“In setting yourself up to hit the ball on a windy day,” says Sam Snead in Natural Golf, “make sure that you have a firm stance capable of resisting a sudden gust of wind. When hitting the ball into a strong wind, the body moves a little faster coming into the hitting area, and the hands are permitted to follow the ball a bit farther than they would be under normal conditions.
“This prevents the ball from taking on its normal loft and keeps it low enough during its flight so that it is not entirely at the mercy of the winds. The stance, of course, is widened and the ball played towards the right food.”
Sage advice from Snead.
Many Tour pros avoid hitting a full wedge shot in a crosswind because the height on the ball means it is easily blown off line. Good players prefer to choke down on an 8-iron or 9-iron and create a lower trajectory and more control.
Playing into the wind, Gary Player will often take at least two more clubs than he needs and choke down on the grip to hit a lower shot without changing his swing.
Before a round, devise a game plan that helps you play to your strengths.
Employ a simple and repeatable pre-shot routine and control your breathing to alleviate nervous tension.
When taking on another player in a matchplay format, your priority should always be to keep the ball in play.
Aim for the middle of the green and not necessarily the flag to give yourself a greater margin for error.
Have one simple swing thought to help you commit to a solid swing, and concentrate on the current hole, and not on the one you will reach later in the round.
When he’s driving downwind, Tiger Woods will often leave the driver in the bag and use his 3-wood instead. Woods can carry the ball just as far with this club, while the slight increase in loft maximises the chances of hitting the ball straight.
Pulled
Your ball is said to be pulled when it flies on a straight line but left of your target (for a right-handed player).
Pushed
Your ball is said to be pushed when it flies arrow-straight but to the right of your target (for a right-handed player).
The path of your swing shapes the ball flight so pay attention to the route the club takes on the way back. If you can move the club along the correct path at the start of the swing and make a long sweeping takeaway, your accuracy should improve, leading to a more effective angle of attack and straighter shots.
When the ground is soft, wet, and slippery, there is a danger that you lose your balance if you don’t modify your swing.
The safest course of action is to limit the amount of shoulder turn.
Use your practice round to gain a feel for the specific type of layout you will face on the first tee and develop the shots that you will need to be able to play it.
Warm up your upper body and lower body to improve flexibility and avoid injury.
Hit shots on the range before moving on to the course. Either run through your bag hitting a couple of shots with each club or imagine that you are playing each hole.
On the first tee use a club that you feel comfortable with and swing through to a full, balanced finish.
A comprehensive short-game practice routine is also an important part of your pre-round preparations.
Your aim here should simply be to develop a feel for the pace of the greens and the density of the grass surrounding them.
Hit a series of long and short putts and chips so that you are prepared for how your ball will react to the greens.
Make sure that you do not speed through the practice process too quickly.
Resist the temptation of hitting too many shots.
It is important to arrive on the first tee fresh. If you rush through the routine, playing too many shots, you may lack the energy to put in your best by the end of your actual round.
If the ball is above or below your feet at address, aim to the left or right of your target (depending on the slope) to allow for the sidespin created through impact.
Take a wider than usual stance when the ground is wet to ensure a firm footing.
When playing from deep rough, break your wrists earlier during the backswing to create a steeper angle of attack.
When playing in a crosswind, pay close attention to your alignment and trust that the wind will bring your ball back to the target.
Concentrate on keeping your head at the same height for a clean strike from the sand.
Refers to the position of the clubface at address when the toe is turned slightly to the left.
This stunts the clubface, causing the ball to fly slightly to the left of where your body is aiming.
Do not forget the rules that apply to bunker play:
All of the above rules carry a two-shot penalty so observe them!
Hitting a good drive close to the green is great, but failing to get on the green from less than 100 yards is extremely frustrating. Poor chipping will cost you a lot more shots than errant driving of the ball will.
Obviously the best way to get good at chipping is to practice and practice on the range until you’ve gotten a feel for the club and know exactly how you’ll hit it in any conditions.
However, this tip should help immensely.
Make your hands lead the clubface through impact.
What does this mean? Well, imagine a normal stroke. Your hands are parallel with the ball as you strike it, or in some cases ahead or behind. With a chip, you want them to be ahead, almost as if you’re wristing it.
Why is this? It means that you’ll hit the ball on the downswing, rather than the upswing. Hitting on the up can result in a topped shot that has no legs.
How to achieve this:
Have fun putting this into practice on the course - at least you won’t leave it short with this advice.
Remember that to get out of a divot, you have to take another divot.
Many golfers fail to take divots because they lack confidence and have never learned how to hit an iron with a sharp, descending blow.
To build that confidence, practice by putting a tee peg an inch or two in front of the ball on the practice range. Then focus on hitting down and through the peg.
I would never recommend hitting a drive off the fairway in normal circumstances - especially for the beginner or high-handicap player. These players should also avoid hitting a 3-wood from anywhere except the tee.
But if you are an experienced golfer, possess a solid and repeatable swing, and have the confidence to attempt this shot, I recommend it for playing in the wind.
The first thing to consider is the lie. Hitting a driver off the fairway demands an excellent lie, so always avoid a tight lie or any situation where the ball is sitting even slightly down.
Put the ball about an inch further back in your stance than you would off the tee and try to keep your hands slightly ahead of the ball at impact.
If you make solid contact, the ball should take off with a low, penetrating flight.
Golfers are always seeking to hit the ball further. How do the pros hit it so far? Two things: clubhead speed and good ball contact. Combining the two creates greater distance in your shots.
Unfortunately, the two must be in sync for your shots to work. A greater clubhead speed combined with poor ball striking will simply result in a slice or another failed shot. And by the same token, a good impact with the ball in the “sweet spot” of your club won’t guarantee a massive drive if you swing like a 60-year-old woman.
What controls clubhead speed?
The following factors control clubhead speed:
In turn, the amount of power you generate from your legs determines how fast you rotate the body which in turn dictates the speed that your arms swing through the shot.
One good thing to remember is even though you need to be like a coiled spring through a power shot, don’t tense your arms like you’re a bodybuilder - relax them and let the hips do the work.
Start the swing by turning the legs and hips to where you intend to hit the ball, which will start the arms swinging. Coupled with fast, loose hands, the system of movement should guarantee a poweful swing.
All of the power comes from the legs - your arms and upper body are just along for the ride. If you’re swinging with your arms then you will soon hit a brick wall in terms of distance - unless you happen to be Arnold Schwarzenegger!
In fact, those stronger players who feel as if they can just muscle their way through are often disappointed. Don’t let that happen to you.
Finally, don’t try and swing too fast on every shot. Aim for 80-90% of your max swing speed. Swinging faster will mean your contact could be jeapordised more often than you’d like.
Better to be 20 yards short than 50 yards wide.
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