Observations from the warmer temps, the balls, and a new driver

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

So this past weekend I took out my new GT2 driver for a spin, and was pretty happy with it. It coincidentally came with the huge warmup on Saturday, when the temps approached 70 degrees, and I ended up seeing a couple of drives that got rolls out to around 250 yards, a darn good poke for me. The only frustrating thing about Saturday was that the course was packed to the gills with the general public crawling out of their hibernation holes. Play was very, very slow.

So actually, I was quite pleased that yesterday was damp and cooler, and when I got to the course, I was able to tee almost immediately, then catch the pair in front of me on the 2nd tee and join up as the third.

But here's what I noticed with it being 15 degrees cooler, that my drives ended up being 10 to 20 yards shorter of the prior day. I'm also wondering if that's an unusual amount, and I have some concerns that maybe Maxflies lose distance more rapidly as temps drop than some other balls?

I don't know. But boy, that was something on Saturday, some of the drives I was getting. In places I where I had been hitting 3 or 5-wood second shots at greens I was getting to hit short irons. It was like a whole different course. On hole 13, a dogleg that goes hard left, there had been a few times over the past months that I would rip a shot down the lefthand side of the fairway, but I wouldn't get enough carry to get a clear shot because of the trees on the inside corner of the leg. Now Sunday I absolutely rip one dead on the sweetspot and straight, and I worried that I had left myself with that tree-blocked second.

I was wrong, it had carried all the way, and almost got to the rough on the other side of the dogleg after the bend, leaving me an 8-iron into a green where sometimes I've been hitting 5-woods from back on the outside corner of the dogleg. This is going to totally change now how I play that hole, if I launch it high I should be able to carry over those trees, so my shot now is to aim at the inside corner. If it fades back a bit, no problem. It goes straight, I get in the short stuff on the other side of those trees.

[bdcrowe]

I wouldn't worry about it. The distance loss is normal with coller temps.

Good job with the driver improvement. Just look forward to the summer distances you'll be getting.

[MAHALLEDAY]

I notice that in the fall/spring up here to cooler temps = heavier air which makes it harder for the ball to get through, plus the cold doesn't help your flexability and the clubs either. Wouldn't worry about it at all.

[ezra76]

The course I've been playing is so muddy the ball just plugs right into the fairway. Best I can figure is that I'm getting 260-270 max, all carry. It was particularly noticible on a par 5 that goes uphill and then doglegs left over a wide stream. I usually have no problem setting up to go for it in 2 or at least carry the stream with the 2nd and leave an uphill chip or pitch to try to get up and down. 3 attempts at that hole over the course of 2 days left me 240yds. at the closest on my second. I sure hope it's the air, I was left feeling mighty weak after last weekend.

[Bravo]

RBB - your distance loss is perfectly normal. In January we often play in temps of about 50F and on the irons I am adding one full club to my normal distances due to cold air.

There was an article in Golf Digest a few years ago that accurately described the distance loss at a given air temperature. I cannot remember the formula but it was a fairly simple mathematic equation of yardage lost per degree F below a certain air temp...

BTW - in the winter, I usually buy some of those charcoal chemical handwarmer packets and put them in my left and right pants pockets. I will put a ball in each while I am playing. When I finish a hole and get to the next tee, I take out a warm ball and hit it promptly. It helps on the tee shots....

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Originally Posted by Bravo

RBB - your distance loss is perfectly normal. In January we often play in temps of about 50F and on the irons I am adding one full club to my normal distances due to cold air.

There was an article in Golf Digest a few years ago that accurately described the distance loss at a given air temperature. I cannot remember the formula but it was a fairly simple mathematic equation of yardage lost per degree F below a certain air temp...

BTW - in the winter, I usually buy some of those charcoal chemical handwarmer packets and put them in my left and right pants pockets. I will put a ball in each while I am playing. When I finish a hole and get to the next tee, I take out a warm ball and hit it promptly. It helps on the tee shots....

Yeah, I know about the loss of distance, I was just wondering if my Maxflies were taking a bit harder hit in that area than maybe other balls. I've been playing most every weekend sometimes with the temps in the upper 30's at best, and using the hand warmers.

Of course, in tournament play, you would be violating the rules artificially warming your balls that way.

[Bravo]

Originally Posted by Ravenous Bugblatter Beast

Yeah, I know about the loss of distance, I was just wondering if my Maxflies were taking a bit harder hit in that area than maybe other balls. I've been playing most every weekend sometimes with the temps in the upper 30's at best, and using the hand warmers.

Of course, in tournament play, you would be violating the rules artificially warming your balls that way.

Hey...let them do a search!! I'd flog them with my nine-iron into oblivion...

[wirehair]

Originally Posted by Ravenous Bugblatter Beast

....if I launch it high I should be able to carry over those trees, ...

Will everyone who has purchased beer for someone else immediately after uttering those words please raise your hand.

My hand is up...

[Ravenous Bugblatter Beast]

Originally Posted by wirehair

Will everyone who has purchased beer for someone else immediately after uttering those words please raise your hand.

My hand is up...

Confidence, man, you gotta have confidence. You have to commit to the shot, you have to know that you own that shot.