Andy Sullivan How To Play In Crosswinds

We asked Andy Sullivan how to play in crosswinds, when controlling your ball flight becomes extremely tough. Here the Englishman explais how to fight a left-to-right wind

In this exclusive feature we asked English European Tour Professional Andy Sullivan How To Play In Crosswinds. Here he offers his essential advice.

Crosswinds pose the golfer some difficult questions and it is in this scenario that you really need supreme control of your ball flight. For the right-hander the really difficult crosswind is left-to-right (the opposite is true for left-handers). In this situation, my experience has taught me not to fight the wind too much but to hit my target through a combination of a lower flight and allowing for the wind through my alignment. By changing my technique slightly I can prevent the ball from climbing too high and this should really help my control.

What you need to guard against is hitting the ball too hard and losing it right - here's what to do.

More top golf tips

The way to control ball flight is through the pace of your swing. Essentially, the key is to find a smoother tempo than usual. So take a club more than you usually would and keep the pace of your swing as smooth as possible. Try to curtail your finish position a little as this will take speed away at impact. By reducing the speed of your swing you are reducing backspin created at impact and this will help you find a ball flight that is a little lower than usual. So if the wind is off the left, I take my aim up the left side of the hole and swing a little smoother. The lower flight will prevent it from drifting too far to the right side. When you are out on the course and competing for real, this is the best way to find the control that will help you attack the flag when the wind is blowing across you.