Golf Tips

Below are some strategies for negotiating windy days, and not letting the wind throw you off your game:

First rule-- for every 10 mph of wind in your face, add one club. You might find yourself hitting as many as 3 or 4 extra clubs on extremely windy days.

Second rule-- "when it's breezy, swing easy." Swinging at full speed with your irons will cause the ball to up-shoot into the wind, making your shot likely fall short.

Third rule-- the effect of wind on a ball hit downwind is not as great as into the wind. For instance, a shot playing 30 yards longer into the wind will probably play only 15-20 yards shorter, at most, downwind.

Make the following adjustments for the wind:

1- factor the mph of wind, and choose your club accordingly. Choke down 1 inch and take more of a 3/4 swing, keeping the trajectory low. This holds true for shots into the wind as well as downwind.

2- feel your body and arms swinging together, and with good rhythm. Don't try to "muscle" shots through the wind.

3- finish in balance. Hold your finish to ensure good tempo.

The natural tendency is to try and "power" the ball through the wind, effectively negating its effect. That is the wrong strategy. The wind will affect the ball no matter what you do, so don't fight it.

Taking enough club and swinging within yourself will help keep the ball under the wind, and less affected by it. Swinging harder creates more backspin, which causes the ball to up-shoot more.

One final tip--on tee shots with a strong wind at your back, try using your 3-wood. Getting the ball up in the air more can help a tee shot "ride" the wind, effectively helping you hit it farther.