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Is a laser rangefinder really necessary?


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As has been pointed out, earlier players had accurate yardages via yardage books. Rangefinders simply make this process faster.

 

To equate this with other new technologies like balls and clubs is silly.

 

considering the ratio of threads on equipment vs instruction on this site are about 5:1, this response doesnt surprise me one bit....

 

Please explain. I'm not following your logic here.

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I recently picked up a rangefinder and enjoy it, but use it mostly as a training aid for my eye and on practice rounds to work on those funky (67 yards) distances.

 

Funny how times change but my attitude remains the same. Back when we only had sprinkler heads (not that long ago in the scope of things), always thought it was funny when a hacker was looking for a yardage 250+ out. Still grin when I see the guy check his watch and rangefinder to find 261.4 yards to the pin.... hitting his 4th shot. Technology can help, but let's not forget the fundamentals of the game were not built on it.

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Question for people who say a rangefinder is not necessary:

 

Middle of the non-sloped green is 185 yards. Flag is at 200 yards. How are you going to hit it close to the hole without a rangefinder?

 

Btw If your answer is that you probably miss the green anyway, you probably don't need a rangefinder.

 

It depends entirely on what information you have at your disposal sans rangefinder.

 

You've described a shot I frequently face at the longest Par 4 on my home course. If I mishit my driver slightly I'll have about 170 to the front, 200 to the back and 185 to the middle of the green. The flag is often just 5, 6, 7 paces from the back.

 

If I know that I'm 185 from the middle (i.e. I'm standing near a certain sprinkler head that reads "183") and I know that today's hole location is back then I do not pull out my laser. I've played the hole in that situation many times.

 

Now if I'm that same distance out but on an unfamiliar course, I'm nowhere near a marked sprinkler and I have no idea whether the flag is middle or back then I need the laser. I'll shoot the pin and if possible shoot the front edge of the green.

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All this technology is great when you are going from course to course trying new course etc etc

 

If you play the same home course every time I think the rangefinder might be the best tool. Otherwise the GPS is.

 

I dont see the problem using technology to play golf or any other sport if its allowable.

 

Its 2017 not 1997

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Question for people who say a rangefinder is not necessary:

 

Middle of the non-sloped green is 185 yards. Flag is at 200 yards. How are you going to hit it close to the hole without a rangefinder?

 

Btw If your answer is that you probably miss the green anyway, you probably don't need a rangefinder.

 

high cut 6 iron land in the middle of green let it roll to the hole...

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Question for people who say a rangefinder is not necessary:

 

Middle of the non-sloped green is 185 yards. Flag is at 200 yards. How are you going to hit it close to the hole without a rangefinder?

 

Btw If your answer is that you probably miss the green anyway, you probably don't need a rangefinder.

 

high cut 6 iron land in the middle of green let it roll to the hole...

 

So you are able to gauge the distance to a flag at 200 yards using eyesight? Fenomenal!

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Question for people who say a rangefinder is not necessary:

 

Middle of the non-sloped green is 185 yards. Flag is at 200 yards. How are you going to hit it close to the hole without a rangefinder?

 

Btw If your answer is that you probably miss the green anyway, you probably don't need a rangefinder.

 

high cut 6 iron land in the middle of green let it roll to the hole...

 

So you are able to gauge the distance to a flag at 200 yards using eyesight? Fenomenal!

 

if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

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if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

 

Well it's the "figure out the distance" part we're talking about. That's what we use the laser for.

 

Traditionally that was done by asking ones caddie but there never seems to be one around when I play...

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if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

 

Well it's the "figure out the distance" part we're talking about. That's what we use the laser for.

 

Traditionally that was done by asking ones caddie but there never seems to be one around when I play...

 

they have these things called distance markers on most courses.....find the blue one, 200 yards....pretty easy from there...

 

on a driving range, instead of hitting to distance markers, i will pick brown patches, darker green patches, dirt patches, a tree, and hit it to those using all different clubs.

 

6 iron to 75 yards, 6 iron to 140 yards, 6 iron to 180 yards, etc...you get the idea...

 

this promotes getting the feel of hitting any club different distances up to the limit of that club.....seeing a spot, feeling how hard to swing the particular club im holding, and trying to hit it to land on that spot....then i'll do some trying to run it up to that same spot...

 

its all about knowing ur clubs and swing and feeling the distances...knowing the yardage after that just confirms the swing i would already have worked out by feel....

