There is still some good golf to be played here in the Midwest.  As the leaves have fallen, so have the temperatures. When you get onto the golf course this is one aspect of the game that gets overlooked.  The cooler temperatures have an effect on your golf ball. This has to be taken into account on each shot that is hit during this time of the year and even when it is extremely warm.

Let’s say that your ball will carry 220 yards at a temperature of 75 degrees.  As the temperature decreases by ten degrees to 65 or 55, the ball will fly roughly four yards less with each ten degree decrease causing the ball to fly 216 yards at 65 degrees and 212 yards at 55 degrees.  Now when the temperature decreases down to 45 degrees, the ball will carry about 205 yards. If you are willing to test the ultra-cold conditions of 35 degrees, that same shot that should have carried 220 yards, will now only fly about 196 yards.

Due to the golf ball being made partially of rubber, it is a poor conductor of heat. The commonplace act of placing the ball in your pocket to help with the temperature is a faulty one. One suggestion would be to keep a box of balls in a warm room overnight and use a new ball every three to four holes.  It is against the rules to keep a hand warmer or similar device for the purpose of heating the ball during a round.

Take these points into consideration the next time you head out to play golf in cooler temperatures.  You may just find yourself hitting shots closer to the pin!

Brett Bennett