While watching The Open Championship from Troon, on the west coast of Scotland it occurs to me that many of you might need help with How to Putt in Strong Winds. Wind is a factor on courses like Troon, and also on the courses many of us play. It is often very windy on some of the desert courses where I live and play golf in Las Vegas, NV. So, here are my thoughts and tips on How to Putt in Strong Winds.
Green Speed plays a part in the Affect of Wind ON putts
Green speeds at The Open are typically much slower than the other Majors and wind is one of the reasons. If the superintendent had the greens running at 12 or more on the stimp meter, the ball could blow around or even right off the greens. Faster green speeds means that there is less friction on the greens and the more wind will affect the putt. So at The Open usually on very windy courses, green speeds are usually around a 10 or 11 which is much closer to the green speed on courses that amateurs usually play. If your green speed is an 8 or 9, I don’t think the wind has much effect on the ball at all on the greens.
For instance, I play a hillside course here in Las Vegas where the greens are usually around 8-10…maybe 2 weeks a year they will be running an 11 or 12. This course is often very windy, but the wind has little affect. I play another course in the Valley…3 courses in one location actually… Las Vegas Paiute. At Paiute the Wind is always blowing and the greens are always super fast…11 is a slow day. The wind has a huge effect on putts here.
It isn’t the wind…it’s the wind near the ground
You can be on a course where the wind is blowing like crazy and on some greens it has a big impact, but on others, not much at all. This is because the terrain around the green blocks some of the wind. So, pay attention to what the wind is doing on the ground, not up near your face. Surface structures like rocks and shrubs and mounds affect the wind. The more exposed the green, the faster the wind at the surface.
Hold your hand near the surface
A great way to predict whether wind will affect a putt, is to hover your hand about 2-3 inches off the ground near the line of the putt. Sometimes it can be quite windy and yet on the surface it will be relatively calm. No matter how hard the wind is blowing, always feel what it is doing near the surface. This will prevent big miscalculations and big misses.
How to Adjust for Wind
Think about wind as a percentage adjustment on your putts. A steady cross wind could add 10% to the break on green speeds of 10-11. Obviously, the adjustment will be bigger on faster greens or as the wind speed increases. I had a putt recently on Las Vegas Paiute with a 30 MPH cross wind. I read the putt to break 13 inches but the wind was so strong that I actually doubled it and my start line was 26 inches right of the cup…A Guy in my foursome asked, “where the hell are you aiming?” I rolled it in and everyone on the green was shocked at how much it broke.
General Tips for adjusting to wind on putting greens
- Adjust your approach shots for the wind. Wind in your face approach shots will sit and stop on the green. Wind behind you, approach shots and even very short chips will roll out further on the green.
- Check the wind near the surface. The terrain around the green influences how much effect the wind will have on your putt.
- Adjust a percentage for wind. Add or subtract 10% for a steady wind, more for a high wind, etc. The key is to remember to always consider the wind when reading the green on windy days or courses.
- Remember the wind behind you only helps about half as much as the wind in your face hurts you. So adjust less for a tail wind and more for a head wind.
Attitude also goes a long way to playing in windy conditions. You can whine and complain or you can embrace the challenge and laugh at how much the wind can do to a little ball rolling along the ground.
Wind blowing the towel
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