The Effects of Wind on a Golf Shot

[vangator]

I'm not sure I believe that a 40mph tailwind only gives me 20 extra yards. I tend to believe my lying eyes.

[WatchOutLeft]

If you typically have a very low trajectory with a certain club, can a headwind help? Or does it always hurt? I have a pretty small sample size for distancing my clubs, but I had a very weird 4 rounds today off the tee. The winds were in the ballpark of 15 gusting to 25.

I play a 9 hole course that is set up like this:

1 considerably downhill par 4 with a quartering wind (1)

3 considerably uphill par 4s with a tailwind (2, 5, and 9)

1 considerably downhill par 5 with a headwind (8)

On the 2 holes (1 and 8) with a headwind or quartering wind, which are also downhill, my average drive went 241.3 yards. I had a long of 277 with my 3 wood on the first hole, which is absolutely unheard of for me. Granted it was in the next fairway over so it ended up riding that quartering wind part of the way. I also hit my driver 253 yards down the fairway on that hole. Of my drives into the wind, only the 277 yard 3 wood was considerably off line. The other drives were in a fairly straight line toward the hole (and into the wind).

On the 3 holes (2, 5, and 9) with a tailwind, which are also uphill, my average drive went 188.1.

In my previous 10 rounds on this course I had a long drive of 244 and 6 total drives over 220. Today in 4 rounds I had a long of 277 and 6 of 7 drives were 237 or more just on the 2 holes into the wind (only played hole 1 three times because I skipped it on my final round due to slow players. With the wind I had one drive of 220+ yards, and 8 of 12 were under 200 yards.

Obviously the biggest thing I took from this is that when I get my new driver (one from this quarter century) I need more loft (current is 10*). But I guess if you have a serious problem getting the ball up in the air a headwind can help. I'm also not ignoring the fact that hitting downhill is going to be a contributing factor but even before today I averaged 215.2 on the downhill holes and 215.1 on the uphill holes.

I guess I could have just had an incredibly coincidental day driving the ball well on those 2 holes and simultaneously poorly on the other 3. Seems confusing to me though.

[flopster]

I'm not sure I believe that a 40mph tailwind only gives me 20 extra yards. I tend to believe my lying eyes.

It's just an average, good players know that you want maximum height on the ball to get maximum distance. Also most people will not play in 40mph winds the game just gets too difficult especially on a hard course. Our par 3 thirteenth hole is always in the prevailing wind and from 235 yards it plays like a 350 yard hole.

[saevel25]

It's just an average, good players know that you want maximum height on the ball to get maximum distance.

Spin can help as well on downwind shots. If you have to little spin then the wind will knock the ball out of the air if it is helping.

If I know I have a good tailwind, and I am hitting a driver. I'll tee it up higher and really swing up on the ball to get the ball high into the air. That is if I want the ball to go farther. Sometimes you might have a creek or water and need to lay back.

Usually for iron shots. If it is downwind, I'll keep the same club and hit it easier. If it is into the wind I'll club up more than usual and hit it easier. I just like to make sure I have the feel that I am controlling the distance not the wind. Also it helps take away the hook or cut shot that can be increased when hitting into the wind.

Really it takes practice. I say the next day it is windy out go to the range and hit shots to see what happens.

[RussUK]

Quote:

* When playing with serious wind, take two less clubs and swing hard.  You need to swing hard to create spin, otherwise your ball gets knocked out of the air.  When playing into serious wind, take 4 or 5 more clubs and swing easy.  You have to take a lot more club hitting into the wind than with it.  This is what I've found out works.

Couldnt agree more with this. Nothing worse than hitting a tee shot on a par 3 into wind and seeing it stop mid air and drop way way way short of the green.

I dont think people take enough club. Played my Bro in law and the other week and the wind was moderate staright into our faces. Normal club on that hole was 8 iron. I took a 5 iron and he laughed saying i was going over the green onto the road. I landed just short. He decided to take a 5 and just as he swung the wind dropped. Where did he end up? yep on the road.

Moral to the story is take as much club as you need but be aware of what the wind is doing

[rkim291968]

Wind makes a tremendous difference.  People underestimate the wind probably more than they underestimate break on a putt.

Definitely is the case for me.   I'd say I under adjust 90% of the time.   E.g, mentally, it's hard to adjust "up" 3 clubs against strong headwind b/c of prevailing doubt that I will overshoot the green.  Cross wind is worse.   I can't aim to OB area intentionally and hope the wind will blow it back to green - no guts.    It's not just me.  Most amateurs I play with don't adjust to the wind well (if at all).    When I played the Bandon Dunes course this spring, my caddy told me and others in the group numerous times that it was 3 club up wind on certain holes.   I didn't listen to him 1st few times and club up only 2.   My partner, even after my shot falling way short, still went with his normal distance club.   His ball landed 40 - 50 yard short and that wasn't funny.   And he kept ignoring Caddy's wind advices.

My home course has swirling wind - direction changes often.  On a steep downhill par 3s surrounded by OB areas, high grass roughs, and bunkers, hitting a tee shot becomes a venture sometimes, especially, for me with my higher trajectory shots.   I need to start learning how to make knock down shots (or shots that has least impact against wind).   For now, I will keep hitting a safe shot (short right in my home course layout) when wind is blowing.   I learned not to challenge the wind.

