Hitting a golf ball into the wind

 

Wind can play an important role in golf. Many a time Ive watched

my golf ball start out fairly well only to fade or draw slightly, get

picked up by the wind and pushed way out usually into some

offensive rough or deep soft bunker. While a wet golf course will

prevent the ball from rolling as far after being hit, and can make it

tough to get the ball in the air to begin with, playing into a

headwind can have more bearing on the outcome of a round of golf

than anything.

 

As most golfers are right handed as I am Ill tell this story from

a right hander perspective. Those who play left handed golf will

need to switch left and right around.

 

So here I stand on the tee box with the brisk wind blowing from

right to left. Im looking at par 3 hole about one hundred and fifty

yards from the tee box to the hole. The flag is in the middle of the

green. What can be expected? Well pretty much anything but

what I want to do is get the golf ball into the cup for 3. So I shoot

for the pin in the middle of the green. But if I attempt to hit the

golf ball directly at the flag it can easily be blown off to the left

of the hole. Depending on the slope of the green, this can result

in the ball rolling completely off the green, requiring a chip shot

to try and save par. The smart golfer would take the wind into

account and plan his or her shot accordingly.

 

A fellow golfer suggested I change my golf game tactics when

playing into the wind. His point was that shots into the wind must

be struck crisp, low and straight. He uses a slightly less lofted club

than usual, chocking down on the grip a little and finishes the shot

as quickly as possible after club head impact. It is important to

strike solidly keeping the left wrist firm. This shortens the follow

through and keeps his ball driving low and forward.

 

So being an intelligent golfer well enthusiastic anyway I

followed his advice. But I did notice that I had some difficulty

in clearing my hips with this technique. And by not clearing my

hips I tended to close the clubface and hit the golf ball left of target.

 

So to summarize.

 

• Slightly less lofted club than usual down one club size
• Choke down on the grip
• Finish the shot as quickly as possible after impact

almost a punch through the ball

• Keep a firm left wrist
• Take care to clear your hips through the shot

 

Ive found this technique to quite effective. The golf shot tends to keep the ball lower and less affected by strong headwinds. So a more consistent result and for a high handicap player, consistence beats distance any day.

 

Try it. It works for me so maybe itll work for you.