 

hope that makes sense

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if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

 

Well it's the "figure out the distance" part we're talking about. That's what we use the laser for.

 

Traditionally that was done by asking ones caddie but there never seems to be one around when I play...

 

they have these things called distance markers on most courses.....find the blue one, 200 yards....pretty easy from there...

 

Yeah, our course got rid of them because everyone now has rangefinders and/or GPS.

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if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

 

Well it's the "figure out the distance" part we're talking about. That's what we use the laser for.

 

Traditionally that was done by asking ones caddie but there never seems to be one around when I play...

 

they have these things called distance markers on most courses.....find the blue one, 200 yards....pretty easy from there...

 

Yeah, our course got rid of them because everyone now has rangefinders and/or GPS.

 

yea not all have them, thats why the suggestion i make when practicing really does help. being able to see something and know you can hit that spot with many different clubs will make hitting them that much easier even if you know the exact distance...

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if i can figure out the distance, and can see a waving yellow thing, i can hit a ball at it....isnt that what were all doing?

 

Well it's the "figure out the distance" part we're talking about. That's what we use the laser for.

 

Traditionally that was done by asking ones caddie but there never seems to be one around when I play...

 

they have these things called distance markers on most courses.....find the blue one, 200 yards....pretty easy from there...

 

Yeah, our course got rid of them because everyone now has rangefinders and/or GPS.

 

yea not all have them, thats why the suggestion i make when practicing really does help. being able to see something and know you can hit that spot with many different clubs will make hitting them that much easier even if you know the exact distance...

 

Well you're probably a few levels beyond me on Mazlo's Hierarchy of Golf. I'm not sure I'll live long enough to figure out how to hit one club each distance, I'm stuck down on the basic-survival level.

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well, its just a matter of taking a few clubs to the range and trying to hit each one to a random spot, not full swings. even 25 yards, 50 yards, with a 4 iron then an 8 iron to the same spot....

 

you'll quickly see how little effort it takes to hit a ball far, but with control....

 

same as putting, being able to control the ball on a green is the same concept. hit one 10 feet, then one 10 feet past that one, then one between those two.

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How do you know a spot is 50-140 yards away at the range? Do you pace it off wearing a helmet?

lol,i can picture it! I had a gps once for car and it was inaccurate and you had to pay quite a bit for updates...never even considered it til recently. I'm interested in the watch that does it all...fitness..golf...blah blah blah. I have played with buddies where they clubbed wrong with gps. I like having laser in PSR to know more about carry shots or how far is the water or a layup as much as pin distance. Yes knowing your yardages help but in my case the RTJ range here is downhill...so I would need slope but don't really find I need it anywhere else when playing.

"We have learned that we must
live as men, not as ostriches, nor
as dogs in the manger." FDR

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How do you know a spot is 50-140 yards away at the range? Do you pace it off wearing a helmet?

 

you dont need to know yardages, you just need to try to hit those spots....

 

i used the term yardages bc after hitting that many golf balls to random spots you learn to know your own yardages....and 25 to 50 yards, anyone here could figure that distance out.....

 

if you want to hit to yardages on the range you can do that too.....its all the same thing...

 

the idea is to hit a ball to different distances using the same club....

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How do you know a spot is 50-140 yards away at the range? Do you pace it off wearing a helmet?

 

you dont need to know yardages, you just need to try to hit those spots....

 

i used the term yardages bc after hitting that many golf balls to random spots you learn to know your own yardages....and 25 to 50 yards, anyone here could figure that distance out.....

 

if you want to hit to yardages on the range you can do that too.....its all the same thing...

 

the idea is to hit a ball to different distances using the same club....

 

So you hit a few clubs to different spots and you then have the feel for yardage without knowing yardage except by feel?

 

You get people to believe this BS in real life?

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How do you know a spot is 50-140 yards away at the range? Do you pace it off wearing a helmet?

 

you dont need to know yardages, you just need to try to hit those spots....

 

i used the term yardages bc after hitting that many golf balls to random spots you learn to know your own yardages....and 25 to 50 yards, anyone here could figure that distance out.....

 

if you want to hit to yardages on the range you can do that too.....its all the same thing...

 

the idea is to hit a ball to different distances using the same club....

 

So you hit a few clubs to different spots and you then have the feel for yardage without knowing yardage except by feel?

 

You get people to believe this BS in real life?

 

yes of course....

 

why is that bs?

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I think if you spent enough time (i.e. lots and lots of time) just swinging various clubs at various targets without ever knowing a distance you would eventually get good at guessing what shot you need for a given target.

 

But to get good enough to do that uphill, downhill, on blind shots, to flags tucked behind bunkers, on holes with "dead ground" you can't see between yourself and the green and all the other oddball visuals you encounter on a golf course...

 

Well "lots and lots of time" probably doesn't do it justice. If you made a habit of doing that in play and in practice you'd be pretty darned good at it after a few decades I guess.

 

Yet not a single golfer among the hundreds and hundreds playing on various professional tours does that instead of using yardage books, pacing off from landmarks and yes, using laser rangefinders. That tells me it simply isn't worth the effort unless you're just wanting to prove it can be done. it's the old gag about bringing a sword to a gunfight. It's not that the swordsman lacks impressive skills, it's just that he can't compete with the guy who can shoot him dead in two second flat from 50 feet away.

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I think if you spent enough time (i.e. lots and lots of time) just swinging various clubs at various targets without ever knowing a distance you would eventually get good at guessing what shot you need for a given target.

 

But to get good enough to do that uphill, downhill, on blind shots, to flags tucked behind bunkers, on holes with "dead ground" you can't see between yourself and the green and all the other oddball visuals you encounter on a golf course...

 

Well "lots and lots of time" probably doesn't do it justice. If you made a habit of doing that in play and in practice you'd be pretty darned good at it after a few decades I guess.

 

Yet not a single golfer among the hundreds and hundreds playing on various professional tours does that instead of using yardage books, pacing off from landmarks and yes, using laser rangefinders. That tells me it simply isn't worth the effort unless you're just wanting to prove it can be done. it's the old gag about bringing a sword to a gunfight. It's not that the swordsman lacks impressive skills, it's just that he can't compete with the guy who can shoot him dead in two second flat from 50 feet away.

 

North, you pulled off a wonderfully decorous post that called someone on their BS without directly doing so. Well done, sir!

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I think if you spent enough time (i.e. lots and lots of time) just swinging various clubs at various targets without ever knowing a distance you would eventually get good at guessing what shot you need for a given target.

 

But to get good enough to do that uphill, downhill, on blind shots, to flags tucked behind bunkers, on holes with "dead ground" you can't see between yourself and the green and all the other oddball visuals you encounter on a golf course...

 

Well "lots and lots of time" probably doesn't do it justice. If you made a habit of doing that in play and in practice you'd be pretty darned good at it after a few decades I guess.

 

Yet not a single golfer among the hundreds and hundreds playing on various professional tours does that instead of using yardage books, pacing off from landmarks and yes, using laser rangefinders. That tells me it simply isn't worth the effort unless you're just wanting to prove it can be done. it's the old gag about bringing a sword to a gunfight. It's not that the swordsman lacks impressive skills, it's just that he can't compete with the guy who can shoot him dead in two second flat from 50 feet away.

 

do you think i was talking about tour pros?? professionals are on another level....

 

i'm writing on a forum to someone with a 17 handicap....

 

why does everyone on this site try to debunk basic fundamentals with inane comparisons to tour pros?

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I think if you spent enough time (i.e. lots and lots of time) just swinging various clubs at various targets without ever knowing a distance you would eventually get good at guessing what shot you need for a given target.

 

But to get good enough to do that uphill, downhill, on blind shots, to flags tucked behind bunkers, on holes with "dead ground" you can't see between yourself and the green and all the other oddball visuals you encounter on a golf course...

 

Well "lots and lots of time" probably doesn't do it justice. If you made a habit of doing that in play and in practice you'd be pretty darned good at it after a few decades I guess.

 

Yet not a single golfer among the hundreds and hundreds playing on various professional tours does that instead of using yardage books, pacing off from landmarks and yes, using laser rangefinders. That tells me it simply isn't worth the effort unless you're just wanting to prove it can be done. it's the old gag about bringing a sword to a gunfight. It's not that the swordsman lacks impressive skills, it's just that he can't compete with the guy who can shoot him dead in two second flat from 50 feet away.

 

North, you pulled off a wonderfully decorous post that called someone on their BS without directly doing so. Well done, sir!

 

I'm trying to work on my people skills. Thanks for noticing.

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