Why am I playing so much better during this recent bout of cold weather?

[bulls9999]

OK, the cold, wintery weather has come  upon us fast and it's now in  thhe 45-55*F range and aside from that and having to wear multi-layers (I just played the last coupld of weeks with 4 thin layers of under-armor type pullovers plus 1 loose cotten shirt over them.... and I'm getting the best scores of the year (for me).  Not just scoring well, but driving the ball super, straight, long, irons are uncanny hitting targets like radar and I'm even scrambling like a pro (multiple times off wide left in the rough and hitting 150 yards shots onto the green, golly what the heck, have aliens taken over my body?  My ball hitting has much improved and I'm trying to figure out why?.... has the cold weather changed the hitting dynamics of the golf ball (is it harder in the cold and changes the ball's compression to one that suits me better?) or are the multi-layers of clothing impacting my swing and controlling it, not allowing me to hit wild and crazy shots?  Since we can literally golf year round in Oklahoma, there is no freeze on score  submissions for HC purposes. 

[SteelieD]

Enjoy the hot streak while it lasts! 😉

[jordan2240]

No one knows, but you just jinxed it.

[ChipNRun]

Here is a side factor which may be helping: casual golfers who are sloppy and irritating are probably not out on the course in early winter. This gives you peace of mind, and probably a smoother pace of play.

[Wardman]

Slower more solid strikes might be an answer

[Fairways_and_Greens]

Are you one of those flexible hyper mobile guys that runs past the top on the back swing? Are you playing more within yourself?

[North Butte]

9 hours ago, bulls9999 said:

OK, the cold, wintery weather has come  upon us fast and it's now in  thhe 45-55*F range and aside from that and having to wear multi-layers (I just played the last coupld of weeks with 4 thin layers of under-armor type pullovers plus 1 loose cotten shirt over them.... and I'm getting the best scores of the year (for me).  Not just scoring well, but driving the ball super, straight, long, irons are uncanny hitting targets like radar and I'm even scrambling like a pro (multiple times off wide left in the rough and hitting 150 yards shots onto the green, golly what the heck, have aliens taken over my body?  My ball hitting has much improved and I'm trying to figure out why?.... has the cold weather changed the hitting dynamics of the golf ball (is it harder in the cold and changes the ball's compression to one that suits me better?) or are the multi-layers of clothing impacting my swing and controlling it, not allowing me to hit wild and crazy shots?  Since we can literally golf year round in Oklahoma, there is no freeze on score  submissions for HC purposes. 

I am a very analytically minded person and I can hardly imagine the number of hours I've spent tracking rounds of golf shot by shot, using apps and spreadsheets to examine the results, even writing my own statistical analysis software to try various new and interesting ways to slice and dice all that data. 

 

In the end, my careful analysis and intensive study has convinced me that sometimes I simply play really well for a few weeks or a few months. And other times I play like donkey for long periods of time. It ain't weather or time of year, it ain't lessons or practice, it ain't my golf clubs. My game just gets better sometimes and worse sometimes. 

 

I'm a lot happier now that I've accepted the essential randomness and vagaries of my golf game. Plus it's saving a lot of time or effort since I no longer track or analyze any of that stuff. 

[getitdaily]

Colder weather limits mobility.

Multiple layers limit mobility.

 

Likely that your swing has shortened up and you're more in control. 

 

But now you'll think about that and start to spray it again.

[MonteScheinblum]

55 minutes ago, getitdaily said:

Colder weather limits mobility.

Multiple layers limit mobility.

 

Likely that your swing has shortened up and you're more in control. 

 

But now you'll think about that and start to spray it again.

It is almost sure this is the answer.  Many golfers have excess arm swing in the backswing.

[Mr_Wolfe]

On 11/27/2022 at 1:08 PM, MonteScheinblum said:

It is almost sure this is the answer.  Many golfers have excess arm swing in the backswing.

lol, remember me Monte? I have really shortened my swing since Chicago...

 

Mr. Wolfe

[SmashGolfBall]

No cold beers = better ball striking

[bulls9999]

Well, I didn't get jinxed, played well again this past weekend, shot 80.  Just trying to figure out how to wear multiple layer clothing in the 100+*F summer and keep playing like this.

[Robert72]

I'm assuming you are wearing a thicker, heavier hat than normal.

 

That might aid in keeping your head still.

[Lasorcier]

20 hours ago, SmashGolfBall said:

No cold beers = better ball striking

 

One advantage of cold weather is that the beer stays cold and that certainly does not deter those who like beer.

 

[getitdaily]

21 hours ago, bulls9999 said:

Well, I didn't get jinxed, played well again this past weekend, shot 80.  Just trying to figure out how to wear multiple layer clothing in the 100+*F summer and keep playing like this.

Record your swing, dtl and face on, in the cold, with layers on. 

 

When it gets warm, look.at that layered up swing and compare. In layers/cold, you'll probably see:

 

- slightly less shoulder turn

- arms stopping much closer to when the shoulders stop turning

 

Now you have a benchmark for what you need to work on when it gets warm.

[bulls9999]

On 11/30/2022 at 6:26 AM, getitdaily said:

Record your swing, dtl and face on, in the cold, with layers on. 

 

When it gets warm, look.at that layered up swing and compare. In layers/cold, you'll probably see:

 

- slightly less shoulder turn

- arms stopping much closer to when the shoulders stop turning

 

Now you have a benchmark for what you need to work on when it gets warm.

Good point, thanks.