Dear Bushnell/Nikon/Leupold... here is a revolutionary idea!

[golfnhack]

I realize it may be challenging, but why don't we have range finders that use environmental data to adjust distances provided by range finders? It's 2016 for Pete's sake.

 

So here is an idea.

 

1) Provide a generic cell phone holder that can clip to the windshield pillar of a cart, or to the roof of a golf cart.

 

2) Manufacture a weather sensor that plugs into the data port of your phone, and attaches to the cell phone holder. The sensor will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Should not be too expensive, since the computing power would be provided by the smart phone.

 

3) Write an app that communicates with the sensor. In this app, you can allow the user to specify his/her swing speed, ball (which you can have a lookup table for to get the compression/density), and other factors. The app can then use the user data and the environmental data to provide adjusted distances.

 

Here is how it would work:

 

1) Player shoots target.

 

2) Rangefinder gets distance to target and direction (direction is needed so it can be used in calculations that use wind direction) and uses a Wifi Direct Connection to send the data from the range finder to the smart phone. (See this link for more info if you don't know what that is: http://www.techradar...ld-care-1065449)

 

3) Smart phone calculates adjusted distance, and send it back to range finder via Wifi Direct connection.

 

Some other things:

 

Multiple users could "connect" to the app, so that the app can provide yardages for them too. I.e. you would only need 1 sensor per cart or 4-ball.

 

The range finder can have a button that the user can push to mark the location of his/her ball every time, as well as to select the club he/she hit. This could serve two purposes. 1) The user can view their distance/club/location statistics. 2) The App could store the data and show "the last time you had this distance with these environmental conditions, you hit the ball XXXX yards" on the range finder display.

 

PS: Feel free to use this idea. Would be great though if you could send me one for providing the idea.

 

Also: I am a software engineer, so if you are looking to hire someone to do the coding... drop me a line.

[toc]

.....I think I'm ok with just the yardage

[ckay]

...make a 5 hour round into a 6 hour round.

[golfnhack]

.....I think I'm ok with just the yardage

 

You obviously don't play competitive golf in varying weather conditions. While not legal for tournament play, it would be an invaluable aide in practice rounds.

 

PS: Enjoy your mashie wood and balata golf ball.

[Mathwiz]

Do you adjust your swing based on barometric pressure?

 

Just asking.

[toc]

.....I think I'm ok with just the yardage

 

You obviously don't play competitive golf in varying weather conditions. While not legal for tournament play, it would be an invaluable aide in practice rounds.

 

PS: Enjoy your mashie wood and balata golf ball.

 

Lol, k I'll do that

[golfnhack]

Do you adjust your swing based on barometric pressure?

 

Just asking.

 

No I don't. But say I go to a golf trip in Vegas, or play golf in winter in FL when the air is less dense, if could adjust accordingly.

 

PS: I take it you are being sarcastic, but it absolutely impacts distances.

[Mathwiz]

No sarcasm here. I just noticed it was one of the variables you took into consideration. I'm with you on the air density factor. I find your idea to be interesting. I just wonder how much the resulting info would allow for adjusting the swing, or club selection. I definitely see it as a fine tuning transitional swing device for sure.

 

Take me for instance. If I am in the 150yd or farther range, I'm just aiming for the center of the green. At 140yds or closer, I tend to try for a specific quadrant of the green. That's about the extent of my precision.

 

I believe it would be geared for a better player than me.

[PouncePony]

Why not connect to the device from your phone via Bluetooth?

[golfnhack]

Why not connect to the device from your phone via Bluetooth?

 

WiFi direct is 10x faster and has 3x the range of Bluetooth. You don't want to click the button for yardage, and have to wait 5 seconds.

 

http://www.pcworld.com/article/208778/Wi_Fi_Direct_vs_Bluetooth_4_0_A_Battle_for_Supremacy.html

[golfnhack]

PS: I will continue to update the OP with new features/ideas as I think of them.

[Yrrdead]

The newest range finder's already do most of this. Mainly because you can use a laser as a thermometer and hygrometer. See the latest leupold version.

 

Edit; had to look up their techs name, look for TGR

 

[sportingpc]

I realize it may be challenging, but why don't we have range finders that use environmental data to adjust distances provided by range finders? It's 2016 for Pete's sake.

 

So here is an idea.

 

1) Provide a generic cell phone holder that can clip to the windshield pillar of a cart, or to the roof of a golf cart.

 

2) Manufacture a weather sensor that plugs into the data port of your phone, and attaches to the cell phone holder. The sensor will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Should not be too expensive, since the computing power would be provided by the smart phone.

