How to calculate golf yardage at altitude?
Calculate Golf Yardage at Altitude Determine the ideal trajectory for your shot. Lower shots will be less affected by altitude, while shots that travel higher tend to hang in the altitude for longer periods of time, carrying farther. Choose your club and note its tendencies.
How far should you hit a golf ball at high altitude?
Add 10 percent of extra distance for every 5,000-foot increase in altitude. If you normally hit your 7-iron 150 yards at sea level, you should plan for 165 yards in the Rocky Mountains. Add 20 percent if you are playing an extremely high golf course, at 10,000 feet above sea level. Determine how far your ball actually travels.
Do golf shots fly farther at higher altitudes?
If you hit shots with a high trajectory, they will fly farther in high altitudes. If you hit low shots, you won't get as much additional distance as those who hit the ball high. One such golfer, Kenny Perry, subtracts 20 percent to calculate his yardage in altitudes above 3,000 feet.
How do you calculate elevation change on a golf course?
Subtract one club for every 15 feet of elevation change. For instance, if you have 160 yards down hill to the pin, and you would normally hit a 7-iron, the shot calls for an 8-iron because the ball will travel in the air longer than a shot to a flat green. Add one club for every 15 feet of uphill elevation change.
How much further do you hit a golf ball at altitude?
Every 1,000 feet above sea level a golf course sits, a golfer can expect their ball to travel approximately 2 percent farther. For example, if a golf course were a mile above sea level -- hi, Denver -- then you could expect the golf ball to go approximately 10 percent farther than at sea level.
How do you adjust yardage for elevation in golf?
The first thing is to use the 15-feet formula. This formula should be approached as follows: If there is an uphill or a downhill shot of 15 feet of elevation, add or subtract one club. If there is more than 15 feet, add or subtract one club for every 15 feet.
How do you calculate distance with golf altitude?
You can calculate the distance gain you will experience (compared to sea level) by multiplying the elevation (in feet) by . 00116. For example, if you're playing in Reno, at 1 mile elevation (5,280 ft.) the increase is about 6% (5,280 x .
How much distance does elevation add?
With a driver, you get an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet of altitude.
How much yardage do you take off for a downhill golf shot?
According to "Golf Digest," the ball can fly up to 40 percent farther in the thin air of these environments. Every course is different, so experiment to find the ideal yardages. Subtract one club for every 10 feet of downhill elevation change in these thin air climates.
How much further does golf ball travel in Denver?
Most PGA Tour players say that the ball flies about 10 percent farther in Denver than at sea level, so up here in the mountains, I say about 15 percent longer than at sea level.
Do golf balls go further in Arizona?
It usually takes two to three rounds to make these minor adjustments and feel confident about the shot. Because you are at a higher elevation above sea level, combined with the hard fairways and the dry air, the ball travels farther.
Does downhill play longer in golf?
1:063:56JUDGING DOWNHILL GOLF SHOTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt depends on how steep that downhill is but that's a two club difference on a par 3 which is goingMoreIt depends on how steep that downhill is but that's a two club difference on a par 3 which is going to make huge of difference huge amounts of difference.
How much does slope affect golf distance?
Slope is very important for any golfer to consider. After your shot hits its peak, it begins to fall. And as it falls it continues to move forward. Depending on the slope of the land, this could affect the distance of your shot anywhere from 20 to 50 yards.
Do elevated greens play longer?
Playing a shot to an elevated green is basically going to flatten out your effective trajectory. All other things being equal, a shot hit to an elevated green is going to need longer to stop than a shot played to a green which is level with the fairway.
How far should you hit a 7 iron in the Rocky Mountains?
Add 10 percent of extra distance for every 5,000-foot increase in altitude. If you normally hit your 7-iron 150 yards at sea level, you should plan for 165 yards in the Rocky Mountains. How to Determine Walking Speed.
Where is golf played in 2011?
With a wide variety of courses around the world, odds are you will play at least one course in your travels that takes you to great altitudes. Colorado is a favorite golf location in the United States, while the rocky terrain of Switzerland has several famous courses overseas.
Does altitude affect golf shots?
Lower shots will be less affected by altitude, while shots that travel higher tend to hang in the altitude for longer periods of time, carrying farther. The Average Golf Loft Degrees. Learn More. Choose your club and note its tendencies.
How far can a golf ball fly in thin air?
According to "Golf Digest," the ball can fly up to 40 percent farther in the thin air of these environments. Every course is different, so experiment to find the ideal yardages. Subtract one club for every 10 feet of downhill elevation change in these thin air climates. The air provides less resistance, and the ball will generally travel farther ...
Why is golf so difficult?
Playing golf at elevation is very difficult because the ball travels farther in the air in elevated climates like Colorado and Utah as opposed to normal elevation areas like the Midwest or East Coast.
What happens when you hit a downhill shot?
With downhill shots, the ball will be in the air longer, and therefore more susceptible to the effects of the wind. You should choose more club accordingly. On uphill shots, the wind will have slightly less effect.
Why do you need an 8 iron in golf?
For instance, if you have 160 yards down hill to the pin, and you would normally hit a 7-iron, the shot calls for an 8-iron because the ball will travel in the air longer than a shot to a flat green. Add one club for every 15 feet of uphill elevation change.
