Golfing Tips for Winter Months

Basset Down's resident PGA golf pro, Michael Walters gives us his top tips for Winter.

It's at this time of year, just after the clocks have changed that we start to notice a significant change in golf course playing conditions.

The ground is wetter, the wind tends to be stronger, we find ourselves playing in rain more often and the temperature also drops.

All of these factors seriously affect not only how the course reacts to our style of play, but also how we should approach each round that we play. 

Warm Up

Firstly, Warming up on the driving range before tee off becomes of paramount importance. If we want to hit the shots the way we plan them early in the round, it is ideal if we have some warm up swings under our belt. 

Find details about the Driving Range at Basset Down by visiting the Driving Range Pages.

Dress Appropriately 

Secondly, The way we dress is most likely to have altered. Heavier clothing, gloves and hats tend to make golf swings more cumbersome and therefore more based around an arm swing. This in turn results in very different impact positions. 

We have a range of Winter Golf gear available in our Pro Shop.

Expect A Change in Ground Conditions

Thirdly, The ground conditions will affect how the ball reacts. For example:- more moisture in the ground means that shots upon landing will not roll as far. On the fairway this works against us, whilst on the green we can use this fact to our advantage. Putts can be hit straighter and harder towards the hole and chips can be ‘thrown up’ towards the hole.

Pick the Right Clubs

Finally for this piece, the ‘in the air’ conditions cause a significant change in ball flights and distances. When the air is colder it will mean that the ball will not travel as far in flight, allied to the fact that it will not roll out on landing, it is therefore prudent to make sure that you are using enough club for the shot. The wind will play a big factor in the choice of shot also. Whether it is against the wind, downwind or across the wind, all will affect the balls flight. 

For more information on this and any other information you see in this blog, please don’t hesitate to book a lesson with either Michael or Ian at Basset Down, so that they can help you play better and more enjoyable winter golf. You can find more info about our different lesson packages by clicking on our Golf Tuition page.