Wind - How to deal with it

FixdePitchmark

We have had an extraordinary period of wind. We hope it passes.

Today I hit a 48 degree wedge 155 yards downwind, it was a good shot , but still too long, I then went into the wind with 150 yards and hit a 5 iron. Mad stuff. I had a 60 yard shot - hit it 90.

I play a good bit of links golf and I'm exposed to it almost 70 % of my golf.

I did consider myself a good wind player, always feel I can get into buffer or get a cut.

But - I'm still fairly new to playing in competitions when it matters.

(I was going to put this in Links Thread - But it is a factor for all)

Any tips ?
How do you play upwind - downwind - crosswind ?

Putting - Do you consider influence ?

Clothing/wind burn - how important is it and how do you deal with it ?

Punch - fade - draw , how do you hold shape ?

Golf - do you enjoy it, do you consider it an extreme sport when that bad ?


Anyway - Any wind ideas or experiences ?

hrigsby2

While wind in Ireland is different than wind stateside in a lot of regards, I've always found that my best strategy is to avoid fighting the wind. Let the wind be a driving factor in how you negotiate each hole, so to speak. If you approach a L to R crosswind thinking that you have to hit a draw to "fight" the effects, you're limiting how you can take advantage of it. If you play a shot to the left side of the fairway and let the wind tug it to the right, then you'll change your angle of approach for the better. Depending on the shape of the hole, you've used the wind to your advantage and turned it into more of a headwind (which is easier to deal with in my opinion).

Headwinds and downwind shots challenge trajectory. If you hit a high shot into a headwind, you're fighting it. Work on that low stinging flight. Adversely, you can let a shot with the wind get up and float. It's going to be harder to stop the ball so you can almost play it expecting the ball to run out as if it had a lower trajectory (more of a combination of the ground and aerial games).

Not sure how helpful this is, but the gist is that the wind is another factor to consider rather than something to fight. Let it dictate how you play rather than something you feel you need to go to war with when it stirs up.

TrapperChamonix

One of the things I find difficult is that modern technology seems to have a high focus on launching your ball higher and higher. Outside of going to blades (which i can't hit) its hard to find irons that help you keep the ball flight down.

Last year I had to go back and get a 15yr old 1Iron regripped. It goes about 15 feet off the ground and no matter how strong the wind I can force it 200yds down the middle. If I could find a modern equivalent that did the same (keep it low) I'd definitely buy one.

djivide_

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

Last year I had to go back and get a 15yr old 1Iron regripped. It goes about 15 feet off the ground and no matter how strong the wind I can force it 200yds down the middle. If I could find a modern equivalent that did the same (keep it low) I'd definitely buy one.

I am currently gaming a callaway apex UT 18 degree which would probably be close in loft to your 1 iron. Off the tee I can get a good bit of height but off the deck it hits a low running shot which generally runs out to about 235y for me with ~200y carry.

I had a 3 hybrid before but it was a hook machine, just couldn't control it and delighted I changed, was a bit worried I wouldn't be able to get distance out of such little loft on an iron but works great for me.

yipsnomore

3/4 knockdown all day long. Use less wrist and more body.

yipsnomore

TrapperChamonix wrote: »

Last year I had to go back and get a 15yr old 1Iron regripped. It goes about 15 feet off the ground and no matter how strong the wind I can force it 200yds down the middle. If I could find a modern equivalent that did the same (keep it low) I'd definitely buy one.

taylormade UDI and Mizuno H5 have 16 degree 1 irons

death1234567

When it's breezy swing easy. The harder you swing the more spin you'll put on the ball which will enhance the damaging effects of wind on your shot.

Golf - do you enjoy it, do you consider it an extreme sport when that bad ?

