Heavy Air?

[Yukari]

IMHO, when it is humid and hot, I feel lethargic and don't move as fast.  That also is true of my golf swing.  Therefore, even though the air is less dense (hence less friction/drag), I lose about 1/2 club distance simply by the fact that I don't swing as hard.

[Buckeyebowman]

On 7/14/2018 at 8:24 AM, dennyjones said:

If you note the chart that @Missouri Swede posted, the x scale is degrees in Celsius.   I doubt anybody plays golf in 60ºC.   At 20ºC, which is around 68ºF, the density difference is relativity small.   To say, "My ball isn't going today because it is too humid or too dry" doesn't have merit.  

I think it's more the golfer and not the temp or humidity, up to a point. Here in the midwest we can get the gift of both high temps and humidity!

People make jokes about the folks in Arizona saying "it's a dry heat", but there is something to it. I've been in the Napa Valley of California in August when the temps were an honest to God 110F! Yet, it was livable. At 25% humidity our skin stayed dry and our clothing was not pasted to us!

Yes, it was hot, but not as oppressive as similar conditions in the midwest.

[Carl3]

On 7/14/2018 at 12:40 PM, billchao said:

It's about 1 yard every 10°F

This is only considering the effects of the resistance the air creates. I would suspect when you account for the temperature of the ball as it relates to its liveliness that cold temperatures have more of en effect on distance. There are also physiological factors.

I feel that this time of year when it is high 80's low 90's I am 1/2 to a whole club stronger across the board than in April/May.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Carl3

[billchao]

31 minutes ago, Carl3 said:

This is only considering the effects of the resistance the air creates. I would suspect when you account for the temperature of the ball as it relates to its liveliness that cold temperatures have more of en effect on distance. There are also physiological factors.

I feel that this time of year when it is high 80's low 90's I am 1/2 to a whole club stronger across the board than in April/May.

That's basically my point: air temperature has a small effect on golf ball distance compared to the other factors involved.

[Carl3]

7 hours ago, billchao said:

That's basically my point: air temperature has a small effect on golf ball distance compared to the other factors involved.

Yes I was trying to argue your point by pointing out the other factors which may lead people to believe it is a greater factor. However air temperature eventually affects ball temperature. From the coldest driest day to the most hot/humid that we would consider playing in, air density might lessen by maybe 10%.

[billchao]

2 hours ago, Carl3 said:

Yes I was trying to argue your point by pointing out the other factors which may lead people to believe it is a greater factor. However air temperature eventually affects ball temperature. From the coldest driest day to the most hot/humid that we would consider playing in, air density might lessen by maybe 10%.

Right, which brings us back to the OP, who was playing in conditions that suggest the ball should travel farther, but stated he lost distance.

It's probably how the weather affected him and not the ball that was the issue.

[Yukari]

22 hours ago, Carl3 said:

This is only considering the effects of the resistance the air creates. I would suspect when you account for the temperature of the ball as it relates to its liveliness that cold temperatures have more of en effect on distance. There are also physiological factors.

I feel that this time of year when it is high 80's low 90's I am 1/2 to a whole club stronger across the board than in April/May.

Ditto for me.  However, when it is hot and humid, my swing speed suffers due to overall lethargy.  I just don't move and swing as fast when it is hot and humid.