[Dave2512]

What I intend to do and what happens are rarely the same thing on the course so I am better served just playing the same shot every time. Without fail if I try to "play" the wind I blow it. Not good enough to flight shots consistently not good enough to be sure I'll make decent contact. If it is dead in my face I will club up and swing normal to get it there but anything else I pick the usual target and go. If wind moves it and I hit it good no worse than getting away from routine and hitting something horrible.

[Fourputt]

Two things about playing into a strong headwind that take practice for me to do.

1)  I can pick the right club for a head wind, but convincing my subconscious that it's not too much is hard.  I tend to then underswing because my back brain just "knows" that I have way more club than I usually use for that shot.  I have to play a few windy rounds to really feel like I can play the shot with confidence.  Yesterday was a good start.  First day of Senior League, wind was fierce.  I played a 3/4 swing driver on a 185 yard, slightly uphill par 3.  Hit it just off the back of the green - my two partners didn't get within 30 yards of the green.

2)  Pitching.  It's really hard to convince myself that I really do have to hit the ball that hard to get it to the hole.  I'll play 2 or 3 pitches well short, then knock one over the green in frustration before I start to settle down.  I've found that playing for a spot well beyond the actual hole seems to help to trick me into swinging hard enough.

[rehmwa]

I've had some of my best rounds on extra windy days.  though I tend to overcompensate cross wind effects

What I have to be careful with is headwinds - mainly if I have any fade/slice, it really exacerbates it (for the very reasons noted) - mainly driving of course

force tends as a function of the square of velocity - so no kidding that headwinds amplify spin effects, tailwinds mitigate

[DrvFrShow]

And we have to be careful about the wind. We may be on the tee and feel a strong breeze, and see the flag blowing left to right so we play our shot left. Then the ball hits a dead spot in mid air where it passes through a section protected by tall pines, causing the ball not to carry to the right as planned and drop straight down into the bunker.

And Tuesday's round was just ... dead... Dead humid heavy air with intermittent light rain. I lost about 8 - 10 yds carry on my long clubs.

[iacas]

Cross wind is worse.   I can't aim to OB area intentionally and hope the wind will blow it back to green - no guts.

That must be a heck of a wind. I don't find a crosswind moving my ball very much, let alone aiming OB so it pushes it back. OB is, after all, Black Death in the Shades of Grey. :)

[rkim291968]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rkim291968

Cross wind is worse.   I can't aim to OB area intentionally and hope the wind will blow it back to green - no guts.

That must be a heck of a wind. I don't find a crosswind moving my ball very much, let alone aiming OB so it pushes it back. OB is, after all, Black Death in the Shades of Grey. :)

My course has narrow green par 3 holes surrounded by danger, including OB areas & DEEP rough (US Open length).   Missing the green by 15 yards to right could mean a ball in OB or in deep doo doo area.  On one particular  par 3 hole, a web.com player (now a well known PGA tour player) scored 13.  It wasn't as bad as Kevin Na's score but I think that was a par 4 hole.

One of my short term improvement project is to master a knock down shot to combat the winds.  One of my new found golf partner was a former Web.com player (+5 HI at one time) and he promised me to help.    If that does not work, I will open a The RiCK's Plan - 10000 hours to Become a Scratch Golfer thread and hope for the same "help" offer you gave to Dan.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by rkim291968

in deep doo doo area.

well, you'll just have to go find that ball without my help

[natureboy]

On 10/19/2011 at 7:31 AM, MiniBlueDragon said:

Wow! That quartering wind simulation is nuts.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect that calculation was based on a draw spin axis in a right to left wind. The cross wind aligned with the spin decreases drag, prolongs the flight as well as pushes it offline so you get more total deviation. A fade fighting the crosswind will go straighter, but also carry shorter than normal.

Edited December 16, 2015 by natureboy

[9wood]

When playing golf in a wind storm I recommend choosing a club with low loft angle. Something like a putter which has a 3 - 4 degree loft angle will suffice in such instances

[DrvFrShow]

I also play the ball back in my stance to keep the shot low.

[Fourputt]

On 5/14/2015 at 4:11 PM, iacas said:

 

That must be a heck of a wind. I don't find a crosswind moving my ball very much, let alone aiming OB so it pushes it back. OB is, after all, Black Death in the Shades of Grey. :)

As a pro, you probably have the ability to work the ball into a crosswind to reduce its effect.  I know that for me as a lifelong fader, a left to right wind, even just 10 mph, can turn my fade into a 50 yard slice - not always, but I seem to make some of my worst cut swings when dealing with that worst case wind.

Another comment, most players overestimate wind strength - i.e. when the wind is actually 15 mph, they think it's 25 mph.  I'm as guilty of that as the next guy.  I try to think of how it feels when I've stood up in the back of pickup truck going 30 mph, and the wind is really stronger that you expect it to be.  Also, living out here on the prairie, I generally feel the full effect of a 10 mph wind, and even that much breeze has a significant effect on your ball when there is nothing to mitigate it.

[9wood]

The last round I played, the wind was gusting 25 -30 mph, at least that's what the local weather channel was saying, and it sure felt like it. The biggest challenge I faced was not getting off decent drives and iron shots or keeping them in the fairway, but rather the biggest challenge was walking directly into the wind on many holes