A breeze is fine but anything that could be a called a proper wind makes the game no fun IMO. It's just hard work with the down wind holes too easy and the up wind holes too hard.

neckedit

Really don't mind playing in the Wind, was brought up on a Links track, swinging easy is key and the easist way to control flight into the breeze for me, as another poster mentioned quiet hands and keeping the body turning is a great way to think about, down wind picking my landing point is key, knowing im not gonna get the same stopping power. Cross winds to me are simple, I have alway been a 1 dimensional player..... Fade to slice, could never play a draw comfortably, a pull hook, not a bother, as a result I play the wind direction where I can, if the target is inaccessible, I try to hit in the least problematic places. Played The Island 5 time last year a flat out awesome track. One day up to 70 mile an hour gusts..... it was brutal.... just plain brutal.

Rikand

Wind ?

What wind ?

FixdePitchmark

Rikand wrote: »

Wind ?

What wind ?

That wind.

Golfgorfield

The big mistakes i see are people not hitting enough club into the wind.

The best way to gauge the wind is to draw an arrow on the course map for its direction, then once you hit your first iron shot into the wind, calculate how many yards you lost and use that formula the rest of the day, making adjustments up or down depending on how it feels.

Time and time again i see guys thinking a wind is a 1 club wind and in truth its a 3 club wind!

I hit a 7iron 165yds normally, Sunday it went 125.... yet my playing partner thought hed easily get his 8iron to the green... Time and time again he came up short,

FixdePitchmark

Golfgorfield wrote: »

The big mistakes i see are people not hitting enough club into the wind.

The best way to gauge the wind is to draw an arrow on the course map for its direction, then once you hit your first iron shot into the wind, calculate how many yards you lost and use that formula the rest of the day, making adjustments up or down depending on how it feels.

Time and time again i see guys thinking a wind is a 1 club wind and in truth its a 3 club wind!

I hit a 7iron 165yds normally, Sunday it went 125.... yet my playing partner thought hed easily get his 8iron to the green... Time and time again he came up short,

This is what I do.

I tend to de loft clubs in my swing - a flaw, but works well on day with wind.

One thing I noticed other day, parallel up and down holes are not always in the same orientation as you think, They can be at a slight angle - this means ball off green or in bunker when the previous straight downwind is at a very slight angle.

I sometimes forget to test with grass - is bloody obvious , but flag very important too.

I love it - I find it brings the very high scores I can't get - out of the equation most days.

I don't like wind burn but.

yipsnomore

Golfgorfield wrote: »

The best way to gauge the wind is to draw an arrow on the course map for its direction,

Nice tip thanks

Jawgap

Playing on a parkland course? Look at the tops of the trees, flags on the flag poles outside the clubhouse, birds etc - anything up in the air as the wind up high can be doing different things to the wind within 2/3 metres of the ground.

Other than that I just try to work with the wind than fight it - and I leave a lob wedge at home to make space for a trusted 2-iron.

If I find on raised tees the wind is knocking me off balance I just shorten the swing and concentrate on getting a ball into play, rather than on distance. If the wind is with me I resist the temptation to hammer the ball and just go with a normal swing and let the wind add bonus distance.

And on putting I make allowances for the wind's strength and direction.

I play mostly on a links too - so you've kind of gotta like wind in all it's glorious forms

downthemiddle

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

That wind.

Gaviscon

bustercherry

Golfgorfield wrote: »

The big mistakes i see are people not hitting enough club into the wind.

The best way to gauge the wind is to draw an arrow on the course map for its direction, then once you hit your first iron shot into the wind, calculate how many yards you lost and use that formula the rest of the day, making adjustments up or down depending on how it feels.

Time and time again i see guys thinking a wind is a 1 club wind and in truth its a 3 club wind!

I hit a 7iron 165yds normally, Sunday it went 125.... yet my playing partner thought hed easily get his 8iron to the green... Time and time again he came up short,

Been a long time since as good a bit of advice dished out here. It's so simple and effective but I guarantee very few people actually do this.

I always try to write down the no. of clubs into the wind beside the arrow. Sometimes you can be a little shielded at points around a course, so it's nice to have a little visual cue to trust the wind is there.

BigChap1759

Normally put the ball back a bit in the stance, take a club extra(after accounting for the wind) and swing easy - the better your contact the less the ball deviates in the wind