From: dsiebert@icaen.uiowa.edu (Doug Siebert)
Subject: Re: compensating for elevation differences - tee to green
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 02:32:43 GMT
Organization: ISCA
Keywords: golf distance

In article <98rnxqa.mzimmers@netcom.com> mzimmers@netcom.com (Michael Zimmers) writes:
>In article <6228@transfer.stratus.com> wayne@sw.stratus.com (Wayne Newberry) writes:
>
>>> Does anyone know of a sound (rational) rule of thumb for compensating
>>> for elevation changes to the target (+/-) that would help in club
>>> selection?
>>> 
>>> Something like for every x ft of drop/increase % of club should be added
>>> or subtracted?
>
>>It seems to me that if such a rule of thumb were available, it would be
>>difficult to use.  I've never seen a course where that kind of information 
>>was available.  Also, while we have all grown somewhat able to guesstimate
>>horizontal distances, I'd doubt that many people could come close to 
>>guessing vertical drops/rises.
>
>Indeed.  This is yet another topic of golf that I've given a bit of
>thought.  (Hey, if you can't play it worth salt, think it to death!)
>
>In general, the impact is greater when hitting to an elevated target
>than it is hitting to a lower one.  When hitting to a lower target,
>balls hit by the "shorter" clubs will be near a vertical flight path
>by the time they get to the level of original impact.  While this
>is less true of less-lofted clubs, the additional carry will be
>offset by reduced bounce and roll.  It's rare -- very rare -- to 
>be able to take more than one less club.
>
>Going uphill, however, the sky's the limit.  Ten feet of elevation
>change can mean one club, but twenty feet is closer to three clubs
>and thirty starts to be a bit silly.  When hitting to elevated
>targets, it's also important to note whether the spot the ball hits
>initially is level, or sloped toward you.  If it's level, the ball
>will be "hotter" because it hasn't started coming down as steeply
>when it hits.  Hence, more bounce and roll, especially with short
>irons.  If you're hitting into a hill, however, the hill will tend
>to toss the ball up into the air with a tremendous loss of distance.
>

I couldn't disagree more.  With a long iron like, say, a 3-iron, I think it is
not uncommon to be a situation where you can take a club less because of
elevation, or at least make your mind up for you when you diddling between
clubs and don't know what to hit.

For uphill, how can you say 10 feet = 1 club?!  Maybe if you hit the ball
VERY low...  There's a hole on my home course that has AT LEAST 30 feet of
elevation increase from the fairway where I'm hitting my second shot (which
can vary from a 60 degree wedge to a 6 iron, depending on how well I hit my
tee shot, where the wind is, and whether I am stupid enough to hit a slice
rather than a draw to this 90 degree dogleg left hole) and I NEVER take more
than one club more, and if its a wedge or less I don't change my club selection
at all.  I will note that there is a 40 foot drop off starting 5 feet behind
the green, so being short is certainly preferable to being long on this hole,
but despite that I'm still too bloody long about a half dozen times each year!
:-(

-- 
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