cold temps and loss of yardage

[rollin]

Searched and didnt find any specific here so thought I'd ask.

I've looked over several articles and discussions on this topic. Some scientific and some opinion based. A ton of mixed info is the norm which means ther is no norm. Scientifcally seems that there should be a loss of about 1 yard per 2 to 3 degree temp drop. This does not ever state for which distance they are talking. It would seem obvious to me that a 130yrd shot would lose less yardage than a 260 yrd drive. My theory is the longer the shot, the more time in the air and the more affect of cold will have on how far the ball goes.

Some info people are stating of having to use at least one and also two extra iron legnths. Also some are saying drives can lose 10 to 20% in yards. In ither case it seems much more than what the science is saying about it. But again the science isnt stating anything about losing more on longer shots.

I know for me if its in the 50's vs 80* to 90* and damp morning farways I can easily lose 20 yards or more off my drives. If i am driving well and making good solid hits i will (in normal conditions) drive from low 160's to high 170's so lets say average 270. Again, thats average with very well struck balls and driver working very well that day.. But I find in the cold, even when i feel i've hit the ball really very well it may only be out there 250 or 240 or even less. So with that it seems like 20 yards or more of a loss is very realistic to me regardless of what the science is saying.

Now this could also be in part to me perhaps not reaching my club head speed due to my body being a bit stiff, not as lose etc... Does anything here sound wrong to you and whats your experience with this? Perhaps you dont lose much yardage at all or perhaps some you wll say you lose even more. Just like i found while searching the web, It seems to be all over the place with not much real average.

 

[Canadan]

I think ball compression and shaft bend both function differently in colder temperatures. This is about the time of year where I switch to a higher compression ball in order to get that mash factor up.

Also, the added bulk of winter gear plays a part in my books.. I club up at least one.

 

[Hawk]

I've honestly heard it all and have no clue where the truth really lies, rollin. It's been colder here lately and I've not really seen any drop off in dstance. A year ago I felt like it had an effect.

 

[Golf Ghost]

I played last week and it was 6 degrees Celsius out. Noticed about 20 yrds off of the driver and had to club up on irons. Though found 100 yrds and in to be uneffected or very little by the cold.

 

[FrancisD]

I'm glad you posted this. I just started playing a few months ago in the summer so I had never played in the cold before and the past few weeks I have been struggling with my distance especially with my driver when it has been low 50s high 40s. I thought I was doing something wrong, I usually hit my drives 220 - 240 and recently I have been walking up to the ball after I thought I hit the ball really well only to find a sub 200 drive.

 

[Hawk]

Around here I've noticed that most courses move their tees up when temps get lower due to the thought that the ball doesn't travel as far. However, playing at TPC Deere Run last week was the complete opposite. They'd moved a lot their blue to tees to within 5-10 yards of the back tees. I'd never seen that before.

 

[Seamus MacDuff]

I've been monitoring my yardages closely and your info is pretty close. It's now about 40-50 degrees here when I play and my yardage has suffered.

Off the tee a lot of that has been lack of roll. The courses are very wet in BC and the ball splats down and barely moves. In the summer I hit it with roll 270-300 and now it's 220-250. So, 50 yards.

My 6iron in the summer is steady around 195, but now it's 175, so 20 yds with a long-mid iron

My 9 iron goes 155 in the summer, and about 145 now. So, 10 yd loss.

My 60deg can go just under 100 in the summer and is just under 95 now ... So, 5 or 7 yard less

 

[rollin]

I think ball compression and shaft bend both function differently in colder temperatures. This is about the time of year where I switch to a higher compression ball in order to get that mash factor up.

Also, the added bulk of winter gear plays a part in my books.. I club up at least one.

Yea i'd agree with all said. probably could add clubhead spring affect as well. One intersting fact i also found that was when some people keeping the balls warm in your pocket etc does not (according to the science I've read) have any real measurable affect that is enough to help with the situation. Says that part was more in ones mind than anything else but hey as for that part i say "feel good, play good"

 

[Seamus MacDuff]

I will lament this here too since its related ...today is the first day in BC where we move to winter handicaps. The golf season is really over.

