New iPhone Application - The Wind Meter

Gone are the days of licking your finger to gauge wind direction as are the days of ripping chucks of grass and throwing them towards the sky to measure wind speed.

Now Gauging wind direction and wind speed is as simple as downloading a 99 cent application to your iPhone. The developers, goingApps, have created an application that uses the phones microphone to measure wind speed. Initial, scientific reports and reviews have called it remarkably accurate, even when side by side comparison with an anemometer.

One user posted this review:
"Was at Seaside on the weekend and a guy had the app. We put it up next to a wind meter and it was only off from the wind meter by 1 mph--pretty impressed."

In an interview with Robert Diller, goingApps marketing manager, I asked him about the use of the application within the rules of golf.

"As per R&A and USGA rules we are confident that the Wind Meter can be used during all regular play, practice rounds and 'before' tournaments. As the user locates the highest wind reading by moving the meter into the wind, it also helps the user to ascertain from where the wind is coming in relation to their standing position."

The application is easy to use. Hit the "Get Wind" button and rotate the phone to get direct wind blowing into the microphone (bottom of the phone). The phone provides average wind speed in MPH. There is a convert button that will show the wind in other speed measurements like KPH, KNOTS, etc.

On the range, I started tracking wind speeds and how it affected distance. A rule of thumb I used to live by, was 5 yards shorter/longer in a 10 MPH wind. (This is a rough rule since club head speed and trajectory plays a role too) I am honing in on a more definitive rules to live by. Getting a better gauge on how wind effects the ball should prevent my scores ballooning to high on those windy days.

Conclusion: For $1 this little app will give you more data and things to take into consideration for your shot/club selection. I give it a giant wet thumbs up!

A complete description and video of the application in use can be found at www.windapp.com. "Wind Meter" can be obtained at Apple iTunes APP store by searching for "Wind Meter". This app is designed primarily for G3 iPhones.