The Shot (about to be...) Seen Around The World

April 12, 2005 5:02 PM

If it didn't happen on national television[wmv] (mirror [wmv]) you would have thought it was faked like that LeBron ad.

Well if Wieden+Kennedy isn't already working on it, they surely will be shortly. "... they have a Nike-sponsored golfer wearing a Nike shirt, a Nike hat, Nike golf shoes, using Nike clubs, held in hands covered by Nike gloves, hitting a Nike prototype golf ball that was chipped onto the green, rolled, turned, rolled some more, then teetered on the edge of the cup with that Nike "Swoosh" turning and facing the television cameras for a full 1.5 seconds."
posted by pwb503 (59 comments total)

Not to be snarky, but isn't this the reason Nike pays Tiger Woods to wear all that crap?
posted by Doug at 5:11 PM on April 12, 2005

That is the reason Doug. And IMHO it's disgusting.

That being said I've watched that clip about twenty times and will keep watching it as it's an amazing depiction of art, skill, and grace.

I'd border on saying it was one of the greatest shots in golf history, (well it definately is, but the degree of which it is i'm unsure of). What are some classic golf shots, and are there any clips of them online?
posted by futureproof at 5:18 PM on April 12, 2005

Why not link to the guy who made the fake commercial?
posted by null terminated at 5:20 PM on April 12, 2005

umm... he did.
posted by futureproof at 5:24 PM on April 12, 2005

That shot is waiting to be a commercial. It was fantastic; when I saw the ball drop, the first time when it was live, I swear my heart stopped for just a second. It was probably the most incredible golf moment I've ever had (and all I did was watch it).

That said, I hope to god that they don't make that into a commercial. It's like a great song; if you hear it over and over again, it loses all meaning and feeling.
posted by SeizeTheDay at 5:25 PM on April 12, 2005

Upon watching it for the twenty first time, I noticed that the cameraman gets so excited the camera shakes when the ball drops. Yes, it was that good.

Where can I find a higher resolution clip of this?

SeizeTheDay: While I share the same hope I don't see how they cannot make this into a commercial. Nike execs see dollar signs, not cultural relevance.
posted by futureproof at 5:28 PM on April 12, 2005

Seems to me that a plan view (from the blimp) of that shot would trace out something very like the swoosh, too. Ick. Great shot, but ick.
posted by notsnot at 5:36 PM on April 12, 2005

More fantastic hoops [QT]
posted by rxrfrx at 5:42 PM on April 12, 2005

Can i also add great camera work.
Great tight shot and when the shake happens because of everyone shouting and jumping even better.
posted by stuartmm at 5:44 PM on April 12, 2005

Can someone post another mirror? Both of the links are busted and I want to see what the heck y'all are talking about.
posted by Justinian at 5:44 PM on April 12, 2005

Never mind it came back.
posted by Justinian at 5:46 PM on April 12, 2005

The rights to the video belong to the Augusta National Golf Club. Nike will have to pay SERIOUS money for those rights. And as cranky as those old farts are, they may not just do it out of spite. Remeber they gave up all advertising money for two years and only allowed three advertisers this year so they could continue denying women membership without complaints from boycotted companies. They even used not to allow ANY tv coverage until the last nine holes.

Like I said, it's not a given Nike will get the rights.
posted by ..ooOOoo....ooOOoo.. at 5:47 PM on April 12, 2005

Mirror is working now.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:52 PM on April 12, 2005

I'd like to note my extreme amazement at how good Microsoft is at providing quality video codecs and players that can somehow detect the exact moment of peak intensity in a video and absolutely freeze, never to play again. Microsoft's quality software really helps those suspenseful moments last, and last... and last.

Thanks Microsoft!

seriously... stop with the wmv shit. it's fucking crap.
posted by odinsdream at 6:02 PM on April 12, 2005

Mirror is working now.

No it isn't. :-[
posted by Turtles all the way down at 6:03 PM on April 12, 2005

Oh, and:

seriously... stop with the wmv shit. it's fucking crap.

Quicktime, please!
posted by Turtles all the way down at 6:05 PM on April 12, 2005

I think I'm gonna puke.

