By Sam Weinman
As golf fans, we are conditioned to study a player’s expression upon impact for a preview of a shot’s outcome. If he holds a pose, he likes it. If he twirls the club, it could be a kick-in. And if he drops his eyes or, worse, flails dramatically to one side, it’s a decent indicator the shot is wildly off mark.

Unless that player is Hideki Matsuyama, who is such an elite ball-striker that “wildly off mark” is apparently pin high, 12 feet for birdie.

Lest you think we’re exaggerating, check out this compilation from our friends over at Skratch of Matsuyama reacting to certain shots as if he just pulled a ball into an adjacent tennis court. In reality, they would all qualify for most of us as the best shots we’ve ever hit.

Of course, judging by the first hole of Sunday’s final round at the Masters, when Matsuyama dropped his club upon impact after pushing his opening tee shot way right into the trees, his reaction does occasionally suit the shot. But more so than with any other player, you probably shouldn’t go off his expression alone.

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