August Tip of the Month

LINKS SEASON TAKEAWAYS

BY RYAN WILLIAMS PLAYER DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL

As I sit down to write this column, we are in the middle of my favorite time of the year to watch golf, a period also known as “Links Season.” During this series of great tournaments in a row (Scottish Open, Open Championship, Irish Open), we get to wake up and enjoy our morning coffee while watching the world’s best take on challenges only faced in the specific set of conditions provided by Links Golf. Most of you are familiar with this style of course and what it requires but the official definition of Links Golf is as follows:

A golf course built on the sandy strips of land between the sea and the farmable land in almost all cases involving dunes, strategic bunkering, dramatic contours, and a tight, firm playing surface requiring players to consider what happens after the ball lands.

Links golf is not the “point and shoot” golf many American courses require. The playing surface is too firm, the ground too undulated, the weather too unpredictable. This past weekend saw Rory McIlroy win the Scottish Open in dramatic fashion in winds gusting around 40mph at times. Being able to handle windy conditions well is essential to success at Links courses and, most would agree, in the Greater Stockton and Lodi area. Inspired by Rory’s brilliant 2-iron that set up his winning birdie on the 72nd hole of the Scottish Open, I thought it timely to discuss some strategies for playing in the wind.

There are two ways of playing shots in the wind that I’d like to discuss with you, the first of which is what is often referred to as a “Punch Shot.” This style of shot has several basic tenets:

1. Feet slightly wider than normal so as to make the player a little “squattier” at address

2. Ball should be placed toward the back of one’s stance (closer to the right foot for a right-handed player)

3. Shaft leaned more toward the target at address to take away loft

4. The player should finish with the club low, not allowing it to release up toward his or her shoulder

A punch shot is best utilized when playing in extremely windy conditions, playing directly into a stiff breeze, or needing to keep the ball under a low-hanging tree limb. If I was to be 100 percent transparent, however, I only resort to a punch shot when it is absolutely needed for success. In most cases, I employ what I call a “functionally low” shot. This flighted (lower) trajectory shot is achieved mostly through regulating the “effort level” of the swing. More specifically, I try to become as aware as possible of the amount of tension in my hands and arms. The softer and freer I can keep them throughout the swing, especially in the hitting area, the flight of the shot will inherit an imaginary ceiling and keep the wind from affecting the shot to any great degree. All of this done while adding only a small amount of shaft lean and playing the ball only slightly back in my stance.

To learn how to play the “functionally low” iron shot, I suggest making swings on the driving range in which you swing as easily, lightly, tension-free as you possibly can. You may be surprised how much energy you can put on the ball with very little effort. In most cases, playing the shot on the course will require one more club than you would typically use from that yardage, depending of course on how strong the breeze may be on a given day.

If you’re looking for a player who does this extremely well, look no further than Tiger Woods. In fact, I would posit that Tiger employs some version of this type of shot on the majority of irons he plays. The “soft arm” look to his golf swing is a huge part of him being the best iron player the game has ever seen, allowing him to control shape and trajectory at will.

I hope you all are as inspired by “Links Season” as I have been! Give these techniques a shot in preparation for a Bandon Trip or a windy round! Feel free to reach out with any questions about your game and let’s enjoy a great Summer at Woodbridge!