Dave Ramsay For Your Swing - June 2010

Keeping Dry and Playing Well - by Dave Ramsay, GMGC Head Golf Professional

Here it is, June, and I'm reminded once again that summer (as glorious as the summer is in the Pacific Northwest) always seems to start late.  "Rain... sun... rain... sun" becomes a pattern that we have to get used to if we're going to golf in the springtime.  So keep a few items in your golf bag and a couple of tips in your head to stay at your best when our weather is unpredictable.
 
Keeping your hands and grips dry is critical.  Wet hands = tighter grip = bad shot.  It amazes me that players that know it might rain will still neglect to bring more than a single small golf towel, and sometimes none!  Bring at least a couple of good absorbent towels, and leave that ratty dishtowel with the floral pattern at home - your grips will thank you, your wife will thank you (or at least not complain about her missing towel), and your regular partners will have one less thing to snicker about when you're not looking.  With the newer golf bags having more pockets than a billiards room, you should have plenty of space for the extra laundry to help you and your equipment stay dry.  While you're at it, throw a couple of handwarmers in there, too.
 
Having raingear should be obvious, and yet here we are talking about it.  On second thought, let's not talk about it - just go ahead and get some good rain pants (you can simply get a waterproof shell to go over your pants for a reasonable amount of $) and a waterproof jacket, preferably one that breathes (such as the Sun Mountain Rainflex line - great stuff, and yes, I can order it for you!).  Look for a piece with a "golf cut" to it - ample shoulder room and correct sleeve length so as to not tug when you make a swing.  Don't forget to make sure that the belly won't baffle out on you, interfering with your hands and the club when you are putting and chipping.
 
No matter how hard you try, in steady rain your golf glove will eventually get wet, so have extras on hand (ha!... "on hand", get it?  Ahhh, never mind...).  If you don't wear a golf glove, like Freddie Couples and yours truly (yes, that's where the similarities abruptly end), read the part above about the towels; don't worry, I'll wait.
 
When you're actually playing in the rain, you've got a few things to keep in mind.  First, your extra layers will hinder your turn and weight you down to some degree, and the possibility of some moisture on your grip will force you to fight tension in your hands and wrists (even if you're doing your best to keep everything as dry as a martini at Jake's Grill).  Mentally accept the fact that you won't be able to make the same swing as you'd normally be able to and be willing to adjust.  Take extra club for your shots and be ready to dial your swing effort down 5-10% in order to make good contact.  Wet rough will penalize you more than you realize, so the trade-off in sacrificing some distance for accuracy is worth it.  Choke down slightly on the grip for a little more club control when needed, and give yourself a better chance to keep shots in the short stuff.  Build a solid foundation with your footing and be deliberate with your slightly shorter body turn.  Work to make good extension through impact and into your follow-through.
 
Lastly, the most important item to keep dry (excluding your underwear - did we talk about that?  Let's not, and I'll assume that you'll buy the rainpants) is the scorecard.  When you're schooling your partners in the rain because you're rolling with the conditions while they're bemoaning them, you're going to want to protect that card from moisture like it's a saltine cracker.  You can't collect your friends' money if you're trying to decipher pencil smudges and stains. Scotch tape on the scoring area of the card works wonders.