Putting in the Wind

Putting in the Wind is a short golf blog post that suggests some changes that can be made to make Putting much easier in the wind.

Most golfers will have trouble when putting on a windy day.
They may find that they lose balance during the stroke. They have the feeling of being blown about by gusts of wind.
This, in turn, will usually have an effect on the putting stroke.
You may feel that the putter head or stroke is greatly affected too.
It could seem as though the head of the putter is waving around on the backswing. The impact or through swing can also be affected.

Some golfers also find it difficult to judge the pace of the greens when it is windy.
some say that they struggle with their normal putting stroke.

So what can you do to help improve your putting when it is windy?

I have listed a few points that you can do to help improve your putting on a windy day.

Widen your stance.

When it is windy on the greens, you need to create stability. This is very simple to do.
All it takes to create stability is to widen your stance. Don’t be afraid to stand too wide. Being too wide doesn’t exist.
By widening your stance, you automatically lower your centre of gravity (COG) which is ideal for stability.

Wide putting stance

Tilt your spine more.

As in the first point, you need to create more stability by lowering the COG.
Leaning or tilting more will lower the COG, therefore, making your stance more stable.
Because the spine angle is different, the swing arc will also be different.
When you stand upright the stroke will be more curved creating a Strong Arc. The more you lean over the ball, the more the stroke will become less curved creating a Slight Arc or even a stroke that is straight.

Grip shorter.

This point is in connection with tilting your spine.
The more you tilt forwards the lower your hands will naturally become.
Try it now! Let your hands and arms relax and hang. Now tilt forwards till you reach your normal position. Move further forward until your spine is nearly parallel to the ground and see how low your hands get.
Hopefully, you will now know what I mean by creating a Strong Arc, Slight Arc or a Straight Stroke.

Shorten your Stroke.

The theory is simple. The longer the stroke the more time and chance the wind has of making an effect.
By shortening your Backswing you will create a more consistent stroke. Consistency is the name of the game.
Because your backswing will be shorter, you will have to accelerate more through the ball, otherwise, every putt will end up short of the hole.
The key to getting the ball to the hole or giving it a chance of going in is to accelerate through impact.

Watch your hands

There are many golfers that watch the head of the putter during the stroke.
Typically on the backswing, it will seem as though your putter is out of control. This creates doubt in your ability to putt well.
To help regain your confidence, try watching your hands during the stroke.
You will find that you have total control of your hands. This will help create more confidence that you can make the perfect stroke after all.

Now go to the putting green and give it a go!

What are your thoughts about Putting in the Wind?

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