 

3) Write an app that communicates with the sensor. In this app, you can allow the user to specify his/her swing speed, ball (which you can have a lookup table for to get the compression/density), and other factors. The app can then use the user data and the environmental data to provide adjusted distances.

 

Here is how it would work:

 

1) Player shoots target.

 

2) Rangefinder gets distance to target and uses a Wifi Direct Connection to send the data from the range finder to the smart phone. (See this link for more info if you don't know what that is: http://www.techradar...ld-care-1065449)

 

3) Smart phone calculates adjusted distance, and send it back to range finder via Wifi Direct connection.

 

Some other things:

 

Multiple users could "connect" to the app, so that the app can provide yardages for them too. I.e. you would only need 1 sensor per cart or 4-ball.

 

The range finder can have a button that the user can push to mark the location of his/her ball every time, as well as to select the club he/she hit. This could serve two purposes. 1) The user can view their distance/club/location statistics. 2) The App could store the data and show "the last time you had this distance with these environmental conditions, you hit the ball XXXX yards" on the range finder display.

 

PS: Feel free to use this idea. Would be great though if you could send me one for providing the idea.

 

Also: I am a software engineer, so if you are looking to hire someone to do the coding... drop me a line.

 

I love the idea and its one that has been tossed around quite a bit. A couple problems, battery life becomes an issue in regards to these capabilities. All of these functions add great additions to the unit but people will become frustrated with the short battery life. Second, the unit would be non conforming. Since the rule change in 2006 of allowing EMD's, its been hard for all of the market to sell non conforming units.

 

Keep the brainstorming coming, hope you can find the entire distance measuring device community the next piece of innovation!

[golfnhack]

I realize it may be challenging, but why don't we have range finders that use environmental data to adjust distances provided by range finders? It's 2016 for Pete's sake.

 

So here is an idea.

 

1) Provide a generic cell phone holder that can clip to the windshield pillar of a cart, or to the roof of a golf cart.

 

2) Manufacture a weather sensor that plugs into the data port of your phone, and attaches to the cell phone holder. The sensor will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Should not be too expensive, since the computing power would be provided by the smart phone.

 

3) Write an app that communicates with the sensor. In this app, you can allow the user to specify his/her swing speed, ball (which you can have a lookup table for to get the compression/density), and other factors. The app can then use the user data and the environmental data to provide adjusted distances.

 

Here is how it would work:

 

1) Player shoots target.

 

2) Rangefinder gets distance to target and uses a Wifi Direct Connection to send the data from the range finder to the smart phone. (See this link for more info if you don't know what that is: http://www.techradar...ld-care-1065449)

 

3) Smart phone calculates adjusted distance, and send it back to range finder via Wifi Direct connection.

 

Some other things:

 

Multiple users could "connect" to the app, so that the app can provide yardages for them too. I.e. you would only need 1 sensor per cart or 4-ball.

 

The range finder can have a button that the user can push to mark the location of his/her ball every time, as well as to select the club he/she hit. This could serve two purposes. 1) The user can view their distance/club/location statistics. 2) The App could store the data and show "the last time you had this distance with these environmental conditions, you hit the ball XXXX yards" on the range finder display.

 

PS: Feel free to use this idea. Would be great though if you could send me one for providing the idea.

 

Also: I am a software engineer, so if you are looking to hire someone to do the coding... drop me a line.

 

I love the idea and its one that has been tossed around quite a bit. A couple problems, battery life becomes an issue in regards to these capabilities. All of these functions add great additions to the unit but people will become frustrated with the short battery life. Second, the unit would be non conforming. Since the rule change in 2006 of allowing EMD's, its been hard for all of the market to sell non conforming units.

 

Keep the brainstorming coming, hope you can find the entire distance measuring device community the next piece of innovation!

It USED to be that rangefinder with slope where illegal, even if slope was turned off.Not sure if you are aware of it, but it is actually legal to use Rangedinders with slope in tournament rounds now, provided the functionality is turned off. That rule can into effect this year. Non-conforming is only an issue for tournament rounds. Remember, the Range Finder only provides that info when connected to the sensor. Remove the sensor, and it simply provides distances and slope (which is non-conforming too).

 

As for battery-line. They battery would be rechargeable in the sensor. You simply plug it in when you get home to recharge, and I suspect it would last 36 holes. The phone app could operate in background mode, i.e. the screen would not need to be on. That would mean it too would last all day.

[golfnhack]

The newest range finder's already do most of this. Mainly because you can use a laser as a thermometer and hygrometer. See the latest leupold version.

 

Edit; had to look up their techs name, look for TGR

 

Hmm. I am going to say that their sensors are not quite up to the same caliber as I am proposing. Nice unit though. Just not what I have envisioned.

