As the cold weather comes in during the fall, and then winter continues, golfers might notice that their shots aren't going as far as they did in warmer months -- and that they're definitely not going as far as they did in the summer or even spring.
Golfers might be wondering if they're imagining things, but their eyes are not deceiving them.
Most every golfer believes that their golf ball flies much farther in the heat of the summer than in the colder months of winter (or even fall or spring), and that's because it does.
According to Titleist research, a golfer will experience an approximately 1.5 percent drop in distance for every 20-degree drop in temperature. If you carry your driver 250 yards, that 1.5 percent drop equates to 3.75 yards. Imagine that throughout the bag -- only on carry numbers.
The affect heat has on how far the golf ball travels is verified by another source. According to the folks at TrackMan, for every 10 degrees of increase in temperature, the golf ball flies approximately 1.33 to 1.66 yards farther, depending on the club being used. This is because the temperature changes air density, which is ultimately the factor determining how well the golf ball can fly through the air with minimal drag and ideal lift.
The air is typically also more humid during the summer months, and the ball flies farther through that air as well.
Firmer ground conditions may mean more roll at times. If you've ever played golf when the ground is practically frozen, then you know the bounces can be pretty incredible. So that could lead to an evening-out of sorts.
However, the effect heat has on the distance the golf ball travels isn't quite as much as most golfers, including many professionals, think.
Most golfers would do well to take an extra club in the winter for practically every shot that doesn't involve the driver. This way, the extra club accounts for the distance lost due to temperature, as well as the likelihood that a golfer won't swing as fast while wearing thicker, warmer clothes and swinging without being as warm as the summer.
