Losing thirty yards with a 7 iron in the cold?

[Urrrk]

Okay, so I'm trying to get started on my golf game this season, but winter won't let up. So I'm out taking in a pretty miserable day on the range, 35, into a stiff breeze with sleet, I'm bundled up and nowhere near my midseason form, but I'm back about 30-40 yards, distance wise, from where I am in the summer (typically I land the ball at the 150 yard marker with a 7I, but that stretches out to 160 when it's 90+, today was around 120)

Please tell me it was just the cold. and my right hand going numb.

[B-Con]

Gauging my shots on my usual driving range, this last winger I'd lost 20 - 25 yards on my 7 iron in 45* degree weather hitting into a slight breeze. Part of it's the cold ball, part of it's the cold air, part of it's the cold (and thus less fluid) muscles, and I think part of it's even just the extra restrictive clothing. :-) This week we've been in the 70s, and I've been hitting them just as far as before. I was shocked myself, but from a couple other threads on here from this winter, dramatic loss in distance (15%, maybe even 20%) isn't too unexpected when playing in extreme cold.

[Johnnyooze]

Im seeing shorter yards from my shots too. It was snowing last sat when i played with a couple friends lol so that combined with still trying to get my swing back made for some ugly golf. We still had fun tho!

[gspjeb]

I certainly have a definite distance loss when the temp drops....however....at 45 degrees I get about a 15 yard drop at the most.  As you mentioned the wind, that may be the culprit for the 30-40 yard drop.  Seems a bit much to me.

[Dad-2-3]

Yardage loss is to be expected in cold weather. Cold ball, cold air, stiff breeze and a golfer wrapped up to keep warm all make for shorter distances. During these times I try to concentrate on contact and ball flight and not worry to much about distances.

[awmgolfer]

Cold weather will definitely effect distance due to the reasons mentioned above. Towards the end of our season I'll be golfing when it's in the upper 20's at best, get in as much as I can since we don't open back up till mid-April at best. I can hit my pitching wedge mid season around 120 and those last couple of rounds out I was barely hitting it 80 yards, if I was lucky. Some of it is due to the heavier clothing, restricts my motion, but a lot of it is not being as loose and just the properties of the cold weather and its effect on the ball.

[ohiolefty]

I feel your pain.

I have back issues, and if it's cold and windy at the same time, I lose distance because my back occasionally just won't cooperate and I lose flexibility, turn, etc. which slows the club down through the impact area. Now, I don't lose it to the degree you do...but I might lose a club or two.

You also might want to make sure you're not casting the club badly to make up for lack of flexibilty from your body or clothing. You can't make up clubspeed lost by the body with your hands and wrists.

[jamo]

When I used to play high school golf, at the end of the season in late October/early November, I was consistently about 2 clubs shorter. 250 yard drivers were bombs. It's a mix of being stiff (which makes it harder to turn), wearing more clothing (same), and the fact that the driver and the ball are colder also. Compression isn't the same and the air is usually drier at colder temps, which means added air resistance (dry air is thicker). Not to mention you said into a stiff breeze.

[The Gill]

Damn, are you in Washington State? That sounds like my Tuesday. It jacked my session up because I was over swinging. I couldn't get a 5 iron past 160.

[2bGood]

Yep cold is just like that.This winter I forgot that, I have been working on some swing changes and for a while I was getting frustrated that I lost distance, holiday in ea warm place last month and I discovered I was club longer then last summer and 2 clubs longer then in the cold.

[te3point5]

There are a few things that can be affecting your distance

Winter rust

colder air is more dense (ball can't cut through it as easily)

colder balls... (They won't compress as much)

Restrictive clothing (harder to execute a full swing

if your index really is a 36, its possible you aren't striking the ball in the center of the club face with every swing.

[596]

30's, 20's, sleet....what are you people......nuts?  I love golf as much as anyone but that is just crazy to me.   You guys need to move south!!

I NEVER play or go to the range when temps are less then 55.  Never in the rain either.  I'll wait til tomorrow and have gorgeous weather to play.

btw - yes....you see a drop in distance when weather is cold, clubs are cold or ball is cold.  Even at 55 degrees I see a lose in distance from when I play in 90 degrees.

I also see a big distance loss when I play at lower altitudes.  1 extra club can be the norm when I play at lower elevations, then again if I go up to Flagstaff, only in the summer, I can use 1 less club since the air is really thin up there.