Everyone wants a long distance on their drives to get the golf ball close to the hole and make the following shots easier. As a golfer, you also want consistency when it comes to how far you are hitting the ball. There are multiple factors that affect your golf ball distance you should be aware of as you play. Knowing about them can help you make the necessary adjustments to perform your best on the course.
The Initial Impact
The way you hit the ball at the moment of impact unsurprisingly changes its subsequent path through the air. For a greater distance, make contact with the ball at a high speed. Both your power and ability to go through the full range of motion in the swing affect this. Another component of the initial impact to take note of is the angle you hit the ball at. The greater the angle relative to the vertical, the higher the ball will fly and the less far it will end up because of greater backspin. Hitting it straighter with a lower lofted club may be better for longer distances.
The Wind
As your ball sails up high, the wind can blow on it and influence its trajectory. Wind effects can be beneficial when you have a nice tailwind blowing from behind you, as it will push your ball further than normal. Headwinds which blow toward you will hinder your distance, as will side-moving crosswinds that bend the ball’s path off course either to the left or right. However, if you’re ignorant about the wind, even tailwinds can hurt your game, as you might hit the ball too far and into the rough or a hazard.
The Air Density
It’s not always obvious, but the density of the air is a factor that affects your golf ball distance, though it is smaller compared to the others. By density, we refer to temperature and humidity. Higher humidity and temperatures can make your ball go farther. For humidity, this is because water vapor is less dense than dry air. For temperature, the ball moves farther because the air expands with more heat, making it less dense. With less dense air, there is less resistance to the ball while it is moving. Air density only makes a difference of a few yards in most cases, but it’s still something you should know about.
