Anyone play better not using GPS/Rangefinder?

[toad37]

I have a feeling this may be a dumb question, but thought I would ask anyway. Do any of you choose to play au naturel and forgo using a rangefinder or GPS?

[powerbelly51]

No, but there are days I like my gps watch and just knowing front, middle, and back vs knowing the exact pin distance.

[toad37]

No, but there are days I like my gps watch and just knowing front, middle, and back vs knowing the exact pin distance.

 

I hear ya... have days like that too. I was just wondering if any low-caps just went 100% by feel and intuition.

[electroleum]

I had a rangefinder a few years ago, but I ditched it. I just found it to be a waste of time. Much happier with GPS units, although I still find myself using my intuition and the on-course yardages more often than the gps.

[Matt J]

Our course is well marked and I played several months without technology. Just replaced my laser and only really notice inside 100 and with odd pin placements like a few paces from the back or front.

[toad37]

I had a rangefinder a few years ago, but I ditched it. I just found it to be a waste of time. Much happier with GPS units, although I still find myself using my intuition and the on-course yardages more often than the gps.

 

Thanks... A better question might have been "how close do you have to be to the green to just go by intuition and not rely on tech."

 

Our course is well marked and I played several months without technology. Just replaced my laser and only really notice inside 100 and with odd pin placements like a few paces from the back or front.

 

Cool, thanks.

[h_baden]

No.

[flog2]

used my skycaddie for every shot- forgot it one day and found the perfect gps in my eyes

[toad37]

used my skycaddie for every shot- forgot it one day and found the perfect gps in my eyes

 

Really? interesting. Sounds like that is the exception and not the rule.

[flog2]

used my skycaddie for every shot- forgot it one day and found the perfect gps in my eyes

 

Really? interesting. Sounds like that is the exception and not the rule.

just experience

[Pi5seeker]

I don't know about that but I've only used my rangefinder for a few holes since I bought it July 4th. I need to practice with it to feel comfortable that I'm getting the right distance. Part of me wants to sell it or trade for GPS...

[8602081]

I'm actually playing better with Rangefinder.

I use it, when I'm below 200 yards..

[Matt J]

The key IMO is to get your number then put the laser down and guess how much room you have and pick a shot. So many guys shoot it, say it's 155, grab their 7 iron and blow it right over the hole into trouble. Remember to play shots, calculate slope, wind, air temp., energy level, and try and remember the green and where it's going to hit, whether it will release from the rough or spin off a steep slope... Don't just get a number, grab a club, and blast away.

[toad37]

The key IMO is to get your number then put the laser down and guess how much room you have and pick a shot. So many guys shoot it, say it's 155, grab their 7 iron and blow it right over the hole into trouble. Remember to play shots, calculate slope, wind, air temp., energy level, and try and remember the green and where it's going to hit, whether it will release from the rough or spin off a steep slope... Don't just get a number, grab a club, and blast away.

 

Amen to that...guilty as charged... definitely something I need to work on.

[redrover69]

The key IMO is to get your number then put the laser down and guess how much room you have and pick a shot. So many guys shoot it, say it's 155, grab their 7 iron and blow it right over the hole into trouble. Remember to play shots, calculate slope, wind, air temp., energy level, and try and remember the green and where it's going to hit, whether it will release from the rough or spin off a steep slope... Don't just get a number, grab a club, and blast away.

 

Yup

 

guilty as charged.

 

Got a garmin g8 to play with...used it 2 times. So far I like it. But I think that the more I start honing in on getting my handicap down the less Ill need it. I mean the bottom line hit the ball straight then when youre around the 150 marker is when youll really need the GPS or rangefinder to figure out what iron/wood/hybrid youll need to get it to where you might want to hit it on the green.

 

All those gps and stuff I think are toys and decent tools for if you have never played a course before but if youre going to play the same few courses all the time its probably not necessary unless you want to keep your statistics on a computer/device.

[North Butte]

It's also critical to keep track of how much protein you had for breakfast, whether the you're wearing your white shoes or the black ones and how many hours you slept the night before. And phase of the moon, that's crucial in deciding on what club to use. No way that 155 shot plays the same when the moon is New as when it's Waxing Gibbous, no way!

[Z1ggy16]

Lost my laser and forgot my phone this weekend, so I was left to the yardage markers and my eye. Score didn't suffer, which I was somewhat surprised about. Was kind of nice not having that "pressure" of needing to know a yardage. Just made an educated guess and hit the ball. Most of the time I was right.

[toad37]

Lost my laser and forgot my phone this weekend, so I was left to the yardage markers and my eye. Score didn't suffer, which I was somewhat surprised about. Was kind of nice not having that "pressure" of needing to know a yardage. Just made an educated guess and hit the ball. Most of the time I was right.

 

Nice.. that is pretty cool and imagine many would experience the same thing.

[cristphoto]

Once I got my first laser several years ago I noticed I would often be much closer to the pin on the 150-100 yard shots. It really helped on strange courses when I had no local knowledge (how far to carry a creek, slope adjustment, etc). I don't see a down side at all.

[toad37]

 

Yup

 

guilty as charged.

 

 

Nice avatar! :-)

 

Once I got my first laser several years ago I noticed I would often be much closer to the pin on the 150-100 yard shots. It really helped on strange courses when I had no local knowledge (how far to carry a creek, slope adjustment, etc). I don't see a down side at all.

 

Great point and you may be right on that for sure

[Pure_Strike]

Since picking up a rangefinder I've shaved about 8-10 strokes off my game on average. I struggle to understand how knowing precision distances can be a hinderance in any way.

[flog2]

rough distances are all I need now, I dont need to know its 167 yards to the front, just that its 185 to middle then I use my eyes and take slope/wind/conditions into account

[High Plains Driver]

The better your distance control, the more important accurate yardage numbers are.

There is not a single professional golfer on ANY tour that just eyeballs it from the yardage markers.

The only time I feel quasi-comfortable without at least having GPS, is on my home course that I have played hundreds of times.

[ThinkingPlus]

No. There are a variety of errors that contribute to your average proximity of shots hit relative to the hole. Actual distance to the hole is one of them. Reducing that error to near zero will reduce your proximity to the hole.

[NorwichBanana]

I played for around a month this year without a watch. Working from just 150 yard markers. I liked it but then decided to give the watch another go. Since then I've relied on the watch very heavily! I'm the kind of player that likes a number in my mind and have that number in my head when stood over the ball.If someone

says to me 'its about 140' to the middle i'm a little uneasy. I'd rather someone just said 'its 138 to the middle' then I've got a number to go with!

[i*windows]

I have crappy eyes and have no depth perception so my GPS really helps me out, also I want to break 80 and play from single figures one day and knowing the pin distances are vital to me.