I Am Terrible In The Wind And I'm Sick Of It

[Orikoru]

I cannot play golf in the wind. It looks set to be another breezy one this weekend, ruining an otherwise lovely spell of weather, so I thought I might try and get some tips before I go this time.


Problem
I can only hit a fade with driver, 3 wood, etc. Whenever I play a left-to-right wind, or straight into it, I'm completely screwed and have no answer to it.


What I've Tried
Using a lower tee - idea is to keep it under the wind more, but I've heard that a lower tee just promotes more fade so that might be cancelling it out. Maybe even adding spin as well? (I'm using a 9° driver.) Should I stop doing this and just stick with my normal tee height?

Aim further left - other slicers will be very familiar with this concept, but the more left I am, it's like my subconscious takes over and opens the face of the club without my permission to 'guide it' back to the fairway - making the slice action even worse and end up further right than ever. It's very difficult to aim at the left trees and actually commit to putting your normal swing on it, seemingly.

Another factor that my subconscious is killing me on, particularly straight into the wind, is that my calm, measured backswing disappears and it's like my brain says "need to hit it hard to get through this wind" and I end up with a longer backswing that I don't want - which promotes more slice.


What's Next?
Strengthening grip - my grip is already pretty strong but maybe I should strengthen the right hand round a little further for these particularly drives?

Closing stance - might have more luck if I shift my right foot back a little, coupled with the grip change, and basically try and hit straight-left pulls?


Just at my wit's end at the minute at the way my game crumbles in 25-30mph winds. Generally speaking my driving has improved on last year (couldn't get much worse) but the wind brings me right back to earth with a bump. Many of you are links or coastal players so you must have some gold tips for me??


(Note: Using an iron isn't the answer since my longest iron is a 6 so that will go absolutely nowhere. My 3W & 7W are high-launching so probably wouldn't be much help.)

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Go shopping with the missus and don't put yourself through the misery

 

[SteveW86]

the only thing that is going to fix this is sorting your face/path relationship, but I think you know this.

One thing I have tried recently when getting a bit fadey, is feeling like I'm closing the face when taking the club back. In reality I'm probably keeping it neutral rather than letting it flare open. That has worked for me, so no harm in giving it a go.

 

[Springveldt]

I'd maybe go with closing the face at address then griping the club rather than strengthening your grip. Just slightly rotate it closed then grip as normal and try and hammer it left and let the wind bring it back.

I hated playing in the wind until last year when I had no choice being right on the coast and it does take a bit of getting used. I'm not sure if I would cope at a parkland course though with lots of trees, on a links course with no trees it frees my mind up to just whack it into the wind and let it do its thing in bringing it back.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Move house.

10 moh winds here in Yorkshire on Sunday

 

[Orikoru]

Go shopping with the missus and don't put yourself through the misery

These two things are an oxymoron.

the only thing that is going to fix this is sorting your face/path relationship, but I think you know this.

One thing I have tried recently when getting a bit fadey, is feeling like I'm closing the face when taking the club back. In reality I'm probably keeping it neutral rather than letting it flare open. That has worked for me, so no harm in giving it a go.

I'm happy that I've improved my driving generally though, without the wind I'm getting a small-to-medium fade, which I like. It's just when it is windy it goes to pot. You can't really hit fades in a left-to-right wind. Drawing the ball is out of the question.

Agree with that - that's why I think maybe strengthening the grip a little will help me keep the face shut.

I'd maybe go with closing the face at address then griping the club rather than strengthening your grip. Just slightly rotate it closed then grip as normal and try and hammer it left and let the wind bring it back.

I hated playing in the wind until last year when I had no choice being right on the coast and it does take a bit of getting used. I'm not sure if I would cope at a parkland course though with lots of trees, on a links course with no trees it frees my mind up to just whack it into the wind and let it do its thing in bringing it back.

Yeah, fair enough - I guess I'll try it both ways this Saturday and see which one works better.

---

Did anyone have any thoughts on the tee-height point?

 

[sjw]

My biggest concern is actually with my driver. I have a lovely high ball flight but I think there is just too much spin. As soon as I'm into the wind, it has a tendency to just balloon up. If I close the face ever so slightly to deloft it a little, I can hit one that pierces the wind, but obviously that can easily turn into a snap hook/pull. I flip back and forth between thinking the fitting of the driver was really good, and completely wrong.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

These two things are an oxymoron.


I'm happy that I've improved my driving generally though, without the wind I'm getting a small-to-medium fade, which I like. It's just when it is windy it goes to pot. You can't really hit fades in a left-to-right wind. Drawing the ball is out of the question.

Agree with that - that's why I think maybe strengthening the grip a little will help me keep the face shut.


Yeah, fair enough - I guess I'll try it both ways this Saturday and see which one works better.

