Rory McIlroy may be grappling with precision at the moment, but he will never be short of power as he gears up for the

The now five-time major champion has seen a dip since his monumental Masters victory in April, where he finally donned the green jacket and completed Grand Slam. barely made the cut at the subsequent major, the US PGA Championship, and then didn't make it to the weekend at the recent Canadian Open.

The No.2 has had trouble off the tee since his reliable driver on the eve of the US PGA Championship. However, once he gets his bearings with his new driver, it is surely only a matter of time before he is back in contention, possibly even at Oakmont this week.

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McIlroy continues to be one of the biggest drivers on the PGA Tour. Last year, his average drive was a whopping 320.2 yards, with only Cameron Champ (322.8 yards) outdoing him. The 36-year-old's distance off the tee is no fluke. It's the result of thousands of hours in the gym, which transformed him from a skinny-looking youngster to a muscular physical specimen...

Over the years, McIlroy has packed on pure muscle by hitting the gym for 90 minutes a day, five days a week. He has boosted his swing speed by strengthening his shoulders with exercises like landmine presses, which involve lifting one end of a barbell.

He also performs box jumps and flips 120lbs bags as part of his routines. His physical transformation was so remarkable that in 2015, he became the first golfer to grace the cover of Men's Health magazine.

Over the years, McIlroy has shared clips of his gym workouts. In a 2017 tribute to Gary Player, a pioneer in fitness, he posted on : "At the end of my gym session I remembered it was Gary Player's 82nd birthday today. What better way to honour the legend and pioneer of fitness for golf than doing a plank. Hopefully everyone can join me today and #PLANK4PLAYER to honour the great man!"

McIlroy was prompted to hit the gym after suffering a back injury in 2010, the year before he won his first major, the US Open at Bethesda. He took a month off and began working with fitness expert Dr Stephen McGregor, who had previously worked with and the New York Knicks NBA team.

Speaking about the scare, he said: "The doctor said to me, Look, if you don't start taking care of yourself or getting stronger, you can seriously jeopardise how long your career is. That was a wake-up call for me."

Five years later, he reflected on his progress, revealing in a promotional workout video for Nike: "I wasn't really big into going to the gym and I couldn't stand on one leg for more than 10 seconds. I couldn't hold a plank for more than 30 seconds.

"Everyone has to start somewhere. I started at the very beginning, and I've worked my way up. Getting my body into the best shape for what I do, which is ultimately to go out and play golf."

He reportedly slashed his body fat from 24 per cent down to a lean 10 per cent over five years and is said to have packed on 20lbs of muscle between 2005 and 2010.

It's not just about hitting the gym hard for McIlroy, who credits his diet with playing a pivotal role in enhancing his power behind the swing. In pursuit of this goal, he has significantly increased his protein consumption, as he shared with in 2023: "I'd eat a gram of protein per pound of body weight. I still do that, 170 grams per day of protein."

However, McIlroy made some sacrifices too, cutting out certain foods, like eggs and pork, while adopting a gluten-free lifestyle. He elaborated on this choice, saying: "It just doesn't agree with my body. Those are more of a personal thing that's unique to my body."

Moreover, he curbed his indulgence in two beloved snacks, chocolate and ice cream, which are now rare treats for him. However, he said: "I don't think you want to demonise food.

"It's about being able to fit it into your diet so you can have it every once in a while and feel good about it and not feel guilty. There's so much guilt associated with eating. If you can break that mental barrier, you'll be better off."