Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
Golf is a game that comes with lots of cliches — and that’s especially true among armchair swing coaches. You likely know the type. Decent player who thinks they can fix everyone’s swing with one little tweak. They mean well, but typically their advice is misguided and not all that helpful in practice. Experiences with those types of golfers can sour you on the cliches they spout day in and day out.
If you’ve ever dealt with someone like this, you likely tune out anytime you hear a golf-swing cliche. However, that’s not to say all swing cliches are misguided. In fact, one such cliche is actually some of the best advice you can follow when conditions get blustery.
GOLF Top 100 Teacher Tony Ruggiero breaks it down below.
When the wind is gusting on the course, your mind might think back to a cliche that is quite common: When it’s breezy, swing easy. However, unlike most cliches, this advice is actually useful in practice — especially when you’re hitting into the wind.
You see, when hitting a shot straight into the fan, it can be tempting to swing harder to compensate for the strong headwind. However, when you do this, you’ll more than likely increase your spin on the shot, which will cause the ball to balloon in the breeze and lose distance.
When you’ve got a shot into the wind — particularly with a higher-lofted club like a wedge or short iron — you’d be better suited to club up and swing a little slower than normal. By doing this, you will take a little spin off the shot so the wind affects it less, and you’ll hit it lower and keep it out of the breeze.
“It comes out lower and a much different window,” Ruggiero says. “The ‘when it’s breezy, swing easy’ is actually a great piece of advice.”
Next time you find yourself in windy conditions facing a shot into the fan, think back to this cliche. Instead of trying to power the shot through the wind, club up, swing a little easier and watch as the ball pierces through the breeze. You’ll be amazed how much more control you have over the ball.
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