Best Way to Play Golf in Bad Weather

When the wind is blowing or you are being soaked by the rain, everyone on the course is suffering the same problem. Don’t be downhearted. Just think of it as another golfing challenge.

Suitable kit is vital in the wet. Make sure you carry an umbrella, preferably a bright one to cheer you up. Keep a towel hanging inside it. If you wear glasses, fit a visor to them. Wear waterproofs that are comfortable and don’t impede your swing. Always have at least one spare glove in your golf bag, preferably in a polythene bag. And finally, the best things for keeping your hands dry are mittens over your golf glove. In windy conditions, wear clothing that doesn’t flap about and distract you.

Here are some useful hints for playing in the rain:

• Keep a dry ball for driving. A wet ball dives rather than flies.
• If it is extremely wet, take your practice swings before teeing up the ball to keep it as dry as possible.
• Keep the handles of your clubs dry and in the bag as long as possible, with a hood over it for protection.
• While waiting for your partners to drive off, keep your club dry and return it to the bag as soon as possible after use.
• The rain can make recovery shots from the rough difficult. Don’t be greedy, but get back on the fairway at all costs.
• Wet greens initially become slippery and the ball skids. As they get wetter, they quickly lose this slipperiness and become slower.

Playing in the wind

In windy conditions, always toss some grass up to check which way the wind is blowing before you play the shot. Don t wait until you have played the shot and then think of the wind!

Direction

Look at the flag to judge the direction of the wind and, in particular, be wary of a sheltered tee and exposed fairway or green – and vice versa. You may stand on a tee and not feel the wind. But once the ball leaves the trees, it gets blown off line. Sometimes you may allow for the wind and forget that the green is sheltered. Always look at the flag or flags on nearby greens.

Swing smoothly and keep perfect balance. Exaggerate this by holding your balance for at least four or five seconds. In windy conditions, the danger is of your swing being blown inside out!

Side wind

With a side wind, allow for it and don’t fight it. Aim your stance, clubface and swing to a new target and let the wind do the rest. If you are a low handicap player, you can try to bend the ball into the wind to hold it straight. Open or close the clubface at address, depending on the direction of the wind.

Head wind

Think of a head wind as adding up to four clubs to the shot and take plenty of club. ‘Pros’ will usually think m terms of a 1, 2, 3 or 4 club wind or mentally add 10 to 40 metres to the shot before choosing a club to use. The more accurate your knowledge of distances, the better. Swing slowly and don’t fight the wind. You are unlikely to hit through the back of the green, so attack the flag.

When driving, offset the effect of the wind with a lower trajectory. Teethe ball a little lower or, better still, aim to leave the tee in the ground. Experienced players may aim for a slightly flatter swing plane and use a stiffer-wristed action to reduce the backswing. Good balance is vital. Remember that an off-line shot tends to be exaggerated, with the ball rising and spinning more quickly.