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Do any of you play better at a certain time of the day?


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Posted

I always wondered why I play my worst golf early in the morning.
I love the men’s league I play in because it starts at 4:00 in the afternoon. Below is an article that discusses this affliction but has no suggestions on how to improve the situation.
Unfortunately, most of the club events start at 8:00am.
Any suggestions to help get things on track early in the day?

“From a circadian rhythm standpoint, 6:30 in the morning is the worst possible time to play golf,” said Dr. Charles Czeisler, the director of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, told the Times. “It would be the absolute nadir of performance preparedness. You will be less flexible, your coordination will be off a little, your judgment will not be as good and your short-term memory would be affected.
“I know it’s less crowded so it might be more enjoyable, but it’s very far from the optimal time to play if you’re talking about performance.”
It was noted that there have been studies done that show that the best time for athletes is from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. That’s the peak time for muscular strength, mental acuity, flexibility and the most favorable body temperatures for athletic activity.
While golfers have to get to the course when they have the time, the morning hours leave much to be desired.
“People try to fix that by downing a couple of cups of coffee, but that probably isn’t a good idea for golf,” Czeisler told the Times. “Caffeine adversely affects fine motor movements and can produce tremors in your hands. Any precise golf maneuver could be affected.”

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/05/07/2858186/morning-is-not-the-best-time-for.html

Driver: Ping K15 10°, Mitsubishi Diamana Blueboard 63g Stiff
Fairway 4-wood: TaylorMade RocketBallz Tour TP 17.5°, Matrix Ozik TP7HD S shaft

Hybrids: Callaway Diablo Edge 3H-4H, Aldila DVS Stiff
Irons: MIURA PP-9003, Dynamic Gold Superlite S300, Sand Wedge: Scratch 8620 56°
Putter: Nike Method Concept Belly 44"
Ball: Bridgestone Tour B330-S


Posted

Personally, I have always thought that I play a bit better in the morning although I don`t think I have ever teed off much before 7.  I think I am mentally sharper with a clear mind in the mornings and think that lots of courses play easier in the morning with smoother greens (especially in the days of metal spikes) and less wind.

I also like that an 8 to 9 am time can have you off after a moderate breakfast/short warm up and in for lunch.  If I am playing poorly, I don`t mind have lunch mid-round to mix it up, but don`t like to eat too much if I am playing well.

:mizuno: MP-52 5-PW, :cobra: King Snake 4 i 
:tmade: R11 Driver, 3 W & 5 W, :vokey: 52, 56 & 60 wedges
:seemore: putter


Posted

I normally play with my dad who wakes up at 4 for work during the week, I get off at 12:30. The latest he will golf is 10-10:30. Sometimes it sucks.

I never have played later in the day this year. Latest was about 1

2013 Goal:

 

Single digit handicap


Posted

I play better the earlier that I play, but I think it's because it gets so damn hot here in the afternoons that I wear down much faster in the pm.


Posted

I play amazingly well during 'Super Twilight' hours. 4pm -

What's In My  Stand Bag

 

Driver:  FT-iZ 9*

Hybrids: C3 3,4,5

Irons: C3 6-GW

Wedges: C3 58*/8 and 54*/12

Putter:  blade

Ball: Gamer V2

 

http://cdn.thesandtrap.com/0/0d/150x50px-LL-0d81d772_tst_award_kickstarter_otm.png


Posted

When it comes to working, I'm best in the morning, the earlier the better.  As for golf.  Amazingly I've found that my best rounds have always been started in mid - late afternoon.  Mornings aren't my bag apparently.


Posted

I play most of my golf in the morning after work (Graveyard shift) but I play better in the after noon. When we play in the morning the greens always have dew on them slowing down the roll of the ball. same with the fairways you get the old rooster tail causing the loss of distance.


Posted

For me, it's the earlier the better. I like to start sometime around 8 a.m., but a lot of that has to do with the heat here in Texas. If you get out by 8 a.m., you might make it back in before the triple-digit heat comes.

As for my circadian rythm and what-not, I've never really paid attention to how I play vs. when I play. Maybe I will now.


Posted
I play every Saturday at 8 AM.....we have about 24 to 30 golfers in our weekly game......often, some of us do a replay about 2 PM I have experienced a better round in the afternoon than in the morning. Two years ago I shot a 94 in the morning then a 75 in the afternoon.....WOO! A few weeks ago I shot an 81 in the morning, then shot an 81 in the afternoon....Back to Back 81's. I am not sure when I play best as I can play better at either time.

Posted

I play better when it's NOT 105 degrees.....

  • Upvote 1

My Bag:

 

Burner 9.5

X 3&5 Woods

DCI Gold 3- PW(48*) + 52* Vokey wedge

56* sand wedge

Cushin Putter


Posted

Teeing off at 3 or 4 pm is always my favorite.

In my  taylormade.gif Stratus Stand bag

Driver:  taylormade.gif 10.5* 2009 Burner

3 Wood: taylormade.gif 2008 Burner

3 Hybrid: taylormade.gif 2008 Burner

Ironstaylormade.gif  Burner 1.0 4-AW

Wedge: Cleveland CG15  56*

Putter:  taylormade.gif Rossa Monza Spider Vicino

Ball Callaway HX Diablo Tour

 

 

 


Posted

Yeah, this heat ruined my whole golfing summer. By the time I have to go back to classes Aug 20th, won't have nearly enough time to just pick and choose when i go out.