---

Did anyone have any thoughts on the tee-height point?

Eureka swing and pink tee

 

[pendodave]

I think the current weather is particularly difficult for parkland players. Links/heath courses are generally designed for breezy, fast running conditions. You can bunt it around if necessary.
I played on my parkland yesterday. It was really tricky. Fairways and greens incredibly hard, but fairways have trees all round and the greens often demand a high, stopping stopping shot.
It was very difficult - I'd just chillax and pray for rain!

 

[SatchFan]

I'm more likely to take Homer's advice these days but if I find myself out there and the wind gets up I try and get myself into course management/ self discipline mode. If there is a strong headwind I just try and make an easy swing and accept the 30-40 yards loss of distance on the basis that on other holes there will be a tailwind and I will get those yards back.

 

[RichA]

Switching to 10-finger grip with driver has got rid of my occasional fade-slice and added many yards. Maybe give that a try.

 

[Orikoru]

My biggest concern is actually with my driver. I have a lovely high ball flight but I think there is just too much spin. As soon as I'm into the wind, it has a tendency to just balloon up. If I close the face ever so slightly to deloft it a little, I can hit one that pierces the wind, but obviously that can easily turn into a snap hook/pull. I flip back and forth between thinking the fitting of the driver was really good, and completely wrong.

I think wind in face is going to balloon it up no matter what fitting you had. Obviously the fitters are always trying to get us down below 2500rpm with driver, or whatever your number was, but the wind is going to knacker that no matter what you do. If he fits you a driver that's low spin even into wind, surely it'll be too low the rest of the time and not stay in the air?

My related problem is what I mentioned in the OP - I think if you can convince yourself to swing slower into wind you can maybe keep some of the spin off it, but my subconscious takes over and tries to hit it harder with a longer backswing, adding spin and making it worse.

Switching to 10-finger grip with driver has got rid of my occasional fade-slice and added many yards. Maybe give that a try.

I'm still not sure if that's the same as baseball grip or slightly different. My grip is unusual anyway, I kind of reverse-overlap so all the fingers of my right hand are on the grip, and the left forefinger is on top of the right pinky.

 

[Springveldt]

I think the current weather is particularly difficult for parkland players. Links/heath courses are generally designed for breezy, fast running conditions. You can bunt it around if necessary.
I played on my parkland yesterday. It was really tricky. Fairways and greens incredibly hard, but fairways have trees all round and the greens often demand a high, stopping stopping shot.
It was very difficult - I'd just chillax and pray for rain!

Wind is worse out on a links course, there is nothing to protect you from it. One of the lads I play with got sick of playing "pot luck golf" as he called it and went back to our old parkland course this year. He was sick of not being able to have wedges hold the green as they get that hard and had to rely on landing it short and hoping for a bounce.

 

[Orikoru]

Wind is worse out on a links course, there is nothing to protect you from it. One of the lads I play with got sick of playing "pot luck golf" as he called it and went back to our old parkland course this year. He was sick of not being able to have wedges hold the green as they get that hard and had to rely on landing it short and hoping for a bounce.

Yeah I'm not a big fan of links golf either to be fair. Obviously the wind doesn't help.

 

[adasko]

Lower tee will only promote hitting down at the ball and more spin
Try to tee it higher that should force you to come more from the inside.
Learn to hit you driver from the toe that will help to limit you left to right (slice)

 

[VVega]

Obviously the fitters are always trying to get us down below 2500rpm with driver, or whatever your number was, but the wind is going to knacker that no matter what you do.

Teeing up and hitting higher on the face will produce a high launch low spin that will go through the wind. If it has enough speed as otherwise will not go anywhere.

 

[Orikoru]

Teeing up and hitting higher on the face will produce a high launch low spin that will go through the wind. If it has enough speed as otherwise will not go anywhere.

Damnit, you had me going in the first half.

Think I'll abandon the lower tee anyway and just stick with the pinks.

 

[srixon 1]

Go to the range and practice trying to hit the ball at the 5 o’clock position (as you look at it at address) this should try to promote an in to out swing path with the club head. However, still no use if the face is left open as you then get a big push right.

 

[Golf is fun]

When you're on the range, can you purposely hit the most vicious hook that goes way into the next county on the left? Can you also purposely hit the most ridiculous slice?

Presumably you can do at least one of these already, and perhaps both. Step 1 is being able to do both, and then gradually dialling each one back a bit until you can hit the shape you want on demand. This will take some repetitions and time, it's not a 15 minute fix.

It doesn't mean you'll then go out on course and be able to shape everything at will, but having this skill will allow you to be able to make adjustments when things are going wrong and when the wind picks up.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am not a fan of links. Played Hillside in a light breeze. Hit it at the right hand trap on the first and it blew it 20 yards from the rail line left and no it wasn't a big hook!