Question for the ballstrikers

[bunkerputt]

How do you know when you are a ballstriker? Obviously no one hits every shot perfectly, but when can you say, "Alright, my biggest weakness is not ballstriking."? I've definitely not been a ballstriker for the 3 years I've been playing and I score most often by scrambling in some form or another. My GIR% is less than 40%, but my par saves are pretty decent and my putting average hovers around 1.7 putts/hole and ~32 putts/round. I've basically been fed up with losing so many strokes off the tee that I've spent about a solid month just working on my swing with a camera on the range. I haven't played an 18-hole round in a good month, but I did give my changes a test run on 9 holes and shot around a 5 differential for 9, or 10.0 rating for 18. So I've seen some improvement, but I've still got a ways to go. I was at the range today and hit around 50 balls. I started realizing that I was counting fewer and fewer bad shots. Today, out of 50, I caught a wedge heavy that came up 20 yards short, didn't hit a single poor shot with my driver, hit 4/5 3 woods off the turf clean hammered and straight, with the fifth being toed and blocked way right. The first shot of the day was a lob wedge that I caught thin because I hadn't loosened up enough.

For the most part I can say my shots go in the general direction of straight with about a 3 yard draw or so. Yesterday I was aiming at a post about 85 yards away at the range. I didn't hit it once, but I landed every one out of about 15 balls within a 10 foot spread around it. Sometimes they were left, sometimes right, but I think alignment differences were to blame.

So my question is, when you go out and hit 100 balls, how many do you hit perfect, how many "Good", how many crappy? When you hit one crappy, is concentration lapse to blame?

[wedge player]

So my question is, when you go out and hit 100 balls, how many do you hit perfect, how many "Good", how many crappy? When you hit one crappy, is concentration lapse to blame?

i consider myself a good ballstriker.out of 100 balls 80-85 perfect 5-10 good and 1-5 crappy.

[ninetwothree]

80-85 perfect, 3.0 handicap. are you sure? that might be more than a tour pro.

Tiger mentions that he hits 6 perfect shots when he scores in the mid 60s.

The title is similar to "how far do you hit your driver?" and people respond with an average of 280. Sure you do... you HAVE hit it 280 but you don't average 280 because that's a couple yards under the tour average.

[wedge player]

80-85 perfect, 3.0 handicap. are you sure? that might be more than a tour pro.

by perfect i mean dead middle of clubface.like i hit it perfect not its the perfect line or distane and my putter hates me.and i know alot of people that average 280 and thats low balling them.

[Grndslmhttr3]

80-85 perfect, 3.0 handicap. are you sure? that might be more than a tour pro.

I'm sure Tiger's definition of perfect is much different from ping12's.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Out of 100 balls? I'd say about 50-60 of mine are perfect. And I consider myself a pretty good ballstriker. The rest are not on the center of the face, but I have forgiving clubs, so they still go about the same distance, and no extra side spin. I've been working on ballstriking a lot lately, and I'm happy I'm this far. The only thing holding me back right now is my course management.

[Jay-Bird]

When you see a noticeable dime-size wear mark on the center of your irons, you're a ball striker.

[shortstop20]

The ball moves everytime so I'd say I'm perfect.

[Big_M]

I'm a lousy ballstriker and I know it... I hit fat, thin, toed, heeled, and otherwise all day long... somehow I usually still manage to get around most courses near 80.

Maybe I have high standards... but out of 100 balls, maybe 20 perfect, unless I'm grooving one club... which is totally unrealistic since we don't hit 7-irons all day on the course.

[shortstop20]

Maybe it's the fact that I play SGI's but I really feel like I strike the ball well horizontally(not heel or toe), somedays I struggle with catching them a little thin but for the most part I feel I hit them pretty good on a vertical plane too(not fat or thin).

[sethro5hc]

Tiger mentions that he hits 6 perfect shots when he scores in the mid 60s.

I think that hitting a perfect shot, and striking the ball perfectly are different things completely. If you're feet are lined wrong and your set up is bad, hitting the ball perfectly will just make it go where you incorrectly were pointed.

[leezer99]

I'm not sure hitting the ball perfectly has anything to do with anything as long as it goes where you want it to.

[bunkerputt]

When you see a noticeable dime-size wear mark on the center of your irons, you're a ball striker.

Well Duh-uh!

[Leftygolfer]

I am a poor iron player for my handicap. I am like the OP. I just can not flush 3 or 4 in a row.

Is being able to hit the center of the club face everytime a trainable thing or is it something you can do or not? That is one of the biggest determinant of your ability/HC. Obviously a better swing will help you hit a pure shot more often but IMO I don't think you can learn how to flush it. There are many players with a "bad" swing that have made a ton of money.

[mc0388]

When you dont have to ask if your a ballstriker

[Lean, Mean, Hitting Machine]

I am a poor iron player for my handicap. I am like the OP. I just can not flush 3 or 4 in a row.

That is incorrect. I can hit it flush almost every time. Professional golfers have no problems hitting the ball flush unless they are in some deep rough with a tough lie. Obviously, you need a good swing to be consistent with it, but hitting the ball flush is like catching a baseball once you master set up, posture, and swing biomechanics. It something you don't really even have to think about.

[kevin.chan]

Tempo, Tempo and Tempo for me for a good ball striking !

[shankapotamus]

You don't judge whether you're a ballstriker by how many "perfect shots" out of 100, you judge by your misses. If your misses are consistently just short of the green, or just to the right or the left, then you're a good ballstriker I say.