I don't often watch golf. Yet I spent more than 45 minutes glued to the set watching the closing stages - I even made myself slightly late for work. I leave the room for 30 bloody seconds and that's what I miss!!!

Even worse, I miss the opportunity to constantly bore people with "I saw it live".

That's the first time I've seen the shot. I wondered what all the shouting was about.



futureproof, this maybe 1% answers your question: http://www.usforacle.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/04/12/425bc65008bb0
posted by uncanny hengeman at 6:15 PM on April 12, 2005

Speaking of incredible shots...does anyone have video of that Minnesota highschool baller (Blake Hoffarber) sinking the long distance shot from his back? I never got a chance to see it.

That said, awesome shots really aren't related to the skill of the shot-maker. I mean, Tiger will make that shot more than anyone, but every day people (who aren't professional golfers) get holes-in-one. The only thing that makes this shot important is the stage. And, he dimished this by bogeying the next two holes. Niice.
posted by graventy at 6:16 PM on April 12, 2005

The Masters is usually the only golf I watch all year.

The shot appeared to go against the laws of physics. It came to what looked like a complete, total stop.

Energy had to be added to bring that body at rest (that tends to stay at rest) back into motion.

I assume it was the several thousand people all yelling and jumping up and down.

Perhaps it was enough to add just a tiny bit of energy and help the ball into the hole.

Either that or God just loves Tiger.
posted by Ynoxas at 6:17 PM on April 12, 2005

Funny, I turned on the TV right as the ball held onto the lip of the cup, and I wasn't sure what the heck was going on, but then I saw the replay and honestly felt disappointment for having not witnessed it when it actually happened.
posted by twd3lr at 6:21 PM on April 12, 2005

Odinsdream I am of the same mind. I like how it picks the middle of the shot to silence itself and freeze, instead of saying "you need to update this or that." Oh, and for a while the colors were inverted too. Still waiting on the codec update but from what I hear this should be worth the wait even for a non-golfer.
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 6:31 PM on April 12, 2005

Speaking of people jumping up and down (though it looked to me like it just slowed down to a CRAWL and then dropped) it was fun to see Tigers shot on an earlier hole hit the green and cause Dimarco's ball to roll down to the edge of the green.
posted by futureproof at 6:33 PM on April 12, 2005

I just realized that Nike doesn't need the rights. Someone else made the clip for them. Millions of people saw it live, millions more have seen it since, and millions to come will see it.

So fucking gross.
posted by futureproof at 6:36 PM on April 12, 2005

Meh. Needs more cowbell.
posted by Rothko at 6:39 PM on April 12, 2005

No one has noted that even the shape of the shot itself is the Nike Swoosh. I guess Madison Ave. finally got the ear of God.
posted by fungible at 7:27 PM on April 12, 2005

Yes, someone did.
posted by euphorb at 7:32 PM on April 12, 2005

Yeah, yeah... it was a great shot. Let's just ignore his first round, where he putted into the freakin' river!

/rooted for DiMarco
posted by greasy_skillet at 7:32 PM on April 12, 2005

I loath golf (and wouldn't have had it on the TV if my father-in-law wasn't visiting) and have to say that was one of the most amazing things in sport I've ever seen.
posted by jalexei at 7:35 PM on April 12, 2005

Link farked. anyone have a mirror?
posted by damnitkage at 7:54 PM on April 12, 2005

oh drat.
posted by fungible at 7:56 PM on April 12, 2005

NY Post says it's already in the works.
posted by pmurray63 at 7:56 PM on April 12, 2005

Why would Nike bother to pay for the rights to this? That clip will be sent through the metaverse without Nike paying one more red cent - showcasing Mr. Woods' Nike shirt, his Nike cap, and the ball stopping on the cusp of the hole with the frikkin' Nike swish showing.
posted by kanewai at 7:57 PM on April 12, 2005

posted by ericb at 8:20 PM on April 12, 2005

While I share the same hope I don't see how they cannot make this into a commercial. Nike execs see dollar signs, not cultural relevance.

