How to tackle the Wind?

On 606 there is an article discussing windy conditions and how to read the wind. This is of course one of the most difficult things about golf and your battle with nature.

In a light wind it is maybe just the case of taking an extra club and taking a normal swing, however once you get above the two club wind scenario you need to get a little more creative.

When the wind is very severe I use a shot used to great effect by Greg Norman at the 2008 open. I watched him play long pitch shots with his mid irons from around 100 to 160 yards. I would start with 8 iron from around 100 yards and work back to 4/5 iron at about 150 to 160 mark. I play it off the back foot with my weight onto the left side and use a 3/4 wedge swing. It works a treat as it keeps the ball low and penetrating and more accurate. In the correct conditions you can even run it along the ground onto the green. This shot produced one of my greatest moments in golf. On 18 at TOC and driving into a strong wind, a good drive needed just to clear the road. I was about 80 yards out and played a long pitch with an 8 iron which ran out to about 12 feet from the back left pin. I holed the tricky downhill putt.

EDIT (The shot I describe is for into the wind)

Another tactic in the wind I tend to use is to put a little draw on the shot, is this something anyone else would try?

How do other people tackle a strong wind?

As for me on my course (Parkland and narrow fairways) once the wind gets above 2 club wind scenario, time to retreat to the clubhouse,and have a cool beer

As I learned my golf on the west coast of Scotland, playing in the wind has always been an inherent part of the game for me. Sadly I don't get to play much links golf these days, only a few days each year but my club is fairly elevated so we do get our fair share of breezy days

As Mac says, the best way to play is take loads of club and hit lots of low flying/running shots. Nothing wrong with nailing a 5 iron from 100 yards out

Mac. You say in the correct conditions you run it up to the green... Is that not a thin that you try to convince people was a very low bump and run?

LondonJonnyO wrote:Mac. You say in the correct conditions you run it up to the green... Is that not a thin that you try to convince people was a very low bump and run?

Maybe sometimes. I mean when the conditions are fast and firm. It makes sense to get the ball on the deck as soon as possible in the wind.

I disagree. In the wind (and I mean a 3 or 4 club wind) it depends on the direction it's blowing relative to your shot.

I will always play it high going into the wind and when approaching the green. The reason being that the wind will stop the ball on the surface. When playing straight down the wind I'll put it up in the air from the tee and again play it as high as I can into the green. If you play a low one with the wind behind onto a firm surface it's not going to stop.

Crosswinds are more difficult to judge and on those I'll tend to try and keep it down to prevent too much sideways effect on the shot.

There are situations where these things change of course...

LJ


Have you played a real 3/4 club wind? Playing the shot you describe a 3 iron would barely go 140 yards. Unless of course yo have tigers power.

Playing two high shots into a 4 club wind I do not think it would be possible to reach any 400 yard+ par four in two.

As for down wind I also tee it high and try to ride the wind. If it is fast and firm you need to judge the roll very accurately.

Mac, I play that long low pitch with my mid irons but I'm always careful not to play it too far back as it's easy to hit with a bit too much spin, thus making it check up or spin rather than running out. Obviously a tighter pin might warrant one with a bit of spin but I will generally grip down and pitch from the middle to keep it low and running.

Also like playing stingers with my 3wd off the tee. Far more control and doesn't get touched by the wind whereas my driver is set up to go higher and I have to do a bit much to keep it low and control it...

Mac I've played stronger winds than that. I amused myself once playing in a wind where a high iron would fly up over the target and then fall back towards the flag from behind it because the wind was so strong.

remember that the real killer in the wind is spin not height.

McLaren wrote:LJ


Have you played a real 3/4 club wind? Playing the shot you describe a 3 iron would barely go 140 yards. Unless of course yo have tigers power.

Playing to high shots into a 4 club wind I do not think it would be possible to reach any 400 yard+ par four in two.

As for down wind I also tee it high and try to ride the wind. If it is fast and firm you need to judge the roll very accurately.

At the 2008 Open at Royal Birkdale KJ Choi was hitting his 8 iron 90 yards and his 3 iron 140-145 yards on the range as it was right into the wind. Now that sounds ridiculous...

I must be honest I never think of winds in terms of clubs more you need so I may not have judged that properly.

But as you say spin is key, and with trajectory and spin rate linked the high towering iron tends to create a higher spin rate.

You must have Tiger length if you are playing those type of shots in the severest of winds before it becomes unplayable.

I play the shots I describe in these conditions because the wind tests the limits of my power. Now I thought i hit it well but you seem in another league.

Not at the minute. I couldn't hit a cows bum with a nuclear missle at the moment.

I am interested LJ in how you set up and play the shot you describe as I am willing to give it a go.

