How much further does golf ball fly in Colorado?

[tdk8180]

[quote name='307golf' date='13 May 2010 - 07:59 PM' timestamp='1273795152' post='2440377']
[quote]Draws and Fades are exaggerated if you intend to hit those shots. I can call any shot I hit in Colorado.[/quote]

I believe this is inconsistent with the physics of golf ball flight. Less dense air will have less effect on the flight of the ball. Winds aren't as effective at moving the ball nor is the sidespin as effective at curving the ball.

At least that's what I thought...
[/quote]

This is correct according to physics. Curvature of a ball is dependent on the spin applied at impact. When the ball is spinning it is making contact (friction) with the dense air and reacts by pushing away from the dense air, thus creating more curvature.

Could you hit a draw on the moon? No it's not possible. The ball would leave the club face spinning but not curve in the intended direction. Same principle in Denver, with less resistance around the ball while in flight, the ball will travel straighter.

I have found that the ball will fly the farthest during a hot, humid day, rather than a hot, arid day in Denver.

Reason being, the ball launches higher, but comes down faster in Denver due to gravity and a lack of resistance. When it's humid, if you can pound it, you can get it up in the air and it will resist coming down as fast. Your launch and spin have to be optimal though. If not, you may suffer from a lack of distance.

[JJSC15]

This is all very interesting I am moving out to Denver in Aug. and can't wait to play. It will be fun to figure out how far I hit each club again for the third time. The past two year I have lived and played in FL, NY, and soon to be CO distances are different in all three areas of the country. How do the guys on the PGA tour do it week in and week out?

[ALIF]

[quote name='JJSC15' timestamp='1274408114' post='2456936']
This is all very interesting I am moving out to Denver in Aug. and can't wait to play. It will be fun to figure out how far I hit each club again for the third time. The past two year I have lived and played in FL, NY, and soon to be CO distances are different in all three areas of the country. How do the guys on the PGA tour do it week in and week out?
[/quote]

"These guys are good" lol.

[Awal]

[quote name='tdk8180' timestamp='1274404528' post='2456812']


I have found that the ball will fly the farthest during a hot, humid day, rather than a hot, arid day in Denver.

Reason being, the ball launches higher, but comes down faster in Denver due to gravity and a lack of resistance. When it's humid, if you can pound it, you can get it up in the air and it will resist coming down as fast. Your launch and spin have to be optimal though. If not, you may suffer from a lack of distance.
[/quote]

Right idea but wrong explanation. Ball goes further in humid air because water vapor (H2O) weighs less than either Nitrogen (N2) or Oxygen (O2) which are the two primary molecules in dry air. A given volume of air has a constant number of molecules, so if you put in more water vapor at higher humidities, you are pushing out Nitrogen or Oxygen--both of which weigh more than water vapor. The humid air is less dense than the dry air at the same temperature (and same elevation).

The holy grail would be to play on a hot, humid day on a Colorado mountain course.

[esketores]

I'd like to see some empirical data.
Sea level versus 5,260 feet with 2500 feet thrown in for good measure. All testing down with similar conditions. Humidity, temperature, and a machine hitting the balls.
I've always been told to add 10% when playing at sea level (Florida). Where I live the base elevation is 1220 feet.

[ElJefe26]

Though it is hard to argue with the physics, I find my own experience somewhat less clear on the differences in ball flight at altitude. I go from Albuquerque down to Chicago and Phoenix. What I find is that with well-struck shots, the difference is not as much as people suggest, somewhat less than a full club. With poorly struck shots, the difference is about where people suggest it would be, perhaps even a little more, perhaps a full club or more.

Another factor that often gets overlooked when people crow about the extra distance they get when going and playing the high altitude courses of the west is that they are frequently teeing off from more elevated tee boxes, which can contribute quite a bit to the distance.

[Mizzy Two Plane]

I used to live in Colorado Springs and its a 1-1.5 club difference. For some reason you can hit some rediculously long short irons every now and then. It's annoying sometimes. You need to spin your driver a bit more at elevation to really take advantage IMHO.

Secondly,The Ridge at Castle Pines North is the best course to play if you want to hit one 400 yards. 7200 ft of elevation and some super elevated tee boxes.

[Barto78]

[quote name='Mizzy Two Plane' timestamp='1369874856' post='7131514']
I used to live in Colorado Springs and its a 1-1.5 club difference. For some reason you can hit some rediculously long short irons every now and then. It's annoying sometimes. You need to spin your driver a bit more at elevation to really take advantage IMHO.

Secondly,The Ridge at Castle Pines North is the best course to play if you want to hit one 400 yards. 7200 ft of elevation and some super elevated tee boxes.
[/quote]

Great, i'm playing Ridge @ Castle Pines in 2 weeks and the guys i'm going on the trip with want to play the tees @ 6600 yards. I already hit my drive about 280-290, so i'm seriously concerned we are planning to play 1 tee too far up. I've already mapped out the course and it looks like i'll be hitting 3 wood or hyrbid at least 7 times.