Measuring Devices

PA-PLAYA

It's very rare these days that I play with players who don't use some type of distance measuring device during their rounds, be it GPS or laser range finders.

If you use a distance measuring device, how much of a positive impact do you feel that it has on your scoring?

For me personally, I would have to say that it's easily 3-4 strokes per round. Although it's rare that I execute my shots as expected more than half the time, especially these days when I'm not able to get out more than once a week.... but having an exact yardage that I know I need to account for has, at the very least, given me the peace of mind that I'm swinging the right club.

Of course, there are still several instances per round when I find myself between clubs on my approach shots, and I have to make a decision with regard to play 1/2 club more or 1/2 club less. But having a pretty good idea of the distance between my ball and the target, nevertheless, increases my level of confidence even on those in-between yardages.

An additional question: what's the more advantageous aspect of technology as it relates to your game?

The over-sized driver, or the distance measuring device?

Spuzz

PA-PLAYA An additional question: what's the more advantageous aspect of technology as it relates to your game?

The over-sized driver, or the distance measuring device?

10 years ago, my answer would be OS driver, by far.
Moving up from 250cc to 400cc made huge improvements in my driving accuracy.
I always had the distance, but hit more fairways without dialing down the swing.
Now it's GPS watch, by far.
My eyesight, due to diabetes, plays tricks on me and I constantly refer to the watch to remove the doubt.
I still play my SMT 02 Root Beer head (402cc) and hit it as accurate as anything else I own.

garyt1957

PA-PLAYA

I'm not sure I'd say the gps helps more than modern drivers, but it sure speeds up play. A quick glance and I'm ready to go. I like having the distance to the back of the green, too as this helps a lot when between clubs. I hate it if I forget mine or forget to charge it and have to go back to finding sprinkler heads.

johnnydoom

Gonna have to let you know in a few weeks. I used to be very good at estimating distances when not near a yardage marker. I've been inactive in golf for over 3 years and just started back in the last month playing 9 occasionally with an old friend at a cheap muny close by work. This layout has no obvious yardage markers except for a flat circular concrete marker painted red in the middle of the fairway at 100 yards from the center of the green. The course is not meticulously maintained (in keeping with a low green fee) and these marks are very hard to see unless you're right next to them. In addition, the greens are tiny and look farther away than they really are. So on top of not striking the ball well yet, I have the added frustration of over clubbing often when I do hit a good one. I just ordered a Neo Ghost GPS this weekend and waiting for it to arrive. Should have a chance to try it on at least two courses over the next 3 weeks if all works well.

Rickochet

I think moving from feather stuffed balls and wooden shafts have greatly improved my game. Actually, with GPS having a more accurate distance has to have a positive impact on your game. I think the best thing that GPS has done is to increase the pace of play. No searching for hard to find surveyed yardage markers.

mulegolf

I believe GPS has helped me more than large drivers. With a quick glance I know what club I should be swinging for that shot. This doesn't mean that I'll actually hit the shot well, as I've fallen into "hitting it fat or thin" as often as not. Where I really find the GPS helps me is when I hit a terrible shot I then know what club I should be hitting to reach close to or across a water hazard or a bunker that lies in my pathway. It's saved me many shots this way since I got it. 😉

PA-PLAYA

It'd be hard for me personally to differentiate the positive impacts of both the oversized driver and the measuring device.

I know that there are times when my LRF battery has died, mid-round, and as a result of not having a backup battery - I've felt like I've lost the added confidence I would usually have if I knew the exact yardage.

That said... I play most of my rounds on the same course, although it's worth noting that we have rather large greens and the difference between "exact" and a "best guesstimate" could be as much as 30+ feet. But having said that, the confidence I have with my oversized driver, finding the fairway and giving me fairly acceptable distance (compared to the smaller-faced drivers from back in the day) is also a huge, huge advantage.

So really I guess it comes down (to me) to where I'm playing. If it's my home course that I know relatively well, then I don't think measuring devices make that much of a difference. There's always the option to play to the middle-of-the-green yardage. But the added forgiveness of an oversized driver, which (for me) equates to more fairways and longer distances (compared to the smaller faced drivers back in the day) cannot be discounted.

