fbpx

Elevation Changes: A simple calculation

How do you calculate elevation changes?

How do you calculate elevation changes? If you don’t already have a device that calculates that for you, we have a simple way to get roughly the correct distance.

We’ll walk-through not just how to calculate the distance to an uphill & downhill pin but also how the ball is going to react. We’re not scientists and this is not exact but it gives us a quick reference to a yardage that’s going to be close to the real thing. There’s a little bit more than just the distance to take into account but we can still get in all into one 60 second video.

Don’t let elevation changes mess with your game. Make this simple calculation and club selection should be much easier next time you’re out playing.

16 Comments

  1. Raymond CHASTEL

    July 18, 2019 at 6:13 am

    Dear Colby :
    Fine .Quite right. That’s exactly the rule of thumb I currently utilize .
    Please show us how you play a ball lying on pine needles .and one from a fairway bunker ,high lip and low lip .
    I like your easy going way of playing golf
    I look at all your videos
    With kind regards
    Raymond CHASTEL
    From FRANCE (FRENCH RIVIERA)
    chastel.raymondàwanadoo.fr

    Reply
    • Arlene Deardorff

      June 29, 2021 at 9:02 am

      Like all the 60 second tips

      Reply
  2. Chris Hogan

    July 18, 2019 at 4:38 pm

    Very helpful, thanks!

    Reply
  3. Bob Heath

    July 22, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    Love all your tips

    Reply
  4. allyn

    July 25, 2019 at 9:14 pm

    can you give basic idea as to effect of wind on club selection/ distance both into and against the wind. ie if grass is tossed and flies 5 yards does that translate into 1 club. thx

    Reply
  5. Paul Heine

    August 27, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    So, I missed the math reasoning. How much club should you hit on a downhill green? Or, how much less yardage is it to the pin on a downhill shot? If your yardage computer says that it is 150 yards downhill to the pin, how much less is the real yardage in terms of actual distance when the downhill is taken into consideration? ( All f this is assuming that you are not using a distance finder that actually takes the downhill into consideration)>

    Reply
  6. Larry

    August 28, 2019 at 12:50 am

    Great tip and thank you

    Reply
  7. Richard Gillmor

    August 28, 2019 at 3:36 am

    Great tip, I always wondered why it took one more club on our 18th hole to get home. The green is about 10 – 12ft higher than the fairway which, da, translates into one more club! I have also noted that temperature also affects the distance a ball flys. Is there an easy formula for this as well? I usually take off 5 yards for every 10 degrees it is colder than say my normal 80 degree day.

    Reply
  8. Pat

    November 5, 2019 at 6:50 am

    Great video!! I’m still old school I can calculate the distance in most cases faster then it takes to get out the laser rangefinder. Your breakdown of how to do the calculation was very good and it works.

    Reply
    • Walter Corbett

      September 16, 2021 at 4:08 am

      Great 60 seconds,Now how about sidehill lies downhill/uphill???
      Thanks
      Walter

      Reply
  9. Bob Fildes

    November 6, 2019 at 2:28 am

    Another excellent presentation…aside from wonderfully concise, the presentation and demonstration are perfectly balanced with simple graphics, and the visuals work…thank you! Very helpful…

    Reply
  10. Brian Anderson

    January 10, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Thanks Colby, this is the quick method I have always heard although estimating the “drop” can be problematic…

    Could you so a quick video on how to hit irons from off of a tee? Do you set up more like a driver and hit up, or more like a normal iron shot and hit level to downward? I have never seen anything that addresses this and I sometime struggle with the irons on par threes.

    Reply
  11. Ray Provencher

    November 11, 2020 at 12:44 pm

    What adjustments to your ball position in your stance when your are hitting from: an uphill lie, downhill lie, ball below your feet, ball above your feet.

    Reply
  12. Thomas J Kaled

    November 11, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    Great tips.

    Reply
  13. Bill Whitten

    September 16, 2021 at 3:58 am

    Good stuff. Love the presentation. Are you a comedian on the side? You are a natural. But please keep sending the tips.

    Reply
  14. John Healey

    September 16, 2021 at 8:08 am

    Thank you! 60 secs meets my attention span.

    Cheers!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *