==================================================== Newsletter - Issue 154 Date 11/09/10 ==================================================== ==================================================== TCT Quick Tip - Failure ==================================================== Getting to the next level in golf usually requires a bit of trial and error, and a lot of work. I have heard many players say "that was a waste of time" after sincerely working at a swing change or technique that just didn't work out. Nothing could be further from the truth. In golf, there's almost as much value in discovering ways not to do something as there is in discovering ways to do something. (BTW, this also applies to more important endeavors in life way beyond golf.) I read that Ben Franklin was asked about how he felt about his hundreds of failed experiments on electricity, and he replied that he was actually successful in discovering hundreds of ways to not do it, and that was valuable information. ==================================================== Golf Tip: Cold Weather Golf ==================================================== Here's an interesting video from Sport Science - the golf ball info is about 3 minutes into the clip but worth waiting for: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrbrLnZ8drU It proves that warmer balls fly further than colder balls, which should be no great surprise to any serious golfer. For those of us that are still playing, temperatures are now significantly cooler - meaning the ball is not flying as far for every club in our bag. The ball will fly less at cooler temperatures for several reasons: The club shaft is colder, so there's less efficient transfer of energy to the ball Cooler air increases friction due to more density, so it slows the ball down The ball does not compress as efficiently at impact Your body itself isn't as flexible, so you lose some coil and thus swing speed is a bit lower. For your mid to short irons, you may lose a full club, for a driver you may lose about 8 to 10 yards of carry, plus the difference in rollout on damp ground. Here are ways to combat the low temperature effect: 1 - Stay warm - your body AND your hands. Those disposable hand warmers are nice, for your hands but not your ball. It's against the USGA Rules to use an artificial device to warm your ball. As preposterous as this sounds, it would be legal to warm balls artificially in hot water the night before a match, pop them in a thermos, and use them during your round. Note that if the tournament had the "one ball rule" in effect you would not be able to do this. You can keep a ball in a pants pocket that doesn't have any artificial warming device in it, and your body heat will help keep the ball warm. Again, note the "one ball rule". FYI, the "one ball rule" has to be invoked at most amateur tournament levels, it's not in play be default. Here's more on the "one ball rule": http://www.usga.org/RulesFAQ/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=177&Rule=15 2 - Use an extra club for all iron shots. It would be a good idea to learn your club for 150 yards on a day when it's around 40 degrees and adjust everything accordingly. Keep in mind that longer hitters lose even more distance on their shots. 3 - Some players like to play with gloves on. I read that playing with winter type golf gloves on effects the swingweight of the club, and personally I think it's true. It makes the clubhead feel lighter, so good tempo is very important in cold weather to counter a propensity to jerk the club from the top during transition. 4 - This is kind of an expensive tip, but when I was playing competition golf I had two drivers that were identical, except that one had a stiff flex graphite shaft and the other had a regular flex graphite shaft. I used the regular flex until the temperature got above 50 degrees. It worked for me, because with a relatively short backswing the more flexible shaft helped my shaft load better in colder temperatures. 5 - Use a softer ball. This year I've found that although I played a Callaway Tour is most of the year, I've had better performance in the colder weather we are having now with a Titleist Pro V1. It's definitely compressing more than the Callaway. Ladies golf balls also perform very well in cold weather. Golf balls aren't rated by compression any more, otherwise I would just say pick up some low compression balls for cold play - so look for balls that tout their high spin rate or "feel" more than distance. The good news is that they are usually inexpensive - except for premium brands. 6 - Force yourself to concentrate more, cold weather tends to make your brain wander. More good news, cold weather golf provides an excellent opportunity to work on your concentration. Enjoy, Tom