Driving range question

[Skypilot]

Went on the driving range yesterday for the first time in ages.
It was very busy and all the ground floor bays were full.
There are bays on the next floor and these are only open when all downstairs ones are full so never used these before.

My shots were going a lot shorter than usual even allowing for my winter rust. Especially the short irons.
Question is......
This floor relatively high.
What effect would that have on my distance, if any?

 

[RangeMonkey]

It should make your your shots noticeably longer. You’re effectively playing downhill.
If I go upstairs at the range I go to, it adds about 10 yards, give or take.

At the range I use, the range itself is actually considerably uphill. I overheard the director of golf there saying to someone that whenever he practices, he goes upstairs, as that gives a truer reflection of distance. That’s because the range is the same level as the upstairs at about 150 yards out.

After hearing this I tried it, but I didn’t like it. I felt like I was going to fall off, and it inhibited my follow through ?

 

[Skypilot]

Oh bugger

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Dont forget, you are using range balls and it is winter so the ball will not travel as far.

 

[jim8flog]

I would second Bunkermagnet's comments

At this time of year I am about 1-2 clubs short compared to my summer distances.

 

[Skypilot]

Thinking back to the short irons... the fall was reducing the run out to some degree.
I know, clutching at straws a bit as the carry was still worse than what I was hoping for.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Are you comparing range with range, or range with course?

 

[Skypilot]

Dont forget, you are using range balls and it is winter so the ball will not travel as far.

Actually the club changed to decent Srixons a while ago and these get pretty similar distance to normal balls according to some YouTube comparisons.
Winter conditions, denser air etc. is obviously a factor though.
I'm running out of excuses now . . . time to work a bit harder

 

[Skypilot]

Are you comparing range with range, or range with course?

Range with course

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Actually the club changed to decent Srixons a while ago and these get pretty similar distance to normal balls according to some YouTube comparisons.
Winter conditions, denser air etc. is obviously a factor though.
I'm running out of excuses now . . . time to work a bit harder

I would suggest no public range will have balls as good as what you buy to play with, otherwise many would be stolen. Also ranges would probably need to be bigger. Are you judging by visual distances or the range markers, as again range markers may not be at the distances they visually state. Finally, I would suggest that the sheer size of the range structure may well provide some sort of "knockdown" effect on the ball when there is any wind blowing.
As it's winter time, accept you aren't going to blat it like the height of the summer, and just concentrate on a steady swing with control. You cannot seriously work on distances at this time of year at a public range.
TBH I have always used winter time as a better reflection on my ball carry, and use it as my base reference point for my game the rest of the year.

 

[bobmac]

I wonder how accurate your distance perception is at ground level

 

[trevor]

If you’ve got some old but proper balls try hitting a couple of them and compare the distances.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Range with course

Range balls don’t fly as far as the real thing.

 

[ScienceBoy]

The key thing to do at a driving range is aim at the grass bit.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

On a related topic and given that shots from an upper bay goes further as it's effectively downhill does Toptracer (if the range has it) estimate distances normally or does it also make provision for the height.

 

[Jacko_G]

Don't worry about distance at a range. Work on patterns, technique or routine.

 

[Chico84]

On a related topic and given that shots from an upper bay goes further as it's effectively downhill does Toptracer (if the range has it) estimate distances normally or does it also make provision for the height.

I’m pretty sure Toptracer only takes into account the initial forces acting on the ball, not measuring it down the entire range. Otherwise all the slices I hit into the side netting would stop abruptly on the screen! The same should apply for the distance measurement - the mat effectively remaining the virtual ground level.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Don't worry about distance at a range. Work on patterns, technique or routine.

Bit difficult when you are working on distance control and pitching to specified targets on the range. Knowing their distances would seem to be pretty important in lieu of not having a laser rangefinder with me. It also gives distances hit so important to know if upper bays affected distances given

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Bit difficult when you are working on distance control and pitching to specified targets on the range. Knowing their distances would seem to be pretty important in lieu of not having a laser rangefinder with me. It also gives distances hit so important to know if upper bays affected distances given

Surely distance work should be done on the practice area at your club - a range, with it's crap balls, isn't really the place.

 

[Jacko_G]

Surely distance work should be done on the practice area at your club - a range, with it's crap balls, isn't really the place.

100% this.

The day you start relying on range distances and range balls for accurate work then you are in for a bit of trouble on the course.