Plays Like Distances

Have you ever hit the perfect shot only to see your ball land 15 yards short of the green? 

We have too, and in many cases coming up short was due to environmental conditions we didn’t factor into the shot's ‘Plays Like’ distance. 

So, we looked into how the best caddies in the world determine how far to hit a shot and put that system into your hands with our latest update to 18Birdies.

Plays Like – The greatest Caddy on tour, in your pocket

By looking at the science of how a golf ball is affected by temperature, elevation change, wind, altitude, and other conditions – 18Birdies will help you factor all of these elements into playing the perfect distance.  

It’s like having a scientist in your golf bag who determines what distance to hit just like the best caddies on tour. 

To see each of the components of Plays Like, Tap the Plays Like distance on the GPS screen to see a breakdown of each of the factors that are accounted for in the adjustment. 

What are Plays Like Distances?

Plays Like Distances are adjusted distances that estimate how far a shot may play in real conditions.

For example, a target may be 150 yards away, but wind, elevation, temperature, or other factors could make the shot play longer or shorter.

Plays Like helps give you a more useful distance for club selection and shot planning.

How do Plays Like Distances work?

18Birdies starts with the GPS distance to your target.

The app provides an adjusted distance based on weather, elevation, and shot-related factors.

This can help estimate whether a shot may play longer or shorter than the measured GPS distance.

What factors can affect Plays Like?

Plays Like accounts for factors such as:

• Wind
• Elevation change
• Temperature
• Altitude change
• Lie angle

18Birdies uses live weather conditions and location data to retrieve these factors when available.

You can also manually adjust these factors by tapping the white Plays Like bubble, then tapping Adjust on the right side of the factor you want to update.

Where can I see Plays Like Distances?

To view Plays Like Distances:

1. Start a round in 18Birdies.
2. Open the GPS screen.
3. Find the distance marker between two locations.
4. Tap the white bubble that says Plays Like.

This will show more detail about the factors contributing to the Plays Like distance and how the actual GPS distance is being adjusted.

How do I adjust Plays Like factors?

You can adjust Plays Like factors if you believe the current information needs to be updated.

To adjust a Plays Like factor:

1. Start a round in 18Birdies.
2. Open the GPS screen.
3. Tap the white Plays Like bubble.
4. Find the factor you want to update.
5. Tap Adjust on the right side.
6. Update the factor as needed.
7. Save or apply the updated setting.

Plays Like factors that may be adjustable include:

• Wind
• Elevation difference
• Temperature
• Altitude change
• Lie angle

Important: The adjustment option only appears for the first Plays Like distance, which is the distance from your position to the selected target. It does not appear for the second distance from the target to the hole.

How can I adjust the wind speed or direction?

You can adjust wind speed and wind direction during your round if you believe the current wind information needs to be updated.

To adjust wind from the GPS screen:

1. Start a round in 18Birdies.
2. Open the GPS screen.
3. Tap the Wind button on the right side of the screen.
4. Adjust the wind direction.
5. Adjust the wind speed.
6. Save or apply the updated wind settings.

You can also adjust wind by tapping the white Plays Like bubble, finding the wind factor, and tapping Adjust on the right side.

The updated wind speed and direction will be included in your Plays Like distance calculations.

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How do I adjust Elevation Change?

This is the elevation difference between where your ball is sitting and the green (or the intended target).  

18Birdies will take into account that shots to an elevated target will naturally play longer than a shot on flat ground and shots to a downhill target will play shorter than a shot on flat ground. 

To manually adjust the Elevation for your next shot, slide the dot up to indicate the landing area will be higher, and slide the button down to indicate the landing area will be lower.

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How do I adjust Temperature?

Play your best, even in poor weather conditions! 

The rule of thumb is that for every 10 degrees in temperature difference you can expect a change of just over a yard of distance depending on how far you are from the hole. 

Typically you’ll find that warm weather has less impact on the ball than cold weather does, in cold weather where you often wear jackets which can slow down your swing speed even more. 

We start with a baseline of 70 degrees (Fahrenheit) for how a ball normally flies. We suggest golfers add (+) more distance to a shot if the temperature is colder and take off (-) distance if the temperature is warmer.

To manually adjust the Temperature, tap Adjust next to the temperature on the Plays Like Panel and slide the button up or down to increase / decrease the temperature.

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How do I adjust altitude?

Traveling from Denver to Carlsbad on a golf trip? 18Birdies has you covered!

 If a golfer lives in Denver and travels to Carlsbad for a golf trip, 18Birdies will tell them how much shorter their shots will be compared to back home in Denver. While this is an extreme example, these differences can help prevent the short / long shots and help you hit more greens while you're at a new course!

18Birdies will automatically take the elevation of your first round and set that as your baseline. To adjust your altitude baseline:

1. Start a round in 18Birdies.
2. Open the GPS screen.
3. Tap the white Plays Like bubble.
4. Find the altitude adjustment option.
5. Tap Adjust.
6. Move the slider up or down to match the altitude of your home course.

Your altitude baseline helps 18Birdies estimate how shots may play when you are playing at courses with different elevations.

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How do I adjust my Lie Angle?

Depending on the angle of the slope your ball is sitting on, your shot will have its initial trajectory changed. Tap the uphill or downhill icons to adjust for the vertical launch angle and how it will affect your next shot.

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How does live weather affect Plays Like?

Live Weather can help power Plays Like calculations by using current weather conditions for the course area.

Weather factors may include wind and temperature, which can affect how far the ball travels.

Because weather can change throughout a round, Plays Like distances may also change as conditions update.

Frequently Asked Questions