Playing with wind?

Just seen the weather and its really windy up here. whats the best way to play in these conditions? just like normal and allow the wind to float the ball across?

Depends which way the wind is blowing Matt and also what you are hoping to achieve with the shot.

A tee shot into the wind see's me hit my 21* utility low as even the slightest fade on the driver would end up a nasty slice if the wind grabs it.

To the green I might punch a 7 iron or throw a lw or sw into the wind and let it hold it up and drop it onto the green.

But general fairway play I would try to keep the ball low and penetrating if into the wind or if it's a wind assist I would club down and get the ball airbourne for the carry through the air.

Putting in the wind see's me widen my stance.

 NWOT.............

Play the ball off the back foot and restrict the follow through.

Yes, Matt, the follow through would be under shoulder height. Cricket was never my forte, so cannot compare the two.

Not scratch David because after playing those shots I tend to blame the result on the wind...

Been windy at our place lately  - driver and a wedge from Matt. Great fun and some cracking efforts to remain stood upright.....

NWOT............

I like to use the wind to shape my shots and maintain the same swing even hitting against the wind ,no point attempting to out fight it there will only be one winner and trying to hit harder into hit will only help balloon the ball. From the fairway I tend to use a little more club and play the ball a couple of balls closer my right ball.

Quite correct, Mark, the wind can be used to advantage once one knows how.

Probably the best way to counter a very strong headwind is to hit it better, as opposed to hitting it harder.

Too right John keep telling one of my playing partners this but with no luck, he justs hits harder and harder and the balls goes higher and higher. I do find that a crisp hit 3 iron has a much better ball flight into the wind than the hybrids.

Nice to talk to someone who understands what qualities the long irons bring to this wonderful game, especially into the wind.

I have never owned a hybrid or rescue club.

Not many of us about these days, though, David.

I do have to admit I do carry a hybrid but its a 16 degree find I hit it better of the grass than the fairway woods

It seems to me that the general public have been taken in by the virtues of hybrids and rescue clubs instead of learning how to play the game properly.

One would have thought that if these clubs were the best thing since sliced bread and would improve the standard of golfers everywhere that we would not see so many players with a handicap higher than 18.

More people are playing this game than ever before but, sad to say, the standard of play has dropped from yesteryear.

Perhaps all the latest innovations are not all they are cracked up to be. Game improvement clubs do not improve the game, as they allow poor shots to get some reward, whereas if everyone played with the only clubs available in the old days, namely blades, they would perhaps learn how to strike a ball correctly, bringing about greater rewards in their scores.

Everyone goes in the rough, Matt, even Tiger, and even he would not be able to take a three iron out of some of the rough on my course.

Hitting good shots will be rewarded by a handicap reduction.

I used to play football and was pretty good too, but do you realise that what you can do with a football, regarding spin and shape can equally be done with a golf club, as the principles are exactly the same.

I still have my set of blades but am not a good enough striker anymore, to get the benefit from them. I will find a good home for them though.

I learn't to play this beautiful game with a half set of blades about 28 years ago and could play to about 8 handicap on my nearby links course where it was always windy. As you say the satisfaction from seeing a shot shaped with a blade can't be beaten. Unfortunatley I abandoned the the game for nearly 20 years and now have a set of mizuno irons. It took a while to rebuild my swing without lessons but I am more confident of shaping a shot into the green with my 3 or 4 iron than any of my partners with their hybrids. Tried a few shots with them but it just does not feel right to me. Maybe because I learnt to use 'proper' clubs.

The reason you can do this, Chris, is because you have never forgotten how you used to do it 28 years ago when you were a single figure handicap golfer. Welcome back to the game.

Thanks John. Aim to get back there soon, as long as my back holds out!

Join the club, Chris, I have total failure in the right side what with Knee, Hip and Back all giving pain and restriction. Makes my heart problems almost insignificant apart from the breathlessness.

If you carry on the way you are, with lessons and practice then there is no reason why you cannot get your handicap down. Two wedges to six inches in one round is pretty impressive.

The wind, no matter what direction, is there to be used, so take full advantage of it.

Links golf broadens your range of shotmaking, imagination is required.

I have never considered myself a good wind player as it tends to make me speed up or put more sidespin on when trying to hit harder. However, today I played in a gale and scored my best round of the year so far (83). My driving was sound (even directly into the wind)  and I kept it going well ( 1 over par for the last 6 holes). I think I shall have to reappraise my opinion of my wind play now. Cheers all. 

Nice round, Michael, you have done it once so no reason why you cannot do it again.

As Matt says, any miss hit will be found by wind in the face. So what was probably a fade Lee ended up a nasty slice for you mate.

Personally I would never take a driver off the tee in a head wind. Try a 3 iron or a club you can keep low and penetrating and remember to factor in wind on club choice when on fairway.

 NWOT........

If rescue & hybrids are good enough for the pros then there good enough for me, anything that makes this game a little easier has got to be good.

John. 

Christopher, I watched that as well and found it to be very helpfull. The next day i was down the range which had a huge wind comming directly at us. So i gave the advice a try and i was amazed at the results. With a 5 iron i was dropping the ball into the net at the 125 yard marker without a huge amout of problems.

I will defenatly be trying this type of shot the next time im faced with windy conditions on the course! 

Who said TV was bad for you :o)

I found this thread fascinating after yesterday playing in the first of four qualifiers for the UK Long Drive Championship. We had to drive from an elevated position into a cutting cold wind which was half head on and half left to right. Balls were travelling only 75% distance, even when struck correctly. There was no run on and the grid was 40 yards wide (and ten yards closer to sea level than the tee) on which to land and finish.  In the qualifying rounds one had to use stock drivers supplied which, when used by big hitters,   tended to fly the ball far too high. Enormous hits by Jo Miller (normally consistently close to 400 yards) and Adam Stacey www.longdriversoflondon.com  only finished at 290 and 289 yards respectively. Many of the competitors could not hit far enough to reach the grid's first measured distance. 

As a big hitter how would you have responded to those conditions from hell? 

As you well know, Ivan, I do not hit the ball very far now, but in days gone by I was pretty long, but from the back tee on the fifth at Burnham and Berrow golf club, into the prevailing wind it was always  a question of which part of the rough was I going to aim for as the fairway was not reachable at all.