Cold Weather & Loss of Distance

[mr18]

I have always heard that the ball does not fly as far when the air temperature is cold.  A) is this true and B) how much distance loss should be expected on a 45-50* day as opposed to a 90* day?

[RAlminas]

From some physics book (I have no idea what the name of it is, but I wrote this down & filed it away a few years back) ... 0.2% per degree F on carry.  For example, if you carry the ball 300 yards for round numbers, the difference between a ball hit at 50 degrees & one hit at 90 degrees (all other variable held equal of course) would be as follows:
90 - 50 = 40
40 * 0.002 * 300 = 24
So you'd lose 24 yards on carry.

Hope this helps.

Roy Alminas

[mr18]

Thanks!

[TheDoctor]

As a point of fact...................it ain't warm in Mesquite under the lights in late October. 

[jkgolf]

I am not sure that is right... it sounds like way too much yardage lost, in actuality I would be willing to bet it is less than that. I guess it could be right, but then you would have to take into account the the moisture content of the air. When it is colder, the air is able to hold less water vapor(humidity) than when it is warm out. And water vapor is more dense than the rest of the air, so I would bet it has more of an equalizing effect on the actual yardage lost. Temperature's affect > Humidity's affect so you still notice a difference but not as much as 24 yards at a 50* temperature change. I am sure a more accurate formula exists that would use actual air density rather than just basing it on temperature alone.

edit: haha it seems like I guessed wrong on the humidity aspect, but I looked around a little more and found this article http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/2007/08/gw070803pgaweather

[bom]

i'd be willing to bet Roy's numbers are pretty good guesstimates. the quantifiable variables are more than just "water vapor and air density" as you profess. ball, shaft and face resiliency/rebound are all diminished in the cooler/colder temps. then the unmeasurable variables as to how each body responds to the cooler/colder temps : i.e. how does cold affect  muscle, tendon, ligament resiliency? how does different body compositions react to temperature fluctuations ? if anything, i think the yardage lost might be a slightly higher than Roy's calculations predict. (that's how i justify stinking the place out when hitting in the cold. )
gary melvin

[babyboomer]

I know when it cold up here, my balls don't go as far :-)

[Shank]

So basically what the last 2 out of 3 posts are saying (minus babyboomer's post) is that they're talking out
their hayhole and don't know diddly but telling someone who has been in Ld for 10+ years he doesn't know
what he's talking about.

Hmmm...that sounds about right here on incepta.
Thanks.

[bom]

hey shank, maybe you don't get it. i'm agreeing with roy.
gary melvin

[jkgolf]

haha my post was purely a hypothesis which I proved myself wrong shortly after posting. I edited the post and added a link to correct info. So before you begin attacking me, read the entire post, specifically the part after edit:

[Sickspin]

I have hit some of my longest drives in the cold...no idea why but I kind of figured that the cold increased the compression of the ball, made the club face less elastic and reduced spin by making the cover harder?  No idea why but as someone who normally spins the hell out of the ball, its seems to go farther in the cold for me.