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how to calculate uphill distance in golf

by Blair Klocko Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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.Aug 8, 2018

Full Answer

How to hit an uphill shot in golf?

Since you are going into the wind, the ball will want to stop faster on the green, which will help when dealing with an uphill shot. As long as you are able to carry the ball far enough to land on the green, it should put on the brakes pretty quickly after coming down.

How do you calculate club count for uphill shots?

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 I calculate my golf distance?

Golf Wind Distance Calculator -- input your distance, wind speed and direction, and this will calculate where to aim and what distance to play (tailwind, headwind, crosswind). Golf Temperature Distance Calculator -- input your club carry distances at 75 F and this calculator will determine your distances at any other temperature.

How many clubs to hit a golf ball 15 feet uphill?

If there is more than 15 feet, add or subtract one club for every 15 feet. For example- let's say you are 150 yards to the pin and you would use your 7-iron. You are hitting to a green that is 15 feet uphill. You would now use your 6-iron. Add one club for every 15 feet.

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How do you adjust yardage for elevation?

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.

How much farther does a golf ball go at elevation?

First, figure that for about every 1,700 or 1,800 feet of elevation a ball will travel about 5 percent farther. That means that the ball will typically travel about 10 percent farther at this elevation than at sea level, give or take a few yards.

How much distance does elevation add?

With a driver, you get an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet of altitude.

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 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.

How cold is too cold to hit golf balls?

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 a wet golf ball go farther?

Typically when the club is wet it produces slightly less spin and slightly higher shot then when the golf ball and golf club are both dry. We see very minimal differences between the club being wet or dry.

How can you calculate the distance a golf ball travels?

How to Calculate How Far I Hit the Golf BallTake your tee shot as per normal, and then find your ball and stand directly beside it.Turn on the range finder, hold its sight to your eye and aim it directly at the flagstick. ... Subtract the distance to the flagstick from the total yardage of the hole.More items...

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 do you play uphill and downhill lies?

6:3513:16Top Tips to Hit Uphill and Downhill Lies on the Golf Course - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipRight because now I'm I'm already with my setup I'm promoting a steep angle of attack. So. If I putMoreRight because now I'm I'm already with my setup I'm promoting a steep angle of attack. So. If I put it back now I'm steep. And hitting early that's a very difficult combination.

What is slope adjusted distance?

Employing ID Technology that reads the uphill and downhill slopes of a course, Golf mode displays the slope adjusted distance (Horizontal distance ± Height) which is a guide distance to how far you should hit the ball.

Uphill & Downhill Yardage Adjustments

I often receive questions from golfers wanting to settle bets about something they have experienced on the golf course. I received one from a Lawyer who had an Engineering friend debating him over distance gained or lost hitting a 240 yd downhill Drive.

Learn how to club for uphill and downhill shots

I've used my golf ball trajectory computer model to calculate the actual distances uphill and downhill shots play for all the various clubs. You can instantly download my report.

Apply This Science to Score Improvement

Using accurate golf ball trajectory software, one can calculate how to adjust your club selection for changes in temperature, wind, altitude and elevation (uphill/downhill shots). See below.

Why Choose Probable Golf Services?

We have been providing golf advice online since 1999 and have been research the best in golf science since 1996.

Bubba Watson breaks most of

Bubba Watson breaks most of the surge rules but if you look at his swimg it is far more upright than most of the guys on tour. Chaulk one up for the verticle swingers

Robert

   I concur -- with one caveat -- for me it is from about 70 to 75 tards from the hole -- that is my have "wedge in hand" range. But frequently I can "do it" from about 100 yds -- for weak me, a full 8 iron! arghhhhhhhhh! Old age can be a bummer at times!

Bubba swings like Bubba. In

Bubba swings like Bubba. In an insane, savant-like ability to move the ball all over creation, and an inability to hit it in a straight line. He does prove definitively that the way current mainstream golf instructors teach is not the only way to get the ball in the hole.

Dear Mdull,

As a pilot I would like to contradict you. Humidity has a major affect on the way planes fly. This is due to the weight of the air when it is humid. When air is humid, it is actually lighter then dry air, contrary to common belief. That is because the water vapour (H2O) weighs less then the N2 or O2 that it replaces.

Dear muckaluck- humid air is

Dear muckaluck- humid air is MORE dense than dry air. The only reason it might rise is if it is much warmer than the surrounding air (think low lying fog. Using that logic rain would be less dense than dry air also and we would have rain up rather than rain fall.

I came up with a "cheat" to

I came up with a "cheat" to help me golf when I was about 20 (years ago)... Hit every shot SWEL... Slope, Wind, Elevation, and Lie.

You are correct in everything

You are correct in everything you said but the last line was fairly uncalled for. Surge probably noticed that he got longer drives out in the desert and like many people equated it to less humidity as so many people do when in reality it was the heat and dryness of the fairways giving extra compression on the ball and extra roll on the fairway.

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.

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.

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.

When to hit golf balls farther?

Golfers will hit it farther when the temperature is warmer (both the air, the club and the ball), when the wind is following (tail wind), when the target is downhill and when altitude is high. GOLF TIP: During cooler weather, keep your golf balls warm.

Can you roll golf in the wet season?

During the wet season, there isn't much roll. GOLF TIP: During the cooler wet season, play the forward tees to shorten the course. This way, you'll be the same distance from the green as in the summer when you play longer tees.

What does it mean when you walk uphill or downhill?

Anytime you walk uphill or downhill you are walking up or down a slope. Think of triangle on its side and you’ll see a slope. On the course, we deal with this all the time because a shot that goes from one point to another that is at the same height is the exception rather than the rule.

Why is it important to know the slope of a golf ball?

This is because, while you may calculate the distance between you and the flag in a straight line, you do not hit the ball in a straight line. The ball is hit at an arc and with a trajectory that effects how far it actually goes.

Can a rangefinder be used in a golf tournament?

According to Appendix IV of Rule 14-3 no measuring device that calculates for slope may be used during tournament play. This does not mean, however, that your rangefinder cannot be used at all. The USGA does allow for a Local Rule to permit a “stipulated round” in which measuring devices like rangefinders can be used.

Does not taking slope into account hurt your score?

But we can certainly say that failing to account for slope will certainly hurt your score. This is because you will likely be under or overhitting the ball. As you get better with adjusting and factoring in slope, you should see some improvement in your overall score.

Can GPS calculate slope?

While GPS might be able to give some indication of your relative elevation, it won’t be able to calculate slope for your specific situation. This doesn’t make it useless, but means that a course with a lot of height changes will reduce its effectiveness quite a bit.

Can a GPS track slope?

So, a GPS device will not be able to calculate for slope, but only estimate your distance to different predetermined locations on the course.

Is it harder to play golf without knowing the slope?

What is clear is that playing without knowing the slope is a whole lot harder. This also depends on how much the course you play changes in elevation. A relatively flat course will not factor in much slope at all. On very hilly courses, failing to factor for slope could cost you dozens of strokes.

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 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.

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.

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