WIND! Using/fighting/understanding it

[armiller]

I'm really loving the tips on this site. So here's another question from a relatively new player.

I play in Oklahoma, so wind is a major factor. I've noticed a number of things with the wind just by practicing, and they generally make sense. E.g. I almost never turn my Buzzz over UNLESS there's a decent wind (headwind or maybe diagonal). Likewise, I throw a beat-up Predator for forehand drives, and it will turn over in similar winds. I also hear about wind lifting putts or causing them to dive, but I haven't experienced this much.

Of course, I try to make some adjustments when I notice what the wind is doing. Nevertheless, I'm trying to get some pointers from more experienced folks. I particularly struggle on midrange approach shots. I'll try to figure out what the wind is doing, choose my strategy, and then throw. It seems I very rarely make the right choice. I usually make an adjustment and throw my other midrange disc, which is ALWAYS better even though the stability is different (I've been carrying a Hornet and Buzzz). I figure this is good for practice, but it's also making me realize that I don't really understand what the wind is doing or how to take it into consideration (particularly for cross winds). I suppose this applies to drives as well, but I notice it more in my midrange game because it's much better than my "off-the-tee" game at this point.

Thanks for any general tips and points you guys have learned from experience!

 

[Halcón]

Welcome to the site!

Read up, and good luck when playing in the wind.

http://www.discraft.com/res_wind06_p1.html

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/search.php?searchid=7157367

 

[armiller]

Aha! I did a wind search too but didn't know how to limit it to the right forums. Thank you sir.

 

[slowplastic]

Discs care about air speed, not ground speed. If there is a headwind, your disc will think it is moving at throw speed + wind speed. It will act more understable or like you gave it to somebody who throws 50' further than you, for example. So imagine what it would do if you gave it to a bigger armed friend, but with less predictability. In a tailwind it will act as disc speed - wind speed, and also get pushed downwards a bit. So imagine you took some power off your shot...expect more fade. Throwing a slower disc in tailwind will make it easier to still get up to its ideal speed.

In crosswinds, whenever the wind can get under the disc's flight plate it will carry it. So either don't expose the flight plate to that direction of wind if you want to avoid craziness. Or...use it to your advantage to let the wind really carry the disc or have an OS disc fight a left to right wind to have it ride out for a longer distance.