| Once you have swung your golf club: whether it is | | | | 2. Wind speed and ball speed |
| your golf driver, pitching wedge, or one of your | | | | Of course the direction of the wind in relation to |
| other golf clubs, to send the ball hurtling down the | | | | the direction of travel of the ball is one factor to |
| fairway the golf ball becomes an object in flight | | | | consider; the other factor is the speed or |
| and is subject to the laws of aerodynamics. One | | | | strength of the wind. It makes sense that the |
| of the most influential components of how and in | | | | stronger the wind is the faster it is travelling and |
| what direction your ball flies as it heads down the | | | | therefore the greater its affect will be on the ball. |
| fairway is the wind. Let's take a brief look at how | | | | Push something harder and it moves further! If |
| the wind influences the golf ball in flight... | | | | the wind is hitting the ball from any angle from |
| An object in flight, be it an aeroplane, a bird, a | | | | the front you can expect the ball to both be |
| stone, or in our case a golf ball, is subject to | | | | pushed off course and to slow down. However, |
| several different forces acting upon it. The | | | | these two things are slightly opposite. For any |
| problem with a golf ball is that once it has left | | | | given wind speed or force, if the wind is more |
| your club face it has no steering ability; except | | | | from the front the direction changes less than if |
| perhaps for what you have done to it during your | | | | the wind is more from the side BUT the ball will |
| golf swing. Let us ignore other factors such as ball | | | | slow down more with the frontal wind than it will |
| spin and ball design and concentrate solely on how | | | | with the side wind. A similar principal applies when |
| the wind affects the flight of the ball. | | | | the wind comes from behind the golf ball. |
| 1. Wind direction in relation to the ball | | | | 3. The distance the ball needs to travel |
| Assuming there is some wind blowing, a ball | | | | The third factor to consider is how far the ball |
| moving directly into the wind can usually maintain | | | | needs to travel. The longer time the ball is in the |
| its direction. The wind is acting on the front of the | | | | air the greater the influence of the wind acting on |
| object symmetrically so the direction of travel will | | | | it. Under the same wind conditions of direction and |
| not change significantly. The same is true if the | | | | strength, if you are making a 100 yard pitch shot |
| wind is directly behind the ball. The difference | | | | the correction required will be less than if you are |
| between these two is that a ball heading into wind | | | | making a 200 yard driver shot. |
| will eventually slow down (due to wind resistance | | | | 4. What does this mean when I play? |
| and drag) whereas a ball with the wind behind it | | | | These aerodynamic forces need to be taken into |
| may accelerate for a time and then slow down | | | | account whenever you play a golf shot and |
| due to other forces (such as drag). | | | | adjustments need to be made to compensate for |
| When the wind is at any angle to the direction of | | | | how the wind will affect the flight of the ball. |
| travel of the golf ball it will tend to push the ball | | | | Disregarding the intentional use of spin, which is |
| off course - the direction will change! How much | | | | somewhat more advanced, or the spin induced by |
| the ball is blown off course will depend on the | | | | the design of the golf ball, if you want to place |
| angle at which the wind is striking the ball. Starting | | | | the ball reasonably accurately feel the wind. Judge |
| from the front, i.e. ball heading directly into the | | | | the wind direction, angle, and strength in relation |
| wind, as the angle between the ball direction and | | | | to a line from your position to your target and |
| the wind direction increases to the side, the ball | | | | adjust your play accordingly. In general if the wind |
| will be pushed further off course in the opposite | | | | in coming towards you, i.e. you are hitting into |
| direction to the wind. If the wind is coming from | | | | wind, then the ball needs to go towards the wind |
| the right, the ball will be pushed left. The | | | | direction because it will be pushed away from the |
| maximum deflection of the ball can be expected | | | | wind direction in flight. If the wind is from behind |
| when the wind is directly from the side of the | | | | your position you need your ball to go to the |
| direction of travel of the ball, i.e. the angle is 90 | | | | same side as the wind. For example, if the wind is |
| degrees. Therefore, a ball heading North being hit | | | | from behind and the right, the ball needs to go to |
| by a wind from the East (moving to the west) | | | | the right as well. |
| will be pushed towards the North West (or to the | | | | With this basic knowledge of how the wind |
| left as you look from the back of the ball). | | | | affects your golf ball in flight you should be better |
| This also applies when the wind is behind the ball. | | | | equipped to start making the correct adjustments |
| However, since the ball and wind are both going in | | | | when you play. Practice combined with knowledge |
| the same direction you can expect the change in | | | | will produce better results. |
| direction to be less. | | | | |