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Golf Tips from BCgolfguide.com
Featuring - Chris Hinton (Two Eagles Golf Course and Academy)
 Most of us typically think of the Okanagan Valley as a consistently warm and sunny place with ideal golfing conditions. In fact, we are truly blessed with great weather and an abundance of excellent golf courses to choose from, with new courses being added at a rapid pace. While we do experience more ideal weather days than most of the country, we are subject to many days of not so perfect weather as well. Spring time in the Okanagan can often bring unsettled weather patterns, which in turn brings windy conditions. I have had the absolute pleasure of living, working and golfing in the Okanagan Valley for the past 14 years. In this time, I have played many rounds of golf in windy conditions. In my experience, the players who will do the best in the wind are the ones that can make small adjustments to their swing or set up in order to down play the negative affects that the wind can have on the golf ball. The following 4 simple tips will help you to play your best when golfing in the wind.
1. Take more club – This one is easy, but it is surprising to me when I play with an average golfer how often they fail to account for wind when making their club selection. Your normal 150 yard club probably isn't going to go that far when hitting into the wind, but down wind you could take a smaller club and get the same distance.
2. Swing easier - You can do this by making a slower swing or a shorter back swing. The harder you try and hit the golf ball the more spin you put on it. More spin means the ball will be affected more by the wind. In addition, hitting a shot right on the “sweet spot” will result in a ball that is not affected by the wind nearly as much as a miss hit shot. An easier swing increases your chances of making perfect contact with the golf ball.
3. Take a wider stance - The wind can move you around and knock you off balance. To combat this, widen your stance. This lowers your center of gravity and helps to maintain a solid base into the ground. You'll also notice that the European players use a much wider stance for putting then do their US counterparts. This wider stance does help make the players foundation much more solid and since the Europeans usually play in windy conditions we should take a page out of their notebook.
4. Control the trajectory of the golf ball. – Playing into the wind or cross wind, it is beneficial to hit a lower shot. You can do this by taking more club than needed for the desired shot. For example, choose a 5 iron instead of a 7 iron in order to produce a lower ball flight. Another way to keep the ball low is to simply place the ball further back in your stance (closer to your back foot). Sometimes however, you will want to hit the ball higher to take advantage of a tail wind. There are a few simple ways to hit the ball with a higher trajectory. Tee up the ball higher by using a longer tee, stand slightly farther away from the ball, or place the ball further forward in your stance.
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The next time you're playing in windy conditions use these tips and have a more enjoyable round of golf. Thanks Chris for your tip on windy weather golf play. Contact Chris at Two Eagles Golf Course and Academy at 250-768-0080. | 
