If you struggle playing in the wind, you’re not alone. Even the pros find it difficult, broadcaster and LPGA Hall of Famer Judy Rankin says. In the December 1992 issue of Golf Digest, Rankin wrote a story about her best tips for playing in the wind. Having spent a lot of time in both the Florida Keys and west Texas, Rankin has seen her fair share of breezy rounds.
The techniques you use to handle the wind vary depending on which way it is blowing.
If you’re playing into the wind, Rankin says club selection is paramount. She says your gapping between clubs will get tighter, about half of what you’re used to. So if you have a 10-yard gap between irons, that gap will be more like five. That’s why going up just one club when you’re hitting into the wind might not be enough.
“Don’t simply take one more club and then try to kill it,” Rankin says in the story. “The pros don’t make that mistake. You hear them all the time saying things like, ‘I hit 3-iron where I normally hit 6.’ You need to err on the side of taking more club than you think you need and then using your normal swing tempo. Next time you’re faced with what would normally be, say, a 7-iron shot in calm conditions, forget the 10-yard rule. Don’t hit your 6-iron; drop down to your 5-iron, or even the 4.”
One of the hardest things about playing in the wind is how it switches. One hole you’re hitting into it, the next you’re downwind.
When you’re playing downwind, Rankin says to watch out for this common mistake: “Playing downwind tends to quicken your tempo. When that happens, your downswing is initiated by your upper body. The end result being that your body is far ahead of the clubhead as you approach impact.”
To fix that, Rankin says to make sure you’re finishing your backswing and that you’re maintaining a smooth tempo.
Playing in the wind isn’t ever easy. But with Rankin’s tips, you at least now have a game plan.
