So the breeze is our natural air conditioning. And remember the low humidity. I digress, this isn’t a weather report. This is a practical golf instruction blog!

Playing in a breeze: Forget the myth that a well struck ball won’t be affected by the wind. Rubbish!  As the ball looses velocity any wind will move the ball in the direction it is blowing.

Let’s visualize a left to right wind, a breeze blowing off of your left shoulder, often called a cross- wind. The wind is blowing across the fairway from left to right. You shouldn’t ignore the wind. Depending on your natural ball flight, here are some suggestions as to how to deal with it.

The Slicer: if your ball tends to slice, it will slice more on this wind. So allow for that slice. Aim down the left side, even the rough line, but align your shoulders along the same line as your feet. Make your best swing trying to square the clubface to your aim. That will start the ball where you aimed and the wind will assist you and blow the ball into the fairway. You may need some courage here as watching the ball start left over trouble can be nerve wracking. Trust your swing and the wind in this case.

The Hooker: someone who curves the ball right to left. Easy here. Aim straight down the middle of the fairway and play your natural draw. The right to left curve of the ball flight will be counteracted by the left to right wind, resulting in a straight shot!

Straight Hitter: doesn’t curve the ball one way or another. Use the wind to your advantage. Aim down the left side of the fairway, grip it and rip it! Let your drive work on the breeze helping add some distance and the ball finishing in the middle of the fairway.

Play the breeze, enjoy it, just don’t ignore it!

 A lot of people who don’t hit their irons well tend to be hitting up on the ball causing fat/thin shots. That means the bottom of your swing is behind the ball. Moving the ball back in your stance is a quick fix, meaning you are placing the ball to coincide where the club bottoms out. But, by placing the ball back, often opposite the rear foot, you will be prone to hit more from the inside thereby creating more fat/thin shots!

Also, moving the ball back of center tends to de-loft the club, making it more difficult to get the ball in the air! Anyone confused yet? Try this instead to help you catch the ball on the downswing, pinching the ball off of the turf….lean the shaft (1 inch forward of your fly – risky language there), slightly ahead of the club, but don’t close the face. Keep your weight even, 50% of it on each foot. Return the club shaft to that address position at impact.

The Boulders is in the desert foothills, coming up and out of the valley. Consequently we get gentle rolling slopes around the greens. That means you have some uneven lies with your chips and pitches.

If you can find a January issue of Golf Magazine, you will see a two page ‘ball above your feet’ chip onto the first green of the South course. That article will appear on www.mgolf.com before too long.

If the ball is above your feet the shot is likely to pull to the left. You should aim to the right to allow for that.

Because the club face tends to close and hit into the ground behind the ball, keep your chin and posture up. Definitely grip down on the club. Swing along the slope. Gripping down an inch on the handle will help control all shorter shots.

Tennis at The Boulders means keeping the game fun, let me explain….. Over the years I have asked many players why they took up the game, why tennis? The answer almost always is about how much fun it is, the joy they feel while playing. Many of these players I taught or watched play, yet more often than not they looked like they were either tense, angry or in some way frustrated on the court, with few smiles or laughs.

This has become all too familiar a sight in all sports, not just tennis. Certainly everyone wants to enjoy their experience whether it be on the tennis court, golf course, playing field, office, etc. but few seem to do so. I believe one of the key factors this occurs is because the competitive spirit and drive take over, and winning, coming out on top, become the focus. Simply, results rather than the process now define the experience one is having. This often leads to disappointment and frustration because losing happens and not many are prepared to truly face it.

The key in the learning and teaching of the game is to focus on development and continued learning ,not the result. The teaching program at The Boulders is built around three main areas which support this:1. Learning through continuous education, a life long process, 2. Fun and enjoyment of the journey with the emphasis placed on doing your best regardless of outcome, and 3. Development of fitness and healthy habits for life.

I often say to the staff that it is not really about what you know, although that helps, but the important thing is your joy and passion for what you do, this radiates out to everyone. The saying “I don’t care what you know unto I know how much you care” is so true. We love what we do at The Tennis Garden, providing a tennis class tennis experience that is enriching to all.

In health and happiness,
Dale Light