Scores aren't officially counted anymore and handicaps will go up as the conditions worsen and the course feels longer. In March they'll revert to whatever they are today.


I just booked 11 nights in LA and Santa Barbara in February though, and those scores will count!

 

[sleuth]

I would think it's a combination of things that causes the decrease of distance: increase in humidity, less ball compression, and moisture on the ground.

All of this will likely lead to less carry, and roll. I've been playing in 50* weather the past few weeks and haven't noticed any significant yardage loss yet. Yes I'm that manly. I'd say about 1/2 club, maybe a club tops in distance. I'm now hitting my 8i from 150 out instead of say my 9i.

 

[rollin]

I would think it's a combination of things that causes the decrease of distance: increase in humidity, less ball compression, and moisture on the ground.

All of this will likely lead to less carry, and roll. I've been playing in 50* weather the past few weeks and haven't noticed any significant yardage loss yet. Yes I'm that manly. I'd say about 1/2 club, maybe a club tops in distance. I'm now hitting my 8i from 150 out instead of say my 9i.

Well i wouldnt say you havnt loss significant yardage. A half to a whole club with an 8 iron i would say is significant enough. Convert that 5 to 10 yard loss to the distance related to your driver and i'd assume it would be even more significant than you think.

 

[dhjkelly]

There is one key factor here that i haven't seen mentioned and that is you the "golfer" cold bodies swing slower. Even if you think your warm there are a lot of small muscles/ligament and tendons that contribute to the golf swing. Take forearms and hands for example, cold forearms and hands reduce the grip strength forcing you to hold on for dear life. This causes tension throughout the entire swing

 

[jmatt]

We're into scramble season here. Temps have been just on the plus Celcius side, so 35-40F. I've gone up at least a club, and often 2 because the ground isn't frozen yet and there's ZERO roll. Losing 30y plus on good drives, and have been hitting 5i (normal 175ish) from 160 and occasionally coming up short. 5-10y on PW lost, and can't see much difference under 100y.

 

[Golf Ghost]

I will lament this here too since its related ...today is the first day in BC where we move to winter handicaps. The golf season is really over.

Scores aren't officially counted anymore and handicaps will go up as the conditions worsen and the course feels longer. In March they'll revert to whatever they are today.


I just booked 11 nights in LA and Santa Barbara in February though, and those scores will count!

Jeeze, we stopped counting scores 16 days ago. Lucky West coasters.

 

[rollin]

There is one key factor here that i haven't seen mentioned and that is you the "golfer" cold bodies swing slower. Even if you think your warm there are a lot of small muscles/ligament and tendons that contribute to the golf swing. Take forearms and hands for example, cold forearms and hands reduce the grip strength forcing you to hold on for dear life. This causes tension throughout the entire swing

Mentioned in my open, but yes agree and i thought some of it may have to do with being bit stiff, not as lose or fuid moving which can result in loss of clubhead speed and we all know the role that plays in distance.

 

[dhjkelly]

Mentioned in my open, but yes agree and i thought some of it may have to do with being bit stiff, not as lose or fuid moving which can result in loss of clubhead speed and we all know the role that plays in distance.

I got a great tip recently off a builder. He told me that when my hands are cold to bang my knuckles and fingers off a hard surface this forces more blood into your hands keeping them warm

 

[rollin]

I got a great tip recently off a builder. He told me that when my hands are cold to bang my knuckles and fingers off a hard surface this forces more blood into your hands keeping them warm

I dont know about that. There is nothing worse than smashing your hand, finger, whatever with something or on something when its cold out. Ever work on something when its cold and accidentally do that? It hurts twice as much and throbs for hours due to the blood rush. But hey! If it warms ya up then go for it. LOL
Then If istep on your foot, perhaps your hand wont hurt as much. LOL

Kidding aside, besides its not about just the hands but i think entire body would be a bit stiff resulting in slower swing.

