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Uphill/downhill

• SweetiePie91 269 Posts

  Mon, Sep 5 2011 10:15 AM

  Hi,

  Hopefully I'm not the only one who thinks this.. When I have an uphill shot which is about 15 feet uphill I have to take approximate one extra club. That seems pretty realistic to me and I buy that. 

  BUT, if I have a 15 feet downhill shot it will do barely nothing on the length, can even be 30 feet downhill. I tried hitting a 150 yard shot that was about 20 feet downhill (even a little tailwind) with a 135 club. Surprised I saw it carry about 125 yard and leaves me with a tough chip from the thick rough.

  Why doesn't a downhill shot "takes away" as much length as an uphill shot "add"??

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Mon, Sep 5 2011 11:29 AM

  hi

  you are not setting up a reasonable example.

  you have to take into consideration many things, such as wind, what specific hole you have, the distance and such.

  just saying you club up on 15ft uphill and club down on 15-20ft downhill doesn't really work in my view

  -wgticon

• TheLighterDark 1,404 Posts

  Mon, Sep 5 2011 11:43 AM

  Simple physics. On an uphill shot, the ball will hit the green (or whatever landing area) before it gets to the spot you were aimed at. 

  On a downhill shot, the ball will carry all the way to the target + more in the air. 

• SweetiePie91 269 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 3:49 AM

  WGTicon:

  you have to take into consideration many things, such as wind, what specific hole you have, the distance and such.

  I did mention the distance and wind didn't I? And in my opinion a downhill shot should make at least SOME in distance? When I play for real I take of/add just as much distance when I have a downhill as an uphill shot.

  On WGT on the other hand I take the same club as I would when I have a downhill shot as a no levitation one and add a club or 2 if uphill. 

  Tell me why it is like that?

   

• gfsullivan 196 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 4:02 AM

  No specific numbers but I have noticed the downhill shots as well. Still get surprised at times when a downhill shot doesnt  reach when it should.

• misstery 705 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 5:12 AM

  I get confused by this as well.

  The only really noteable place where you need to hit less club for downhill shots is wolf creek.

   

• trumpy959 99 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 5:26 AM

  SweetiePie91:

  Tell me why it is like that?

  WGT agree's with Isaac Newton and TLD on this one that the carry of a downhill shot due to the laws of physics that  effect it will always be greater, requiring less overall yardage compared to a similar length uphill shot. Of coarse there are many other things that factor in ( ie; wind direction, speed, green speed, carry, club loft,  etc. ) but when thinking about just distance this is my typical starting point. 

  Upward Elevation:  25ft=+8yds; 12 ft=+4 yds; 6ft=+2yds; 2ft=+1yd )

  Downward Elevation:  Subtract 1 yd for every 10 ft and reduce distance to the nearest 10 if needed. ( ie; 25ft downward elevation -3 yds instead of -2 )

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 5:48 AM

  The distance out you are and the trajectory of your club has everything to do with it. If you're using a wedge the elevation doesn't affect it as much as it does with a longer iron. Look at the shape of the different trajectories.

  Oakmont #1 is a good example. From closer tees you hit your approach from 125-135 out. This would be a PW into a green 36 feet below you. That's a 12 yard drop but if you take that wedge and subtract that distance in your calculations you will come up short. The wedge trajectory comes in more straight down.

  Conversely, from the longer tees you wind up approaching from 175 yards or more. Now that elevation drop comes into play because the lower trajectory of the longer iron is going to come in at a lower angle and the ball will land long.

  You also need to factor in how that elevation change takes place. Is it a gradual change over the course of the hole or does it happen all at once, like at the end of the shot where the shot is losing altitude? BPB#15 is this way-flat until you get to the base of the hill. CCC#4 is the same way. The small elevation change happens right at the end of the approach shot which is why it's real easy to wind up in that trap.  You can't universally apply elevation corrections. There's several other factors you need to pay attention to.

• WGTicon 12,511 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 6:40 AM

  SweetiePie91:

  WGTicon:

  you have to take into consideration many things, such as wind, what specific hole you have, the distance and such.

  I did mention the distance and wind didn't I? And in my opinion a downhill shot should make at least SOME in distance? When I play for real I take of/add just as much distance when I have a downhill as an uphill shot.

  On WGT on the other hand I take the same club as I would when I have a downhill shot as a no levitation one and add a club or 2 if uphill. 

  Tell me why it is like that?

   

  hi

  as jim have said, it depends from hole to hole. kinda like putting... if it's downhill all thee way it will play different speed/break than if it was downhill last 5-10ft.

  same as this... also, some chips or pitch may show 2ft downhill but at the hole level maybe actually uphill that's why many times you are consistently short

  so, your 150 yarder maybe downhill early on but later straightens out or other way around.

  hence, I asked for a specific hole so I could maybe answer the question with more details.

  -wgticon

• AGArgent 343 Posts

  Tue, Sep 6 2011 8:42 AM

  YankeeJim:

  The distance out you are and the trajectory of your club has everything to do with it. If you're using a wedge the elevation doesn't affect it as much as it does with a longer iron. Look at the shape of the different trajectories.

  Oakmont #1 is a good example. From closer tees you hit your approach from 125-135 out. This would be a PW into a green 36 feet below you. That's a 12 yard drop but if you take that wedge and subtract that distance in your calculations you will come up short. The wedge trajectory comes in more straight down.

  Conversely, from the longer tees you wind up approaching from 175 yards or more. Now that elevation drop comes into play because the lower trajectory of the longer iron is going to come in at a lower angle and the ball will land long.

  You also need to factor in how that elevation change takes place. Is it a gradual change over the course of the hole or does it happen all at once, like at the end of the shot where the shot is losing altitude? BPB#15 is this way-flat until you get to the base of the hill. CCC#4 is the same way. The small elevation change happens right at the end of the approach shot which is why it's real easy to wind up in that trap.  You can't universally apply elevation corrections. There's several other factors you need to pay attention to.

  And, if I may, the above post by YJ illustrates to me how people become Legends. A knowledge and understanding of the everyday details of golf and WGT that a lot of us schlubs who are sub-legends just ain't got. I, for one, have doubts I ever will. And what you say, Jim, really is just a developed common sense yet in my everyday play, it's almost like I can't be bothered with such analysis; just take a perfunctory glance at the shot, quickly line it up, go ahead and whack the *** and hope for the best and after it comes up short or goes long it's like " damn, WHY does that keep happening!?". With irons or putter. ( Happens a LOT to me at George's. I love playing the course but can't score on it. Upon reaching, I'm too often miles from the pin.) Anyway, thanks for that. I just might retain some of it.