The tee shot means so much in this game. Not everything, of course, but it's very rare that I have an awful day off the tee and shoot my usual, expected score.

At my home course where I play most of my golf - the benefit of the oversized driver carries more weight. But playing an unfamiliar course? I'd rather have the luxury of knowing how far I need to hit my irons/approaches.

Weirfan

Not sure I could quantify the benefit to my game that my laser makes. Execution is still required.

At 55, my depth perception and eyesight isn't what it was 5-10 years ago. I can't see where my ball ends up most times when it's mor than 200 away. My Bushnell provides reassurance of the distance i have. I also have been using it to measure chips of more than 20 yards and this really has helped . Probably the best benefit I get is lasering the distance to hazards and to clear them and using it as binoculars to see areas of the green, slopes and where to best hit/miss shots.

That said a couple of the best iron shots I have hit this year wee when my battery died, I can think of 2 longer than 150 yards that I put within a foot and didn't use my laser.

hobbit

Would have to be measuring technology.

If the drivers hadn't gotten larger, the courses may not have had to follow suit (although the ball plays a role too) and the resulting difference may be negligible. Whereas measuring technology truly is new and has impacted play.

For lasers, I am an huge advocate of prism technology - all those guys trying to shoot a pin with shaky hands really slow down play. Point and shoot needs to be the way forward.

GPS is fine if you have a pin sheet.

Then again, our old pro tells us all we would shoot 3 strokes better if he pulled all the flags and we didn't worry about where they are. We should probably have a tourney like that during Men's league to try it 😄

Sneakylong

🙄hobbit

We did that (pulled the pins) once in our Quota Game. And I hit it real close to the hole on a couple of holes. So there may be something to that. Most likely because you shoot for the middle of the green.

I have both a GPS watch and Rangefinder. They've become so much of a security blanket for me now I'd feel lost without them. The Rangefinder is primarily for par 3's.

Ironically the two best golfers in a our group don't use either. 😕

accufitgolf

I claim range finder users are slow golfers. GPSers are fine. GPS is close enough for 99.99% of all golfers.

Weirfan

accufitgolf

Disagree, laser speeds up play, and removes indecision.

I laser the pin as fast or faster than anyone with a GPS watch. Mines out in my cart or on my 3 wheeler and I've got it in hand and my yardage in a second. Those with GPS usually have 3 measurements to factor, check pin color to see which measurement is closest.

And I'm much faster than the guys who still pace off from yardage From a marker, and lots of guys do that.

garyt1957

Weirfan

Then you're quick. Most , and I mean the very most, of the guy's using laser are slower than sh-t.

darpar

Weirfan
I agree,the guys I play with we can laser a pin in the time it takes to get out of the cart.
And sometimes the GPS on the cart will be off by as much as 5-10yds.

kchacker

Weirfan I laser the pin as fast or faster than anyone with a GPS watch.

Unless you're Doc Holliday, I'm calling BS here. And I use a range finder.

Weirfan

garyt1957

I'm slower after a night of drinking when my hands aren't steady🙂

ode

GPS....eye opener to actual carry and total distance on all clubs, very helpful AND helps tremendously with yardages that aren't always easily figured out. The additional front and back of green yardages, eof, hazards, etc are quite.nice especially on courses not played or rarely frequented.

The best device I've ever bought for golf is my clic gear 3.0. What a wander for a walking golfer. My gps sits on the bungee scorecard holder quite well😉

kchacker

I don't know how many strokes a rangefinder gives me +/-, but I would be lost without it. We play a lot of different courses, many of which are poorly marked or not marked at all. Depth perception changes a lot from course to course and my best guess it often quite a ways off. I prefer the rangefinder to be able to zap anything I want, like a tree in the distance or an unmapped bunker, though I like the speed of GPS. If a cart has GPS and the number is within a few yards the first couple of holes, I'll let the rangefinder sit most of the round.

I also don't know what the difference between my older drivers and my newer ones are distance wise. I do hit it straighter than I did 20 years ago, and I probably hit it a similar distance....though I'm a lot flabbier now than I was then. So the club is definitely doing something.

Weirfan

kchacker

I'll show you next week, try to keep up 😉

professor

The Driver.