Originally Posted by Jeffrey71

I play better when it's NOT 105 degrees.....

What's In My  Stand Bag

 

Driver:  FT-iZ 9*

Hybrids: C3 3,4,5

Irons: C3 6-GW

Wedges: C3 58*/8 and 54*/12

Putter:  blade

Ball: Gamer V2

 

http://cdn.thesandtrap.com/0/0d/150x50px-LL-0d81d772_tst_award_kickstarter_otm.png


Posted

I don't seem to notice a difference in the time of day, I've shot good rounds in the morning and in the afternoon (shot horrible round in the morning and afternoon also).  Seems to me it has more to do with the individual, some people tend to be morning people, some evening.  I know I like to play most of my golf in the mornings, I like to get up and get going.

Craig 

Yeah, wanna make 14 dollars the hard way?


Posted

The earlier the better, provided that I have time to hit a few balls at the range.  If I grab the first tee time and don't warm up, it can be ugly.  But if I warm up properly, I play better in the morning.  I can play at my own pace without waiting for others, usually with people aren't terrible, and the pins are either in fresh new locations that haven't been trafficked or they haven't been moved and I probably played them the day before.

Dan

:tmade: R11s 10.5*, Adila RIP Phenom 60g Stiff
:ping: G20 3W
:callaway: Diablo 3H
:ping:
i20 4-U, KBS Tour Stiff
:vokey: Vokey SM4 54.14 
:vokey: Vokey :) 58.11

:scotty_cameron: Newport 2
:sunmountain: Four 5

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

i'm much better in the later afternoon.  i figure its because my body has been in movement all day and is thus all warmed up, stretched, etc..   also, i think my mind is clearer because in the morning, i have the rest of the day to think about what i need to do, etc..  in the afternoon, my day is essentially over and its only golf i have to worry about.

In my Grom Stand bag:

 

Driver: Ping G20, 8.5 Tour Stiff
Wood/Hybrid: G20 3W, Raylor 19*, 22*
Irons: R9 5I - SW, TM CGB LW

Putter: Scotty Cameron Kombi-Mid

Favorites: Old Ranch (Seal Beach), Ike/Babe (Industry Hills), Skylinks (Long Beach), Desert Willow (Palm Desert)


Posted

I play better in the morning/early afternoon.  I played in a golf league one year after work (tee around 430) and I couldn't hit worth a damn.  That probably had more to do with being drained from work than the time of day, but who knows.

In My Bag:
Driver: :cleveland:  Hi-Bore XLS
Irons: :cleveland:  CCi 3i-PW
Wedges: :nike:  VR V-Rev Cast Black-Satin
Putter: :ping:  IC 20-10A


Posted

I like to tee off before 8:00AM. I am a morning person. I lift in the morning, I run in the morning, I have sex best is in the morning. Did I mention I'm a morning person?

My Tools of Ignorance:

Driver: Ping I20 9.5*
Woods/Hybrids: Cobra AMP 3W and 3 HY

Irons: Cobra AMP 4-GW

Wedges: Callaway Forged Copper 56* and 60*

Putters: Scotty Cameron  35" (Several of the flow neck blade variety)

Ball: Bridgestone B330-RX and Srixon Z-Star

Bag: Nike Performance Carry


Note: This thread is 5015 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

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  • Posts

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    • I work with a lot of golfers who want more shaft lean at impact, who currently have AoAs that range from +2° to -2°, and who love to see the handle lower and more "in front of their trail thigh" from face-on at P6. And a lot of these golfers try to solve the issue by working on the downswing. They do something to drag the handle forward. Or they just leave their right thigh farther back so the same handle location "looks" farther forward. Or they move the ball back in their stance. Or they push themselves down into the ground to get the handle lower and increase (decrease?) their AoA (to be more negative). The real fix is often to get wider in the backswing. To do LESS in the backswing. To hinge less, fold the trail arm less, abduct the trail arm less. I had a case of this over the weekend. Before, the player had 110° of trail elbow bend, "lifted" his trail humerus only a few degrees, etc. The club traveled quite a bit around him, and he tended to "pick" the ball from the fairways. In the "after" swings below (which are mild exaggerations — this golfer does not need to end up at < 70° of elbow bend. These were slower backswings with "hit it as hard as you normally would" intent downswings), you can see that he bent his elbow about 70° instead of 110° and lifted his right arm an extra ~15° or more. You can't see how much less this moved his hands across his chest (right arm abduction), but it was also decreased. His hands stayed more "in front of" his right shoulder rather than traveling "beside" them so much. The two swings look like this: The change at P6, without talking about the downswing one little bit (outside of him telling me that he tends to pick the ball), is remarkable: Without 110° of elbow bend to get out (which he gets to 80°, a loss of 30°), the golfer actually loses slightly less elbow bend (70 - 50 = 20), but delivers 30° less elbow bend, lowering the handle and letting the elbow get "in front of" the rib cage… because it never got "behind" or "beside" the rib cage. If you look at this video showing the before/afters of P6, you'll note the handle location (both vertically and horizontally) and the shoulders (the ball is in the same place in these frames). This golfer's path was largely unaffected (still pretty straight into the ball, < 3° path and often < 1.5°), but his AoA jumped to -5° ± 2°. I've always said, and in talking with other instructors they agree and feel similarly, that we spend a lot of time working on the backswing. This is another example of why.
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