Optimal Angle and What We Did Wrong

Optimal Angle: The angle at which an object leaves the ground and gains maximum speed and disance.
When the height of release and landing are the same, assuming no air resistance, the theoretical optimal angle of release is 45°, thus our choice. However,we did not factor in the effects of air resistance, thus leaving the optimal angle somewhere in between 35-45° to compensate for those effects. When the height of release is greater than the height of landing, as in shot-putting, the optimum angle is always less than 45°. When the height of release is less than the height of landing, the optimal angle is more than 45°.