Say I am facing a shot into the wind, I am about 170 out and a little uphill, even a full three iron cannot reach due to the very strong wind. How do I play the shot you describe? Is there a way to lower the spin rate?

Depends how far you figure on your 3 iron carrying usually Mac.

I put my 3 iron out to around 210-220 in calm conditions. So I just hit a regular shot in a 3 club wind figuring that will get it there.

I would say my three iron is about 200ish carry in the calm if I hit it under control. As I said i do not think of wind in terms of how many clubs over it is. All i Know is I have faced shots as the one described above. I am talking very strong wind here.

Maybe forget the example, I am just interested in how you hit the high shot into the wind you described earlier.

I hit it high naturally. And I mean big high... but it's not a shot that spins. It goes out and up on a flat profile. That tends not to be as affected by a headwind when compared to a shot that starts low and rises quickly due to excessive spin.

If I really want to hit one up I'll move it forwards very slightly and try to come in slightly outside the line with an aggressive hip move keeping the hands open through impact. But those are just feelings I'm focusing on. Usually I'll just feel like it's going up and focus on the move unconciously. Seems to work most of the time.

I really dont think I have the power to hit that shot into the wind.


On another note how do people find a crosswind affects the yardage needed on a shot. I had a real embarrassing shot the other day, hit my six iron to a green and it came up about 30 yards short. After I had posed watching it swing in to the flag. Or so I thought, it was a shock to see it land so short. The wind seemed straight across left to right and i aimed about 20 yards left of the green.

Mac, I find that cross wind is tackled best by working the ball left and right. It then allows you to send it out into the wind and then bring it in on the wind so you are effectively coming in downwind. Likewise, if you want to take some off it for a tight pin or inbetween clubs you can work one into the wind so it holds up.

work with the wind not against it

Hmm. Rennie? Not eating beans? Less fibre?

Seriously though, into the wind I just concentrate reducing spin if I can which usually means I deliberately (try to) overclub and hit it easy. On no accounts hit it hard into the wind.

Crosswinds I just try to estimate how much off line to start it and maybe club up a bit.

Navy brings up a good point in relation to Rennie, beans and fibre and it makes me think of a related question...

should you wear white trousers after having a powerful curry the night before?

LondonJonnyO wrote:Navy brings up a good point in relation to Rennie, beans and fibre and it makes me think of a related question...

should you wear white trousers after having a powerful curry the night before?

I have done.......once........and got away with it.

Doubt I'd be so lucky if I tried it again though.............

LondonJonnyO wrote:Navy brings up a good point in relation to Rennie, beans and fibre and it makes me think of a related question...

should you wear white trousers after having a powerful curry the night before?

I mean, when are white trousers ever a good option unless in a re-run of Saturday Night Fever?

[quote]Seriously though, into the wind I just concentrate reducing spin if I can which usually means I deliberately (try to) overclub and hit it easy. On no accounts hit it hard into the wind.

exactly - deal with the spin issue is key to strongwind playing. just watch the pros at the open in bad weather...

well that quote didnt work

didn't terminate it OneToAnother.

you need to end the quoted text with

[/quote]

sounds like my putting stroke - didnt terminate it!

thanks for the tip though!

I played in an East of Scotland Alliance meeting at Muirfield and finished 3rd Scratch with an 86..........That was a wind. They only had about a dozen returned cards from nearly 100 players.

crail, with its enviable position at the very tip of fife is just about always windy in one form or another. a 1-2 club wind is standard and up to, well... 3 wood to a 140yd, very downhill green (14th balcomie) that usually requires a PW or gentle 9 if calm (haha).

into it, back in the stance with a slow, counted swing and curtailed follow through. downwind (for approach shots), count on a big hop and run. a 3 club headwind equals roughly a 1 club downwind. so, if the approach allows it, take 2 clubs less and pick a spot in front of the green (or allow it to run through if the back of the green is an option, re the other discussion going on).

whatever, make sure your short game is in top form and remember, always keep your putts close to the ground ;-)

navyblueshorts wrote:

LondonJonnyO wrote:Navy brings up a good point in relation to Rennie, beans and fibre and it makes me think of a related question...

should you wear white trousers after having a powerful curry the night before?

I mean, when are white trousers ever a good option unless in a re-run of Saturday Night Fever?

I think a good guideline for post-curry sartorial selection has got to be thus - always ensure your under-crackers and strides are at least one shade darker than the goo emanating from your backside!

My course is a good 700 feet above sea-level and the wind changes and swirls about all over the place. Some good tips from one and all about playing head-wind and down-wind. I am never certain with the strong side wind whether tis better to try and hold the ball into the wind and take 2-3 more clubs, or use the wind and take perhaps one less club?