Woods
Having always been in possession of a big, hard swing, Woods realized quickly in his pro career that he had to rein things in from time to time, that in order to score, he had to hit greens in regulation, and to do that, he had to master his distance control.

Consider it mission accomplished because in just his third full season on the PGA Tour, 1999, he was ranked first in the ball-striking category and he held that position the next year.

No surprise that he won four consecutive majors at this phase of his career.

His slip to No. 65 in this department in 2004 is more a testament to his struggle to adapt to a new swing, one that is perhaps more aggressive on a more consistent basis.

But he still hits it consistently pure with a variety of clubs, perhaps better than anyone in the game, and he is such a masterful ball-striker that he can hit the classic knock-down 6-iron from 150 yards as easily as he can a bombs-away 9-iron from 190 yards.

Nicklaus
The man could hit a 1-iron!

Flush!

Off a tight lie!

He played at a time when the sweet spot on a golf club was the size of a quarter (today’s it’s the size of a hamburger bun) and he was so damn good he defied logic.

No one could get 2- and 3-irons to soar high and land soft; Nicklaus could.

Though he was still one of the longest hitters on Tour, at the age of 40 he began a run of three straight years as the leader in the ball-striking category and for most of the 1980s he was in the top 10 in that department.

Click below to see how today's Tiger Woods compares to Jack Nicklaus in his prime. Ball-striking Creativity Level of competition Pressure Course management Driving Popularity Putting

Rarely did he miss greens in the wrong spot, even rarer were the times he would come up woefully short or thin something a bit too long.

His success at Augusta National is no surprise; it is made for pure ball-strikers, those who can pick out the right club and deliver it toward a small target with the utmost confidence.

Part 2: Course management

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