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There will be countless occasions during a season when players are faced with a drive or approach shot through a cross wind.

When the wind blows across the hole it presents a number of different challenges and the ball can be much harder to control. The most successful way to deal with cross wind shots is to shape the ball back into the breeze, cancelling out any effect it might have.

This way of dealing with a cross wind requires golfers to have the ability to shape the ball through the air both right to left and left to right. To hit these different shapes of shot, golfers need to understand the relationship between path and face angle.

• Fade - To produce a fade the club needs to travel from out-to-in (cutting across the body). At the point of impact, the club face needs to aim between the target line and club path (just left of the target). This will produce fade spin and move the ball left to right.
• Draw - To produce a draw the club needs to travel from in-to-out (moving from inside the body to out). At the point of impact the club face needs to aim between the target line and club path (just right of the target). This impact position will cause a draw moving the ball right to left.
• Straight shot - Hitting a straight shot requires the club to travel from inside to square to inside. At impact, the club face needs to aim at the target line. This will produce a straight shot.

On a calm day with no wind, golfers would see slight changes in the distance when drawing and fading the ball. However, when shaping the ball back into the wind, players will find a bigger drop off in distance. This needs to be taken into account when selecting which club to use. If the wind is especially strong, golfers can move the ball further back in their stance to produce a lower ball flight.

When playing in a cross wind, hitting the ball lower can be an advantage but punching the ball in every situation will not lead to the most consistent results. Learn to shape the ball in cross winds and you should have more success.

On occasion, having a breeze which will help move the ball back on to the flag can be beneficial, especially if the pin is tucked away in a tricky spot. However, if golfers hit a right to left shot into a right to left cross wind, for example, the ball will get carried away into trouble. Try to cancel out the wind if possible.

Hitting the ball high through the air in a cross wind can cause the ball to drift away into areas a player might want. Try to keep the ball at a normal or slightly lower height than usual.

Golf in a cross wind can be tricky but having the ability to shape the ball will help.