Yet another wind question

[magic8796]

I have read in different threads about the effect of a headwind. The most common response is to add 150-200% of the wind speed to your club. Where I'm confused is the effect on different clubs. I've read you add closer to 200% on longer clubs (5w, 3w, D) because the ball is in the air longer and reduce the effect as you hit shorter clubs. But I've also read you add closer to 200% on wedges because the ball is hit so high that the wind has greater effect. So does the proper adjustment look like a curve (200%, 190, 180, 170, 160, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190, 200%) as you go from PW to Driver?  

And is the same true for adding 75-100% for a tailwind?

All calculations assuming flat elevation / lie.

Thanks!

[HeMan1202]

It is based on your experience with the wind.

I always add 200% for direct headwind no matter the club. You will get a feel for when you need to use 3w, 5w, or 3 iron. Everything else is 200%.

I drop down to 150% for the diagonal crosswinds (a headwind at the 4/5 o clock position). Same for tailwind, always 100% for direct tailwind and I adjust based on the wind position.

That's just me but it works fairly accurately for me. I should also mention I rarely ride wind, I use the fade/draw option so that also affects how the wind is calculated.

[blackaces13]

I've found the long irons, especially when you uploft them, can get up to around 200%. Then I'd say from the 5 to the PW the conventional 150% usually works. For normal SW and LW shots it is closer to 1:1 ratio, and it might be even less with the LW.

I also use 1:1 for tailwinds, though I think the conventional wisdom says it's less. In my experience 1:1 for tails works.

[canthitstraight]

I've been using the 1.5 ratio for head winds and short irons. Then as I get closer to a 3 iron, I'll use a sliding scale from 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 etc. to 2.0 I don't actually use a calculator or anything, it's just feel and experience through repetition. On tail winds you're supposed to add just 0.75 of the wind, but I usually just add the full 100% to yardage.

[settlerofcatan]

Aug 24, 2015 0:35:23 GMT -5 canthitstraight said:

I've been using the 1.5 ratio for head winds and short irons. Then as I get closer to a 3 iron, I'll use a sliding scale from 1.5, 1.6, 1.7 etc. to 2.0 I don't actually use a calculator or anything, it's just feel and experience through repetition. On tail winds you're supposed to add just 0.75 of the wind, but I usually just add the full 100% to yardage.

Agreed on this. I typically plan for 1.5 for head winds and shorter irons, seems to serve me decently. I'll adjust if it seems like the wind is not straight in my face.

As for back winds, I also agree on using 100%, largely due to roll-out. I find that shots with tail winds have far greater roll out (as you'd expect) on the greens, so planning for the wind to carry your ball further generally has helped me get those pesky tailwind shots closer.

The more I play, the more I prefer winds from directly left or right. then it's just adjusting for draw/fade and adding a bit of distance to make up the loss from spin. Find those shots much easier!

[blackaces13]

Interesting. I much prefer head/tailwinds than anything from the side. Quartering winds suck too because I have no idea how to factor those into any sort of equation and wind up just winging it.

[magic8796]

Thanks for the replies!  As for quartering winds, I read in another thread where someone actually did the math (dust off the old pythagorean theorom!) and it works out to about a 1.43 to 1 ratio for wind at a 45 degree angle.  So as an example: if you're facing North and you have a 14 mph wind coming from NE to SW, that would be equal to a headwind of about 10 mph and a right to left crosswind of about 10 mph.  For wind directions other than a 45 degree angle, just tweak the 1.43 to 1 ratio accordingly.  I've used this math in my head for a few rounds and it seems to be fairly accurate.

[Brighttail]

Wind has changed in the game a few times since Doyley's chart came out. In my experience the wind has gotten stronger, especially the tail wind which used to be where you minused 75%. Now it can be minusing as much at 150%.

The other thing that has changed with the wind is when you use fade/draw on a shot. Before the changes you could use a draw against a fade wind and it would hold the line all the way to the end. Now it holds for about 75-85% of the way (depending on the club) then, in the case above, the fade wind would take over and bring the ball back to the right.

[Lowenberger]

Aug 26, 2015 17:59:53 GMT -5 Brighttail said:

Wind has changed in the game a few times since Doyley's chart came out. In my experience the wind has gotten stronger, especially the tail wind which used to be where you minused 75%. Now it can be minusing as much at 150%.

The other thing that has changed with the wind is when you use fade/draw on a shot. Before the changes you could use a draw against a fade wind and it would hold the line all the way to the end. Now it holds for about 75-85% of the way (depending on the club) then, in the case above, the fade wind would take over and bring the ball back to the right.

Interesting observation.  I've only had the game a few weeks, but  I do find that tailwinds are a lot harder to gauge distances on than headwinds. 

Do you guys think the effect of increases in wind speed is relative or exponential?  It seems to me that the difference between a 6 and a 9 mph wind isn't too substantial, but the difference between a 14 and 17 mph can be pretty big. 

[dh-nufc]

Aug 28, 2015 11:35:09 GMT -5 Lowenberger said:

Aug 26, 2015 17:59:53 GMT -5 Brighttail said:

Wind has changed in the game a few times since Doyley's chart came out. In my experience the wind has gotten stronger, especially the tail wind which used to be where you minused 75%. Now it can be minusing as much at 150%.

