Playing in the Wind

Playing in the wind is a fact of life on the golf course, at least until they start building indoor golf courses. Anyone who has played a lot of golf in Florida can attest to the fact that wind can influence your game more than any other element. It's generally not as bad up here, but it's still a part of the game that you have to address on all but the calmest days. With that in mind, there are certain adjustments you should make when playing in the wind.

First of all, your tempo tends to get quicker in the wind, so make sure you try to maintain your normal tempo in those conditions. If it's extremely windy, you may also want to widen your stance in order to provide a more stable base or foundation. That will allow you to maintain better balance. When you are hitting downwind, you want to get the ball up in the air as quick as possible in order to let the ball ride the wind. So when teeing off, tee it up a little higher or possibly move the ball slightly forward in your stance. When you are against the wind, you want to keep the ball down somewhat, so moving the ball back in your stance and teeing it slightly lower can help you keep it down. Crosswinds can be even more of a problem since they can magnify the curvature of your shots. When hitting into a crosswind, take an extra club, choke down somewhat, and try to hit the shot a little easier. This will not only keep the trajectory down, but it will reduce the amount of spin you put on the ball. This will help to minimize the amount of curvature you put on the ball.

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