Distance Calculator: Cold Weather

Much has been said and written about how cold weather effects the distance you are going to get when you play in it.  There are several variables that come into play: cold dense air, cold ball, cold muscles, amount of clothes, etc. 

It is hard to put a number on how your cold muscles and clothes effect the result.  We're all different in that respect.  For example, the other day I was playing in 55 degree weather here in Northern California wearing long pants and 4 layers on top.  There was a guy out there at the same time playing in shorts and a golf shirt! He must have been from Minnesota.  Obviously the two of us might have a quite different swing.

There are two things that we can measure: cold dense air and ball temperature.
Cold Dense Air is heavier which creates more friction and drag on the ball in flight. The effect, according to the folks at Titleist, is a slightly higher and shorter trajectory. Former USGA technical director Frank Thomas has said the difference is about 2 yards for every 10 degrees change in temperature
Cold Ball Temperature affects the velocity with which the ball comes off the club. The colder the ball the slower ball speed you will get.  Titleist has estimated you lose approximately 1.5% of distance for every 10 degree drop in temperature below the optimum ball temperature (between 70-80 degrees).

Both are figured into the Distance Calculator To use the Distance Calculator you simply plug in distances you hit for each club at 75 degrees by double clicking on the appropriate cell and entering your distance.  Then plug in the temperature you'll be playing in by double clicking the yellow temperature box and enter the new temperature and click again.  Once you've done that the chart automatically calculates your new distance for each of your clubs.  Since most of us aren't pros our swings can be a little different each time so these new distances are an approximation.


You can see why, because of the shorter distance in cold weather, you may have to add an extra club to your shot to get the distance you need.

Rules Corner: "Dropping & Re-Dropping The Ball"

I'm going to cover Rule 20-2a, Dropping and Re-Dropping by Whom and How.

When a ball is to be dropped under a Rule (taking relief from an immovable obstruction, taking relief from a water hazard, or from an unplayable lie, for example), who can drop the ball?  It turns out...only the player herself!  The ball must be dropped from shoulder height, with elbow straight, while standing up straight.

Dropping Again...Did you know that sometimes a ball may be dropped repeatedly, 3, 4, 11 times or more? (Eleven may be hyperbole but I'm making a point!). There are 3 situations when this is true.  I'm going to use the term "dropped again" rather than "re-dropped to distinguish these 3 situations from the "drop, re-drop, place" requirements that will be covered next time.

1. If a ball is dropped in any other manner and played, it is a one stroke penalty.  Same thing if someone else drops a ball for you and you play it.  If it is dropped in any other manner (or by another person) and NOT played, it may be dropped again properly, no penalty under the "eraser" rule, 20-6.  You could drop a ball incorrectly, e.g. from above shoulder height, then from below shoulder height, then with you elbow bent, and still be able to pick it up and drop it correctly the 4th time under the eraser rule.

2.  If a player drops a ball and it hits her club, either before or after striking the ground within the allowable drop area (within 2 club lengths of where the ball first struck a part of the course) .....drop again!  This simply doesn't count as a drop and the ball must be dropped until it strikes the ground in the allowable area  without touching the club.    The player's club is EQUIPMENT as defined in the Rules.  (The definition of equipment is well worth memorizing, by the way.)  So this "drop again" requirement is the same if the  ball strikes/touches any of the players equipment, (golf bag, glove, etc.) or any person (the player's foot, knee, her partners foot, etc.).  What if the player marked her drop area with tees or other small objects such as coins and the ball strikes a tee when dropped?  Don't be fooled...a tee is NOT equipment!!.  This is a real drop under the Rules and the ball is in play: no "drop again" required for the fact of hitting the tee or small object.

3.  What if a player drops her ball and it doesn't strike the ground in the allowable area?  Again, no problem...drop as many times as necessary until the ball lands in the allowable area.  (Definition of Equipment:  anything used, worn, held or carried by the player or the player's caddie, except:
   a. any ball that the player has played at the hole being played and
   b. any small object, such as a coin or a tee, when used to mark the position of the ball or the extent of an area in which a ball is to be dropped.                Laurie