Who is the best ball-striker on tour now?

[TracyS]

Hogan seems to have the title wrapped up for all-time great ball-striker. To the swing experts, who's the best ball-striker on tour now? Just wondering what you all thought. I'm not sure what kind of criteria to base this on. I'll leave that up to you guys. I'm just an interested spectator. Although, at the Sony, I did notice a distinctly solid sound coming out of Kevin Na and Jesper's iron shots at a 170 yard par 3.

 

Please explain why you chose this individual.

[joecollege]

Tiger

 

(Now back in the old days, I'd have to give a nod to the Merry Mex, Lee Trevino.)

[Southern Ca Boy]

i've seen Jesper alot in person and you are right. He makes a good pass at the ball. the sound off of his club is a goody, but I'm not sure we could call him "the best"

 

maybe the most underrated??

[JakeBarnes]

Pending how he has recovered from ankle surgery, I have always thought Davis Love III was one of if not the best ball striker on tour when he is playing.

[mossman]

How could u not pick Tiger? Strikes it pretty much where he wants it to go.

[Boba]

Hay guys, what's going on here?

 

1,000 posts ;) :D

[TracyS]

i've seen Jesper alot in person and you are right. He makes a good pass at the ball. the sound off of his club is a goody, but I'm not sure we could call him "the best"

 

maybe the most underrated??

 

I'm not necassarily saying Jesper is the best - just noticed a very solid sound when he strikes it. I really have no idea who the best ball-striker is now.

 

And on a side note, Tiger is definitely the best player, but many argue that he is not the best ball-striker.

[TM golf guy]

I agree on Sergio.

 

If Sergio could putt, he would be number 2 in the world easily. The guy hits it long, straight, and pure. He really hits it well.

 

Tiger is up there on the list too.

[mat562]

And on a side note, Tiger is definitely the best player, but many argue that he is not the best ball-striker.

 

 

Who are these people?

[TracyS]

And on a side note, Tiger is definitely the best player, but many argue that he is not the best ball-striker.

 

 

Who are these people?

 

I don't want to put anyone on the spot, but it's been said by some of the respected swing gurus on this board. I'm sure they'll chime in.

[viperstudio]

I am a fan of DLIII and always watch him, but I will say Sergio Garcia, his lag and swing kind a like Hogan.

[BallSpinner]

As much as I hate to admit it, Sergio's swing is great and his lag is amazing.

 

 

[macglock]

Sergio just rips at the ball, he probably gets my vote

Tiger is a close second for me though

[mat562]

I was kidding...

 

Well; half-kidding.

 

For my money Woods is hands-down the best ball striker however you measure it.

 

By any combination of performance stats, results, or just plain, old fashioned watch and listen, he's the best out there for me.

 

I've always found it interesting how the correlation betwen ball striking and scoring/being a good overall player works in the overall picture. Most of us have sat behind a long Par 3 at a tournament for a while and watched the pros come through. Average; ho-hum; not bad; average; hmm..; 'WOW!' There are some players who are superlative at sriking the ball. The swhole sound, flight, fizz off the face, everything is God-like. Then there are some who you watch and think 'I can do that...'

 

The best ballstrikers I've seen, in person, in my lifetime, purely from the perspective of quality of impact and the ability to hit a sheer quality of shot and flight that mere mortals can't are: Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Fred Couples, David Duval and Tiger Woods. Payne Stewart was also a wonderful striker of the ball.

 

Those names are there purely on the basis of having watched them, in person, heard and seen them hit a lot of shots with all the clubs, and on their results as a consequence of hitting it so well.

 

There are also the 'on-paper' great ball-strikers who always figure high up in Fairways hit/Total Driving/GIR stats.

Blokes like Tim Simpson, Peter O'Malley, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Funk, Joe Durant etc. All fanstastic drivers and iron players but none of them have the 'wow factor' of the above names for me even if they do hit it solidly and in the right spot most of the time. I'd walk through hell fire to watch Watson or Greg Norman hit long irons for a while, but I probably wouldn't take a ten minute stroll to watch Funk.

 

Garcia is another one who sort of bridges the 'in person' and 'on paper' categories.

