Downwind Par 3s

[Qwerty]

1-2 club wind, Centre pin, bunker protecting the Front.
What do you take? Club up ? Club Down? Reg' club for the yardage?

I played a lot of golf last week and had this Scenario 3x times and made the same mistake 3x times.
3 different courses, Distances ranging from 145 - 165yrds to the pin with approx 10-15 Yrds to the front bunker.

Each time I took the 'Reg club for the yardage' option and every time it was well struck, right at the pin but 10- 15 Yrds short and in the front bunker.

Ive played the game for some time but I've never known the wind knock the ball down like this, maybe I've only just learnt this with it happening on consecutive days with exactly the same outcome.

Is this right? Is it just something I've missed previously?

 

[Macster]

You may have played the Regular club for the yardage, but subconciously, hit it a lot easier as you expected the wind to take it, hence why you came up short.......

Me - I'd take less club and swing the same, - a softer hit would result in less spin and perhaps more run on the gfreen anyway.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Club down, usual swing.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

My course seems to have headwinds or tail winds. Never cross winds. I stick to club up or down, how much depending on the strength of the wind, and desperately try to keep the tempo the same. I've not had the experience you did, I've always found the wind carries it on if behind. We may hit it differently, different ball flights etc which may explain things.

 

[garyinderry]

I'd take a club less and hit it hard.

Not sure I've experienced the ball being knocked out as you say.

Wind behind = more carry usually

 

[fundy]

I'd take a club less and hit it hard.

Not sure I've experienced the ball being knocked out as you say.

Wind behind = more carry usually

this club or two less, hit it hard and high

 

[huds1475]

I think ive seen it before, but usually its with wind from behind & across rather than straight downwind.

Don't have a good answer though. I usuall just sulk a little then move on!

 

[Capella]

I take the same club but tee it up a bit higher to get a slightly higher ballflight downwind or lower if I hit it into wind. I've found in the past that wind from the back, even though it should be helping, can actually sometimes knock my ball out of the air short if I keep it low. Almost as if the wind pushes it down a bit.

 

[patricks148]

i play a lot in the wind and you do sometimes get the ball knocked down downwind, mostly with wedges i've noticed.

not aways though, i tens to take what ever club less the wind is and hit it normal.

 

[Qwerty]

I'd take a club less and hit it hard.

Not sure I've experienced the ball being knocked out as you say.

Wind behind = more carry usually

I would've said exactly the same before last week Gaz.
On two of the three occasions I was 1st up, my PPs (decent players who hit a similar distance to me) Both asked what Id taken after seeing it was a decent strike and promptly returned to their bags to club up before putting it Pin High.

sorry for 'coursedropping' but I had 170 with the pin behind the bunker and 155 to the face of the bunker. I hit 7i well - Normally 160yrds. I was going to go with 8i, and put it in the bunker.

My yardage estimates were miles out, I was trying to ensure I was totally taking the
front bunkers out of play as they were severe and ballsed up every time after middling it.

 

[garyinderry]

I have no answer for this but to point to the thousands of times the wind helps your shots.

Maybe a slight elevation change that wasn't immediately obvious.

 

[Khamelion]

Playing the other day, slight tail win to a 160yds pin, took my 8 iron, struck it well 160yds easy, walked up to the green must have been a 170yds carry, when I got to the ball 20yds past the green for 180yds off the back of the green, had to chip on from 30yds, couldn't believe the 190yds I hit my 8 iron, chipped on and single putt for par, but I've never hit an 8 iron 200yds before.

 

[patricks148]

I would've said exactly the same before last week Gaz.
On two of the three occasions I was 1st up, my PPs (decent players who hit a similar distance to me) Both asked what Id taken after seeing it was a decent strike and promptly returned to their bags to club up before putting it Pin High.

sorry for 'coursedropping' but I had 170 with the pin behind the bunker and 155 to the face of the bunker. I hit 7i well - Normally 160yrds. I was going to go with 8i, and put it in the bunker.

My yardage estimates were miles out, I was trying to ensure I was totally taking the
front bunkers out of play as they were severe and ballsed up every time after middling it.

thats not downwind though is it???

can see the flag blowing left to right, if you ended up in that bunker it was hit on the wrong line for that wind or not that well hit

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I would've said exactly the same before last week Gaz.
On two of the three occasions I was 1st up, my PPs (decent players who hit a similar distance to me) Both asked what Id taken after seeing it was a decent strike and promptly returned to their bags to club up before putting it Pin High.

sorry for 'coursedropping' but I had 170 with the pin behind the bunker and 155 to the face of the bunker. I hit 7i well - Normally 160yrds. I was going to go with 8i, and put it in the bunker.

