The Knockdown Golf Shot - 2 Great Tips for Playing Golf into a Headwind

By Peter R Burgess

If you live in the UK as I do, then you have to get used to playing golf in the wind! As someone who naturally hits the ball high, the wind at times has completely destroyed my golf game, particularly in my early years of playing, and I either had the choice of moving abroad, or working out ways of getting round the problem when playing into a headwind! The knock-down shot has certainly been a much cheaper alternative than moving and has proved to be the most effective fix for me! I know that there are lots of different interpretations of the knock-down shot, but I have found the following to be the most useful tips that work best for me...

For light headwinds

Simply take one or two clubs more than you normally would for the required distance, position the ball back one or two ball-widths in your stance from your normal position, and use a ¾ swing, eliminating the cocking of the wrist. Try to swing as smoothly as possible - definitely don't try to hit the ball harder than normal to compensate for the wind strength– the aim being to get the ball to spin less than normal and take a lower trajectory (ball-flight) on the way to the target.

For strong headwinds

Position the ball just inside your back foot but keep your weight forward and your hands in front of the ball. For the shot, use a smooth ¾ swing – in strong headwinds it's even more important not to try to compensate for the wind by hitting the ball hard, as the wind will horribly compound any trace of slice or hook in the shot, potentially leaving you a very long way from the target! Make sure that you follow through in the intended target direction even though you are only playing a ¾ shot, but keep the follow through lower than normal. However, don't be tempted to try to stop on the ball at point of impact.
By hitting the ball in this way, you should achieve a very low trajectory shot with less spin than normal, which won't be affected anywhere near as much by the headwind. It's also an excellent shot for playing under trees and low-hanging branches and it works best for me with 3,4 and 5 Irons.

As I mentioned earlier, there are other interpretations of the knock-down shot, which include tips on opening your stance and choking down on the chosen club, but I have not found them to be as effective for me. Learning to use these 2 knock-down shot tips has saved many a round for me, when otherwise I would have been blown off the course.