The last couple of weeks have noticeably got that little colder and the wind has picked up also. The golf course here has really transformed with the rain that has fallen and the game has changed from the run that was on the ball previously. What I have noticed is that there is a large variety of the shot selections that you have to hit depending on the conditions. I was asked by one of my lessons recently how to play a shot into the wind. He found that he had very little control of the ball and they would rarely hit the green.
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| grip down the club |
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| sternum ahead of the ball |
Picture this you are playing a par 3 into a strong wind with a small green as your target, not the most inviting shot in the world. Say for arguments sake that the distance is normally a 6 iron on a normal calm day, but because of the strength of the breeze I will take a 5 iron. Secondly I will position my hands further down the grip. This will allow you to have more control and help keep the swing shorter. I am looking for a lower flight, keeping the ball under the breeze with less spin. Secondly ensure that your ball position is correct for this shot, check that your sternum ( the centre line of your chest) is slightly ahead of the ball. By doing this you will have more weight on your left foot. The idea for this swing is if you can imagine the starting position of the club at address as 6 o´clock, the swing for this shot will be at 10 o´clock on the way back and finish at 2 o´clock on the way through. You will see when you practice this shot that you will hit a lower flight with a more controlled flight which is called a punch shot. Try this when you are out practicing the next time you are out and have the confidence to use it when necessary on the course.
