie season, long-ball drivers could compete in as many as 15 events. Today, there are eight or nine. Dobbyn makes a living by winning, but also through exhibitions.

With the formation of a new long drive tour called Thunderball -- imagine tee shots on six shots of espresso -- Dobbyn is hoping to create a sensation of sight and sound. The brainchild of former University of Tampa (Fla.) golfer Colin McDougall, Thunderball caters to young golf fans who want to see power, power and more power.

"Golf is geared to my grandparents," Dobbyn said. "It's quiet on the tee, and it's, 'Don't drop your keys, someone's putting.' In long drive, it's music playing, the crowd getting loud and guys reacting to shots -- good or bad."

Thirteen seconds.

This shot is good.

The ball is still soaring, eight seconds after takeoff.

Dobbyn screams, "Run, get out there!" as he eggs the ball on even farther.

On a PGA course, Dobbyn would be told to quiet down. On a PGA course, the ball probably would fly 100 yards past the green or into the rough or directly into some poor woman's lobster bisque in a party tent.

Dobbyn acknowledges he's not your average golfer.

He plays 18 holes often, but his built-in advantage -- the ability to drive a golf ball almost the length of four football fields -- is negated on curvy courses.

"A 4-iron is 250 yards for me," Dobbyn said. "My landing area for a drive is significantly smaller. Say an average PGA golfer's drive area is 35 to 40 yards, mine is maybe 20 yards."

Sixteen seconds.

The ball has traveled 385 yards, settling comfortably after its long-distance trip.

Dobbyn is jacked up, but relieved.

"I've hit big-game home runs, I've hit big shots in basketball -- but to stand at a tee and hit a ball that big when you've got one swing, one chance, it's more than exciting," Dobbyn said.

And it shows.

Eighteen seconds.

A fist pump.

Contact reporter Jon Gold at jgold@reviewjournal.com or (702) 380-4587.