Cold weather distance

[Leprechaun]

I went to the 19th Tee today and hit a bucket. Much to my dismay, in spite of the fact that I felt I was hitting well, I was consistently short 20-30 yards with every club! I thought it was just me but I talked to a few other die hards at the range and they all reported the same thing.

Why?

[Big_duck]

I went to the 19th Tee today and hit a bucket. Much to my dismay, in spite of the fact that I felt I was hitting well, I was consistently short 20-30 yards with every club! I thought it was just me but I talked to a few other die hards at the range and they all reported the same thing.

Why?

Cold balls don't compress as well as warm balls.

[Kilroy]

What about "shrinkage"?

[Leprechaun]

What about "shrinkage"?

One of my favourite Seinfeld episodes!

So is a loss of 20-30 yards due to shrinkage normal?

[Colby]

If I remember correctly, range balls tend to be harder than normal balls (higher compression) so that they last longer. When they get cold, they won't go as far due to the fact that they don't compress as much as they do when warm (mentioned above). Some range balls are also limited flight, so your milage may vary.

I've been playing a low compression ball outside for the last couple of weeks and although there's been some loss in distance, the bounces off of the frozen tundra seems to make up for it, lol

[mpare]

Be thankful that the golf ball technology has improved. The original Strata balls used to literally crack open when struck in very cold (near 32 degrees F) weather. When that happened we invoked the unofficial but understandable "do over" rule. This is my nephew's term for a mulligan.

Any man who has swum in the North Atlantic will intuitively understand why a golf ball has no get up and go in cold weather!

[Leprechaun]

So 20-30 yards less distance per club is to be expected?

[Big_duck]

What about "shrinkage"?

And here I was "Biting my toungue" when I answered so I wouldn't get bounced.

[Colby]

So 20-30 yards less distance per club is to be expected?

Maybe. It depends on the make up of the ball. A limited flight high compression ball will go almost nowhere. A high compression regular ball will go less than a low compression ball in colder weather. That's why you play 80 compression balls this time of year.

Will it go 20-30 yards less? Could be, hard to say. You mioght want to ask at the 19th tee what they usually see. I never trust the flight or distance of range balls, just how my swing looks/feels.

[NoBack]

Yes that's right it will be anywhere from 10-30 yrds shorter in the cold. Colby is just adding some more facts about range balls. They do have different balls for ranges and they are "shorter" as well. The ball you use on the course will go further than the range but still will go less in the cold.

Was out at Falcon Ridge today with a Top Flight ball and it was fine for this time of year. Had to hit more club than in the summer with ProV1's, but hey ........... we're still playing!!

[Leprechaun]

Since most of the balls in the bucket looked to be well used I'm not so worried!

Heading to Orlando next week, looking forward to nice warm balls!

[Slammin' Stever]

Leprechaun,

Originally Posted by Leprechaun
I went to the 19th Tee today and hit a bucket. Much to my dismay, in spite of the fact that I felt I was hitting well, I was consistently short 20-30 yards with every club! I thought it was just me but I talked to a few other die hards at the range and they all reported the same thing.

Why?

The 4 main reasons why you loose distnce this time of year.

#1. Any ball looses it's ability to compress in cold weather. These balls sit around on the ground or outside all the time so there cold. Range balls are usually 100+ compression which are like rocks to most golfers anyway. So if it feels like a rock coming off the club face it probably is!

#2. Range balls are usually made up of both this years and last years balls. You can tell either by the lines - two lines verses three etc.- or color.
Last years balls have amost zero compression and they crack. This years supply has been beat up to pulp and is ready to give up the ghost for next year.

#3. the third reason which not too many golfers stop to think about. That is the COR or trampoline effect on the face of your club. It becomes less also. The resilience of the club face is reduced by the cold. I have seen over the years a greater increase in number of Titanium faces breaking by those who want to get an early start in the season hitting balls in the early spring and late fall. The combination of hard golf balls and cold club faces takes it's toll. Both on your distance and equipment.

#4. the fourth reason has to do with the hot summer before the late cold fall. Read the article below from

http://www.golftoppoint.com/ezine.asp#core

for the fourth reason.

final note: The typical shelf life for a modern golf ball is three to five years, says Calabria. Heat is the enemy of any golf ball; to help them maintain velocity and compression, store them at room temperature and in relatively low humidity. Exposing golf balls to high temperature –like that of your car trunk on a hot day—will degrade their performance in many areas, including distance. All in all, teeing up a new ball at the start of your round is a small price to pay to ensure the greatest possible accuracy and distance.

So range ball spend alot of time in the heat of summer lying on the range.

Hope this helps.

Stever

[Kilroy]

And here I was "Biting my toungue" when I answered so I wouldn't get bounced.

Just keep it from going over the top. :blush

[Christian]

I vaguely remember reading in a physics text a few years ago that the optimum temperature for the launching of a golf ball with a driver was somewhere around 80oF (can't remember the exact temp) and that for every oF below the optimum, you could expect a decrease of 1 yard in distance.

As an example, if you normally hit it 250 yards with your driver in 80oF weather, you should reasonably expect to hit it around 200 in 32oF (0 Celcius) a decrease of 20 percent in overall distance.

This same ratio would apply to all clubs but would get less "obvious" with more lofted clubs as their relative distance is less.

Of course, other factors, such as humidity and wind will have a significant impact on distance. Simply keep this in mind and use more club

[Sphere Hunter]

Christian,

Under this theory, how far should a 7 iron fly in 5 degrees C when the player normally flies it around 174 yards in 80 degree conditions.
I ask because I recently saw someone hit a 7 iron about 200 yards in 5 or less degree weather without a helping wind.
Is it possible that the theory is flawed or was this golfer just swinger "out of control"?
Just curious.

[Leprechaun]

How the heck anyone can hit a 7 iron 200 yards in any weather condition is completely beyond me.

[Rough Stuff]

I've been hitting buckets for 17 years (cold and warm)...I've never seen distance INCREASE in cold weather (except the roll)...