Golf is amazing because you have so much control over what happens on the course. You are the one striking the ball so all the credit or blame of whatever happens next falls squarely on you. That is of course as long as you are playing in nice weather. In the rest of this Tip Tuesday we are going to discuss how to play to the best of your abilities even in the rain.Â
What to Bring When You Golf In The Rain
The golf equipment that you need for playing in wet conditions varies slightly from what you need for playing in normal weather and the first of those is putting spikes in your shoes. This gives you some extra stability when playing on wet grass to help prevent you from slipping and sliding when attempting to strike a golf ball. Also if you can find some waterproof shoes this will help keep you comfortable throughout your round.Â
It’s important to get a pair of rain gloves in your bag as these get better with the more rain that gets on them. Unlike a normal golf glove, you want to wear these on both of your hands when playing in wet conditions. It is also important to have some waterproof clothes when you play. While this won’t directly shave strokes off your round, never underestimate the importance of staying comfortable and dry when playing.
The last two things you need to bring when playing in the rain are a large umbrella and at least two towels. The towels will be used to keep your hands, gloves, and grips as dry as possible. Depending on how much rain is coming down it is best to bring two of these towels in case one gets pretty soaked before your round is over. The last thing would be an umbrella large enough to keep you and your clubs, bag, and towels dry. For that, I would recommend a double canopy umbrella that can help withstand some higher wind speeds.
Golfing Tips For the Rain
The first tip for golfing in the rain is to ensure that you dry your clubs before every shot. If moisture remains on the surface of your grip or gloves, it reduces friction, leading to less control over the golf club. A slippery club may also cause you to slow down your swing and lead to some inaccurate shots.Â
Another thing that you might want to consider when playing in wet conditions is to take a little bit more club. This one depends on how much rain is coming down at the time. There are two main reasons why you want to club up, the first being that the wet surface will not allow the ball to roll as much as it normally would, and the second is the reduced clubhead speed that occurs in the rain.
The last thing you need to be aware of is to increase your putting backstroke. The saturated greens after a rainstorm are slow and require more power than usual for a putt of the same length. Most of the time you will want about five extra feet of distance to your putt when the greens are wet.
Go out and try this approach next time it rains and I promise you will see an improvement in your golf game. If you want even more ways to play better in the rain check out the article here. If you want more tips on continuing to succeed on the course, look at our other Golf Tip Tuesday blogs. Stay tuned every week for more Tip Tuesday blog content.
