This time we are going to talk about a subject that the most experienced golfers already master perfectly, but that, when we start, we tend to always overlook it.
And there are a number of external factors that affect the trajectory of the golf ball. It is not enough that your swing is perfect, you must also master these factors if you want to play like professional golfers on your golf course in Majorca.
The good part is that knowing how these factors affect the trajectory of the ball, you will be able to make more accurate shots. Although today we will focus on temperature, these are the three factors that most influence:
1. Temperature
2. Humidity
3. Air pressure
Why do these factors affect the trajectory of the golf ball?
Because they all interfere directly with the density of the air, and remember that the ball “breaks” the air when it is hit.
Ball trajectory according to air density:
High air density
– Shorter flight distance.
– Greater ball height and consequently higher maximum height point.
– Increased landing angle.
Low air density
– Greater flight distance.
– Lower ball height.
– The landing angle is flattened.
How does temperature affect the trajectory of the golf ball?
As we have just seen the denser the air, the shorter the flight distance. To better understand this you should know that the air is denser the lower the temperature. In winter we will usually face a very dense air, while in summer it will be much less, so we will have to prepare our swing based on these conditions.
The higher the temperature, the greater the positive effect on the trajectory of the ball.
Example in shots with high temperature vs. low temperature:
The well-known golfer Abel Jiménez carried out an experiment with his own trajectory to find out exactly how the temperature affected the distance the golf ball travelled.
The result was that while a swing executed at a temperature of 6º reached a trajectory of 229 meters, a launch carried out at a temperature of 26º reached a distance of 236 meters.
From which it is easily deduced that the higher the temperature, the greater the distance that the flight of our ball will travel, exerting the same force and being faithful to our style of swing.
In addition to the distance, we must take into account how the air density can completely change the maximum height point and consequently the landing angle.
We know that these guidelines may not be simple at first, but remember, it is practice that makes the expert. You do not have to master them the first day (nobody does), just keep them in mind when you are on the green, and enjoy while playing golf, this is how the greats of this sport became the stars that they are today.
