We don’t have as much wind at Manele Golf Course as many facilities in Hawaii but we still get breezy conditions. Knowing how to keep the ball low with a knockdown shot is helpful when playing into the wind or a strong crosswind.
An example here is our 14th hole, a par-3 that plays into the wind much of the time. Two keys to keeping the ball down for this shot are club selection and balance.
I recommend taking two more clubs than you’d normally hit and practice swinging at 50 percent speed. Most golfers think they need to swing harder in the wind, but that produces more spin and causes the ball to shoot up and fall short of the target. Swinging at half speed reduces spin on the ball and keeps the flight low for a better chance to reach the target.
Swinging at a slower speed also enables you to start and finish in a balanced position, which usually means you made good contact. Practice this swing on the range to see what kind of ball flight you get. That way you can be more confident when employing the motion on the course.
Scott Ashworth is director of golf at Manele Golf Course on Lanai and a member of the PGA of America board of directors representing the Aloha, Northern California and Southern California sections.