 

Here is the link to the unit you are talking about BTW

 

https://golf.leupold.com/products/gx-2i2-golf-rangefinder/

[sportingpc]

I realize it may be challenging, but why don't we have range finders that use environmental data to adjust distances provided by range finders? It's 2016 for Pete's sake.

 

So here is an idea.

 

1) Provide a generic cell phone holder that can clip to the windshield pillar of a cart, or to the roof of a golf cart.

 

2) Manufacture a weather sensor that plugs into the data port of your phone, and attaches to the cell phone holder. The sensor will measure atmospheric pressure, temperature, and wind speed. Should not be too expensive, since the computing power would be provided by the smart phone.

 

3) Write an app that communicates with the sensor. In this app, you can allow the user to specify his/her swing speed, ball (which you can have a lookup table for to get the compression/density), and other factors. The app can then use the user data and the environmental data to provide adjusted distances.

 

Here is how it would work:

 

1) Player shoots target.

 

2) Rangefinder gets distance to target and uses a Wifi Direct Connection to send the data from the range finder to the smart phone. (See this link for more info if you don't know what that is: http://www.techradar...ld-care-1065449)

 

3) Smart phone calculates adjusted distance, and send it back to range finder via Wifi Direct connection.

 

Some other things:

 

Multiple users could "connect" to the app, so that the app can provide yardages for them too. I.e. you would only need 1 sensor per cart or 4-ball.

 

The range finder can have a button that the user can push to mark the location of his/her ball every time, as well as to select the club he/she hit. This could serve two purposes. 1) The user can view their distance/club/location statistics. 2) The App could store the data and show "the last time you had this distance with these environmental conditions, you hit the ball XXXX yards" on the range finder display.

 

PS: Feel free to use this idea. Would be great though if you could send me one for providing the idea.

 

Also: I am a software engineer, so if you are looking to hire someone to do the coding... drop me a line.

 

I love the idea and its one that has been tossed around quite a bit. A couple problems, battery life becomes an issue in regards to these capabilities. All of these functions add great additions to the unit but people will become frustrated with the short battery life. Second, the unit would be non conforming. Since the rule change in 2006 of allowing EMD's, its been hard for all of the market to sell non conforming units.

 

Keep the brainstorming coming, hope you can find the entire distance measuring device community the next piece of innovation!

It USED to be that rangefinder with slope where illegal, even if slope was turned off.Not sure if you are aware of it, but it is actually legal to use Rangedinders with slope in tournament rounds now, provided the functionality is turned off. That rule can into effect this year. Non-conforming is only an issue for tournament rounds. Remember, the Range Finder only provides that info when connected to the sensor. Remove the sensor, and it simply provides distances and slope (which is non-conforming too).

 

As for battery-line. They battery would be rechargeable in the sensor. You simply plug it in when you get home to recharge, and I suspect it would last 36 holes. The phone app could operate in background mode, i.e. the screen would not need to be on. That would mean it too would last all day.

 

Yes, I'm aware of the rule which is why we designed the new V4 slope to have ability to turn the slope function off. Believe me, I love your idea, but can you see a good amount of the market paying extra for these capabilities? If so, how much extra would you pay for these functions? Always good to hear feedback

[golfnhack]

Yes, I'm aware of the rule which is why we designed the new V4 slope to have ability to turn the slope function off. Believe me, I love your idea, but can you see a good amount of the market paying extra for these capabilities? If so, how much extra would you pay for these functions? Always good to hear feedback

 

The range finder itself would not cost THAT much more. The only additional component to the range finder would be the hardware required for WiFi direct, and the development of the internal software for the RangeFinder. I don't expect it to cost more than $50 over the regular version.

 

The weather sensor and holder I would expect to retail for no more than $79.99. That would include a healthy profit margin for them. Existing weather sensors are about that much (if not cheaper), and those include precipitation measuring (which is not needed). Here is an example

 

http://www.acurite.com/acurite-5-in-1-sensor

 

The phone App would be free.

 

I would however expect that they charge an annual/monthly subscription fee.

[golfnhack]

PS: The wind impact on distance would be calculated based on shot direction relative to wind direction. It would be assumed that you are shooting at the target you are wanting to hit at. The direction of the laser shot would be sent to the App together with distance info etc. Will add that note to the OP.

[gioguy21]

want a robot to hit your shot for you too?

 

...i say that in jest.

 

 

listen, i'm all for new improvements to the game but at some point you have to use your own intuition to play the game. at what point is too much information...too much.

 

hell, years ago there were no such things as rangefinders....just yardage books or caddies.