My yardage estimates were miles out, I was trying to ensure I was totally taking the
front bunkers out of play as they were severe and ballsed up every time after middling it.

Course dropping :rofl:

Play the hole properly, aim left and run it on :ears:

 

[the_coach]

once the tailwind is directly down the ball flight & it’s more than a very slight breeze - any shot with any club is goin to fly lower & a tad further also along the ground than they would in flat calm

it’s just physics of ball speed - air flow - lift - drag - tailwind speed

on a flat calm day the ball speed = to the air flow it’s traveling into

with a tailwind the ball speed is always greater than the airflow it’s traveling into so there is less lift created with more drag so ball always flies lower

best ways to approach a tailwind is approx as a very loose guide every extra mph of tailwind will have the ball travel 2 to 3 yards more

optimum type of shot to hit would be taking a judgement on tailwind speed & club down (but up numerically) so say hit 8i instead of 7i but with the ‘norm’ swing speed - but also knowing the ball will always fly lower because of less lift adjust set-up slightly in order to launch the 8i a tad higher by having it a tad further forwards in the stance - then also taking into account that a ball further forwards in the stance with a norm swing put on it the club head on the arc of travel will be arriving later in the arc so moving leftfield a tad - so initial target line is goin to need also be a tad more leftfield

with practice & use you get a ball that carries to target area but is landing steeper so stops

if you try the opposite way a knock down shot the ball will fly even lower than on a calm day so land shorter but run out a whole bunch more - which is a bunch more difficult to gauge tends to lead to more ball short of target because of the fear of hitting too much or sailing on & running out into trouble back of green

 

[Qwerty]

thats not downwind though is it???

can see the flag blowing left to right, if you ended up in that bunker it was hit on the wrong line for that wind or not that well hit

Thats a standard photo of the hole, not a photo taken on the day.

On the day The pin was tucked behind the bunker, Straight downwind, 7i Nailed straight at it :thup:

 

[garyinderry]

I was just about to say you can't take that flag direction as gospel for the wind direction as it can flutter and may point differently in the next frame had that been a still from a video.

Anyway that's a sucker of a pin both in the picture and the one you attacked.

 

[the_coach]

*edit for hurried typo in post #15 - adjust target line to be a tad more rightfield as the tad forwards ball position to hit it higher has impact later in the arc of travel so clubhead traveling more leftfield at point of contact

 

[Junior]

I know what you mean mate. What I find is that if a hole is downwind, it is usually coming slightly down and off the right or left, never 100% directly behind. Therefore if it is down and off the left and you hit a draw, it can come up short as you are hitting it ever so slightly into the wind. Same with if its down and off the right and you hit a fade. I tend to club up and hit it hard but try to ride the wind a bit. Or just aim away from the trouble !!!!

 

[Qwerty]

once the tailwind is directly down the ball flight & it’s more than a very slight breeze - any shot with any club is goin to fly lower & a tad further also along the ground than they would in flat calm

it’s just physics of ball speed - air flow - lift - drag - tailwind speed

on a flat calm day the ball speed = to the air flow it’s traveling into

with a tailwind the ball speed is always greater than the airflow it’s traveling into so there is less lift created with more drag so ball always flies lower

best ways to approach a tailwind is approx as a very loose guide every extra mph of tailwind will have the ball travel 2 to 3 yards more

optimum type of shot to hit would be taking a judgement on tailwind speed & club down (but up numerically) so say hit 8i instead of 7i but with the ‘norm’ swing speed - but also knowing the ball will always fly lower because of less lift adjust set-up slightly in order to launch the 8i a tad higher by having it a tad further forwards in the stance - then also taking into account that a ball further forwards in the stance with a norm swing put on it the club head on the arc of travel will be arriving later in the arc so moving leftfield a tad - so initial target line is goin to need also be a tad more leftfield

with practice & use you get a ball that carries to target area but is landing steeper so stops

if you try the opposite way a knock down shot the ball will fly even lower than on a calm day so land shorter but run out a whole bunch more - which is a bunch more difficult to gauge tends to lead to more ball short of target because of the fear of hitting too much or sailing on & running out into trouble back of green

Cheers Coach, much appreciated.
It doesn't add up with what I experienced but what I experienced x3 doesn't add up either.
It may of been some weird Fife voodoo downdraught. All I know is I flushed it x3 and the ball should've been pin high or long.

I'll get over it.... eventually :thup: