I’d consider myself to be a decent golfer. On a really good day, I’m capable of breaking 80 (even though I’ve only done so on four occasions), thanks largely to my short game and my putting.
I don’t smash the ball massive distances off the tee, but I’ve been hitting some of my longest drives recently and my iron play is solid (if not spectacular).
In short, I have the ability to produce good golf, even though it doesn’t always happen. My handicap index is 10.3 and I’ve been hovering around that mark for the last 18 months or so.
Clearly, golf is a volatile sport. Sometimes you’ve been putting in good work on the driving range and you’re confident about your game, but you can’t hit the ball out of your shadow when you reach the golf course. Other times, you have a terrible range session and absolutely flush it on the fairways.
There’s a randomness to mid-handicap golf and that’s something we all accept. Often, there’s no rhyme or reason. But one thing that is pretty close to a guarantee for me is that I’ll crumble in windy conditions.
It’s not just the conditions; it’s also the mental battle. When I stand on the tee of a downwind hole, I know I need to take advantage as I’ve inevitably made a blob on one of the preceding into-the-wind holes.
This adds its own pressure, not dissimilar to reaching the tee of a par 5 where you know you can get home in two. There’s an urge to capitalise and this can often lead to over-hitting or poor rhythm during the swing.
Even if you hit good shots, playing downwind isn’t easy. Yes, your drives can sail miles down the fairway if you get the right trajectory and combine that with a firm bounce, but approach shots aren’t easy, especially in firm summer conditions.
The wind tends to knock the ball out of the air, which means it’s hard to judge landing distances. A lower flight and a bounce before the putting surface isn’t a recipe for getting close to the flag.
Sometimes, you can hit the perfect shot, only to see your ball pitch on the back of the green and topple off or even fly the putting surface altogether. Chipping downwind also presents its own challenges, too.
And we all know how difficult it can be when playing into the wind. As someone who hits the ball high and with a decent…
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