August 20, 2008 












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


Golf Tip Archive
Tip #61Gamesmanship - Posted Dec. 31, 2003
Tip #60The Seven-Fingered Shot - Posted Dec. 24, 2003
Tip #59Slice An 8-iron On Long Bunker Shots - Posted Dec. 17, 2003
Tip #58Reading The Green - Posted Dec. 10, 2003
Tip #57Handling Heavy Grass - Posted Dec. 3, 2003
Tip #56The Pitch Shot - Posted Nov. 26, 2003
Tip #55Post Impact - Posted Nov. 19, 2003
Tip #54Three Trick Shots - Posted Nov. 12, 2003
Tip #53Getting Out Of The Trees - Posted Nov. 5, 2003
Tip #52Fades and Draws - Posted Oct. 29, 2003
Tip #51Sixth Sense In The Sand - Posted Oct. 22, 2003
Tip #50The Downswing - Posted Oct. 15, 2003
Tip #49Low Shots - Posted Oct. 8, 2003
Tip #48The Right Club On The Tee - Posted Oct. 1, 2003
Tip #47Reinforce On The Course - Posted Sept. 24, 2003
Tip #46The Lob - Posted Sept. 17, 2003
Tip #45Brave And Bold Putts - Posted Sept. 10, 2003
Tip #44Club Selection - Posted Sept. 3, 2003
Tip #43Meaningful Practice - Posted Aug. 27, 2003
Tip #42Tackling Trouble Shots - Posted Aug. 20, 2003
Tip #41Adapt To Different Sands - Posted Aug. 13, 2003
Tip #40Difficult Lies - Posted Aug. 6, 2003
Tip #39The Takeaway - Posted July 30, 2003
Tip #38The Chip Shot - Posted July 23, 2003
Tip #37The Punch - Posted July 16, 2003
Tip #36Shotmaking Strategies - Posted July 9, 2003
Tip #35Metal Readiness - Posted July 2, 2003
Tip #34Aptitude Starts with Attitude - Posted June 25, 2003
Tip #33Perfect Your Putting Position - Posted June 18, 2003
Tip #32Take the Right Position - Posted June 11, 2003
Tip #31Learn to Read the Green - Posted June 4, 2003
Tip #30Dig it out of the Rough - Posted May 28, 2003
Tip #29Get the Stiffest Shaft You Can Handle - Posted May 21, 2003
Tip #28Get Hungry around the Green - Posted May 14, 2003
Tip #27Blast it Out of the Water - Posted May 7, 2003
Tip #26Think Your Way Out of Trouble - Posted April 30, 2003
Tip #25Overhaul Your Game - Posted April 23, 2003
Tip #24Become a Sand Expert - Posted April 16, 2003
Tip #23Know When to Pick Your Shots - Posted April 9, 2003
Tip #22Learn to Work Your Shots - Posted April 2, 2003
Tip #21Countdown to Takeoff - Posted March 26, 2003
Tip #20Perfect Your Alignment - Posted March 19, 2003
Tip #19Learn the Basics of Sand Play - Posted March 12, 2003
Tip #18Playing in the Rain - Posted March 5, 2003
Tip #17Should You Swing the Same? - Posted Feb. 26, 2003
Tip #16Finish Your Swing Strong - Posted Feb. 19, 2003
Tip #15Hit it Through the Wind - Posted Feb. 12, 2003
Tip #14Put Horsepower in Your Swing - Posted Feb. 5, 2003
Tip #13Hit the Right Club - Posted Jan. 29, 2003
Tip #12You Can Spin the Ball Back - Posted Jan. 22, 2003
Tip #11Don't be a Sucker - Posted Jan. 15, 2003
Tip #10Make Your Practice Meaningful - Posted Jan. 8, 2003
Tip #9Hit it Deep - Posted Jan. 1, 2003
Tip #8Learn to Love The Sand - Posted Dec. 25, 2002
Tip #7Get Inside Their Head - Posted Dec. 18, 2002
Tip #6Get a Handle on Flyer Lies - Posted Dec. 11, 2002
Tip #5Hitting it High - Posted Dec. 5, 2002
Tip #4Swing a Knockout Punch - Posted Nov. 28, 2002
Tip #3Spin it Out of the Sand - Posted Nov. 21, 2002
Tip #2Hit off the Deck - Posted Nov. 14, 2002
Tip #1Attack Every Putt - Posted Nov. 7, 2002

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