Wind

Do you think playing in 30-50 mph wind makes you a better player??? Or is it a waste of time?

[mongo]

dont know but it was still fun today21-45mph

[Gabe]

I wouldnt go as far as making you a better player in general but, definitely better player in those conditions.

[John McMullen]

Good time to practice. I had to play in winds like that at CO States this year. Practice helped keep my score competitive.

[mark ellis]

Good players can play well in bad wind. It may seem impossible but it is not. You will be shocked when you see it firsthand. If you throw flat and clean you still maintain a degree of control. The only way to learn the wind is to play the wind.

If you want to find out how flat and clean you throw, throw in big wind. Wind don't lie. Then watch a good Pro. He or she won't guess right every time but they will guess right a lot of the time. Nothing separates skill levels like big wind.

There is no doubt a point where a small plastic disc has no chance against wind. I guess once a disc will not come to rest and remain in one spot (it just blows away) then the game is no longer viable. The biggest wind I played in was somewhere around 60mph gusts (so the weather report claimed the next day) and the game was difficult but still viable at that stage.

Disc golf is risk or reward. Wind makes the risks greater. Big wind is fun. Big wind is a great training tool.

[AuSSie]

I enjoy playing in the wind. Here is Western Australia we get what is called the Fremantle Doctor it is a strong breeze that blows over the ocean and blows away all the heat if the day. When this comes in which is nearly every afternoon it blows over the course so if we go for any round in the afternoon we are always playing with a strong breeze i shot my course PB in strong wind

[Russell Gore]

YES IT DOES!
I just won the Jessimine County Cup(Nicholasville Ky) this past weekend because I play in the wind every chance I get.I had a huge advantage over 90% of the field. I heard people whining and crying the whole day because it was too windy. It wasn't but about 20-25 mph winds. I played this past September when Hurricane Ike came through Ky. and destroyed half the state. That was 60 -75 mph winds and that was even playable to an extent. Putting was sort of out of the question but you could still rip one through the wind.
THROW OVERSTABLE IN A HEAD WIND, AND PUT HYZER ON IT! Also put all your understable discs in your car and forget about them, they will only get you in trouble!
It will fly nice and straight and give you a lot of control for the situation.

So once again YES it does make you a better player. You never know when the day may come that you are in a tournament and the wind starts and continues to get worse as the day progresses. So if you want to be one of the whiners who don't know, than stay away from wind! Otherwise practice in it as much as you can and you can win when everyone else can't!

[Tino "SilverBack" Medina]

it will help teach you how to play in those situations, but a great wind player may not be a great "calm day" player so I dont think this would you a better player in that sense, but a better all around player maybe.

[nitegolfer]

Playing in as many different conditions will help. Gives you the mental edge of having been there already and the experience to make better educated decisions about shot and disc selection.

[CBass]

It will definitely prepare you for a tournament round where everyone has to endure the conditions just the same. You can do some fun things in the wind that might not be possible otherwise. I like finding BIIIIIG hyzer routes where the wind can help me perform superhuman throws. Best one so far is a hole at a local course where the wind helps me hang a shot out, around and over a 425' long stand of 50' spruce trees. That might not explain it well enough, but without the wind it is virtually impossible. The angle off the tee and the distance to carry is extreme, the wind grabs the disc and pulls it back up and over everything, landing it in the vicinity of the basket. I might get closer going the conventional route to the pin, but its nice to be able to tell others about the shot, or even show them when the conditions are right...

[DC ( DISCFUNCTIONAL CHRIS )]

i played the ice bowl last year at ashtabula ohio course, it was - 10 degrees with the wind chill, and 60 mile an hr wind gusts, i would like to say i played well....but that would be a lie !!! i did get frost bite on the tips of my ears though ! i couldnt get a drive to go anywear to save my life, LOL matter of fact i had one drive litterally come back at me and go over my head and land aprx 12 feet fom the last holes basket, i was so proud !! but having said that i will say this, there was some guys there throwing monster drives, i couldnt believe it, so as mark ellis said there is ways of dealing with these types of conditions, and it probably wouldnt be a bad thing to learn how, the throwing an overstable disc into the headwind with a hyzer sounds interesting i will have to give that a try, anyone else have any suggestions ? enquiring minds would like to know.

[Travis Lhotak]

I think any play time is never a waste and playing in the wind is necessary to learn the wind, tailwind,headwinds,crosswinds discs react differently in all different winds so you need to play in all conditions to learn the flight in wind,again, its never a waste

[Brandon Swanson]

I think the biggest factor you gain playing in those conditions casually is confidence competing in the same conditions. I think when the wind is really whipping you have to learn to let go of controlling the round a bit or you will get frustrated and make mistakes, either pushing too hard or getting timid.

I think Mark talked about "guessing the wind." and that is a great way to describe it. When you play in the wind enough and try different things in it, you learn from that what a disc does in those situations and those particular release angles. Then when you compete in the future you use what you've learned and try to guess the amount of wind effect and then let go of the disc confidently. Maybe you'll have to re-adjust, but then you'll know for the next throw.

When in a competition, know that everyone has to deal with the same circumstances. Also know that 90% of golfers (in am divisions) get shaken mentally by the wind. When you've practiced in it, you start to feel it is a secret weapon you have on the field. Your confidence then rises. Make sure to not neglect putting in different wind directions and learn that as well as your drives. This is what tends to get me, I start second guessing my putts. Know how wind effects your putts and then make your adjustments and putt confidently.

Watch people who tee before you and what they are throwing, then make adjustments. You often see the whole card turn their drives over into a headwind, or have their disc fade out too soon on a tailwind throw. Use the knowledge of their throws to your advantage when possible, because of course if you learn the wind, on a windy day you'll have the box a good portion of the time! :-)