There’s nothing that makes you appreciate the warm weather than winter golf!
Balls that used to run out forever are suddenly bogged down on the fairway, and shots that would have run onto the green during the summer stay plugged short. And you’d be lucky to escape a bad lie, no matter where you hit it off the green.
If you don’t know how to make adjustments to winter golf, then you may see your scores skyrocket until the sun comes back out, especially because it’s far harder to practice in the winter.
So this golf tip from Collin Morikawa could be priceless next time you’re faced with a bad lie around the green.
Collin Morikawa’s simple adjustment for amateur golfers when chipping out of bad lies
Morikawa’s tip is simple and easy to apply for amateur golfers, since it focuses mostly on the setup. It’s all about the club placement and hand position at address.
Speaking on Meandmygolf, the two-time major winner explained: “What I like to do with a bad lie, any bad lie you feel uncomfortable with, whether it’s into the grain, ball sitting in a divot, or simply you just don’t like the lie: toe down.
How long should an 18 hole round of golf take?
“Toe down. Handle high, toe down. What that’s going to do is it’s going to take away a lot of the resistance from the rest of your club. All the way from the toe to the heel, it’s going to get less interaction with the ground, and it’s just going to kind of pop it out.
“You’re not expecting any spin, it’s just going to pop out and then release out there. So handles high close to the ball, toe down, hands forward.”
This advice helps you make ball-first contact more consistently, no matter the lie around the green, eliminating the negative effects of the lie from the equation. It’s a clever tip, and one that all of us can take to the course.
Amateur golfers get up and down more often in the winter
Winter golf definitely feels like more of a challenge as you battle the elements and the softer course, but statistics say that amateur golfers’ short games actually improve during the winter!
According to ShotScope data, golfers of all handicaps, from scratch to 25, make up and downs at a more consistent rate in the summer than in the winter.
The average scratch golfer makes up and downs 43% of the time in the winter compared to 40% in the summer, and a 25 handicapper makes 18% of up and downs in the winter, and 16% in the summer.
| Handicap | 0 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Summer up and down % | 40% | 35% | 29% | 23% | 19% | 16% |
| Winter up and down % | 43% | 37% | 30% | 25% | 21% | 18% |
So why is that? There are plenty of variables to keep us guessing. The slower greens could play a factor, as it’s less likely that a bladed shot will fire off the back of the green. Some clubs asking players to play off mats, giving them a perfect lie, will also impact the data.
But judging by these stats, maybe winter golf is something to be embraced, not endured!
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
