Downwind Par 3s

[Sats]

I'm a member of a links course and there is a par 3 that is 170 yards from the yellows to the centre. Some days I've hit a 9 and been long and I've hit a wood and been short - The weather plays a huge part. What I've learnt to do is to know when to knock a low one in (doesn't help if you're avoiding a bunker) or using the wind or fighting it (Fade/draw/wind helping - This doesn't always go to plan I might add!) either way this game is hard.

 

[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

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:

no problem - golf in the wind never easy for sure

should you try the points in the first post include this following *edit piece in the info - in answering originally from lounge in LAX was in a tad of a hurry before flight

*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

 

[GreggerKBR]

Coach is spot on!

If you are interested in the science and explanations join the Trackman university online and do the modules on wind, it's actually really interesting. Into a headwind hurts a lot more than with wind helps. Because of drag & lift.

But basically he's spot on, when going downwind you must to launch it higher once you've allowed for elevation/wind/distance and club selection.

(unless you can use the lower trajectory and a lower spin/launch to run it in links golf style of course).

 

[mikejohnchapman]

Coach is spot on!

If you are interested in the science and explanations join the Trackman university online and do the modules on wind, it's actually really interesting. Into a headwind hurts a lot more than with wind helps. Because of drag & lift.

But basically he's spot on, when going downwind you must to launch it higher once you've allowed for elevation/wind/distance and club selection.

(unless you can use the lower trajectory and a lower spin/launch to run it in links golf style of course).

I wonder if the dimple patterns on modern balls also make a difference? They seem to offer a more stable flight than older balls and try to minimise side spin. I guess this could have an impact on a spinning ball downwind.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I tend to hit one less, swing easier (as I was told from my junior days) and wait for the inevitable drop in the breeze and watch it drop into one of the front bunkers

 

[Dasit]

I play a very windy course, always some kind of gale blowing


Hitting punch shots is a great help. Down wind the ball is not too affected unless you hit massive high drives, which can add a lot of yardage. If you have a 15mph down wind, 160 yard to the flag and usually carry a 7 iron that, hit an 8 iron and it will be a similar ball flight. ,