Wind can affect a golfer's game so what can we do to deal with it?

A Saturday postponement of the 2015 British Open at St Andrews marked only the second occasion when the final round was completed on a Monday. In 1988 Seve Ballesteros shot a final-round 65 on Monday to win his third and final British Open by two shots over 54-hole leader Nick Price. I know that playing Saturday's round was not just challenging but completely unrealistic as balls appeared to develop a life of their own in the +40 mph blustery winds. This leads me to pose a few questions (and answers) to golfers who are not quite sure how to deal with windy conditions.

A. When hitting into the wind:
  1. Do we take less club or more club?
  2. Do we grip down the club with a shorter back swing or up the club with a longer back swing?
  3. Do we move the ball back or forward in our stance?
B. When hitting with the wind behind us:
  1. Do we play shorter iron or longer iron shots?
  2. Do we need lower or higher ball flight?
  3. Do we play a shot that allows the ball to roll out or not?
C. When hitting into a cross wind:
  1. Do we work the ball into the wind or not?
  2. Do we flight the ball lower or higher?

Answers... A. 1. use more club, 2. down the club with a shorter back swing, 3. move the ball back in our stance. B. 1. play shorter iron shots, 2. lower ball flight, 3. let the ball roll out. C. if you can work the ball into the wind, if you can't adjust your aim with the direction of the wind, 2. flight the ball lower.

Even though there may be many variables when playing in blustery conditions the answers should provide you with a solid foundation and enable you to play a better shot than those who try to overpower the wind regardless of how it's blowing (tips courtesy of Blake Graham, head professional at Manhattan Country Club). If you're looking for an interesting article on the 18 holes at St Andrews old course check this out

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