The other thing that has changed with the wind is when you use fade/draw on a shot. Before the changes you could use a draw against a fade wind and it would hold the line all the way to the end. Now it holds for about 75-85% of the way (depending on the club) then, in the case above, the fade wind would take over and bring the ball back to the right.

Interesting observation.  I've only had the game a few weeks, but  I do find that tailwinds are a lot harder to gauge distances on than headwinds. 

Do you guys think the effect of increases in wind speed is relative or exponential?  It seems to me that the difference between a 6 and a 9 mph wind isn't too substantial, but the difference between a 14 and 17 mph can be pretty big. 

Maybe, my adjustments for wind seem to go all wrong when they get above about 15MPH. I just can't work them out. Normally I do well in higher winds but when it gets really high it seems to be inconsistent.

[popojay6903]

Aug 26, 2015 17:59:53 GMT -5 Brighttail said:

Wind has changed in the game a few times since Doyley's chart came out. In my experience the wind has gotten stronger, especially the tail wind which used to be where you minused 75%. Now it can be minusing as much at 150%.

The other thing that has changed with the wind is when you use fade/draw on a shot. Before the changes you could use a draw against a fade wind and it would hold the line all the way to the end. Now it holds for about 75-85% of the way (depending on the club) then, in the case above, the fade wind would take over and bring the ball back to the right.

This actually is more realistic to me on crosswinds than holding straight from launch to landing. Cutting or drawing a shot to hold straight against the wind would have a lesser effect as the forward velocity of the ball decreases. Assuming the wind was consistent the during the ball's entire flight, of course. I'm no engineer, but once the forward acceleration of the ball stops (when the trajectory peaks), the relative force of the wind on the ball increases, right?

[Brighttail]

Nov 21, 2015 15:41:54 GMT -5 popojay6903 said:

Aug 26, 2015 17:59:53 GMT -5 Brighttail said:

Wind has changed in the game a few times since Doyley's chart came out. In my experience the wind has gotten stronger, especially the tail wind which used to be where you minused 75%. Now it can be minusing as much at 150%.

The other thing that has changed with the wind is when you use fade/draw on a shot. Before the changes you could use a draw against a fade wind and it would hold the line all the way to the end. Now it holds for about 75-85% of the way (depending on the club) then, in the case above, the fade wind would take over and bring the ball back to the right.

This actually is more realistic to me on crosswinds than holding straight from launch to landing. Cutting or drawing a shot to hold straight against the wind would have a lesser effect as the forward velocity of the ball decreases. Assuming the wind was consistent the during the ball's entire flight, of course. I'm no engineer, but once the forward acceleration of the ball stops (when the trajectory peaks), the relative force of the wind on the ball increases, right?

Not saying it was a bad thing, just saying it is something that has changed and we have had to adapt to.

[SimonPaterson]

Aug 23, 2015 21:17:59 GMT -5 blackaces13 said:

I've found the long irons, especially when you uploft them, can get up to around 200%. Then I'd say from the 5 to the PW the conventional 150% usually works. For normal SW and LW shots it is closer to 1:1 ratio, and it might be even less with the LW.

I also use 1:1 for tailwinds, though I think the conventional wisdom says it's less. In my experience 1:1 for tails works.

[Deleted]

Aug 24, 2015 14:19:39 GMT -5 magic8796 said:

Thanks for the replies!  As for quartering winds, I read in another thread where someone actually did the math (dust off the old pythagorean theorom!) and it works out to about a 1.43 to 1 ratio for wind at a 45 degree angle.  So as an example: if you're facing North and you have a 14 mph wind coming from NE to SW, that would be equal to a headwind of about 10 mph and a right to left crosswind of about 10 mph.  For wind directions other than a 45 degree angle, just tweak the 1.43 to 1 ratio accordingly.  I've used this math in my head for a few rounds and it seems to be fairly accurate.

I've played this game since the beginning but trying to improve, so getting the correct carry distance is key.  I've always played a bit less than the amount of wind when 45 degree headwind unless over 10 MPH and then I start to hit about 1-1 ratio.  I'm confused about the 1.43.  If you are playing into a 14 MPH 45 degree headwind and you are saying that 10 MPH is the correct wind adjustment, then 10 is 71.4% of 14.  How do you use in quick calculations the 1.43?   Are you using .76?  Also, if a pure headwind is 200%, which would be 28 MPH adjustment?  Then when is the adjustment 1:1 on a 45 degree headwind?  For me, these winds are the toughest to play in, not only for distance control, but also for shot direction adjustment, so really appreciate this discussion.  :-)

[ErixonStone]

Let's say you want to carry 180 yards and there's a 10 MPH wind between 7 and 8 o'clock.

Take 10 MPH and divide by 1.41. That's about 7. Then adjust based on that amount of wind in your face. Maybe for 4-irons, you add 180% of headwind speed, so 7 x 1.8 = 12.6. Add that to your carry yardage to get 192.6 yds.