Playing in the Rain - Adjustments Suggestions Edition

[KMP]

I am now fortunate to live in an area that permits year-round golf. This comes with a price, playing in rain and on wet turf. I would like to solicit advice on what adjustments members suggest when playing in rain and wet conditions. Let's leave rain gear recommendations out of this topic except for how that may affect the swing and other factors.

[Double Mocha Man]

31 minutes ago, KMP said:

I am now fortunate to live in an area that permits year-round golf. This comes with a price, playing in rain and on wet turf. I would like to solicit advice on what adjustments members suggest when playing in rain and wet conditions. Let's leave rain gear recommendations out of this topic except for how that may affect the swing and other factors.

Several years ago I was playing in a tournament on a windy and rainy day.  As my partner and I were putting out on the 4th green, 20 feet away our push carts, with umbrellas extended, blew over.  In perfect tandem like a marching band.  After picking up strewn clubs all over the ground and sports drink canisters, not to mention the cart itself and the broken umbrella, I swore I'd never use an umbrella again. 

And I haven't.

Instead, to be free of stupid encumbrances (umbrellas), I embrace the "kid jumping in puddles" concept.  I don a pullover cap to keep the head dry and the hair from blowing all over the place, a rain jacket, rain pants, a pair of rain gloves and I go merrily about my business.  I play "in" the rain, not "against" it.

Edited November 5, 2021 by Double Mocha Man

[KMP]

16 minutes ago, Double Mocha Man said:

Several years ago I was playing in a tournament on a windy and rainy day.  As my partner and I were putting out on the 4th green, 20 feet away our push carts, with umbrellas extended, blew over.  In perfect tandem like a marching band.  After picking up strewn clubs all over the ground and sports drink canisters, not to mention the cart itself and the broken umbrella, I swore I'd never use an umbrella again. 

And I haven't.

Instead, to be free of stupid encumbrances (umbrellas), I embrace the "kid jumping in puddles" concept.  I don a pullover cap to keep the head dry and the hair from blowing all over the place, a rain jacket, rain pants, a pair of rain gloves and I go merrily about my business.  I play "in" the rain, not "against" it.

I agree 100%. Umbrellas don't work for me and definitely are useless in the wind!

[Double Mocha Man]

4 minutes ago, KMP said:

I agree 100%. Umbrellas don't work for me and definitely are useless in the wind!

100 miles North of you we have blue skies... for about two hours, before the rain strikes again.

[KMP]

Just now, Double Mocha Man said:

100 miles North of you we have blue skies... for about two hours, before the rain strikes again.

Sun is out here too. Just booked a time to sneak out this afternoon!

[mdl]

Multiple towels. Multiple gloves. Get to know your distances in cold damp air and cold damp air with light rain. Short game it's really easy to dig out a sloppy rug and hit the ball 5 yards. With medium soft turf it helps to have a high bounce LW (or whatever you predominantly use around the green). When it gets super sloppy (like close to casual water but not) then it doesn't matter. Either you just hit chips (leading edge first) with huge muddy divots or do what one of my best friends does and get good with the hybrid "putt" from off the green. If you're not short sided and don't have long grass or a bunker between you and the stick you can just brush the ground and not really interact with the turf much. Though the ball can skip unpredictably when the grass is wet...

[boogielicious]

I just keep rain gloves on all the time. I have a nice rain cover for my bag and bring an umbrella. The hardest part for me is my glasses fogging up. I keep a cleaning cloth in my pocket for my glasses. 

[KMP]

2 hours ago, mdl said:

Multiple towels. Multiple gloves. Get to know your distances in cold damp air and cold damp air with light rain. Short game it's really easy to dig out a sloppy rug and hit the ball 5 yards. With medium soft turf it helps to have a high bounce LW (or whatever you predominantly use around the green). When it gets super sloppy (like close to casual water but not) then it doesn't matter. Either you just hit chips (leading edge first) with huge muddy divots or do what one of my best friends does and get good with the hybrid "putt" from off the green. If you're not short sided and don't have long grass or a bunker between you and the stick you can just brush the ground and not really interact with the turf much. Though the ball can skip unpredictably when the grass is wet...

The "sloppy iron" has been the biggest adjustment for me so far.

[Zippo]

6 hours ago, boogielicious said:

I just keep rain gloves on all the time. I have a nice rain cover for my bag and bring an umbrella. The hardest part for me is my glasses fogging up. I keep a cleaning cloth in my pocket for my glasses. 

The other bad thing about the glasses is when the mud from the ball strike flies up and hits them. I've had to rinse mine with my water bottle to get the mud off.

[sjduffers]

I tend to put the ball back in my stance, just a bit, to both lower the trajectory and to make sure I make contact with the ball first and the wet turf later.

Other than that, I try to keep myself and the clubs dry (eg making sure the rain doesn't fall in my neck area, install the bag cover over the club heads, etc...) and if that fails, I use rain gloves, one on each hand, and make sure they are wet: the wetter they are, the more traction they keep. Don't bother removing them to chip and putt!

[WilliamB]

On 11/5/2021 at 1:57 PM, mdl said:

Multiple gloves. 

I need just one pair of gloves, 'rain gloves.' They work wet as well as regular gloves do dry. Nothing worse than regular gloves wet for maintaining a good grip on your club. 

[billchao]

4 hours ago, sjduffers said:

I tend to put the ball back in my stance, just a bit, to both lower the trajectory and to make sure I make contact with the ball first and the wet turf later.

I find playing the ball back doesn’t work well for me. There’s a tendency to lean away from the target a bit and either hit it fat or thin.

I like to keep the ball where I normally play it and just lean towards the target more. Sometimes I end up doing that Gary Player step towards the target after impact.

[pganapathy]

Gripping down on the club helps since you are standing closer to the ball and accuracy is improved, though at the cost of distance.

[boogielicious]

9 hours ago, WilliamB said:

I need just one pair of gloves, 'rain gloves.' They work wet as well as regular gloves do dry. Nothing worse than regular gloves wet for maintaining a good grip on your club. 

Agree 100%. I wear them in the summer when it’s very humid and I’m sweating a lot too, even if it’s not raining.

[Beastie]

If you grew up playing golf in the North East of Scotland then you will know that “playing in the rain” is also known as “playing golf”. Therefore there are few adjustments necessary……🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⛳️💧💧💧

Edited November 8, 2021 by Beastie

[Darkfrog]

I don't have any wet weather golf clothing since my area doesn't often get a severe rainy season. The only adjustment I make for rain is to use my umbrella in push cart holder, and try to keep my towel dry to wipe the grips off after each shot.

I usually don't play with a glove, but I keep a pair of rain gloves in the bag for the rare times when rain is heavy.

[KMP]

8 hours ago, Beastie said:

If you grew up playing golf in the North East of Scotland then you will know that “playing in the rain” is also known as “playing golf”. Therefore there are few adjustments necessary……🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⛳️💧💧💧

True, but where I am there are distinct wet and dry seasons where turf conditions are quite different. Firm and fast where I play in the summer; and slow and sloppy in the winter 🙂

[Beastie]

2 hours ago, KMP said:

True, but where I am there are distinct wet and dry seasons where turf conditions are quite different. Firm and fast where I play in the summer; and slow and sloppy in the winter 🙂

We’ll in my extensive experience the best way to deal with playing in the rain is to accept it mentally and just enjoy it. That and rain gloves, they are the best invention since sliced brioche.