As seen on Golf Channel: It can oppose your instincts, but swinging harder is NOT how to hit shots into the wind

[easyazon_infoblock align=”right” identifier=”B00HJ30G1E” locale=”US” tag=”coloradoavidg-20″]When it comes to common golf advice clichés, there sure are some beauties floating around, aren’t there?

“See it, feel it, trust it.”

“Read it, roll it, hole it.”

“It’s all in the hips.”

“Keep your head down.”

Of course, the list goes on with many of these suggestive phrases that may encompass the best of intentions, but hold little water when it comes to the impact on your game.

One such phrase, however, can go a long way to helping you hit more greens on windy days: “When breezy, swing easy.”

Like many aspects of golf, there are multiple ways to approach hitting shots into the wind. One is channeling your inner Tiger and the “stinger” shot to flight the ball on a piercing trajectory that cuts through the breeze nicely. Another, perhaps easier method to hitting solid wind-beaters is pulling a longer club and swinging easy.

Because, when many golfers are faced with shots into the wind, their first instinct is often to hit the same club as they normally would and swing as hard as possible. That can add unwanted spin to the ball and more directional variability, however, meaning it immediately balloons up in the air and lands short and likely offline.

So, by taking one or two more clubs (a 5 or 6 iron, instead of a 7), moving the ball slightly farther back in your stance at address (the width of a ball or two) and maintaining a smooth swing instead of going all out, both spin and launch will remain low and the shot will be less affected by the wind.

The simple point? Instead of swinging for the fences when it’s windy out, force yourself to pull a longer club and swing less than full to keep the ball below the breeze!

It shouldn’t take more than a few successful shots to convince you to employ this course management strategy in your game for good.

VIDEO: Hitting Shots Into the Wind

In the video below, Brad Skupaka demonstrates the proper way to play shots into the wind, centered around the simple idea of taking more club and swinging easy.

This tip is a solid one that can help everyone when faced with a strong breeze, but to make sure all your golf frustrations are addressed, find a GOLFTEC near you and get your swing measured.

GOLFTEC, the Colorado-based world leader in golf instruction, has taught over 7 million lessons worldwide since 1995. GOLFTEC is the Exclusive Online Instruction Provider of Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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