What does it mean to be a good ball striker?

[very handicap]

I often hear commentators on the golf channel saying a particular PGA tour pro is the best ball striker of all time.

What does it mean and how to tell a good ball striker from bad ball striker?

[James_Black]

pretty simple
they knock their iron shots close often.

[Paradox]

"good ball striker" to me is two fold...its very rare that you catch a ball fat, thin, off the toe/heel...and then, you hit the ball where you want it to go 95% of the time.

a great ballstriker or the best of all time should never mishit a ball and should always have it do exactly as he intends.

[Bryan SD2]

Draw it, fade it, high, low, carve it, float it.... Ball strikers can do it all, and EVERY one looks like their natural preferred shot shape.

The exception being Moe Norman, who many called one of the best ball strikers of all time. I'm not sure he had ALL the shots, but he did have one shot down better than anybody else. Dead straight.

[Shanks A Million]

Actually, ballstriking has a very real, quantifiable meaning. It's the player who has a combination of the best driving accuracy, and greens in regulation. Ballstriking refers to a person's ability to hit the same shot over and over again, with the smallest margin of error.

The best ballstrikers on the PGA tour are guys like John Merrick, Boo Weekley, Adam Scott, John Senden, Hunter Mahan, etc.

[Chris223]

Actually, ballstriking has a very real, quantifiable meaning. It's the player who has a combination of the best driving accuracy, and greens in regulation. Ballstriking refers to a person's ability to hit the same shot over and over again, with the smallest margin of error.

If only he knew how to putt, lol. It's incredible he can be so high atop the stat boards for tee to green but miss as many cuts and rarely contend like he does. Who wouldn't love to see a guy named BOO on the top of the board every sunday, lol.

I love the way Mahan uses a "game improvement" club for his driver, lol, PING Rapture.

[Shanks A Million]

If only he knew how to putt, lol. It's incredible he can be so high atop the stat boards for tee to green but miss as many cuts and rarely contend like he does. Who wouldn't love to see a guy named BOO on the top of the board every sunday, lol.

He's actually had a terrible injury this year, that's why. He's a great player, and he will be back.

[PiustheDrGolf]

"good ball striker" to me is two fold...its very rare that you catch a ball fat, thin, off the toe/heel...and then, you hit the ball where you want it to go 95% of the time.

Golf god can't even do that for sure.

Ball striking comes and goes everyday. Good players (which I give much more credit then good ball strikers) recognize it and improvise their plans to achieve their goal.

[Chris223]

He's actually had a terrible injury this year, that's why. He's a great player, and he will be back.

Didn't know that. I've been familiar with Boo for several years now. He played a couple times in the BC Open which was held at the course I live just down the street from. Remember the first time I saw him play in it, he was in the sunday morning round by himself (first tee time) and he was wearing a t-shirt, windpants and sneakers, not even spikes, haha. I remember thinking "who the heck is this guy? BOO Weekley?" haha. He seems like a cool guy though. He's stated in interviews that he wants to retire when he makes a certain amount and not play competitively anymore. Good for him, he seems like a guy who really just wants to enjoy life the way he wants too. When he has the talent in golf to make more money than most people could ever dream about making, why not.

[Jay-Bird]

Good ball striker - means controlling the ball by means of executing a repeatable swing where the contact point of club and ball is the same time after time. Great ball strikers can wear a tiny spot into the face of their forged irons.

[Shorty]

Actually, ballstriking has a very real, quantifiable meaning. It's the player who has a combination of the best driving accuracy, and greens in regulation.

The only correct answer to the OP.

It does not mean that they hit their iron shots close. In actual fact, it is a bit of a running joke that the best ballstrikers are poor putters, which is why thay talk about their ballstriking. They talk about John Senden's ballstriking a lot. People on this forum are forever talking about working on their "ballstriking", but they misunderstand the term, which is like saying that they are putting with their putter. Ballstriking is a statistical term. If it's not used for that purpose it is totally redundant. Of course you are practising hitting the ball.

[mcfc_nick]

lots of fairways, lots of greens

[Paradox]

Golf god can't even do that for sure.

thats why I don't think there are any "great" ballstrikers. Things change too much for someone to always be perfect.

Most every amateur, to me, is above average to well below average. And Shorty, I don't think people are speakin in terms of the stat when they talk about striking the ball..they are talking about consistent strikes. The "stat" doesn't amount to much at all, as you pointed out.

[JWL1957]

Go watch Moe Norman , Lee Trevino , and Ben Hogan on youtube.......... and you will see 3 of the greatest ball strikers that ever lived. I put Moe Norman 1st.

[Sing Golfer]

The only correct answer to the OP.

I disagree that there is only one meaning and that it is statistical.

A good ballstriker also has a better ball flight. A term pro's often use is 'integrity'. If you go to the range anywhere, but particularly at a pro event you don't even need to look for it - YOU CAN HERE IT! Compare Sergio Garcia's or Charles Howell's iron shots with other players and you have another definition that is commonly used in the world of golf.

[James_Black]

thats why I don't think there are any "great" ballstrikers. Things change too much for someone to always be perfect.

I guess you've never heard of Moe Norman then?

He was an exception to the rule though. I doubt any of us could practice as much as he did.

[cody west]

imo a good ball striker is someone who is agressive and attacks hit wedges and short irons to the point where they hit and come back about a foot from the fairway and the min irons take one hop and stop then the long irons have about 6 ft of roll. good ball strikers means that they hit the ball well so i believe that they need to be sticking the ball because if your not sticking it your hitting it fat and letting it run

[michaeljames92]

imo a good ball striker is someone who is agressive and attacks hit wedges and short irons to the point where they hit and come back about a foot from the fairway and the min irons take one hop and stop then the long irons have about 6 ft of roll. good ball strikers means that they hit the ball well so i believe that they need to be sticking the ball because if your not sticking it your hitting it fat and letting it run

Or you play on rock hard greens. Our greens at the moment, you struggle to make a pitch mark with your 8 iron