What is the trajectory of a golf ball?
The trajectory of a golf ball is now well understood. It depends on ball velocity, trajectory, and spin as well as on air temperature, humidity and density. Below is a graphic of the trajectory of a golf ball hit with a driver, 5-iron, and 9-iron. Note that in the first part of each trajectory, the path of the ball steepens.
Why is the downhill drive longer?
Even if there was no roll, due to very damp fairways, the downhill drive would be longer. ". It's not always obvious to golfers that when hitting uphill, you need to hit more club and when hitting downhill, you need to hit less club. The question is how much more or less. Of course, it depends on many conditions.
How far can you drive a golf ball at sea level?
If you normally drive the ball 250 yards at sea level, you will likely drive it 265 yards in Reno. The golf ball does not spin any less at high elevation. However, because the air is less dense and imparts less force on the ball, the lift force is also lower.
Why does a golf ball fly at high altitudes?
The golf ball flies further in high altitudes mainly due to the change in air density, which decreases as elevation increases. Thinner air exerts less drag force on the ball. The ball moves more easily through the air and doesn't slow down as quickly as it flies, resulting in greater distance.
What is the effect of the spin of a ball on the trajectory of an airplane?
Thus, at higher elevations the trajectory is less influenced by lift, and thus has a "flatter" shape and a more glancing impact with the ground.
What is the lifting force of a 5,000 ft slice?
At 5,000 ft elevation, the air density is about 14% lower than at sea level, so the lifting force is also about 14% less and the hook or slice will curve about 14% less .
Why is gravity reduced at higher elevations?
The notion of reduced gravity at higher elevations is technically true, because the strength of gravity decreases with increased distance from the center of the Earth. When playing golf in Denver, for example, we are about a mile farther from the center of the Earth than we are when playing in Los Angeles.
How much does gravity decrease on Mount Everest?
However, that results in only a tiny reduction in gravity. Even on the top of Mount Everest the gravity is only reduced by about 1/4 of one percent. There are greater variations (around 1/2 percent) due to factors such as latitude or local variations in the Earth's makeup, and nobody worries about that.
Does elevation affect golf ball aerodynamics?
This means, on short approaches and greenside shots, you don't have to adjust for elevation.
How many yards does elevation change?
As a general rule, one yard of elevation change (up or down) equals a yard of distance. For example, if you have a shot that measures 100 yards up a hill that rises 10 yards from ball level to hole, those 10 yards must be added to the total – so it's a 110-yard shot. In other words, you must trust your yardage, not your eyes, when picking a club.
What does elevation change mean in golf?
For most golfers, hitting a shot that involves elevation change boils down to simply guessing at which club to use. Without a plan in mind for dealing with this situations, most players will just grab the club that they feel like may be able to handle the shot, and then they swing away while hoping for the best.
Why does my right shoulder drop when playing uphill?
When playing uphill, the tendency is to try to lift the ball into the air. This causes the right shoulder to drop, producing fat shots. Focus on making your normal swing and letting the club's loft do the work of sending the ball up the slope. Conversely, it's easy to come up and out of shots when hitting downhill.
How far can you subtract from a distance?
As a very general rule of thumb, you can add or subtract around 10 yards or distance for every 15 feet that you are going up or down.
How tall is a golf cart?
For example, a golf cart is around six feet tall, so you could use a cart that is up by the green as some kind of indication of how much height you are gaining or losing.
How many irons do you need to play a 150 yard shot?
If this shot is being played over flat ground with no wind, you will simply pull your 150-yard club (maybe a seven iron) and make a confident swing. However, if that shot is significantly downhill, it may only play like a 135-yard shot, meaning you could use an eight or nine iron.
Is golf an easy game?
Golf has never been an easy game, and the challenge of even the most basic shots is a testament to the overall challenge of this sport. Of course, the game gets even harder when elevation change is added in to the equation.
How many yards can a driver carry in 70 degree conditions?
So, if your driver carries about 250 yards in 70-degree conditions, according to Rice’s research, the same shot will travel about 254 yards in 90-degree conditions, and 246 yards in 50-degree conditions. Altitude, as you can see above, is the other big factor. With a driver, you get an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet of altitude.
Does humidity affect golf ball carry?
Rice also found that humidity had “almost no effect on carry,” — temperature and carry were the two primary atmospheric conditions (outside of wind, which is a different matter) that effect your golf ball. So, if your driver carries about 250 yards in 70-degree conditions, according to Rice’s research, the same shot will travel about 254 yards in ...
vinny809
Just wondering if there's a someone could shed the light on calculatating yardage accounting for elevation and wind. For example, for wind its about 1 club per 10 mph. In 10 mph winds, the flagstick is blowing gently. At 30 mph the flagstick is beginning to bend violently. At 40 mph the flagstick is bending violently.
ericpaul2
There are various sources to find how wind effects clubs, but 596's post above is pretty much dead on. A 10 mph head wind is about one club.
hoganfan924
I use 1% for every 1mph of headwind, so a 150 yard shot into a 10 mph wind would play 165. I use 0.5% assist for tailwinds so that same 150 yard shot would play about 142
