Best ball striker you have seen in person?

[tmartin89]

Ben Hogan

 

If theres anyone I'd love to watch it balls it would be Hogan.

[cwglum]

Sat right behind Vijay and watched him go through a full bucket before his round. It was the year he won PGA with conventional putter, we saw him at the Buick just prior to the PGA. He could've hit every ball through a hallway that day it was so straight.

[KrazyTrain18]

Oosthuizen, Scott or Els. All three guys hit it on a rope and have a very controlled trajectory. The most pure shot I've ever seen in person was on the range at Chambers in 2015. Stood a few feet right behind DJ and launched the most pure 3 wood off the deck I've ever witnessed, came off like nothing else. He hit about 5-10 after and none matched the purity of that one.

[naval2006]

Tom Watson and Roberto De Vicenzo. You can't believe it before you see it.

[vman]

Close up I've never seen anything like Seve, but Lee Trevino at St Andrews in 1984 was majorly impressive, compression and bullet like flight. He won the USPGA that year.

[Griot]

My boy, Erin

[widow-maker]

George Knudson. I followed him in a US Open qualifier at Detroit Golf Club in 1970. He hit every fairway on the front 9, and all 9 greens and shot 1 under. His ball flight on his driver was exactly the same on every drive he hit. I swear you could have hung a picture window out there about 100 yds and every ball would have gone through it. I followed him for 4 holes on the back 9 and he hit all the fairways but missed a green about 4 feet short. It was both impressive and depressing. My aspiring game was not in that universe.

[seve1972]

Me

[Malvern]

This player will likely require some googling. I stood on a range many years ago and saw Brett Ogle warming up near Norman, hard to split who hit it better. With a long iron Ogle was awesome.

 

Ogle won a couple of times on the PGA Tour in the mid 90s but got the yips.

[Silicon Valley Dale]

I’ve followed Tom Watson up close on a few occasions. I just love the tempo, and confidence in which he plays.

Visualize shot

Pull club

Quick waggle

Hit shot, always pure and crisp

Walk quickly to ball

 

No messing around

 

I’ve watched Trevino up close but he was out of contention and just seemed to be trying to get it in the house. But it was like the ball was on a string and he was in full control of it. Not huge impressive power but pure control.

 

I was going to say Watson but you beat me to it. Makes the ball sing any which way he wants to make it sing. I can hit all hose shots too, push fade, trap draw, smother hook, etc. He can hit them on command. My trap draw swing is 50/50 on being a push fade. I was really impressed.

[Spongerob]

Moe Norman and Dave Barr. Moe especially you couldn't believe it unless you saw it.

[Llortamaisey]

Moe Norman and Dave Barr. Moe especially you couldn't believe it unless you saw it.

 

Would have loved to see Moe hitting it in person. I’ve seen videos and his action looks amazing. I’d call him a ‘machine’ but machines break down, so that might be a poor comparison.

[Medic]

Saw Tiger play at Disney and was just in awe of the raw and seemingly effortless power. But since he is such an obvious and easy selection for so many I figured I would toss someone else out there.

 

I followed Patrick Reed for several holes at the Valspar having also watched him for an hour or so at the range. It seemed as though he was barely swinging but the power was amazing. He was hitting one completely effortless 3W after another on the range and, when I asked his caddie how far they were going, he was hitting each one over 250. Just one pure strike after another.

 

Granted all of the pros are amazing ball strikers. But I swear his swing just flowed and looked as smooth as silk. BTW was also amazed at how little his wife Justine really is. Was impressed that she carried that behemoth of a bag considering it probably weighs over half of what she does.

[Shilgy]

This player will likely require some googling. I stood on a range many years ago and saw Brett Ogle warming up near Norman, hard to split who hit it better. With a long iron Ogle was awesome.

 

Ogle won a couple of times on the PGA Tour in the mid 90s but got the yips.

That's because Ogle was built like a one iron.

[Golfjack]

Helped out at a Euro tour even and they were all real good. Seriously it's another level from even regular pro's. Those included Jimenez, Rose, Fleetwood, Garcia, etc. Sure you have the long hitters that just smash the ball, but these guys all hit irons well, like a pro. Even lower level tour guys are really impressive already. What fun to watch pro's play. Though to non golfers it's probably boring as heck.

[Kjboisen]

I've never seen anything close to that level. I played with a fringe D2 guy once that put up a 71 on a relatively easy course...that's the best I've seen in person

 

Nothing wrong with that, still have to strike the ball well!

[duck hook]

Watched Adam Scott at the range in Maui one year, hit every ball perfect for at least an hour

[RSinSG]

From behind the ropes I followed Nicklaus around the final round of the ‘73 Bob Hope Classic. He was my hero then and I was bummed Palmer won. His last Tour win BTW.

 

I also watched Tiger on the range at LaCosta when he was in his prime. His target areas were so small- even with his driver.

 

Up close, I was playing Mesquite Golf Course in Palm Springs when Mac O’Grady was practicing. He moved to the sidewalk by the pro shop and was chatting with a group of us who were watching and he started hitting balls off the cement with a 5 iron launching them to the first fairway. He looked like a machine. Every swing was perfect.

