The Wind Shot Review

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The Wind Shot Golf Gauge

Grade: C
Teacher’s Comments: It is good at what it does, but I don’t know how useful it is in the long run.

Even the most casual golfer knows that wind has an effect on club and shot selection. If you have played seriously for any length of time, you probably also know how a one-, two-, or three-club wind feels, and how far left or right to aim in crosswinds. The general rule is to go up or down one club for every 10 mph of wind.

If you’re not comfortable estimating wind speed, the Wind Shot may just be the device you need. It consists of a small round plastic gauge with a pull out thread and bobber. You hold the device level with the thread extended and observe how it drifts in the wind. Color coding on the gauge indicates how many clubs to adjust.

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Simplicity.

The Wind Shot, however, will not help with one of the biggest problems with the wind: what is happening ABOVE ground level. On the tree-lined course I play in Michigan, air is often still at ground level, and quite active across the treetops. To accurately gauge a shot, players need to observe the treetops and make judgments about the wind speed a hundred or more feet in the air. For this, you need to be aware of how much wind is required to move branches. For details on that, check out my post on judging the wind here.

On the other hand, if you play on treeless courses, you may get more use out of it.

A couple of concerns: First, it can’t possibly be tournament legal. Second, you have to be very careful to hold it level to get a good read. And finally, in the wrong hands, it could result in unnecessary delays on the course. I can picture people digging around in their pockets or bags, trying to find the device, then fiddling with it every which way to try to get a reading. Those are the same numbskulls who spend five minutes on a green plumb-bobbing their putting lines.

The good news is that this is a pretty cheap gadget, and it might help you get over the wind learning curve.

 

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