If you play disc golf, you know that the most frustrating and most influencing weather issue you will face is strong wind. The wind can greatly affect your disc golf game both physically and mentally, but there are things you can do that will lessen the effect, and allow you to use it to your advantage. Sometimes specialty shots are needed to deal with tough situations.
The first thing you need to do is assess the wind conditions at the beginning of each hole. Look at the direction of the wind in relationship to the layout of the hole. The direction of the hole, the elevation of the area, and trees around the hole, these factors will vary the effect of the wind on your shots so your assessment will vary every hole because of the factors mentioned above.
The way to approach driving in disc golf into a headwind is to use an over stable disc and throw it as a flex shot with lots of snap. Try to keep the release low by keeping your throwing shoulder low at release.
Throwing approach shots into a headwind you should keep the disc on a nose down low flight path to maintain the most control. The more snap the better as this gives you more spin, lessening the winds affect.
Putting into a headwind is the toughest to overcome. Keep the disc low and nose down. If you get it up high, it will blow away from the basket.
A tailwind can be used to your advantage. Use a more under stable disc. Release the golf disc a little higher and let the air get under the disc and carry it. If you can throw a hyzer flip, this is the best place to use it. When throwing an approach with a strong tailwind, throw as you normally would, low and a lot of snap. Putting is also not affected much by a tailwind, if you keep the disc down.
A crosswind can also be used to your advantage if you allow for the affect. If it is blowing the direction your drive will normally turn, you need to allow the disc to turn father than normal. If it is blowing the opposite direction of your normal turn, you can allow for less turn at the end. This is the same for drives, approach shots and putting.
If you think of the wind as just something you have to deal with and not something that is going to ruin your round, and keep the mental part of the game strait, you can adjust to the wind and use it to your advantage. One of the things you will see if you watch the top pro’s, they know how to use the wind and not be defeated by it.
Sometimes you have to play in poor conditions and sometimes those conditions are a strong wind. Don’t let it get to you. Think about the shots and use the wind to help you so you can still score low, it can be done.
