I'm A Golf Historian And Here's Why I Think Sandy Lyle (Not Tiger Woods) Is The Greatest Ball Striker Of All Time

Every era has produced players renowned for their ability to strike the golf ball just a little better than their peers. Many would view it as the standout characteristic among the true greats of the game. Those rarefied players we really remember because they could hit the ball like nobody else.

Fergus Bisset and Neil Tappin discuss the best ball strikers at more length in their podcast 18 Majors

When considering the best ball striker of all time, to start, you could do worse than consider the great triumvirate of pre and post Second World War – Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan. All three were exceptional hitters of the golf ball, all employing different techniques to achieve near-perfect contact.

Nelson was metronomic. “Iron Byron” was unfeasibly consistent in his striking, producing tremendous accuracy with good power thrown in.

Then Snead, “Slammin Sam.” He was an athlete who could outhit most in his day, but he was also straight. A great rhythmical swinger and a beautiful striker of the ball.

Finally, Hogan, the master of golfing technique. Not as powerful as Snead and Nelson but extremely elegant and extremely consistent. Tiger once said that only two players have truly owned their golf swings – Ben Hogan and Moe Norman….

And Moe Norman must be another to consider. Not a Major winner but a cult hero and famously, probably, the most accurate striker of a ball in the history of the game. Those who had the privilege to see him hit just couldn’t believe how, with a seemingly odd technique, straight arms, starting from way behind the ball, he could hit it straight every single time. He only once in his entire playing career (one that included over 50 pro victories) went out of bounds.

Quiz: How well do you know Ben Hogan?

The best I’ve seen hitting though and I have to go with one of them, as I can speak from what I actually witnessed. Three of them. Firstly Tiger Woods. I remember the first shot I saw him hit in the flesh. It was the 10^th tee at Carnoustie in the 1999 Open. He hit a stinger 2-iron and I was positioned right behind the tee. It was a strike like no other I’d seen before.

Annika Sorenstam – Again, maybe a bit like Moe Norman, just relentless consistency. I watched her on various driving ranges and a few different rounds where she did not miss the middle of the club. For a spell, she was infallible.

Then, Sandy Lyle. I saw him hitting on the range, again at Carnoustie but it must have been a Scottish Open earlier in the 90s. I watched spellbound as he struck shot after shot with a small persimmon 3-wood that went off like they’d been fired from a cannon. Seve once said that if everyone in the world played their best, Sandy would win and the Spaniard would come second. His ball striking, at his best was second to none. So, I’m going to stick my neck on the line and say Sandy Lyle is the best ball striker I’ve ever seen.