it’ s your SWING
with Don DeLorenzo
GOLFING IN THE ELEMENTS
It has been a very long time since we have had a real winter. So long that most of those diehard golfers out there have probably either outgrown or tossed out their rain gear. Let’ s face it, we live in California for a reason … so we don’ t have to play golf in the rain or wind or mud. But when you get cabin fever like many have this winter because the rain doesn’ t want to stop, you may have to brave the elements if you want to go play the game you love.
The first order of business if you are going to play in inclement weather is to be prepared. Like anything you want to succeed in, preparation is the key. Before you go out for your round of golf go through the checklist of necessary items. Rain gear, umbrella, towels, extra gloves, hand warmers, hat, and most importantly a good frame of mind.
Good rain gear can set you back $ 250 – 500 but if you play a lot of golf this is just another part of your investment. GoreTex rain gear keeps you dry and warm and lets your body breathe so you aren’ t sweating more on the inside than it’ s raining on the outside.
Your umbrella will keep you dry but equally important it will keep your clubs dry. Position it over your bag so the rain doesn’ t get in and get your grips wet. If your grips are dry you can play reasonably well. Hang your towel up under the umbrella from the supports. That is the driest spot around and you need to keep your towel as dry as you can. Pack an extra in your bag in case your first towel gets too wet. Drying wet grips with a wet towel does no good.
Keep a pocket hand warmer with you, so if it is cold as well as wet, you can keep your hands warm and preserve the touch and feel necessary to play the game well. The disposable type works great and you can even put them in your shoes to keep your feet warm. Make sure the shoes you have are waterproof. Playing golf with wet feet is about as miserable as it gets.
Lastly, make sure you have a hat of some sort. Keeping the rain out of your eyes is essential to being able to see the golf ball!
Now that you are prepared to brave the elements, let’ s go do this. There are several things that you must remember to get the most out of your game when the weather isn’ t cooperating.
The number one thing to remember is that if you are playing in the rain, the air is“ heavy.” The added moisture is going to cause the ball to“ drag” more and therefore not go as far. Anyone who has played at higher elevations, like Lake Tahoe, has experienced the“ thin” air, where your golf shots travel farther because of less drag. The opposite occurs when playing in the rain; so use more clubs than you normally would when you are hitting your shot. The ball will travel up to 10 % less in wet weather.
You may even go so far as to change the type of golf ball you use. A lower compression ball is a bit softer and with the colder weather, it will be easier to compress that type of ball and thus it will go farther. You may want to look at golf balls
Rain Gear Men & Womens
Pocket Hand Warmers
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2017 gmhtoday. com