But (back to kidding) perhaps if i let someone run me over twice in the parking lot before a round, Hey!! it might just warm me up enough not to lose yardage. LOL

 

[dhjkelly]

I dont know about that. There is nothing worse than smashing your hand, finger, whatever with something or on something when its cold out. Ever work on something when its cold and accidentally do that? It hurts twice as much and throbs for hours due to the blood rush. But hey! If it warms ya up then go for it. LOL
Then If istep on your foot, perhaps your hand wont hurt as much. LOL

Kidding aside, besides its not about just the hands but i think entire body would be a bit stiff resulting in slower swing.

But (back to kidding) perhaps if i let someone run me over twice in the parking lot before a round, Hey!! it might just warm me up enough not to lose yardage. LOL

LOL don't smash them just gently bang them. I find 30 seconds jump jacks and running around a bit warms me up. I have being playing in pretty cold temps here for the last 6 weeks or so and that little routine has been working well for me

 

[IceyShanks]

Around here I've noticed that most courses move their tees up when temps get lower due to the thought that the ball doesn't travel as far. However, playing at TPC Deere Run last week was the complete opposite. They'd moved a lot their blue to tees to within 5-10 yards of the back tees. I'd never seen that before.

Very interesting they'd move them that far back this time of year.

 

[Hawk]

Very interesting they'd move them that far back this time of year.

It was ridiculous man. We played four pars 4's between 430-450 yards.

 

[interlooper]

I make a similar comment in most of these "weather impact" threads.

I base all my current yardages on 85 degree weather. What works best for me is to adjust the distances 3 yards for every 10 degress. Thus, if I am playing in 55 degree weather, I expect about 10 yards less on my clubs (it seems to impact my wedges less and my longer clubs more, so I also take that into account a bit).

 

[golfinFF]

I make a similar comment in most of these "weather impact" threads.

I base all my current yardages on 85 degree weather. What works best for me is to adjust the distances 3 yards for every 10 degress. Thus, if I am playing in 55 degree weather, I expect about 10 yards less on my clubs (it seems to impact my wedges less and my longer clubs more, so I also take that into account a bit).

I have to agree with this. I see more distance and % loss on longer clubs than shorter clubs. I have played several rounds in the last month including the Ohio outing have come up short on numerous occasions thinking I had the right club but didn't account for the temps being cooler than the summer weather.

 

[IceyShanks]

It was ridiculous man. We played four pars 4's between 430-450 yards.

Yeah that's way to far this time of year, and depending on how the course is watering you might end up with no roll out.

 

[Left the Yard]

I think ball compression and shaft bend both function differently in colder temperatures. This is about the time of year where I switch to a higher compression ball in order to get that mash factor up.

The relationship between swing speed, ball compression, and distance is interesting to me. I have a 105 swing speed and the ball I tend to hit the furthest is Srixon Trispeed with a compression of 64 even though this is not the "proper" compression for my speed.

As the weather gets colder, I would think that softer balls with lower compression would compensate better for the temperature. Is this correct or is there more to it than this?

 

[rollin]

I make a similar comment in most of these "weather impact" threads.

I base all my current yardages on 85 degree weather. What works best for me is to adjust the distances 3 yards for every 10 degress. Thus, if I am playing in 55 degree weather, I expect about 10 yards less on my clubs (it seems to impact my wedges less and my longer clubs more, so I also take that into account a bit).

so with that said it would stand to reason that 20yrds and even more of a loss with your driver is certainly possible. Losing 10 on your middle irons and more on longer ones then it would make sense.


And the 3yrds every 10 dgree is pretty consistant with the science of it but as mentioned that find does not relate to which clubs and distances
we are hitting. Most everyone seems to agree the loss gets higher as we hit the longer clubs. And sems most agree that driver distance loss can climb quite substantially.

Its all pretty interesting to discuss.