Making the Wind Your Friend
by Jeff Perry

Most likely in your competitive endeavors, you have experienced conditions in which the wind appears to change direction and velocity with rabidity and in seemingly unpredictable ways. I remember one particularly awful performance of mine that happened about a million years ago in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. During a 49r’s half time show, strong gusty winds mixed with rain caused me to take drastic and ultimately futile measures. Rather than use the Fastback discs to which I was accustomed, I elected to use golf discs (years before discs like the Jawz became available). I reasoned that golf discs would be the only way to penetrate the swirling 30-40 mph gusts. The end result was an ugly personal spectacle that I vowed never to repeat. The four of us who performed that day had a tough time of it for sure, but one individual rose above the conditions … by staying under them. The individual that I am referring to, who performed with a small dog, kept his throws low to the ground, and close in. Whether by luck, or by design, this team found the only safe zone in the stadium … the area not more than two feet above the ground. The lesson that I learned that day, was to be prepared to make extreme (but not extremely stupid) adjustments when the conditions are extreme.

For any performance or competition, it is helpful to think of the wind in micro-meteorological terms. Wind doesn’t just blow. It blows over, around and through things accelerating, rising, and falling, in ways that are more predictable than you might think. If you have ever seen currents in a river make small eddies and ripples, then you can imagine that air behaves in a similar way when it moves around or over objects.

Turbulence may result from the passage of the wind over nearby structures or trees.  Occasionally those structures may provide an exploitable break from the wind as a boulder in a river might make a calm eddy. Or, they may create down drafts and dead areas that will make you want to cry out for your mother. Be aware of your surroundings. Use your knowledge of the micro-meterological effects that trees, buildings and terrain create to your advantage. It is pretty well established that top competitors endeavor to wind-proof their routines. But anyone can stack the odds in their favor by carefully observing the impact of the wind on the competitors who take the field first. These “wind dummies” (a name that is affectionately given to hang glider pilots who are the first to fly on a particularly rowdy day) can show you the path to follow when its your turn to take the field. But you have to be observant and apply what you have learned.

Avoid following the pack, especially if the pack is being trounced by the wind gods. Instead, make your own way. You may be able to concentrate your activities in an area of the competition field that is shielded from the wind by nearby structures. Or perhaps an open section of the field will prove to be better because it might not be as affected by the turbulence associated with the movement of wind over trees or objects. Since we can’t see the wind, we have to visualize its movement by observing the effect it has on the discs we throw. Prior to competing, get out on the field and throw from each part of the field in various directions. This should help you establish the best location to perform as well as tell you what adjustments to make to ensure maximum success.

At one of the windiest World Finals ever, during the mini-distance round, I chose to throw into the wind. The wind was so strong that I was practically scraping the outside edge of the disc on the ground because of the copious amount of hyzer required to keep the disc from turning over in the gale. I was about the only competitor that threw into the wind that day. Not coincidentally, I had the highest score in the round for my efforts. If you can’t make good throws into the wind with lots of hyzer, that doesn’t mean that you should choose not to throw into the wind. It means you should learn to throw with more hyzer! You might also elect to use a heavier disc like the Jawz or Jawz X-Comp. You would never want to throw a heavier disc, like the Jawz, downwind. But throwing into the wind means that even heavier discs will float longer, and your dog will not have to run as fast to catch up to your throws.

If the wind is a crosswind, be sure to adjust your delivery so that your throws do not carry off of the field of play. It shouldn’t take more than one bad throw to convince you of the need to make adjustments. Your ultimate goal should be consistent, predictable results in any conditions that may occur.

It goes without saying that practice makes perfect. But make sure that you practice in all wind and weather conditions. Deliberately choose those awful windy and rainy days and do your best to make the best out of the conditions present. Competitions can be won by the best prepared teams as easily as they can be won by the most athletic teams.

Finally, know when to leave a difficult trick out of your routine. If the wind is gusting to thirty miles per hour and the discs are wet with rain, you may want to skip your “spinning triple wifferdill with the half monty delivery.”

Make the wind your friend and you will have the confidence it takes to excel when others falter.