Cultural relevance?
posted by airguitar at 9:03 PM on April 12, 2005

Speaking of great shots... and this is going entirely from memory...

Sandy Lyle. Links course, possibly the British Open. Probably late 80s early 90s. Huge, undulating green.

Lyle is on the green but a long way from the pin. He gets out a wedge and chips it in!

Arguably not as good as Tiger's shot. But never before or since have I seen someone chip when they are already on the green.


(I'm guessing he chose to chip because he couldn't be azzed trying to "read" all the undulations. Why not just chip over them?!)
posted by uncanny hengeman at 9:18 PM on April 12, 2005

I got a laff out of how his caddy totally mangles their celebrations.

They go the high five - so far so good - then it looks like the caddy goes to shake Tiger's hand (American style), realizes Tiger's not going to shake hands, decides to shake hands with thin air instead, realizes this looks stupid so tries to disguise it as a fist pump, then goes the high five again, and then walks off pumping his fist as if he'd sunk the putt.

Or maybe it's just me.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:09 PM on April 12, 2005

Haha uncanny, I just rewatched the segment you talked about. Wow, that probably bugged him when he went home that night.
posted by phyrewerx at 11:01 PM on April 12, 2005

posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 1:24 AM on April 13, 2005

I was walking through the living room where a housemate was watching Sportscenter (or some crap) on TV. I catch a glimpse of the TV just as they're showing the ball stopping just at the edge of the cup... I comment out loud, "Awwww." Then the ball drops in. "Oh."
posted by neckro23 at 2:14 AM on April 13, 2005

If nothing else, I'm just glad to see that someone is finally using the "hole" tag!
posted by trey at 3:56 AM on April 13, 2005

They go the high five - so far so good - then it looks like the caddy goes to shake Tiger's hand (American style), realizes Tiger's not going to shake hands, decides to shake hands with thin air instead, realizes this looks stupid so tries to disguise it as a fist pump, then goes the high five again, and then walks off pumping his fist as if he'd sunk the putt.

Don't understimate just how much influence a caddy has on a shot...they help read the green, select the club, select the shot and select the speed/line of the shot...Tiger relies on his caddy as much as anyone else...he can feel proud as well.
posted by mattr at 4:22 AM on April 13, 2005

I am well aware of what a caddy does. Maybe a bit of humility might have been the go?

But again, that's just me. For example, I get equally annoyed when the wife of a politician gets on stage, post victory, and starts pumping her fists. Even though she's a valuable team member, don't underestimate just how much influence she has yada yada.

But I 99.99% was trying to point out the goofy post-putt celebrations and share a laff. I don't wish ill upon his caddy.

(Spot the mistimed celebratory sporting high five. One of my favorite pastimes.)
posted by uncanny hengeman at 4:49 AM on April 13, 2005

Uncanny - cool...wasn't being snarky...just wanted to point out that they do make a difference...often underappreciated members of the golf team.

No offence meant...
posted by mattr at 5:00 AM on April 13, 2005

Caddies and rally car co-drivers. Under appreciated team members in sport... and yet... wouldn't it still be a level playing field (no pun intended) if they just did away with them all together?

Co-drivers: maybe there's a safety aspect to consider. But caddies? If we banned them would the sport be any poorer?
posted by uncanny hengeman at 5:47 AM on April 13, 2005

First place at the Masters was over $1.2M. Caddies usually get around 8 to 10% of winnings at that level; so I really wouldn't care if I looked like an idiot, given the potential payday.
posted by parliboy at 6:29 AM on April 13, 2005

I don't particularly like Tiger (or Nike), but it was an amazing shot (and moment; even my girlfriend, who is bored stiff by televised sports, sat up and took notice). But I wouldn't say it was the best or most dramatic shot in Masters history. What about Larry Mize in 1986, chipping in from farther away, during a playoff to boot? Of course, Larry didn't have the Nike hype machine working at full steam behind him...

Enough snark, though. Hats off to Tiger.
posted by The Dryyyyy Cracker at 6:33 AM on April 13, 2005

First place at the Masters was over $1.2M. Caddies usually get around 8 to 10% of winnings at that level; so I really wouldn't care if I looked like an idiot, given the potential payday.

