Question about wind

[RC]

I am curious if something I see in my game is the same as some others of you. It has to do with playing in the wind, usually shifting winds that may not even be very strong. The situation is this: the wind will be blowing one way, then shift directions. So if I am on the tee and think the wind is helping but then the wind shifts and it turns out I am actually into the wind, my shots are affected a lot more than when playing in normal winds. Say you have a 10 mph wind with you and it turns into a 5 mph wind against you -- that is only a 15 mph wind difference but the effect on my shots sure seems more than if I had a normal 15 mph wind. Of course, in higher winds you use different trajectories expect the effect. However, I am major affected when I club down or up and then find out the wind had changed. Typically I come up well short or fly well long, depending on the situation, and by a margin more than just a constant wind effect -- and that does not quite seem to make sense to me. Do others ever have this happen? Maybe when I think I am down wind I hit it higher on occasion -- that could cause the problem.

It dawns on me that Augusta's number 12 plays weird like that and fools even pros so maybe there is something to this question. I just know that when I am fooled, the shots sure have strange results.

[Ignorant]

Say you have a 10 mph wind with you and it turns into a 5 mph wind against you -- that is only a 15 mph wind difference but the effect on my shots sure seems more than if I had a normal 15 mph wind.

I could not quite catch this.

Now, 15 mph against one uses, say 1,5 clubs more and 15 mph tail one uses one club less. So if you follow that idea then in your situation (10 mph tail changes 5 mph against) means you used one club less and maybe shot 90% instead of 100% power. Then wind changes and you should have actually taken one club more. End result is that you had appr. 1,5-2 clubs less from what you should have had. Would this make sense?

[RC]

Yes, the physics of wind, and drag, and vector addition makes sense to me but I think the way we hit shots figures into this somehow. If the wind is helping, I tend to launch the ball up both to help it stop and to ride the wind... both are nullified if the wind is not as one thinks. Also whether one was playing a draw or fade has an effect.

We have little hills where the wind will seem with you standing 180 yards from the hole, but when you walk up to the green, you find it had shifted and is in to you -- and the shift can be very quick... even when the ball is in the air. Maybe it is just me, but shifty winds are harder than just windy days with a known wind direction. The flag stick will show a strong pattern and direction and suddenly whip around so the wind obviously changes. Guess wrong, and in my case, my shots suffer a lot more than when just factoring in a known wind. We live in a area with many thermal swirling wind vortices and these can be like circular high wind swirls even 100 yards across -- they sneak up on you. Sometimes you hear them in the trees and try to wait or assess what is happen, but other times you hit and discover the "oh no" reaction.

[Randy4h]

Here in Florida, we get lots of swirling winds, especially this time of year. I have the same problem, trying to determine the direction, and then, the amount to adjust for it. What I've been trying lately is to hit low-trajectory shots both into and with the wind, trying to take the wind out of play as much as possible. This seems to be helping.

[Ignorant]

Here in Florida, we get lots of swirling winds, especially this time of year. I have the same problem, trying to determine the direction, and then, the amount to adjust for it. What I've been trying lately is to hit low-trajectory shots both into and with the wind, trying to take the wind out of play as much as possible. This seems to be helping.

Yup, punch is the word! Have found that immensely helpful for all kinds of winds.

Some thoughts about wind in general. I have no experience of places where wind REALLY actually changes direction rapidly and often but those places surely must exist, so I've understood. Normally there is a general wind direction which is very much obscured by woods, hills, valleys, ridges, etc. This is why one feels the wind different at different locations of the one and same course. However, when the ball flies over the trees the general wind is in command and rules the flight of the ball. Also wind speed is higher up in 20-30 yards than on the ground level. That is why I tend to keep (and even write on the back of the score card) in mind the wind direction when starting a round. Have found it very helpful when wondering why a flag is flapping in a bizarre direction.

[Crey23]

While I am not in a position, handicap wise, to give you advice, living in South Florida, this time of year gives one a great lesson on wind effects. A few weeks ago I played in 20mph wind, with gusts exceeding 35 mph. I found myself making adjustments in direction that were not natural, i.e. aiming about 35 degrees right of target to get on green, with a club up on a 165 yard par 3.

On this day I found the PUNCH!!!! forced to adjust aiming, and limited by branches, I punched the ball out of the trees, and kept it below the tree line, and had a very successful back 9. I took about 3 holes to adjust club distance and position. I was trying to adjust for wind speed and direction without effective results.

For me, the best way to play with high wind sis to take them out of play...keep the ball low, and adjust club selection for lower trajectory.

[Jay-Bird]

when in doubt I keep it low.

[Blades4me]

Here in the NW I look at the highest tree tops to see if there is a prevaling wind. The things I do are, 1) keep the ball below the tree tops. If no or few tress there are 2 very important concepts I concentrate on when play'n wind, 2) be smooth and 3) knock down shots.

Personally I like playing in the wind b/c you have to think about each shot and you have to have different shots in your bag. I also paly PX shafts and for me they seem to work really well with standard shots in the wind. IMO a steady wind is easy to play after you figure out how many club wind it is.

[FHopper]

Wind, did someone say wind? Kansas wind is formidable but does not shift much. my observation about wind is that it does not have near the effect one would expect side to side. It will have a profound effect head to tail but side to side is not commensurate. So to the point of the OP, I am surprised the swirling is much of a bother unless you usually lad your ball in a 5 foot circle.

[ks8829]

sounds too complicated for me, I would hit a punch shot and keep it low to play the odds.

[BSH]

That's what I would do. I don't spend too much mental energy on analyzing the wind unless it's severe. Plus, it depends on so many other variable like where not to miss it.

[WUTiger]

Your post reminds me of when I lived in windy Southwest Oklahoma. My home course had two levels of wind - one at the high end and one at the low end. Steady winds were easy enought to account for, but gusty winds - especially cross winds - could really cause problems.

We had a 200-yd. par 3 with a ring of trees around the green, plus traps left side and right front. Best way to play it was a 3-iron punch and run, dropping the ball on a hard spot short of the green and running it up to the fringe. Got way more pars chipping for the up-and-down than trying to ride the crosswind on a full shot. Plus, full shot for me would have been a 5Wood, which really got the ball up high.

[ET-Taylor]

Yesterday there was a strong wind into face and me a v short hitter managed to carry the ball 200 yards into the wind just by teeing the ball down low

[DavidFehertysBike]

when its breezy swing easy!