ill travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, som

Playing in bad weather is a challenge. Even players with low golf handicaps find it difficult to play in. Just ask those players who take my golf lessons. The weather affects everything from the way you swing to how you dress to whether or not you’ll take a cart or walk. It can be discouraging if you really enjoy playing golf.

No golf instruction session can insulate you from bad weather. But you can lessen its impact on your game if you follow these golf tips:

Playing in the rain

If you know it’s going to rain, warm up in your rain suit. Get a feel for what it’s like to hit in the suit. Rain suits are more flexible these days, but they can still be restrictive. You’ll need to keep your hands and clubs dry. Pack extra towels and gloves. Your feet will sink into the wet ground in the rain, causing you to feel cramped at address. Choke up on the club a half inch or so. When hitting, think carry not distance. The rain reduces distance, especially off the tee, so the ball will travel less in the air. If you land in the rough, the wet grass will get between your clubface and the ball when you hit, producing less backspin, which means your ball will travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, som

if you really enjoy playing golf.

No golf instruction session can insulate you from bad weather. But you can lessen its impact on your game if you follow these golf tips:

Playing in the rain

If you know it’s going to rain, warm up in your rain suit. Get a feel for what it’s like to hit in the suit. Rain suits are more flexible these days, but they can still be restrictive. You’ll need to keep your hands and clubs dry. Pack extra towels and gloves. Your feet will sink into the wet ground in the rain, causing you to feel cramped at address. Choke up on the club a half inch or so. When hitting, think carry not distance. The rain reduces distance, especially off the tee, so the ball will travel less in the air. If you land in the rough, the wet grass will get between your clubface and the ball when you hit, producing less backspin, which means your ball will travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, som

like to hit in the suit. Rain suits are more flexible these days, but they can still be restrictive. You’ll need to keep your hands and clubs dry. Pack extra towels and gloves. Your feet will sink into the wet ground in the rain, causing you to feel cramped at address. Choke up on the club a half inch or so. When hitting, think carry not distance. The rain reduces distance, especially off the tee, so the ball will travel less in the air. If you land in the rough, the wet grass will get between your clubface and the ball when you hit, producing less backspin, which means your ball will travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, som

alf inch or so. When hitting, think carry not distance. The rain reduces distance, especially off the tee, so the ball will travel less in the air. If you land in the rough, the wet grass will get between your clubface and the ball when you hit, producing less backspin, which means your ball will travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, som

ill travel farther through the air and will roll farther when it lands. Consider that when selecting clubs. On the greens, wet grass is slower. Hit your putts harder and figure on less break than usual.

Playing in the wind

The key to playing in the wind is making solid contact, something we stress in my golf lessons. Tee your ball up a little lower to drive it through the wind and focus on making solid contact. On shots off the ground, move the ball back a little in your stance, which also encourages solid contact. It’s easy to lose your balance in the wind. Widen your stance slightly for more stability. A wider stance shortens your turn, making it essential to keep good rhythm in your swing. Also, a headwind hurts distance more than a tailwind helps. Crosswinds accentuate the curve of your ball. The longer the shot, the more the crosswind moves the ball. Swing harder downwind; swing easier with more club into the wind. Remember all the principles of wind play apply to short and long shots. Wind even affects your putting. Plan for it.

Playing in the cold

Don’t start a round feeling cold. You’ll never be warm. Warm up before going out. Dress either at home or in the clubhouse. Wear long johns under your slacks and your rain pants on top of your slacks. On your upper body, wear a turtleneck and a sweater plus a wind shirt and/or a rain jacket, depending on the temperature and the wind chill factor. You can always take someth