When it's breezy, swing it easy

The windy season is blowing into Texas, so it's time to give y'all (you all, for non-Texans) some pointers about how to play in the wind.

Facts about wind and golf:
-Hitting directly into the wind will accentuate any spin on the golf ball.
-Hitting directly downwind will minimize the affect of the spin on the golf ball.
-High downwind shots can sometimes come up short because the wind knocks the ball down instead of sending it farther.
-Players should swing smooth/easy in the wind (I will explain why).
-The wind can effect short shots and even the roll of a putt!
-The only way to really tell which way the wind is blowing is by looking at the tree tops.

So, why swing easy when it's breezy?
-Swinging the club slower and smoother reduces the MPH (miles per hour, duh) of your golf club. When the MPH of your golf club slows, the amount of spin you can impart of the golf ball goes down and the trajectory of the shot will be lower. Having less overall spin on the golf ball means the ball will be less effected by the wind and therefore will not miss so far left or right.

For example... You normally hit an 8 iron 150 yards and you have a shot of 145 yards into a 10 mile per hour wind. Most players first instinct is to hit the 8 iron a little harder to recover the extra 5 yards taken away by the wind. WRONG CHOICE. Swinging harder means you will produce more back spin which will make the ball shoot straight up in the air and come up short. A better play is to take a controlled three-quarter swing with a 7 iron, which will produce less backspin, a lower ball flight, and will travel the distance you want.

Tips to keep the ball low:
In order of ease of execution
1) Grip up on the club. This will effectively shorten the shaft of the club. You will lose a few yards of distance, but the ball will fly considerably lower with more control.
2) Abbreviate your follow through. An abbreviated follow through will also take some yards off the shot, but will keep the ball flight low and reduce the amount of spin on the ball to make up for those yards.
3) Move your ball position back. Moving your ball position closer to your back foot will take loft off the club at impact and keep the ball down. This is the most difficult to execute because you still produce backspin and you start to mess with swing shape and angle of approach concepts which may impart more sidespin then intended.

If you swing it easy when its breezy, you will have a huge advantage over your playing competitors who are trying to overpower the wind.

Good Luck!