I PLAYED in a golf tournament last Saturday at Trump Doonbeg in over 50+ km/ph winds and heavy rain and knowing how to keep was ball flight down was invaluable.
I noticed not many golfers around me were able to keep their ball flight down, which lead to the wind direction deciding where the ball would end up going. The following are some key tips to help you to keep your ball flight down on those stormy days.
1. Use a lower lofted club
This is a bit obvious however to put it into context I had 151 yards to the pin on the 17th hole which on a calm day would be a solid 9 iron. However last Saturday this shot was straight into the wind and I hit a very well hit low 5 iron almost like a stinger flight, which turned out to be exactly the right club since my ball finished pin high and about 20ft from the pin.
My ball flew straight at the pin low but as it was coming down the wind blew it only slightly right due to my extremely low-ball flight. So, it’s not just a case of hitting one or two clubs extra, sometimes don’t be afraid to go up four clubs and hit a punch shot at the pin with a slightly shorter follow through.
2. Play ball back in stance
This might sound obvious but it is essential if you are to achieve a lower ball flight you should play the ball back further in your stance.
I would estimate into a strong wind I might move my ball 3-4 inches further back than my normal ball position.
3. Finish your follow through early
This is my favourite drill to achieve a lower ball flight. Think of Tommy Fleetwood’s golf swing when you attempt this technique. The earlier you finish your follow through the lower you can hit the ball. For instance, if I want to hit a Tiger low stinger, the feeling I get is I am trying to swing hard down on the ball with speed but I want to almost stop my follow through swing at the golf ball. It’s obviously not possible to achieve stopping the club at impact but the attempt to do so helps you stop the follow through swing a lot earlier which will help to reduce the height of the golf shot you are playing.
4. Grip down slightly
Although the majority of the reason the ball will fly lower are point 1-3, gripping down will also benefit in hitting it lower and reduce your speed and the arc of your swing which both contribute to a lower flight.
5. Swing smooth
One of the main contributions to launch is speed from the clubhead. By reducing the speed of the clubhead then the ball physically can’t launch as high. Also remember you should have chosen 3-4 clubs extra so you do not have to swing as hard.
6. Reduce wrist hinge
As you can see in the image (right) this golfer has less of a wrist hinge. A normal wrist hinge is about 90° which is the angle from the forearm to the golf club. By hinging your hands less then you simply can’t use your hands as much in the golf swing which will achieve a lower ball flight. This is also a great drill to use to help you to fly your wedges lower.
To give you an idea of shots I played last Saturday in particular the best ones here are the irons I hit instead of the ones I would have played on a calm day.
Into the wind shots :
113 yards – Normally a SW – I hit 8 iron
151 Yards – Normally 9 iron – I hit a 5 iron
218 Yards – Normally 4 iron – I hit 4 wood
84 yards – Lob wedge – I hit 9 iron low pitch
Downwind :
208 yards – Usually 5 iron – I hit 8 iron smooth
318 yards – Usually Driver – I hit 3 iron hard and reached the green front.
204 yards – Usually 5 iron – Smooth 8 iron
148 yards – Usually 9 iron – Gap Wedge
So, you can see playing in the wind is about choosing the right club as well as the right technique. You also have to remember on a firm links course where the ground is so hard, for a downwind shot you also need to allow for the bounce forward you will get, so you might have to play the shot to a spot on the fairway about 15-20 yards just short of the green front in order to stop your ball on the green. If your ball flies directly on to the firm greens on a links course it will generally bounce hard over the back of the green. So, you also need to look at the terrain and play this shot wisely if you are to keep your ball on the green surface.
