High winds & dealing with them?

[Wi-Golfer]

How does everyone deal with playing in high winds? The last couple days were horrible with gusts in the 20-25mph area, if you had any loft at all to your shots the winds would grab them & obviously push them off course. Play into the wind & sometimes just as the ball would take flight the wind would calm down for a minute or so, so now the ball would go too far in the opposite direction.

Just how do you deal with? Hope & pray for the best? Avoid playing on real windy days?

[ezra76]

Well, for me, it starts with just plain hitting the ball solid. That old saying "swing easy when it's breezy", to me that means hit the center of face.

I have the ability to hit the ball a lot lower as well as hit a draw with that low shot, that helps. The adjustment I make is to keep more weight forward than usual, close my stance or at least square it up, shut the face just a little and feel like I'm really trapping the ball then extending the club head down the line, "chasing it down the line" is how I'd refer to it.

Wind is where IMO the GI equipment hurts. It's not as easy to control trajectory with clubs made to get the ball up in the air. Regardless though, hitting it solid is the key. I practice hitting 3/4 swing knockdown shots as I use them out of trouble on a normal day as well as windy days. Get a feel for how to move the ball around a little with a lower lofted club, from a shorter distance and playing in the wind actually becomes more fun than playing on a calm day.

[Wi-Golfer]

Originally Posted by ezra76

Get a feel for how to move the ball around a little with a lower lofted club, from a shorter distance and playing in the wind actually becomes more fun than playing on a calm day.

There are days I don't mind playing in the wind & then there are other days where it seems like the wind grabs 3 shots in a row & tosses them into the trees. Then I start to get pissed off & need to take a breath & relax a bit. Makes me appreciate the calm days.

[ezra76]

Believe me, I know what you mean. I played in FL in Jan. and it was very windy one day. I was hitting high blocks that were getting sent 50-60yds. further offline. I must have lost 6-8 balls that day in all the water hazards. I made a huge mistake by not bringing my 3W with me. That's the club I know I can hit low draws with, it's pretty much my stock shot with that club off the tee.

[Adam Pettman]

20-25mph, in links golf the wind is stronger and the best way to keep the ball low is try and dleiberatly thin it.

[swingsmooth]

Originally Posted by Wi-Golfer

How does everyone deal with playing in high winds? The last couple days were horrible with gusts in the 20-25mph area, if you had any loft at all to your shots the winds would grab them & obviously push them off course. Play into the wind & sometimes just as the ball would take flight the wind would calm down for a minute or so, so now the ball would go too far in the opposite direction.

Just how do you deal with? Hope & pray for the best? Avoid playing on real windy days?

Wind accentuates spin. Mis-hit shots will spin offline more. More lofted clubs impart more spin. Use less lofted clubs and choke down, hit knock down shots and, by all means, avoid the urge to swing harder!!!