Wind Correction - How do you approach it?

gmiller598

Par 3 Net Zero
Albatross 2024 Club
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This is something I've never really thought too much about so I'm curious what people do to account for the wind.

If you have a 15 mph breeze from any direction how much do you think it impacts a 150 or 200 yard shot?
 
That would depend on what type of ball flight you have. If I am playing into the wind, I tend to club up and hit a punch shot to keep the ball flight flower.

I did this today on the 16th, would normally hit a 6iron into the green, but with a strong into wind I punched an easy 5 iron in
 
This is something I've never really thought too much about so I'm curious what people do to account for the wind.

If you have a 15 mph breeze from any direction how much do you think it impacts a 150 or 200 yard shot?

In my face, two clubs, at least, try to take off some spin with ball more forward in stance, 3/4 swing, to put less spin on the ball; or take 3 clubs, normal setup, grip down, and hit it as fast as you judge, and let the wind knock it down. I've used both over the years. I usually only think of using the second option when the wind is over 15 mph. But it all depends. When I'm out there, I have no idea of exact wind speed, so I use my spidey sense to determine what to do - usually, it's light, medium, blowing my hat off, and when it's blowing my balance off, it's time to head to the clubouse or widen my stance.
 
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Heading I may club down or flight the ball down it depends on the hole. Tail wind I’m going to hit my normal shot but maybe club up or choke down on the grip. Side winds I stopped compensating as it often seems to effect the flight very little, besides I’m not nearly as accurate as I like to think I am.
 
15 mph hour wind, with no wind breaks between my ball and the targeted landing area. Piece of cake.

Left to right wind, I take one, maybe two clubs more, normal stance, aimed left of the targeted landing area. How far left I aim is dependent on far the shot is. Longer distance, aim more left. I use my normal swing, and let the wind move the ball right.

Right to left wind is the same as above, only I aim right of my targeted landing area.

Wind in my face, I take one or two more clubs, play the ball back in my stance, and hit a 3/4 swing punch shot, keeping the ball flight lower. I never fight with a head wind. I have at times used a choked down driver.

Wind at my back, I take one, or two less clubs, and use my normal swing and set up. I let the wind help make up the distance needed.

There's another club selection issue that also needs to be factored in. That being if the shot is up hill, or down hill. Aim also needs to be adjusted

Main thing to remember is that in most cases, the wind is the golf course's friend, more so than the golfer's.

Another issue is that once on the green is if the wind is also a ground wind. The wind can, and will roll a ball crooked. Length of putt determines how much borrow the golfer needs to use.

If on a tree lined fairway, where the trees double as wind breaks, I play my regular game, while trying to keep the ball flights below the tree tops.
 
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I don't have great issues with my irons into a wind. Driver can be a problem. Bigger issues for me is a crosswind and how to play it. More then I want to admit I play so that the crosswind will push be back on my no wind target line only to see my ball cut through the wind like a hot knife in butter.
 
I know I don’t sweat it as much with the TourB RX. I was a horrible wind player with my moon shots. I’ve hit 4i from 150 out uphill into 25mph before. Uphill that was a 9i with no wind. Now with the RX, it’s probably a 7i (using what I hit before accident distances with clubs-I’ve lost about an iron now maybe an iron and a half-haven’t played in real wind since).

Strong side wind, I’ll generally try to work the ball slightly into it. If it’s right to left I’ll try to hit a fade. Vice versa, draw. It impacts me little compared to into the wind.

Downwind? If I’m not playing under the one ball rule, I’ll sometimes grab something with a little higher driver spin and see how far I can rip it. Only if it’s wet out though. If it’s dry it’s going to go the same anyways.
 
We played this much wind today for most of the round.
Into it generally one or two clubs more.
With the wind one less.
 
One thing I've learned is that hitting into the wind I need to relax my grip. Too tight a grip results in a lot of height and backspin. Other than that, what everyone else has posted.
 
I tend to play in wind more often than not, 15mph is just a mere breeze :LOL: . Tend to take one or two clubs more and try to punch it down and run it up rather than fly it all the way, but it's not an exact science. For a crosswind, is a complete guess. Obviously the shorter the iron the more impact it has, and I never tend to allow enough for wedges and end up pushed to one side of the green or another.
 
Was once told "when it's breezy swing it easy" so I tend to swing a little softer in the wind. Directionally I certainly play for the wind in your scenario. At least a 1 club wind if hitting down or into the wind. When hitting in to wind I always look at back number instead of front (unless long is the dead miss).
 
With directional side winds, the shape and trajectory of your shot makes a huge impact. Shaping a shot in the direction of the wind means you can play less club; playing in the opposite direction of the wind means you'll use more club. The roll out is greater or less depending on which of these options you take too.

For headwinds, it again depends on your trajectory and what you want the ball to do once it hits the ground. For 15 mph, I'd probably take an extra club and flight it a touch lower. For tailwinds it's the same process; you want to figure out what you want the ball to do once it lands and a lot of that determination depends on how far back the pin is and/or what trouble exists short or long.

Wind is very tricky and it really takes a lot of imagination and practice to play well when it's windy.
 
My erratic impact will have more of an effect on the ball flight than the wind. Into the wind will make those bendy balls bend more. Tail winds will make them bend less. Cross winds? I just adjust my aim a little.
 
Driver head wind is the biggest issue because whatever shot shape happens gets exaggerated a lot and ends up on another planet, especially a slice.

So I've learned to hit them really low in those cases and accept the lost yards, no big deal.
 
Rule of thumb is when hitting into the wind 1mph = 1%, and when hitting down wind 1mph = 0.5%. So a 200 yard shot into a 15mph wind will play roughly 230 (15% longer), while down wind it will play about 185 (7.5% shorter).

 
one of the old guys in my saturday morning group swore by the "see it, feel it, hear it" method and added 1, 2, or 3 clubs, respectively. i chuckled every time - yet he was almost undefeated against me.
 
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