 

An interesting fact is how many pros are very sucessful and yet are far from fantastic strikers of the ball. Tom Kite anyone? And I've actually watched Mark Brooks hit balls a few times and I'd class him as a distinctly average 2-handicapper in his ballstriking. Millionaire and major winner again though. And my dad saw an in-his-prime Andy North and described him as a 'horrible' ballstriker. Two more major wins than Monty or O'Malley though if that matters...

[Swingtheclub]

http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?pa...&select2=26

 

there is the list for this year if you go backwards a few years you will see one name over and over

 

Joe Durant

 

The question was who is the best ball striker and they track that on the PGA tour.

[Golfchicago]

Lefty...136...WOW, where is Tiger on the list, didn't see him.

[littlepingman]

Lefty...136...WOW, where is Tiger on the list, didn't see him.

 

Tiger probably hasn't played enough holes on the PGA tour yet this year to qualify for those stats. Only one tournament so far.

[dlygrisse]

I was kidding...

 

Well; half-kidding.

 

For my money Woods is hands-down the best ball striker however you measure it.

 

By any combination of performance stats, results, or just plain, old fashioned watch and listen, he's the best out there for me.

 

I've always found it interesting how the correlation betwen ball striking and scoring/being a good overall player works in the overall picture. Most of us have sat behind a long Par 3 at a tournament for a while and watched the pros come through. Average; ho-hum; not bad; average; hmm..; 'WOW!' There are some players who are superlative at sriking the ball. The swhole sound, flight, fizz off the face, everything is God-like. Then there are some who you watch and think 'I can do that...'

 

The best ballstrikers I've seen, in person, in my lifetime, purely from the perspective of quality of impact and the ability to hit a sheer quality of shot and flight that mere mortals can't are: Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Sandy Lyle, Ian Woosnam, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Fred Couples, David Duval and Tiger Woods. Payne Stewart was also a wonderful striker of the ball.

 

Those names are there purely on the basis of having watched them, in person, heard and seen them hit a lot of shots with all the clubs, and on their results as a consequence of hitting it so well.

 

There are also the 'on-paper' great ball-strikers who always figure high up in Fairways hit/Total Driving/GIR stats.

Blokes like Tim Simpson, Peter O'Malley, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Funk, Joe Durant etc. All fanstastic drivers and iron players but none of them have the 'wow factor' of the above names for me even if they do hit it solidly and in the right spot most of the time. I'd walk through hell fire to watch Watson or Greg Norman hit long irons for a while, but I probably wouldn't take a ten minute stroll to watch Funk.

 

Garcia is another one who sort of bridges the 'in person' and 'on paper' categories.

 

An interesting fact is how many pros are very sucessful and yet are far from fantastic strikers of the ball. Tom Kite anyone? And I've actually watched Mark Brooks hit balls a few times and I'd class him as a distinctly average 2-handicapper in his ballstriking. Millionaire and major winner again though. And my dad saw an in-his-prime Andy North and described him as a 'horrible' ballstriker. Two more major wins than Monty or O'Malley though if that matters...

 

The first time I went to a PGA tournament, the only person who really "freaked me out" in how he hit the ball was Watson. The whole solidness of the strike and the sound it make was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Normans power was impressive, as well as Couples etc. but Watson really stood out in my mind. I only saw Trevino play once, well past his prime on the Senior tour and it was poor weather and he was just finishing up a rain shortened tournament here in Kansas City. I walked through the rain to catch him play the last 3 holes and it was well worth it. He didnt hit any spectacular shots, he was just trying to get it home, but the sound and the flight of the ball was extrodinary. The stories he told on the tee box were well worth the long walk on a soggy course as well.

I am sure that anyone who has seen Tiger hit the ball will tell you his ball striking is amazing, but most of the "swing snobs" (I use this term respectfully) on this forum will point out that his swing with a driver is a little too flippy, which causes him to spray his tee shots. When his timing is on he has to be considered the best, but Sergio strikes it more consistantly through the bag week in week out. Sergio's problem is that he finds it easier to hit the sweet spot with his driver than he does his putter, along with the fact he has too many bad things going on between his ears.

[Dariusz J.]

Jim Furyk and Zach Johnson today, IMHO.

Tiger Woods has a chance to be a great ballstriker if he works on his new release. He's on the right track.

 

Cheers

[mizuno67]

gotta be ben hogan he is still playing isn't he?

seriously best impact wins Tiger

[Swingtheclub]

here are the last few years.

