The temperature of the golf ball and the air temperature on the day you're playing directly affect how your ball will perform during a round. Generally, temperature affects a ball's resiliency, the spin and the density of the air through which the ball travels. Each contributes to how a ball performs. Knowing this can help your scores.
How does temperature affect a golf ball?
The temperature of the golf ball and the air temperature on the day you're playing directly affect how your ball will perform during a round. Generally, temperature affects a ball's resiliency, the spin and the density of the air through which the ball travels.
Does cold weather affect your golf game?
The general rule of thumb in golf courses during the offseason is that if there’s not snow or frost on the ground, the course is open. The trade off? You’ll probably have to play in some rather frigid temperatures. And that cold weather can have a small but significant effect on your game. How much does cold weather affect your golf ball?
How does storage affect the performance of golf balls?
Our own Dean Snell explains how proper storage of your golf balls plays a big factor in performance. A ball that is too cold stiffens the materials of the golf ball and can impact the performance you expect. A few simple tips: DO NOT store in your car. As temperature in your car or trunk drops, so does the temperature of the ball.
How much difference does heat make on golf balls?
The warmer balls spun a tick more on average and flew just a bit lower. The average carry difference was only one yard. In the extreme, it’s likely that leaving your bag in the trunk of your car all day would have a greater impact. That’s based on what happened when we placed balls under a heat lamp.
What effect does temperature have on a golf ball?
Cold air is denser than warm air and creates additional drag on a ball. According to Trackman, the difference is approximately one yard of carry for every 10-degree change in temperature. So theoretically, you're looking at a loss of four yards if you're playing in 40 degrees as opposed to 80 degrees.
How does temperature affect exercise performance?
High heat and humidity lead to two problems in the exercising body: 1) increased core body temperature and 2) dehydration. Increased body temperature (hyperthermia) leads to decreased muscle endurance, which means the muscle's ability to contract repeatedly or in a sustained manner over long periods of time.
Does temperature affect golf ball speed?
"When the golf ball gets colder, it can lose a few miles per hour in ball speed, which can mean distance loss due to speed," said Snell. "[The] optimum temperature range is 70 to 90 degrees. At 40-degree temps the ball can slow down and be shorter by 5 to 10 yards.
Does temperature affect the bounce of a golf ball?
As the temperature decreases, gas molecules move closer together. This causes them to move around more slowly with less energy. Thus, lower pressure leads to a lower bounce of the ball. That's why a fully-inflated ball might appear deflated if the temperature drops dramatically.
Does body temperature affect performance?
During sport activities core body temperature can rise to extreme levels which impacts performance. It is not uncommon to observe individuals exceeding 40°C (104°F) during high intensity training and competition though these values naturally vary from person to person.
Why is temperature control important in sport?
Your body uses energy to maintain its core temperature. You take control when you make the effort to stabilize that temperature during your game. Thermoregulation allows you to preserve your optimal body temperature, so you deliver the best performance and stay safe at the same time.
How much does cold affect golf distance?
According to Titleist research, a golfer will experience an approximately 1.5 percent drop in distance for every 20 degree drop in temperature. If you carry your driver 250 yards, that 1.5 percent drop equates to 3.75 yards. Imagine that throughout the bag -- only on carry numbers.
Does cold weather affect golf swing?
AKA, when it's cold, you won't be able to turn as far, or swing as hard, which means your swing speed will drop and you'll hit the ball shorter accordingly. This is especially true early in the round, when you're not warmed up from all the walking and swinging.
Does cold affect golf clubs?
If your garage is not temperature-controlled, then don't store golf clubs there over a winter. Constant exposure to cold won't damage the clubhead or shaft, but could dry out the grips and cause them to harden or crack.
What temperature is too cold for golf?
There's almost no lower limit. I'd say about 30 degrees. But that's on a mild day. If there's wind or rain that number creeps higher very fast.
Does temperature affect bounce height?
One factor that can influence the bounce of a ball is the temperature of the ball. A warmer ball will bounce higher than a cold one.
How does temperature affect restitution of a ball?
The temperature of the ball influences its coefficient of restitution. A warmer ball will bounce higher than a cold one.
Warm Balls
We wanted to find out what impact leaving a ball to bake in the sun has on performance. Think of it as what might happen to your golf ball while it’s resting in the fairway while the group in front of you is putting on a slow-play exhibition.
The Takeaway
The initial results of our temperature experiments are interesting and there are definitely a number of rabbit holes we could dive into in pursuit of more insights.
Meet our Cold vs Warm Golf Balls tester
TG Test Pro Neil Wain (below) is a highly-experience PGA Professional based at Keele Golf Centre in Staffordshire. For added consistency we work with Neil on all of our golf club and ball tests.
How we performed our Cold vs Warm Golf Balls test
We wanted to see the difference between driver, iron and wedge performance when using a cold golf ball, so delivered three dozen premium (urethane covered) balls to Neil cold (but not frozen) and a further three dozen balls hot. All balls were the same make and model.
What our Cold vs Warm Golf Balls test revealed
If you leave your golf bag in the car overnight, our numbers should be enough to convince you that your golf balls should be tucked up warm and cosy inside.
How many yards do you lose on a golf drive?
He determined that for golfers who hit their drives about 250 yards (with a ball speed of about 150 mph), they will lose about two yards on their drives for every 10 degree drop in temperature. On the flip side, golfers will gain about two yards on their drives for every 10 degree rise in temperature. The distance increase/decrease will decrease ...
Is golf open in the offseason?
The general rule of thumb in golf courses during the offseason is that if there’ s not snow or frost on the ground, the course is open . The trade off? You’ll probably have to play in some rather frigid temperatures. And that cold weather can have a small but significant effect on your game.
Abstract
Golf is played at a range of temperatures. The aim of this research was to determine the effect of temperature on golf ball dynamics. Normal impact testing at speeds up to 48 m·s-1 was conducted at ball temperatures of -0.8 °C, 22 °C and 35.9 °C.
Keywords
Procedia Engineering 34 ( 2012 ) 634 – 639 1877-7058 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
How does the weather affect golf balls?
How the Summer Temperature Affects Golf Ball Distance. Performance on the golf course varies depending on the outside air temperature and the storage condition of your golf balls. As the summer weather heats up, your golf balls and the distance they travel will be affected by the rising temperatures. There are a couple of things you should take ...
What happens to the ball when the temperature increases?
Golf Ball Temperature. As the outside air temperature increases, the density of the golf ball will decrease. A less dense golf ball will expand in high heat and fly further down range. You might think that a hotter golf ball will produce better results.
What to wear for golf swing?
Hot weather will make you sweaty and uncomfortable and this can affect your swing. You need to wear a moisture-wicking polo shirt and a breathable pair of shorts to stay cool. 100% polyester fabric should do the trick.
What does a higher compression golf ball do?
Changing to a higher compression golf ball can help you in the hottest weather conditions. A high compression golf ball will decrease your distance so you’ re not hitting them out of the park.
What happens to golf balls in summer?
As the summer weather heats up, your golf balls and the distance they travel will be affected by the rising temperatures. There are a couple of things you should take into account before teeing up.
Does humidity slow down golf ball speed?
Less dense atmospheric conditions mean a golf ball will travel further in space. And if you think humidity will slow down ball speed then think again. Hot, humid Southern air decreases air density even more so you’ll produce even longer shots.