Happy Monday Golfers
This week’s blog topic is about “Playing Your Best In Bad Weather.”
I can’t imagine many golfers enjoy playing in the rain, wind or cold, but we could do much more to ensure we embrace the conditions! There’s nothing worse than when bad weather come and you have not prepared accordingly.
Preparation Is Key
This is the key ingredient to playing your best in the adverse conditions. Firstly, are you checking the forecast in the days running up? It’s no good realising on the day, ensure you plan to give yourself the best opportunity of having all the necessary equipment. Have your bag prepared the evening before with your waterproofs, hot hands, extra towels, umbrella, gloves, waterproof bag cover and even a change of clothing for delays or between rounds.
Must-Have Gear
Once your grips get wet or your hands get cold you have no sufficient grip of the club and it’s game over out there in the rain/cold. Ensure you have a pair of rain gloves and some hot hands to keep yourself in the game.
If you use a push cart, it’s a must to have an umbrella holder where you can be hands-free to help look after your gloves and have a towel hanging to dry your hands or grips when necessary. I think having your waterproof suit with you is a key but I would always recommend getting a good one as you don`t want to be absorbing the rain as you go around. This one may be a bit controversial but treat yourself to a waterproof bucket hat, which helps keep the water from running down your neck or face.
Take Care Of Your Clubs
We have touched on the importance of keeping the hands and grips dry or helping improve grip, but have you ever considered the effect of the water and temperature change on your clubface? Make a more conscious effort to keep your club face the same temp/dry. Why? If there is too much water on the golf ball and clubface it will result in a lack of friction which will cause the ball to spin less so with your irons you can lose a lot of distance control.
Just like your hands, the clubs are affected by the change in temperature and performance will be impacted. Next time you play in the cold/rain try to keep your clubface and ball as dry as possible like what you see from Jon Rahm above.
I hope these areas help you play better in the cold and rain next time you experience it, and if it happens to be this week GOOD LUCK!
-Coach Tim