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2007 Durant 14

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2006 Durant 10

0

 

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2005 Durant 2

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2004 Durant 1

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2003 Durant 3

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2002 Durant 18

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2001 Durant 2

 

http://www.pgatour.com/r/stats/info/?158 2004 Durant 4

 

 

Joe was sixth in 99 13th 98 6th in 97

 

 

Thats as far back as I can find his name not sure when he came on tour.

 

Now this in my opinion is pretty undisputable for the last decade day in and day out the best ball striker on the PGA tour is Joe Durant

 

By no means does this make him the best player thats Tiger Woods

 

I just do not understand how you can look at these stats (ball striking ) and deny this?

[ferrispgm]

The thing with the PGA Tour stat is that they combine driving accuracy....if you go by GIR then Tiger is by far the best. Look at all the shots Tiger can hit and the quality of his strikes....By far the best. Everyone on Tour even says that the sound the ball makes when he makes contact is far better than anyone else. And if you have ever watched him on the range, you can tell. The sound is just incredible...extremely crisp and just plain old pure. I will say that Jim Furyk is very underrated as well and a fairly close 2nd imo.

[ej002]

That is exactly the issue. Tiger swings his irons differently, that is why he soon will be the best irons player on Tour if he is not there already. But his driver is a mess. That is why he is not on the list.

 

I like to watch Serg hit the ball, as well Jesper. But I think Furyk is super consistent. He gets my vote.

[mikpga]

You are asking 'swing experts' who they think the best ball striker is? I believe there is a difference.

 

Tiger may demonstrate the best of both worlds. I would say he's a better ball striker, however his swing is pretty damn solid as well!

 

Jim Furyk is an excellent ball striker!

 

Woody Austin.

 

Jeff Maggert.

[Ty_Webb]

Having sat at the range at the Open Championship many times, I think this is hands down Tiger Woods. He's different when he hits it. Others I recall from over the past 15 or so years would be Greg Norman and David Gilford (not one I expect most people would expect to see here, but he striped it).

 

I also was following Tiger in the 2000 Open at St Andrews. We got to the fifth hole, par five, which was downwind and reachable and the flag was stuck right on the front of the green. Everyone was running to the back and three-putting, so it was taking forever to play. There was a 45-minute delay on that tee. I watched all the guys in front of Tiger play there, including Nick Price and Ernie Els. Watching all of them, I thought to myself I can hit that shot. I'm not as long and I'm certainly not as consistent, but I can hit that shot. Tiger had sat down behind the tee. Five minutes to go, he stood up pulled a couple of clubs out of his bag and swung them for a bit. Then he teed his ball up and hit it 400 yards down the dead centre. I knew, there and then, that no matter what I did, I would never be able to hit the ball like he did then. Ever since watching that shot, I've been sold.

[Purealive]

I would have to say Sergio, it is class, second best would be Tiger.

[mat562]

Others I recall from over the past 15 or so years would be Greg Norman and David Gilford (not one I expect most people would expect to see here, but he striped it).

 

I stand amazed.

 

A great ballstriking thread, and Greg Norman and David Gilford mentioned in the same sentence?????

Wow.

[dminn23]

Today....Sergio and Tiger. Boo hits it solid as hell too. They all can hit that heavy ball.

 

12+ years ago it would've been Norman, he hit it on the screws. Just couldn't control his spin.

 

 

 

Best shotmaker is Tiger, by far.

[juansky]

TIGER is the best ball striker which includes his putting.

 

Sergio falls short with the flat stick.

[Swingtheclub]

The thing with the PGA Tour stat is that they combine driving accuracy....if you go by GIR then Tiger is by far the best. Look at all the shots Tiger can hit and the quality of his strikes....By far the best. Everyone on Tour even says that the sound the ball makes when he makes contact is far better than anyone else. And if you have ever watched him on the range, you can tell. The sound is just incredible...extremely crisp and just plain old pure. I will say that Jim Furyk is very underrated as well and a fairly close 2nd imo.

0 .

 

 

I am confused here what is ballstriking if not driving and irons .

 

Maybe the person that asked the question Who is the best ball striker on tour? Needs to define it to me because its my understanding that the ball striking stat is a combination of driving accuracy and GIR's.

 

Which in a nutshell describes JD sure he is boring and he does not win much but he still owns that stat.