Hole Breakdowns  ›  Crosswind Approach
Hole breakdown #14

Crosswind Approach: Aim Off and Let It Ride

Fight a crosswind and you short-side yourself. Aim off, let it ride, and widen the target.

Hole type · Crosswind approach

“The one the wind pushes off the green.”

🌬 Wind blowing across the shot
⛳ Green with a tucked side today
● Smart target: start upwind, ride it to center
✕ Common aim: the flag, holding it against the wind
The mistake

Aiming at the flag and trying to hold the ball against the wind, which balloons the shot and drops it short and off-line.

The math

A crosswind moves the ball a predictable amount. Aiming off and riding it keeps your normal ball flight; fighting it costs both distance and control.

The correct target

Pick a start line upwind of the pin and let the wind bring it back, aiming at the center of the green rather than the flag. In a strong cross, favor the wider miss.

Strokes saved

≈ 0.3-0.4 strokes per hole by turning a fought shot into a ridden one.

“Start it into the wind, let it drift to center.”

Strokes-saved figures are approximate, based on expected-value (strokes-gained) course management for a mid-handicap golfer (roughly 8-18). These are real ranges, not guarantees.

More hole breakdowns

The Three-Shot Par 5 The Downhill Tee Shot The Long Par 4 The Island Green The Split Fairway The Blind Tee Shot
The rest of the picture

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