Your choice of weapon to tee off against strong head wind?

[hypergolf]

My links style home course can get extremely windy hence I have experimented with various clubs against strong head wind.

 

I have tested with a driver (9.5*), 3 wood (15*), 5 wood (18*), 2 UDI (18*), 2 hybrid (19*) and 3 iron (20*).

 

And surprisingly 3 iron performed the best for me in terms of hitting the fairway and keeping the ball low against the wind.

 

What is your choice of club against strong head wind off the tee?

[ProjectX]

Depends how long the hole is. If it's short enough I'm taking driving iron which seems to knife through the wind best. If it's a longer hole I will just even out my shoulders with the driver and try to even out my AoA to keep the ball flight down. 

[joostin]

Will usually stick with driver on holes I'd normally hit driver, trying to keep it low.  3 wood and 3 iron can fill the role too, with strong 3 wood being the easiest of all to keep low.  I'll try to guess how fast the headwind is and play for the distance loss -10% for 10 mph, -20% for 20 mph...

[RainShadow]

Driver. 

I have a fairly neutral AOA with my driver, so tee it down, light grip pressure and smooth tempo.

[tannyhoban]

Driver teed a little lower and more mid-stance. Low cut that usually works.

 

If I absolutely need a draw than 3 wood. Pretty rare that I need to. Can usually work with the cutter.

 

[ARL67]

My TS3 with ball teed up low always works great for me into a wind.

[Davidv]

Driver, try to tee it a bit lower, sometimes it helps and others not so much, no big deal on to the next shot.

[payerasjl]

Little bullet hybrid slightly closed face seems to work best for me considering roll out and ball flight 

[Phabs]

Usually a low teed driver or a 3 iron depending on what it leaves me for yardage in.

[SubaruWRX]

Driver flighted down

[phizzy30]

Driver.  The hole is already going to play long into head wind.  I will usually tee the ball lower and make a smoother swing.  Nothing worse than swinging hard into a head wind and seeing that sucker shoot straight up into the sky with tons of spin. 

[doctorgriffo]

Watching the way Tyrell Hatton hits it, you have to think about the putter...

 

[Feelingofgreatness]

1 hour ago, tannyhoban said:

Driver teed a little lower and more mid-stance. Low cut that usually works.

 

If I absolutely need a draw than 3 wood. Pretty rare that I need to. Can usually work with the cutter.

 

This ^^^^^^^^^^^

Exactly what I do... Low tee but I don't change the ball position relative to me lead heel. I just narrow my stance. 

[pinestreetgolf]

Surprisingly, the club with the shortest shaft and highest loft was the easiest to control and hit the fairway most often.  Hood a pitching wedge, you'll be amazed at how consistent you are with a low ball flight that goes dead straight.

 

Can we knock it off with the "OMG a 4 iron is more accurate than a driver!!  I've unlocked a powerful secret!!" threads at some point in 2021.

 

 

[ChipNRun]

Driver teed low, with 3/4 punch (?) swing to avoid ballooning the ball.

 

On shorter holes, my 4i which has been refitted with a hybrid shaft. Shaft is lighter than my stock iron shaft, but has a fairly firm tip. I set up for a low draw, and usually get good runout once it lands.

[bogeypro]

4 hours ago, hypergolf said:

My links style home course can get extremely windy hence I have experimented with various clubs against strong head wind.

 

I have tested with a driver (9.5*), 3 wood (15*), 5 wood (18*), 2 UDI (18*), 2 hybrid (19*) and 3 iron (20*).

 

And surprisingly 3 iron performed the best for me in terms of hitting the fairway and keeping the ball low against the wind.

 

What is your choice of club against strong head wind off the tee?

I use my driver like I normally would.  Teeing lower makes me hit lower on the club face, adding spin.  

[nitram]

As mentioned, a punchy driver teed a little lower but can still reach the center of the face, a 3WD set up the same way, or my Bridgestone J33 Airmuscle 19* 2-iron. In any situation you have to reduce distance expectations and understand fairway placement 50 yards short of usual is more acceptable than being in the rough.

