Wind

[Lollfred]

Hey all .....

Played in a comp on Sunday, links course so should be used to the wind, but it was blowy and a tough one coming
in from the south / south west. I had no problems with any of the holes downwind, in fact I played great for the first 5 holes and was just 2 over, however, all went very wrong between the 6th & 11th holes, only our 7th was back down wind all the others being effected. I felt the need to get my driver out on the 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th which was where i went wrong, but as the wind was strong I didnt feel like my 2 iron would of been enough,a similar story from 13-16, all downwind, played well, 16-18 all into the wind, rubbish !!!!

My scoring was (Holes with ** into wind):

1. 5 (Par 4)
2. 5 (Par 5)
3. 5 (Par 4)
4. 4 (Par 4)
5. 3 (Par 3)
6. 8 (Par 4) **
7. 7 (Par 5) was on the green in 3 - Yes I 4 putted !!!!!
8. 8 (Par 5) **
9. 4 (Par 3) ** Cross wind
10. 8 (Par 5) **
11. 7 (Par 4) **
12. 3 (Par 3) **
13. 4 (Par 4)
14. 4 (Par 4)
15. 5 (Par 4)
16. 5 (Par 3) **
17. 7 (Par 4) **
18. 5 (Par 4) **

Driver has always been a problem for me, i'm either great or absolutely terrible, when bad I cant seem to stop open my hands up on the down swing, which opens the face and creates a slice across the ball. I seem to this when trying to hard, I know this is a sin !! and I shouldnt hit the ball to hard into the wind.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and can offer any solution ?

 

[Foxholer]

When it's breezy, swing easy!

Learn't the truth of that the hard way!

Particularly with the Driver. Just take the 'punishment'! With irons, club up and club up some more!

And playing well in a 'decent' wind takes practice - something I prefer not to be obliged to do, though it's 'fun' occasionally!

 

[Swinger]

I still don't undestand how something you can't see can effect the ball so much

 

[Khamelion]

Last year at Silloth in a very strong wind, I played a hybrid shot, it climbed and bent left a little, then the wind got hold of it and it end up behind me on the other side of the fairway.

 

[Foxholer]

I still don't undestand how something you can't see can effect the ball so much

Or why eating too many pulse foods causes it!

 

[JCW]

Hi , you play off 16 and you carry a 2 iron , sure its not a 2 rescue ? most of your shots lost were into the breeze and was with driver , was you hitting it harder and therefor putting more spin on the ball , side spin I might add as its a straight face club and that's easy to do . I find into a strong wind unless you can keep the ball down and more often then not chip and putt to save par you are not going to score well , you got to par down wind and not lose to many shots into the wind , easy to say but not so to do , you must keep the ball in play to score near your handicap

 

[Lollfred]

I am probably typical of a lot of you JCW, I can play to much lower H/C on my day and my irons are my strength, as per my sig, I have a Mizuno MP Fli Hi 2 Iron and hit it pretty well. But it seems my rounds are becoming a tale of two halves so to speak, with a lack of consistency over 18 holes on a regular basis.

I do seem to have trouble getting the driver square at impact at times ..

 

[evahakool]

I play a links where it can get very windy, it's a pity you don't know how to play when it's windy because you could have had a real good score there.

First find room in your bag for your 3 wood when it's windy and only use your driver when the winds helping,use your 3wood into the wind to keep it lower and don't try and put a big swing on it . Play bogey golf for the holes into the wind,for nearer the green say 60/70 yards in try not to throw the ball up with a wedge,try and practice with say a 7/8iron and try a more bump and run shot.

Try these few tips next time you play when it's windy and I'm sure you will see a big improvement in your score,as you say your score was good for the most part,so you will might just have a advantage off some of the field who will be blasting away with there drivers in your next comp. if it's windy.

Good luck with your golf.

 

[Lollfred]

time to get the 3 wood out and practice practice practice ... cheers for the advice

 

[the_coach]

time to get the 3 wood out and practice practice practice ... cheers for the advice

You can still use your driver, but worth practicing at the range, what you'd do in the wind, even when it's not windy there, as then you'll be more comfortable when you do have to play in the wind.

As you already said you don't swing hard into the wind or in cross winds, and if downwind you've no need to even try too.

Into wind or cross winds it's backspin spin rate that hurts you, the harder you hit it the higher the spin rate the more it'll go up and travel nowhere.

Whether driver or 3 metal never tee it down, this just encourages a steeper swing, steeper the swing the more backspin & up it goes!

When you take your grip choke down on driver or 3 metal (in fact in the wind choke down on everything) so you've at least an inch of grip showing at the top.
What you need is control not speed, as the better you can strike a centered hit is the lower the spin and the lower and further forwards it will travel from a smooth 3/4 swing, hands no higher than shoulders in the backswing.

Your looking for either the driver or 3 metal club head to travel through impact on a level or at most +1 AoA.

Shots into greens still a choked down 3/4 swing, smooth, weight left, chest covering the ball hands leading the club head so forward leaning shaft through impact, this will keep the ball flight down, just club up, experience will tell you if it's a 1, 2, or 3 club etc wind.

Good contact from the middle of the face is the key with a smooth 3/4 swing. Practice a bit and you'll get used to swinging the driver, 3 metal so the club head is level through impact. Get that and you'll begin to enjoy it.

