There are a few other important tips for playing in the wind which we have not yet mentioned. This last section of the article is going to list out those tips for your review. Hopefully, these tips – along with the concepts presented to this point – will help you get a better handle on the challenge of playing golf on a windy day.
Consider other clubs off the tee. Even if you love to hit your driver at every opportunity, you might want to think twice in some situations when the wind is blowing. Your driver, in addition to hitting the longest shots of any club in your bag, may also hit the ball the highest. That height can be a problem when playing in the wind, and modern equipment makes it hard to hit low drives on purpose. Rather than forcing yourself to hit a driver, consider using a hybrid or long iron to play the ball lower and keep it in the short grass. This might not be the most exciting plan in the moment, but it will help lower your scores.
Act quickly. You don’t have time to waste when you get a read on the wind and get ready to hit your shot. There are bound to be subtle – or not so subtle – changes in the strength of the wind as you get ready to strike the ball. While you don’t want to rush, you certainly don’t want to stand around and give the wind a chance to do something different. Make up your mind, take your stance, and get on with it. Of course, if you feel the wind change significantly while you are preparing to swing, it is fine to step back and start over.
Resist the temptation to ride the wind. Many players love hitting downwind because it gives them a chance to hit some unusually long shots. However, this situation is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Sure, you can let your driver fly on a downwind hole which features a wide fairway, but remember you are giving up control when you hit the ball high in any wind condition – even playing downwind. On approach shots, you should still be trying to keep the ball down even if the wind is at your back. Once the ball gets high in the sky and starts to sail on the wind, you will have no control over its overall distance. Instead, you’ll just be left to stand there and hope that it comes down at the right time.
Golf in the wind is a challenge to be sure, but it can be an interesting and enjoyable challenge if you have the right attitude. In addition to a good attitude, you also need to have a game plan, which you should now be able to assemble thanks to the tips we have provided in this article. Don’t turn your car around and head for home just because you see that it is going to be a windy day on the links. Instead, embrace the challenge and test yourself against one of the toughest obstacles golf has to offer. Good luck!
