How to play golf in windy conditions
It can be frustrating having a tee time on a sunny day only to realize the wind has picked up and made the potential round of golf much more challenging. However, with a few minor changes anyone can play well in windy conditions. Here are a few tips how to hold a golf club and play better golf in windy conditions.
Play with the wind in mind
One of the most common mistakes for amateur golfers to make is to play as if the wind did not exist. In other words, regardless of how windy the day might be a golfer will just play their normal game without making any changes to their swing or how to hold a golf club. This will result in much higher scores at the end of the round, as the golf ball will certainly be affected by the wind and result in shots that are either too long or too short, especially on approach shots. A simple way to play better golf when the wind picks up is to actually play with the wind in mind. If golfers notice a strong breeze going from left to right off of the tee they should aim further left to compensate for the wind. Not compensating can result in the shot going much further to right than anticipated, which could lead to a difficult next shot or even penalty strokes depending on the golf hole.
Hit with a lower trajectory
One of the most recommended ways to play better golf in windy conditions is to keep the flight of the ball low so that the wind does not affect the shot as much. When it comes to how to swing a golf club in windy conditions, the first thing to do is to play the ball further back in the stance, preferably at least one to two inches. It is a good idea to practice playing the ball further back in the stance on the range no matter what the conditions are, so when windy conditions do come up it will be much easier to adjust. When it comes to how to grip a golf club in windy conditions, golfers should certainly grip the club somewhat tighter than usual to ensure the wind does not affect the shot. Hitting with a lower trajectory will allow the ball to go much further and on a straighter path as opposed to hitting a normal shot high into the air and watching the wind move the golf ball around. In particular, when it comes down to how to drive a golf ball, consider going with less than driver and using high irons instead.
Play a higher club
The last tip for playing better golf in windy conditions is to play a higher club. What this means is that instead of hitting a full shot with a six iron, consider hitting a five iron instead but with a three-quarter length swing. There will also be instances where the wind will be against the golfer, and as such they will need to hit a higher club than they normally would. It can seem daunting hitting two or three clubs higher than normal due to the wind, but a good way to gain confidence is to go on the practice range ahead of the round and try out shots to notice how they are affected by the wind.
