Playing the Wind

[trjohnson2]

After having played my last few rounds under abnormally windy conditions, I thought this might be a good time to get yall to help me out. I play a natural draw on my normal shot, and strong winds can make that a big draw. I tend to adjust my aim, because I feel like when I try to hold a shot into the wind, I risk missing by more on an errant shot than my aiming mistakes tend to miss by.

How do you adjust your game under windy conditions? Do you adjust your aim to compensate, or do you try to work the ball back into the wind to hold it up? Or do you just grip it and rip it and hope things go your way?

Enlighten me so that I don't look so lost anymore, any tips and comments are appreciated.

[Mr Eagle]

Asked the same question when playing a windy links to my experianced playing partner



Move the ball back in your stance and only take a 3/4 swing.Works a treat,keeps the ball flight lower,stops the club head moving off plane and should reduce the draw.

good luck

[Dent]

I compensate, but If it is windy and I'm golfing, I guarantee you i'll have a high score.

No matter what I do, I have a high ball flight. Unless I skull the ball, I cannot hit it low. I really have to aim way off target to get near where I want, and anything into the wind, I'll have to club up 1 or 2.

I have a really hard time playing in the wind, I'd say for you, play your draw into the wind and let it balance out.

Good luck.

[ganjagolfer]

i've always heard,

when its breezy
swing like the big easy
when it swells
just swing like els

[rubbery]

If it's just a light crosswind, I'll work the ball against it normally, but if it's really blowing, I just do my best to keep the ball low and let the wind have its way with it.

[Dub]

I've got a mid-to-low ball flight on most clubs except my current driver....it's a much higher traj driver than I've ever had. The extra carry really appealed to me.....and still does.

I played a local course on Wednesday and the wind was up nicely here. First strong wind I've played in since getting back into golf.

Par 3's and other iron approaches found me clubbing up 1-2 clubs depending on wind direction. I was also trying to swing smoother and hit shots that ran farther...sort of a lazy knock down.

The strategy worked fine unless the hole was protected by water....then I took care to either lay up or go long.

The driver did okay as I teed it a tad lower and put a little more forward press on it during the set up and focused on swinging through to a full arm extension down the line. I did get in trouble on two holes, though where my desired tee shot is a cut driver. I normally am able to set up aiming to center-left and taking a normal swing with a high finish. Typically the ball will jet out there about 200yards and then start cutting right. I didn't account for the wind on those two holes. Back in my face on one and left-to-right on the other......both cases helped turn my cut into a full grown early slice.....ouch.

[Mr.Wedge]

My bread and butter is straight so I love playing in the wind. Steady yourself with a bit wider stance and tighten the grip a little to discourage wristiness and swing well within yourself. Crisp striking is essential. Learn to play some low punch shots with your 4 iron of varying distances even down to say 100 yds or shorter. Better to keep it under the wind regardless of wind direction unless you just want the wind assist with carry. Attempting to shape shots in a strong breeze is risky because a small error can be magnified significantly. Other than that, avoid trying to hit it hard in the wind; steady and smooth works much better.

[Smallville]

Normally, I hit the ball straight or with a slight fade. Sometimes I'll slice (sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose). I don't draw or hook (sometimes I'll hit it left but it's straight left, no curve to it), If it's a left to right wind, I'll aim left and hope I aimed correctly. A right to left breeze, I'll hit it straight down the middle (well, aim it straight down the middle!).

[trjohnson2]

Seems like the prevailing opinion seems to be cross your fingers and say a prayer. Sounds like the rest of my game sometimes.

I am able to play those litte stinger shots pretty well off the tee and with my 3 wood, but have a hard time making a good shot like that with an iron. I have a high ball flight to begin with, so that doesn't make it any easier. Besides, playing a round of nothing but low punch shots is way to English for me. Thanks yall for your input.

[Jay-Bird]

You must compensate. Learn to measure winds by club. Like "this is a two club wind" etc. ...Club up/down accordingly.

Learn to hit low stingers and knock downs.

Lee Trevino's old trick for playing in the wind - Just like back-to-back-windiest-tournament-ever-Brittish-Open-winner Padraig Harrington - is to keep it LOW. The lower the ball, the better chance it will stay on line.

I grew up playing in big winds and love to play in the wind.

[Surefire]

Besides, playing a round of nothing but low punch shots is way to English for me. Thanks yall for your input.

What exactly is this supposed to mean?

[trjohnson2]

Ah, you english, you get testy when someone from the colonies gets out of line!

[Zeph]

I'm a straight shooter, I don't have any kind of fade or draw. Not that I'm able to anyways. Point is, when it's windy my ball may be a bit off target or lose som distance. It can all be helped by aiming different and going up a club or two. I hit my balls high, making them an easy target for the wind, but I manage anyways. Always expect a bit higher score when it's windy. I'll hopefully get my trajectory a bit lower in time, but I've got other things to worry about at the moment.

[Petden]

How exactly do you play a stinger shot. I ahve my version, I call it the "intentional screw-up". I take a wider stance, place the ball a bit further out, forcing you to extend more and play a natural left-right draw (on tighter courses I have a hard time doing this, end up OB).