Learning How To Hit The Knockdown Shot Into The Wind

It is soooooo windy. Perfect conditions to practice hitting into the wind. The weather can change at a drop at a hat here in South Florida. One moment it could be sunny. The next, you are in the midst of a thunder storm. The wind can pick up quickly as well and it is important to be able to adjust to the elements on the fly.

Before I went out to practice today I reread this post about the knockdown shot by my online swing coach Mike Southern. The thing I like about Mike's writing is that he explains why we do certain drills and the situations we use them in. This helps me truly understand the drill and everything that encompasses it.

Mike wrote this post to expand on a tip that Hank Haney gave the viewers during the playing of the Deutsche Bank Championship. Haney gave us these three tips.

1. take a longer club
2. make a shorter swing
3. shorten your follow-through

I happened to be watching the telecast when Haney gave us the tip but I was still a little confused. Mike does a great job of explaining each point so that the amateur golfer can make sense of it. I especially like the analogy he uses for #3.

I hit the ball pretty well today. I used my 6 and 7-irons directly into the wind from about 130 yards out. It took some getting used to. Whenever I made a full swing, the ball would get caught up in the wind and come up short. With help from Mike, my 7-iron goes about 160-165 yards now. A 10 to 15 yard improvement. That is how strong the wind is right now for my ball to come up short.

The toughest thing was keeping the club face square at impact. Because I had to use an abbreviated swing, I sometimes decelerating into the ball instead of swinging through it. I pushed a lot of my shots to the right because of this. Once I corrected this, the ball flew at a much lower trajectory, cutting through the wind.

The weather people are predicting more wind for the rest of the week so I will continue to work on the knockdown shot. It is a crucial shot to have in windy weather and if you find yourself under low hanging tree limbs as Mike points out.

Take a moment to read Mike's article if you have been struggling under windy conditions and then get out there and practice. Having this shot in the bag will certainly help to lower your scores. Have a great round and always hit your target.



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