Ball Striker V Shot Maker

[Alex1975]

Hi all,


I am interested in what you would rather be, a ball striker or a shot maker. Now I know the two are not mutually exclusive and the example I am about to give is of two major winners so clearly they are both things.

Rory Mcilroy to my mind is a ball striker, he crunches the ball, he is usually online and he`s going at the flag with a pretty textbook swing

Bubba Watson is a shot maker, if he can dream it he can hit it, left, right, up, down, he is a creator with whatever swing is required to make the magic happen.

So we would all love both but if you had to pick one, what would you be?

Its not a hard one for me, I just love go get it golf and I would love to be a ball striker, step up, put a text book swing on it and lash it at the pin.

What would you be, or what are you?

Alex

 

[One Planer]

Ball striker all day long for me.

 

[Imurg]

Ball Striker.

The only problem with Guys like Bubba is they have to get it right
If their angles are just a little off they're in the next Country.
Get it right and they win Majors but it's so so easy to get it wrong.

A solid ball striker doesn't quite have those limitations..

 

[CMAC]

shot maker for me:thup: that's where all the fun is

 

[One Planer]

Ball Striker.

The only problem with Guys like Bubba is they have to get it right
If their angles are just a little off they're in the next Country.
Get it right and they win Majors but it's so so easy to get it wrong.

A solid ball striker doesn't quite have those limitations..

Is pretty much my reasoning.

Looks great when you get it right but it introduces variables into your swing that is not sequenced or timed correctly will lead to all manor of problems.

Greenside is a little different in my view.

 

[BTatHome]

Surely the same could be said of a ball striker ... If they are slightly off then they must also surely be in trouble too?

 

[Alex1975]

shot maker for me:thup: that's where all the fun is

A couple of days in a row last weekend I found myself just into the new trees on the left of our 3rd hole, wind right to left green about 160 away. The first day I took a 7 iron and tried to hit a low hook/draw under the branches, the ball ended up just past the green on the right hand side and a little long. The following day I was in the same spot, took and 8 and tried to hit a high hook/draw. I ended up on the same line but short of the green. So no great result but a lot of fun....

 

[Imurg]

Maybe, but a solid ball striker isn't going as far into the bundu when he gets it wrong.
If Bubba's shot that won the Masters hadn't hooked as much or he'd double-crossed himself he wouldn't have won. He got it right and he did.

 

[Fader]

I'll take the shot maker please, if a ball stirker is off they'll still hit it in trouble but more likely to chip out sideways but a shotmaker should have enough in the arsenal to pull off the escape to victory a la bubba at the masters

 

[One Planer]

Surely the same could be said of a ball striker ... If they are slightly off then they must also surely be in trouble too?

True.

....... But

To use an example of Al's. If you're trying to curve it as much as Bubba does, if/when it goes wrong chances are you'll lose it a lot more left or right than a ball striker who sticks to his/her repeatable 5 yard draw/fade?

 

[Pin-seeker]

I'd rather be a ball striker,personally I think it would give you more consistency.
Good thread :thup:

 

[duncan mackie]

if you are not a ball striker you can't be a shot maker

 

[Mr A]

Shot maker without doubt, a far more interesting style of play. The ability to pull off shots like they do would be far more rewarding to me.

Also interestingly enough from my PoV, the two really good players I have played with (+2 and scratch) the +2 player was a shot maker the scratch player was a ball striker, and I was mesmerised watching the shot maker make birdies from ridiculous positions or save par after an awful drive. Whilst being a ball striker is probably the purest way of playing, it's not all that interesting to me.

 

[srixon 1]

Shot maker without doubt, a far more interesting style of play. The ability to pull off shots like they do would be far more rewarding to me.

Also interestingly enough from my PoV, the two really good players I have played with (+2 and scratch) the +2 player was a shot maker the scratch player was a ball striker, and I was mesmerised watching the shot maker make birdies from ridiculous positions or save par after an awful drive. Whilst being a ball striker is probably the purest way of playing, it's not all that interesting to me.

You are not a ball striker then. I like to think that I am a good ball striker, but can bend it when I need to if I am in trouble after a wayward tee shot.

 

[Birchy]

if you are not a ball striker you can't be a shot maker

Sorry to put a dampner on things but i thought this too

 

[Mr A]

No, I'm not a ball striker at all, infact it's the worst part of my game I would say. However from time to time I have pulled off some shots that have left me grinning like a cheshire cat, whereas the few times I've hit a lovely crisp iron that goes close doesn't give me the same satisfaction.

I think it's aggressive play from bad a position/lie/situation, that if you can pull off well is just wonderful to me.

Personally I think golf needs more players of the Seve/Bubba mould as they add some real flair, too many players are great ball strikers but watching them hit fairways and greens all the time isn't as interesting.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ball striker for me. A solid repeatable swing with minimum draw/fade per shot. If it goes off line I'd like to think the quality of the strike will get me back in play and the stellar short game will save me. Love watching the shot makers but it isn't in my armoury

 

[srixon 1]

All of the top pro's are ball strikers. It's just that some see a straight shot all the time, and others always see a shot with fade or draw, depending where the flag is situated on the green.

 

[MashieNiblick]

More about style and attitude really I guess.

So I'm thinking you have in mind something like

Jones or Hagen
Hogan or Palmer
Nicklaus or Trevino
Faldo or Seve

Tough one (apart from the last one Ole!).

Agree you can't really be a great shot maker unless you are also a great ball striker.

Sorry can't decide.

 

[kid2]

Ill take ball striker too...... Ok you can argue that both have their limitations..... But like has been said....Get the shot making just slightly wrong with angles and your in the cabbage.