 

i've been playing since i was 6. i still know that regardless of the rangefinder, yardage marker, wind, air temp, earth's polarity, full moon or whatever else...i need to hit a golf shot.

 

most amateurs can't consistently hit given yardages ANYWAY...so, what is the necessity for this volume of data?

 

 

...this game needs to be made simpler, not more complex with more data thrown at the guy who needs to swing a club. get the number, pick the club, hit the shot...less you're low single digits/pro, just assume you're going to be relative to that number, not on that number.

[golfnhack]

want a robot to hit your shot for you too?

 

...i say that in jest.

 

 

listen, i'm all for new improvements to the game but at some point you have to use your own intuition to play the game. at what point is too much information...too much.

 

hell, years ago there were no such things as rangefinders....just yardage books or caddies.

 

i've been playing since i was 6. i still know that regardless of the rangefinder, yardage marker, wind, air temp, earth's polarity, full moon or whatever else...i need to hit a golf shot.

 

most amateurs can't consistently hit given yardages ANYWAY...so, what is the necessity for this volume of data?

 

 

...this game needs to be made simpler, not more complex with more data thrown at the guy who needs to swing a club. get the number, pick the club, hit the shot...less you're low single digits/pro, just assume you're going to be relative to that number, not on that number.

 

I think you are missing the point. This functionality is more for serious competitive players. Ams like myself that play state level competition, or pros. If I can walk onto the course in a competitive round, surmise the playing conditions, then reference my notebook for distances I hit my irons in those conditions, then I have a leg up. At that level, distance control is a MAJOR component to playing well.

 

This is not for everyone.

[gioguy21]

want a robot to hit your shot for you too?

 

...i say that in jest.

 

 

listen, i'm all for new improvements to the game but at some point you have to use your own intuition to play the game. at what point is too much information...too much.

 

hell, years ago there were no such things as rangefinders....just yardage books or caddies.

 

i've been playing since i was 6. i still know that regardless of the rangefinder, yardage marker, wind, air temp, earth's polarity, full moon or whatever else...i need to hit a golf shot.

 

most amateurs can't consistently hit given yardages ANYWAY...so, what is the necessity for this volume of data?

 

 

...this game needs to be made simpler, not more complex with more data thrown at the guy who needs to swing a club. get the number, pick the club, hit the shot...less you're low single digits/pro, just assume you're going to be relative to that number, not on that number.

 

I think you are missing the point. This functionality is more for serious competitive players. Ams like myself that play state level competition, or pros. If I can walk onto the course in a competitive round, surmise the playing conditions, then reference my notebook for distances I hit my irons in those conditions, then I have a leg up. At that level, distance control is a MAJOR component to playing well.

 

This is not for everyone.

 

...i played in the us open qualifier last year as well as state and local amateur tourneys. off a + cap.

 

I have no interest in any of that information. give me a yardage, let me look at my yardage book and i'll be just fine.

[gioguy21]

just one more thought...if you don't know your yardages in conditions without writing them down, or at least the ability to find your yardages on the range prior to your round, you don't know your game or your distances enough.

[golfnhack]

just one more thought...if you don't know your yardages in conditions without writing them down, or at least the ability to find your yardages on the range prior to your round, you don't know your game or your distances enough.

 

When is the last time you hit balls on a flat range... and hit balls on a range that are the same balls you play in real life. My guess is.... never.

[gioguy21]

just one more thought...if you don't know your yardages in conditions without writing them down, or at least the ability to find your yardages on the range prior to your round, you don't know your game or your distances enough.

 

sorry, perhaps i misspoke.

 

what i mean is this:

 

most golfers have swings that change from round to round; so the idea of this much information is too much.

 

for pros/amateurs, with swings that are consistent, most pre-shot warmups will determine or provide a picture for the given yardages they could use as a benchmark for that day. everyone knows that on certain days we feel looser than others, or for some reason we're hitting a slight cut/draw...it's what we can adapt to, as better players.

 

just one more thought...if you don't know your yardages in conditions without writing them down, or at least the ability to find your yardages on the range prior to your round, you don't know your game or your distances enough.

 

When is the last time you hit balls on a flat range... and hit balls on a range that are the same balls you play in real life. My guess is.... never.

 

...lol so now your app needs to have real-ball data as well? you hit every shot with a prov1 the same distance? the last time you've ever taken criticism -- never.

 

...and to answer your question about the last time i hit real balls on a range prior to a round? i always carry a few REAL balls with me to the range before a qualifier for just this reason since i'm never guaranteed to have the balls i use on the range.

 

--- so, your guess is wrong.

[jgan025]

pretty interesting idea. but i suppose you would come to rely on the technology for every shot (and blame it for every missed shot) - kinda lose the natural feel of the game.