Edited January 9, 2021 by nitram

[hammergolf]

6 hours ago, hypergolf said:

My links style home course can get extremely windy hence I have experimented with various clubs against strong head wind.

 

I have tested with a driver (9.5*), 3 wood (15*), 5 wood (18*), 2 UDI (18*), 2 hybrid (19*) and 3 iron (20*).

 

And surprisingly 3 iron performed the best for me in terms of hitting the fairway and keeping the ball low against the wind.

 

What is your choice of club against strong head wind off the tee?

Driver. Just make your normal swing and accept the fact the ball travels less into a wind...

[MattyO1984]

If it’s a hole that you usually play driver on, then it’s driver unless I am no longer able to carry trouble due to the wind. I usually find it easier to knock it lower by teeing it down some and feeling like I have more weight on my front foot than I normally would but some guys that I play with swear by teeing it higher to take the spin off it. I don’t seem to be able to work that as well but possibly worth a try.

[St Jimmy]

I club up into the wind.

[Chuck905]

Two iron stinger; finds the fairway quickly and rolls out there. The wind has little effect on the line as well.

[Socrates]

Lots of room - hit a low driver

 

Not much room for error - 3 iron.  I'll play for an almost sure bogey (maybe a par) rather than hit it into the boonies and make double or more.

[Moonlightgrm]

Soft fairway: Driver

Firm fairway: 2-iron (19*)

[Myherobobhope]

Into a strong headwind, I think you just have to take your medicine and play for par... 

 

Personally, that's a low teed driver with what I call a bunt swing... I think it's a 3/4 swing, but it's probably more a 90% swing. Focus is on a neutral AoA and keeping my hands ahead of the club face... If I can't hit that for whatever reason, I have a utility iron that I can keep low... Hopefully have a decent shot into the green, survive and move on...

 

Wait until the wind is at my back, tee it high and let it fly... Then I get the WRX numbers and pretend like the into the wind tee shot doesn't count towards my average distance.

[Go Horns!]

Driver. Hit it higher in the face to lower spin. Low spin goes through the wind easier and runs out. If you hit a driver low on the face it increases spin, which kills distance into the wind.

 

 

 

 

[swagee]

10 hours ago, hypergolf said:

My links style home course can get extremely windy hence I have experimented with various clubs against strong head wind.

 

I have tested with a driver (9.5*), 3 wood (15*), 5 wood (18*), 2 UDI (18*), 2 hybrid (19*) and 3 iron (20*).

 

And surprisingly 3 iron performed the best for me in terms of hitting the fairway and keeping the ball low against the wind.

 

What is your choice of club against strong head wind off the tee?

Driver, full send, works sometimes every time 😄 😄 

Low irons are my weapons of choice in windy links. I try to stay off my woods as much as possible. 

[Old Tom Morris]

Unlike most of the people on this website, I don’t churn out toed 300 yard drives on every hole.  I cannot afford to lose the yards into the wind.  I’ll hit driver with a smooth swing most of the time.

[hybrid25]

I think it depends on several different factors, 

*how long the hole is

*hazards present

*confidence in particular clubs

*carry that must be obtained over hazards

*shape of dogleg if any

Although, generally speaking, I'll probably still use my driver because it can be kept low trajectory for me.

[ode]

Punch driver....nice little 220-240y fade.

[Doyouevenblade]

Driver if it is usually a driver hole, but the concept is the same for any club - hands ahead of the ball and a neutral AoA. 

 

Tee it a little lower and a touch back in the stance and just a smooth little bunt swing.  I focus on feeling my hands ahead at impact and a sweeping the ball off the tee feeling, but your feelings may vary.    Usually a low little draw runner.  

 

If it is a windy day, I'll hit 3-4 of them on the range at least before my round just to get the feels going that day.