Joshnosh:
ive been trying to find a way of calculating the wind left and right of the hole to et it closer, how do people do this so far atm im writing down the distance to the whole and the wind strength and direction then using a ruler to measure in millimeters how far to aim.
anyone do anything like this or is it just a feel thing?
I think you have asked a great question, and not everyone seems to understand it the way I think you mean. I calculate wind affect on the ball based upon my own system and it's complicated, but what I think you are asking is how to measure the distance perpendicular to the hole, and I have just been estimating it but the flagstick idea is awesome and I am sure that is important to real pros. Since the flagstick is 7 feet tall, you could make a reasonable estimate of how far to adjust your aim for however you calculate how many yards it will move the ball.
I agree with someone who said it changes in many different ways. The higher up a ball is the wind is stronger. So a high trajectory driver's shot is affected more. Shorter shots are both in the air a shorter time, but they are also lower down and any trees will be giving some protection from the wind. At least in real life that is true.
Also, as I pointed out in another thread I strarted on Wind, in real life wind affects the ball slightly less when it is going with the wind than when it is going against the wind. Another thing I take into consideration is that a 10 MPH wind affects a ball less than half as much as a 20 MPH wind, and a 30 MPH wind will affect the ball much more than three times as much as a 10 MPH wind. If you graphed it it would be one of those curves which go up faster and faster until it is going straight up. At some point the ball would goalmost the same speed as the wind and be flying and never come down for miles and miles out to sea.Or crash into the windows of the club house.
St Andrews clearly demonstrated this to me over and over that the software models this factor.
I cannot imagine getting a ruler out and measuring, but the flagstick as a "yardstick" of severn yards is clearly the way to go for me. Thanks to whoever pointed that out. I agree one should err towards caution on many holes where the cup is too close to a bunker, but other holes invite attempt at holing out.