[jbsg02]

Moe Norman and Dave Barr. Moe especially you couldn't believe it unless you saw it.

 

Would have loved to see Moe hitting it in person. I’ve seen videos and his action looks amazing. I’d call him a ‘machine’ but machines break down, so that might be a poor comparison.

 

There's some speculation that Moe was autistic, perhaps he was some sort of ball striking savant

[straightshot7]

Moe Norman and Dave Barr. Moe especially you couldn't believe it unless you saw it.

 

Would have loved to see Moe hitting it in person. I’ve seen videos and his action looks amazing. I’d call him a ‘machine’ but machines break down, so that might be a poor comparison.

 

There's some speculation that Moe was autistic, perhaps he was some sort of ball striking savant

 

Welcome to the party.

[straightshot7]

George Knudson. I followed him in a US Open qualifier at Detroit Golf Club in 1970. He hit every fairway on the front 9, and all 9 greens and shot 1 under. His ball flight on his driver was exactly the same on every drive he hit. I swear you could have hung a picture window out there about 100 yds and every ball would have gone through it. I followed him for 4 holes on the back 9 and he hit all the fairways but missed a green about 4 feet short. It was both impressive and depressing. My aspiring game was not in that universe.

 

Good call. George's swing was legendary. His book, The Natural Golf Swing is worth reading. He learned from studying Hogan's swing. Jack Nicklaus once said of him "million dollar swing, ten cent putter".

[callawayjay]

Angel Cabrera

[Trackbob]

Jose Maria Olazabal.

 

1990 World Series of golf Firestone CC. 61-67-67-67. Won by 12.

[playa]

Seen most all of the best, nobody even close to Moe Norman.....I watched that guy hit probably 2,000 balls combined in a few sessions in Palm Coast, Florida. It was ridiculous!...

I think you have to put an asterisk next to Moe as his legendary ball striking is based on clinics at driving ranges in retirement. There isn't much video of his ball striking from his playing days, and his PGA tour record is nothing to get excited about. Not saying he wasn't a great ball striker, but hitting on the range is not the same as under tournament pressure. Never seen him live but Tigers range sessions are legendary for the purity of strike and ball control.

As far as my opinion, the best I have seen live is Greg Norman and it isn't close. His driving and long iron play back in the late 80s was other worldly. The accuracy and length he had with a persimmon driver was ridiculous, as was the towering trajectory and length of his long irons. Not to mention the sound, his drives echoed like rifle shots.

On tv the greatest ball striking exhibition I've ever seen is Tiger at Augusta in 97, no words could do justice to the display he put on.

But it would be hard to argue against Hogan as the greatest ball striker ever. He didn't have the athletic gifts of Tiger and the shark, but pound for pound he hit it better than anyone. Trevino, Miller, Seve, Nicklaus, Watson, Weiskopf, DL3, Freddy, JD, Stenson, Lyle and Price also immediately come to mind as ball strikers who stood out from the pack.

Of the younger players, DJ, Rory and Day are the standouts.

[MattyO1984]

I spent the week at The Open in 2000. Watched a lot of Tiger and spent hours on the range. Never seen anything like it, machine like.

 

Beyond that, I know everyone talks about Bubba for maneuvering the ball but Sergio is incredible. 2010 Open he just put on a clinic. High, low, fades, draws, he hit them all and the trajectory control was superb.

[imakaveli]

I saw Rory driving in Crans just after his US Open win, I was speachless...

[John L.]

Trevino at Kingsmill.

[Billy Baroo]

I wish I saw 80's Norman but I didn't. Got to see him in '95 when he was #2 in the world. I thought Price and Couples hit it better.

 

I caught Nicklaus in'83. He was already in his forties but he hit it really nice.

 

I'll throw up a name of someone who I've seen several times during the persimmon blade and balata days. He contact was so pure and the sound was just solid. That man was Gil Morgan.

[Double Gee]

I'm lucky enough, that in the past I've played with Greg Norman, Eamon D'Arcy, Phillip Parkin, Eduardo Romero, Bernhard Langer. Obviously, they were all magnificent (especially Romero), but the best striker was SANDY LYLE. His compression of the ball was scary. You could feel the strike through your own feet standing 15/20 yards away. Awesome.

 

For non tour Pros, Mike Bennett of 'Stack and Tilt' fame takes some beating. Had a days Clinic with him a few years back and it was quite breath taking

[Bye]

I followed Nick Price years ago. I'm not sure of the event, it was either the GGO or the Kemper. He shot 30 on the front 9, and never made a long putt. I talked with his caddie after the round, and he said he hits it like that all the time. Now that I think of it, it was the Kemper one of the first years at Avenel.

 

I had the chance to do the same thing at the old world match play event at Wentworth. It was when the seeded players didn't play the first round. Price and Ernie were playing a practice round, we walked 16 holes watching them with only about 50 other people there. Both were really impressive.

 

Another year I watched Montgomerie for 9 holes. He didn't miss a shot, everything just went straight down the flag.