The wind and other weather conditions is just one more factor that can affect your golf game. Even though you could have the perfect stance, the correct setup position, and the right club in your hands, if the wind is blowing excessively strong in one direction or there is a cross wind, your ball won't fly where you think.

Beginner Golfers

The wind can be truly annoying for the beginning golfer. When the weather is ideal for golf, beginners can have problems controlling the golf ball, so you can picture their discontent when the wind starts to blow. To develop into a better golfer, you'll have to discover how to golf in different weather conditions. Your local course could be dry or wet during different times of the year or it could be affected by high winds. Also, if you travel to other courses in a different state, you could face different wind and weather conditions.

The Links Courses

If you are serious about golf and want to become a better golfer then you will have to learn how to adjust your game to suit the weather. As you probably know, the links courses of Scotland and England can be extremely challenging because of their exposed position. That is why it took 60 years for an American to win The Open. Those first American Open Champions are still well known names because they changed the history of golf forever. US golfers like Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, and Ben Hogan all came across the Atlantic and mastered the windy links. Since then, The Open has had Champions from several countries around the World.

The Direction of the Wind

Because golf courses are not arranged in just one direction, each hole can be orientated in a different direction which makes it difficult to calculate the wind direction. So, the 1st step is to feel where the wind is coming from. On the links you normally get a prevailing wind direction that can be constant. From time to time, the wind direction changes throughout the day so you have to take that into concern.

On many woodland courses where there are low and high areas of the course, you could face with swirling wind conditions. What's more, you could be playing your approach shot from a secluded position but the green may be exposed to strong winds. So it's not always enough to check the wind speed and direction where you are playing from, you also have to check the flag or the trees around the green to get a sense of the wind conditions.

Golf Club Choice

Next, you have to select the correct club. The first thing to realize is that a head wind will affect the ball's distance but not as much as a tail wind. Many people think that a tail wind will help their ball fly further than it really does. In reality, you will only gain about 10% distance when hitting with the wind but you will loose approximately 20% distance when hitting into the wind. The key to hitting into the wind is to choose a lower lofted club and not to hit the ball harder than normal and to adopt a stance with your feet closer together for extra stability. When playing with the wind select a higher lofted club than customary.

The worst adversary of a golfer can be the wind, even the professionals can have a hard time predicting the wind and how it will affect their ball. Doubtless the most difficult wind condition is the cross wind; it takes lots of practice and experience to be able to judge how much you have to compensate in your direction to the target. Playing golf in the wind is just one more aspect that makes golf such a interesting and challenging game. To be a better golfer you will just have to learn how to control your ball in the wind, and that means playing more golf in windy conditions.

Mick Euan Tait has been a golfer for over 35 years but had to change his swing due to lower back surgery. Find out about the Golf Swing Guru that showed him The Simple Swing that is easier on the back than the conventional swing.

Posted under Golf