How To Play Golf In The Wind

Playing golf is a challenge at the best of times, but when it’s windy scores tend to balloon like a 36-handicapper’s tee ball. However, getting a little wind savviness into your game will go a long way.

Understanding the aerodynamics of a golf ball and how it behaves in the wind is essential, as is learning to adjust your strategy and adapt your technique. With a few tips, you’ll soon become a master at playing golf in gusty conditions.

Here are 10 trusted golf tips to help you play better golf in the wind:

1. ADJUST YOUR TEE HEIGHT

Teeing your ball lower when hitting into a headwind will help your drives penetrate through the breeze. The wind won’t touch a low, boring ball flight as much as a high, spinny tee ball, delivering more control and greater accuracy.

2. ADD A STINGER TO YOUR REPERTOIRE

Min Woo Lee is a master of the low-launching stinger and adding the shot to your game will help you manage the wind more effectively. To play the stinger, shift the ball slightly back in your stance, shorten your back swing and follow through and feel like you keep the logo on your glove pointing at your target for as long as possible through impact.

3. STICK WITH YOUR NATURAL SHOT SHAPE

If you naturally fade the ball, don’t attempt to pull a draw out of your hat to hold your shot up against a crosswind. Stick with what you know and ride the wind by allowing for it. Employing your go-to shot in the breeze will improve accuracy and distance control and boost your confidence.

4. WHEN IT’S BREEZY SWING IT EASY

This well-worn golfing proverb still applies. It’s true because the harder you swing, the more spin you generate. More spin into a headwind is a killer: the ball will rise quickly and then drop out of the air. Don’t swing too hard or try to overpower a shot. Making a smoother swing will keep spin down and help your shot punch through the breeze with more control and you'll gain more run when it hits the ground.

5. SHARPEN UP YOUR AIM

It probably sounds almost rudimentary but you need to aim correctly to account for the wind! Many golfers underestimate the effect of a crosswind and simply don’t aim where they should. Pick out a target, hit your shot and then let the crosswind take over and do its thing.

6. PRACTISE WHEN IT’S WINDY

While you can’t control the weather, hitting the course when it’s windy and the trees are bending over is the best way of honing your game in gusty conditions. Golf teaches you something every time you play and the learnings come thick and fast when it’s windy. Take note of how a tailwind and headwind impact distance control and experiment working shot shapes into a crosswind. The more you play in the wind, the more comfortable you’ll eventually become.

7. PLAY A LOWER LOFTED CLUB INTO THE BREEZE

If in doubt, choose a lower lofted club when playing into a headwind. It will generate less spin and the lower trajectory will keep the ball under the wind, improving control and accuracy.

8. GRIP DOWN ON THE SHAFT AND PLAY THE BALL BACK IN YOUR STANCE

Shifting your hands lower down the grip and playing the ball back in your stance will dramatically increase control in windy conditions. The combination will reduce spin and lower the ball’s trajectory, reducing the wind's ability to impact your shot. Just remember to square the face at address — when the ball is back in your stance the clubface has a tendency to open up.

9. STAY LOOSE AND COMMIT TO YOUR SHOT

When the wind is blowing straight into you and just maintaining your balance is a struggle, it can be a little overwhelming. Your body tenses up, which in turn can knock your rhythm off kilter. The best way to overcome this is to imagine you’re playing on a calm day. Focus on your starting line, commit to the shot and make a free and rhythmical swing.

10. DON’T FORGET THE WIND WHEN PUTTING

Golfers often don’t allow for the impact of the wind on the greens. Take a moment to see how the wind might impact breaking putts and be particularly mindful of downhill putts with a tailwind — they can get out of control quickly! It’s also worth shortening your putting stroke when it’s windy, to tighten up control and boost accuracy.