 

Personally, I just hit a few practice balls before hand, and then from my first few strokes I gauge how much influence the weather has (not wind of course).

 

Even if I had a plethora of information at my disposal, I probably couldnt hit the same shot twice to save my life, so for me its redundant. But high level players trying to fine tune their game, maybe.

 

Hope it works out!

[pmadden86]

My friend is a computer boffin. Last season I got him to throw together a web app that lets me save my club distances including wedges at full, 3/4 swing and half swing. I shoot my bushnell lazer and say it gives me 95yards, i enter that into the app, a +/- for elevation and a +/- for wind - it adjusts the 95 yards to say 85 - and tells me to hit a full 52 degree vokey or a half 48 degree - then i choose what to hit.

 

Considering turing it into a real app and putting in the app store - but been too busy using it myself :)

 

Its really cool and does not slow me down much at all - I have my phone in a holder on my powakaddy to speed it up.

[matchavez]

want a robot to hit your shot for you too?

 

...i say that in jest.

 

 

listen, i'm all for new improvements to the game but at some point you have to use your own intuition to play the game. at what point is too much information...too much.

 

hell, years ago there were no such things as rangefinders....just yardage books or caddies.

 

i've been playing since i was 6. i still know that regardless of the rangefinder, yardage marker, wind, air temp, earth's polarity, full moon or whatever else...i need to hit a golf shot.

 

most amateurs can't consistently hit given yardages ANYWAY...so, what is the necessity for this volume of data?

 

 

...this game needs to be made simpler, not more complex with more data thrown at the guy who needs to swing a club. get the number, pick the club, hit the shot...less you're low single digits/pro, just assume you're going to be relative to that number, not on that number.

 

I think you are missing the point. This functionality is more for serious competitive players. Ams like myself that play state level competition, or pros. If I can walk onto the course in a competitive round, surmise the playing conditions, then reference my notebook for distances I hit my irons in those conditions, then I have a leg up. At that level, distance control is a MAJOR component to playing well.

 

This is not for everyone.

 

Well, if it's not for everyone, it doesn't have much chance of being mass produced.

 

Also, what you're looking for doesn't need sensors and other garbage. You need a calculator, and that's about it. Most tour caddies have the information, be it in their heads or on a spreadsheet, and what you're talking about is simply making it more accessible. That's good, but it doesn't require "contraptions".

 

Think of it this way... say you have something like GameGolf, but you're a little more accurate about it. Essentially, you know that with your ball, wedge, 20ºc and fairway, you're hitting that PW a carry of 122y. That's fantastic, but you're worried about these environmental factors. What you need is a calculator that offers several variables to adjust for outcomes. It's the same as what Trackman uses for "normalisation". It's 35º out, so how much farther will you carry the ball? You're 300m higher in elevation, but the barometric pressure is still the same as sea level for your tests; 1018mb. Does that mean the ball flies further, or spins more?

 

These answers have ALL been calculated as constants already; you'd be re-tredding. What would be more likely and much less gadget-y, would be a phone app that has your averages/ideals, and then takes the weather from a local WX station and tells you that, wind being neutral, your PW will go 126 today. You can get a chart in advance of your round (this makes it conforming), and instead of being surprised you over-clubbed with a 6-iron, you knew that the slight breeze you saw at the top of the trees coupled with the warm weather means you're hitting 9 yards longer today, and you opt for a 7-iron instead.

 

This kind of maths should help remove the variables of the environment without being Too Much Information. That, coupled with an elevation check on a slope laser, and your practice rounds should be about as precise as could be expected. This isn't sniper school, and you don't get an anemometer and scope click adjustments. But the measurements you're talking about can be achieved based on data that already exists around you. There's no need to re-capture this data. It's more about being able to turn that data into information, and that's the power of mobile apps and on-demand calculation. My advice is that you need to see if that charted information is available, and start there.

[gioguy21]

Again, a good player will observe how he's hitting it on the range and see where his numbers are that day. A good caddie will be able to determine what yardage is the right number. I understand your points, I just don't honestly believe there is a need for the amateur golfer to have that much info. While it may seem simple to you to easily speak about it, it seems more complicated than simple.

[butette]

Isn't one of the fun part of golf, even for high handicapper, is to be able to manufacture different shots (even you don't usually pull it off) and to adjust to the changing condition ?

[govols]

All you need is yardage. I find even the slope feature is a waste as it calculates based on one set algorithm. If you're a low ball hitter the slope yardage hitting uphill is always gonna be terrible. As for wind, weather, elevation etc there's no universal formula that would include everyone because there's just way too many variables.