 

[evahakool]

You can still use your driver, but worth practicing at the range, what you'd do in the wind, even when it's not windy there, as then you'll be more comfortable when you do have to play in the wind

But why bother going to the range practicing to play into the wind,if there is no wind? No feedback so sorry can't see the point,IMO it's makes more sense to use a 3 wood of the tee,it's only going to be 5/6 shots we are talking about,so is it not better to play the percentages are have more chance of keeping the ball on the fairway?

 

[the_coach]

But why bother going to the range practicing to play into the wind,if there is no wind? No feedback so sorry can't see the point,IMO it's makes more sense to use a 3 wood of the tee,it's only going to be 5/6 shots we are talking about,so is it not better to play the percentages are have more chance of keeping the ball on the fairway?

You practice in ideal conditions so you get used to the swing motion you need in the wind, which is not something you would normally do when playing in normal conditions, which is a smoother, shorter swing about control and a centered hit with either the driver or the 3 metal and swinging level through the ball.

So when you're out on the course in the wind you know you are already comfortable being able to reproduce the swing you need in the wind. In the wind most everyone's natural instinct is to try and hit it too hard which as explained in the post before will put far too much back spin on the ball.

You are not practicing to see what the wind does to the ball on the practice ground as that won't help you in the wind on the course in judging distances etc. That only comes with experience out on the course in the wind, but you need to be confident you have already got the technique down to be able to produce the ball flight you want when you need too.

What your doing is practicing the right technique to be able to produce the ball flight you'll need to be able to play well in the wind. If it's windy and you get a head wind at the range sometime then you should already have the technique to hit the required flight that this needs and you can further test that you can achieve the shot flight you'll need.

 

[Lollfred]

some great advice .. thanks coach.

do you have any drills to help keep the hands passive through the down swing that can aid getting the club face square at impact ?

 

[evahakool]

You practice in ideal conditions so you get used to the swing motion you need in the wind, which is not something you would normally do when playing in normal conditions, which is a smoother, shorter swing about control and a centered hit with either the driver or the 3 metal and swinging level through the ball.

So when you're out on the course in the wind you know you are already comfortable being able to reproduce the swing you need in the wind. In the wind most everyone's natural instinct is to try and hit it too hard which as explained in the post before will put far too much back spin on the ball.

You are not practicing to see what the wind does to the ball on the practice ground as that won't help you in the wind on the course in judging distances etc. That only comes with experience out on the course in the wind, but you need to be confident you have already got the technique down to be able to produce the ball flight you want when you need too.

What your doing is practicing the right technique to be able to produce the ball flight you'll need to be able to play well in the wind. If it's windy and you get a head wind at the range sometime then you should already have the technique to hit the required flight that this needs and you can further test that you can achieve the shot flight you'll need.

Yes I understand what you are saying and some good advice,but going to your first paragraph you say " you practice a swing you normally wouldn't do " ie a swing that's smother ,shorter, about control and a centered hit with driver or 3 wood,swinging level through the ball" . Surely this is the ideal swing you should be trying on every tee shoot with maybe the exception of shorter swing,but for a higher H/C the shorter swing might be of some benefit .

But as your obviously a far better player than me I stand to be corrected

 

[Scooby999]

First thing is to remember it's the same for everyone playing so the scores will reflect this. You have to learn to change your game for knock down shots/punch shots with 6/7 irons. Make the most of it when it's with you, there are some good stories on the net about how the pro's have practiced changing their game style for links/windy conditions. When it's windy I try to jest keep it simple and try yo remember that some par 4's I normally hit easily in two are goofing to to take three and up my putting game.

 

[the_coach]

some great advice .. thanks coach.

do you have any drills to help keep the hands passive through the down swing that can aid getting the club face square at impact ?

Best advice I can think of at the mo (anything else occurs to me I'll revisit the thread and post it)

Is that what you're looking to achieve is a smoothly timed swing from the takeaway too not being jerky in any way, to from transition at the top (that really has to be initiated with your lower body leading from the ground up) right through as a continuos motion to the balanced finish, definitely no hit at impact.

An old adage but true with any swing and particularly true in any kind of windy conditions. So you'd need to work on feeling this continuos motion from transition thru to swing finish in balance.

One way to try to feel there's not hit, is simply go back to a little drill with a 7i, push short tee right into the ground so it's just the 'cup' itself visible. (hitting from a tee in the drill to better feel solid contact without having to worry about the ground)

Make sure you have a good grip, finger based mostly not palm so the wrists will function naturally.
Make sure your aligned shoulders, chest, hips, knees, feet, parallel left of your ball/target line.

The following drill you are only going swing at maximum 55/60% effort

What you're going to do is make a smooth backswing thu till your left arm is parallel to the ground and also parallel to your toe line & ball/target line, and there's a 90 degree angle between left arm and shaft (so your hands/wrists have set fully, & naturally so)

Make sure in this backswing you keep your spine angle & posture intact and your right leg doesn't straighten any either (keep spine angle/posture right thru impact too) and importantly you don't sway back to the right, you turn.

From there press gently your left foot into the ground and swing through to a fully balanced finish making sure when your right arm is parallel to the ground in the throughswing there's the same 90 degree angle between the now extended right arm and shaft on your way to a fully balanced finish.