[PHOTO: gmcoop]
Golf is a cruel, unfair game. And putting is the most cruel and most unfair part of all. You can do everything right and hit a good putt, only to watch it deflect in an unexpected direction, then roll around the lip and stay out of the hole.
Which brings us to an interesting topic: wind.
Golfers think a lot about the wind off the tee and approaching into greens. But what about on the putting surface?
A top coach’s test
Unless it’s noticeably strong, the direction the wind is blowing is more of an afterthought on the green for most golfers. Though maybe it shouldn’t be.
Golf Digest Top 50 Teacher, Australian Cameron McCormick, the long-time coach to Jordan Spieth, shared an interesting video on his Instagram account this week (which you can watch here).
In it, McCormick used a Perfect Putt device to roll five golf balls from inside 10 feet aiming directly at the hole.
- The first three putts faced a 20mph wind blowing from right-to-left, and all three putts missed to the left of the hole. They didn’t even catch the lip.
- The second two putts were rolled in still conditions, and both went in the hole.
TLDR: What do I need to know?
Wind matters on the greens more than you think. So here’s a quick rundown of things to remember:
• The wind pushes the ball in the direction it’s blowing (obviously).
• It makes downhill putts faster, uphill putts slower and breaking putts more severe. So add a little buffer whenever you feel significant wind.
• The wind will have more of an impact on faster greens.
• Conversely, slower greens make the wind less of a factor.
• The easiest way to feel the wind is to bend down and place your hand flat, a few centimetres above the green.
• Remember that gusts are different from sustained winds. You can account for sustained winds, but you can’t control for gusts – they happen unpredictably.
