Tip #15: Hit it Through the Wind

In nearly three decades of playing golf all over the world, I've never met a tougher opponent than Mother Nature. I'll never forget the experience I had as an assistant professional at the La Paruse Golf Club in Australia. The wind must have been blowing 50 miles per hour when I got to the tee of the fifth hole, a par-five that plays over the top of a huge hill, and on that day played straight into the teeth of the wind. After a drive to the base of the hill, I took a 5-iron to play over the top.

Hitting a tee-shot into a headwind is one of the most difficult assignments in the game

I hit it well and the ball sailed skyward, climbing with the slope of the hill. But when it got to the top, it just kept climbing, straight up, and then, incredibly, it began to blow backward. I just stood there gaping as that ball blew all the way back, landing behind me!

I reckon I hit that ball 340 yards -- 160 yards forward and 180 yards back! Unless you're very unlucky, you'll never experience that type of distance loss in the wind, but you should be prepared to sacrifice some yardage.

Hitting a tee-shot into a headwind is one of the most difficult assignments in the game. Traditional advice claims that you should tee the ball lower to hit a more boring shot. I agree with that only for the type of player who sweeps the ball. For a downward-hitting player, the lower tee only encourages an even steeper attack, which will result in a high shot that will be battered by the wind. So this player should tee the ball as usual and try to make a long, low, sweeping takeaway.

With a tailwind, of course, you'll get extra distance. Sweeping swingers should tee it a bit higher to get it up in the wind, and downward hitters should position the ball a bit more forward in the stance. No matter which swing you have, however, you should resist the temptation to wallop the ball. Just swing smoothly -- the tailwind will wallop it for you.

On approach shots, I try to keep the ball low in both headwinds and tailwinds, to maximize control of the shot. I widen my stance a bit, play the ball back an inch or so, and make a slightly slower, more compact swing. That's the general strategy I think everyone should follow.

With crosswinds, you should gear your strategy to your level of skill. If you're basically a straight hitter of the ball, with no drift to your shots, playing a crosswind is as simple as aiming to the right or left to allow for the pull of the breeze. If you're a habitual fader/slicer, you'll want to "ride" the left-to-right winds for maximum distance and "fight" the right-to-left winds for maximum accuracy. The opposites are true for someone who usually hits a draw or hook. Of course, if you are sufficiently accomplished that you can work the ball with confidence in either direction, then you ride the crosswinds on your tee-shots and fight them on your approaches.

- Greg Norman