Mastering the Wind, page 2, continued from page 1

Let's try the same shot with a different wind: CD.

In the case of a right to left headwind (CD, fig. 3), a less stable disc can be thrown with hyzer on a much shallower arc. It must be kept low and allowed to straighten. A more stable disc with anhyzer will turn over slightly in the wind and then hook sharply back at the end of its flight. In both cases it is important to keep the line a little lower than normal. Watch out for the skip at the end of the flight because the wind pushes will be enhancing the natural right to left of the discs flight; the edge of the disc will "open up" to the wind as it slows. Step up to a slightly more overstable disc than you'd choose for normal wind conditions.

A left to right headwind (CB, fig. 4) calls for stronger measures. Try to avoid any anhyzer shots with less than an exceptionally overstable disc. If the wind is weak enough to allow an overstable disc to be thrown flat, it is probably the best choice. The other option is a less stable disc with hyzer. The hyzer will cause the disc to drop. If not enough hyzer is used and the disc flies anhyzer it will probably carry wide right.

A left to right tailwind (AB) is one of my favorites. With this wind it is possible to throw a much slower and less stable disc farther. The crosswind will lift the disc and push it right while the tail wind carries it along. It is very easy to overdrive a shorter hole unless the disc's speed is stepped down (maybe opt for a midrange).

The hyzer shot with this wind will act more overstable than normal and drop faster as well. A lot more arm is necessary to throw the hyzer in these conditions. The less stable disc will be the best choice no matter which direction you choose to fly.

So far all the examples we've talked about are for flat field shots. Wind presents a few extra challenges when throwing around wind blocks and over hills.

Picture a car in a wind tunnel test (fig. 7). Think of how the smoke follows the contour of whatever it is passing over. As the smoke hits the windshield it changes direction and moves upward.

Now, imagine that this car body is a hill and you are standing on top throwing down toward the hood. The wind currents will act as a headwind. Try to follow the contour of the hill if it is a long shot. The up flow will help to lift the disc until it reaches the bottom of the hill (fig. 8).

Turn this shot around and throw towards the trunk of the car. The wind will be blocked by the body of the hill, creating a dead spot on the down slope. Although it may feel like a huge tail wind where you stand, it will actually be almost a normal downhill shot.

What will the wind do to your disc if you are driving from further back on the hill (fig 8a)? Right. It will encounter an almost vertical rise at the crest of the hill. Here are two strategies to help dump elevation: 1. Use a less stable disc wide left and let the anhyzer dump elevation (this works best for longer shots). 2. Use a more stable disc to the right and let the hyzer dump elevation (this works best on shorter shots).

At the end of their respective flights, #1 will finish with a flight or a roll while #2 will be a hyzer spike. Remember that any time the disc is not parallel to the ground, you will be dumping elevation.

Continued... next page (page 1 | 2 | 3)