Blowin’ in the wind

Golfers who have played in Bahrain for any length of time will be very aware that playing in high winds is commonplace.

Keeping control of your ball when it is gusting over 35kts and there is more sand up your nose than there is in the bunkers is no small feat. 

When playing against the wind, your instincts will be encouraging you to hit the ball harder to make up the distance. 

In reality, this will likely result in more backspin (ballooning the ball up into the air) or sidespin (resulting in bigger hooks and slices). 

Let’s discuss the ways in which you can gain better control your ball in windy conditions.

When playing against the wind, we are looking to keep the ball from ballooning so it is important that you maintain an athletic posture and ensure that you pay particular attention to your grip and alignment. 

It is also a good idea to have a slightly wider stance to help encourage better dynamic balance. In order to keep the ball lower, grip down the club and place the ball a little further back in your stance. 

Club selection should be made based on the strength of the wind and how far you normally hit the ball. One’s ego is often one’s own worst enemy! Just because you once hit a seven iron 175 yards doesn’t mean you always hit it that far.

It is very sensible to take one, two or three extra clubs to ensure that your ball goes the correct distance. Over the years (especially when playing at Royal Guernsey Golf Club by the coast), I have had to use as much as a two iron from 150 yards. It doesn’t really matter what you use, as long as you have control of the ball and it gets to your target.

As mentioned, the temptation when playing in the wind is to try and hit the ball harder to make up the distance.

As discussed, the club that we have in our hands will do that for us. 

It is important that you control your backswing and make a fully sustained body rotation through the ball. 

Make sure you finish fully balanced, with your belt buckle and nose facing the target. 

Our goal is to try and keep the backspin off the ball, so a curtailed follow-through is also advisable.

The last few days in Bahrain have not exactly been fantastic golfing weather and I really do admire the dedication/lunacy displayed by the hardened golfers who have gone out and braved the conditions.