I think for a period, New Zealand's highest paid sportsman was Tiger's caddy!

Don't quote me on that, but it sounds believable. (I think maybe Jonah Lomu was 2nd.)
posted by uncanny hengeman at 6:38 AM on April 13, 2005

I don't remember the Larry Mize shot you're talking about, but I think Tiger's had one seemingly unique element: that last-moment hesitation, when it apparently stopped. I didn't see it live, but that was the element that guys in my office were dwelling on the next day. I saw a replay that night and had to agree. Skill, luck, whatever, it was memorable.
posted by pmurray63 at 6:41 AM on April 13, 2005

Well, that's true. Tiger's shot definitely had a better sense of theatre. I was just starting to think "If I were Tiger, I'd wait a couple of minutes to see if it falls in on its own" when....plunk.
posted by The Dryyyyy Cracker at 6:46 AM on April 13, 2005

Speaking of incredible shots...does anyone have video of that Minnesota highschool baller (Blake Hoffarber) sinking the long distance shot from his back?

There's a link to the video just under the headline.
posted by hootch at 7:35 AM on April 13, 2005

From what I saw, the ball actually did stop for a considerable length of time before falling into the cup. It was probably blades of grass slowly bending under the weight of the ball that tipped the balance and finally caused the ball to drop.
As for Dryyyyy Cracker's comment, this is covered by Golf Rule 16.2:

16-2. Ball Overhanging Hole
When any part of the ball overhangs the lip of the hole, the player is allowed enough time to reach the hole without unreasonable delay and an additional ten seconds to determine whether the ball is at rest. If by then the ball has not fallen into the hole, it is deemed to be at rest. If the ball subsequently falls into the hole, the player is deemed to have holed out with his last stroke, and he must add a penalty stroke to his score for the hole; otherwise, there is no penalty under this Rule.

posted by rocket88 at 8:49 AM on April 13, 2005

awesome. Good for him. Good for Nike.
posted by tomplus2 at 10:02 AM on April 13, 2005

cultural relevance?

Probably not the best choice of words but I was commenting on the post previous to mine on a reason that a commercial would be a bad thing.
posted by futureproof at 10:07 AM on April 13, 2005

Under appreciated team members in sport... and yet... wouldn't it still be a level playing field (no pun intended) if they just did away with them all together?
The golfer carrying his own bag 18 holes will be a lot more work for him. Looking at this years tournament which because of rain the golfers played two rounds and the for last hole the golfers’ swing would be greatly effected by the bag’s weight.
posted by thomcatspike at 12:09 PM on April 13, 2005

Everybody who knows rally know the co driver is the guy who actually wins. The driver is just a voice input control device for the car.

I'd talk about Tiger's cool shot but both the vids are server on 8090! which is blocked here.
posted by Mitheral at 12:52 PM on April 13, 2005

The golfer carrying his own bag 18 holes will be a lot more work for him.

i'm sure golf fans would vehemently oppose this (and crucify me for saying so), but why not have them carry their own bags? physical conditioning being a prominent factor in a sport can't be such a bad thing.
posted by howling fantods at 2:06 PM on April 13, 2005

The caddy helps in much bigger ways than being a pack animal and umbrella holder. They have huge input with regards to things such as club selection and helping line up putts, as mentioned above.

It is this aspect that some MeFites said allowed caddies to take some of the credit for goods shots.

That's the bit where I can't see why it can't be banned. By all means, have a porter to carry the clubs if you think that's still necessary.

However, I kinda like howling fantods' idea and rationale. Get rid of caddies altogether.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 4:37 PM on April 13, 2005

it was only a matter of time. i saw the ad this morning. its essentially the raw footage with the following white text on black screen interspersed:

"We gave you a wedge that gives you more feel"
"We gave you a ball with better control"

and closing with:

"And you couldn't even line up the logo"

(i'm paraphrasing here, but that's the gist of it)
posted by howling fantods at 6:56 AM on April 26, 2005

Not bad!
posted by uncanny hengeman at 3:57 AM on April 27, 2005