Best Practices- Range Finder

[sleepy_augusto]

New to scoping, let me borrow your experience

Good Morning- My wife bought me a range finder over the winter, and I'm enjoying it a lot. I do worry that I'm slowing down my rounds a bit too much with it.
I have it clipped to the outside of my bag so it does not take long to get out. Not sure what is best to point at, and am a bit shaky, so it takes me a bit to get it together. Also, I question my readings because I'm not sure what to scope.

So I'm looking for experienced users input. What do you scope? How do you steady yourself if you're shaky? How much do you use it during a round? And any time savers or general tips would be appreciated too.

Thanks everyone. Happy Easter :)

[Tmiller72]

I use it on just about every shot. It's a lot quicker than looking for yardage markers and then stepping the yardage off.

[rblmp32]

I too use it on nearly every shot, even short ones (inside 70 yards). Once you gain more experience with it, you'll get faster. I shoot the flag itself, that's the easiest thing to hit. Also, it's key for me to realize that often times the number I receive is not the flag, but something behind it. So you want to be aware of your surroundings (i.e. if it reads 155 and you're sitting near the 100 marker, you know that wasn't the flag you shot). To steady myself, I do two things. One, it works best for me if I keep both eyes open when looking through the rangefinder. Makes me stay more balanced and thus more stable. Next, I'll lean on the cart or prop the rangefinder on the cart too if at all possible to steady it. And I know my limits. I understand that I'm not likely to shoot a flag from 235 yards out when the wind is blowing. :)

[Carolina Golfer 2]

Good Morning- My wife bought me a range finder over the winter, and I'm enjoying it a lot. I do worry that I'm slowing down my rounds a bit too much with it.

I have it clipped to the outside of my bag so it does not take long to get out. Not sure what is best to point at, and am a bit shaky, so it takes me a bit to get it together. Also, I question my readings because I'm not sure what to scope.

 

So I'm looking for experienced users input. What do you scope? How do you steady yourself if you're shaky? How much do you use it during a round? And any time savers or general tips would be appreciated too.

 

Thanks everyone. Happy Easter :)

I used one for about a year and half and found some of the same difficulties that you have had. To avoid picking up the trees in the background and to avoid having to shoot it two or three times to make sure I'm getting the flag. I would do one of the following. Either aim at a player on the green that is standing nearest the hole, this is the best option as if they are still on the green you have the time to pick the guy who is the closest and shoot him, so you aren't really going to hold up play, assuming you get ready to hit right after that.

 

Secondly, if no one is on the green, I would usually jsut shoot the ground right next to the flag or some big spot on the green. Sure it may be a couple yards off, but at a 15 HC, 144 or 148 is pretty much the same to me :)

 

I also might shoot the top lip of a big greenside bunker just to get an idea of how much to clear it.

 

All that said, I have quit using my laser and bought a SC, it is much much faster and easier to use. I won't go on about it, in fear of turning your thread into the eternal debate, but I felt 0bligated to tell you why I quit using it.'

 

Hope this helps somewhat.

[justinguy15]

If you have a pinseeker type mode then follow the post below.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=245361

[larrybud]

If you carry your bag, take it out of it's case as you're approaching the ball.

 

As far as steadying yourself, you could always brace yourself against the bag.

 

Here's my routine: Shoot the objects behind the hole, note the yardage, then move up to the flag. When the distance changes, I'm sure that the flag reading is accurate, and that I'm not hitting the objects behind the hole... learned this the hard way a couple of times early on! ;-)

 

 

But depending on the hole, I'll also shoot the back edge of a bunker in front of the green on the same line as the flag. This gives me a very good idea of how much to carry, and how many more to the flag.

 

There's no reason this should slow you down, and it should speed you up. Takes me all of 7 or 8 seconds to do this, and usually it's while someone else is hitting.

[SadTrombone]

I too use it on nearly every shot, even short ones (inside 70 yards).

 

I find it more crucial inside 120 yards. I can alter backswing lengths to change a shot from 77 to 75 yards, I can't do the same necessarily from 250 or 248.

 

-mini

[sleepy_augusto]

Thanks everyone, this is good stuff!

 

The mention of having two eyes open, I'm not sure I can do that effectively! Maybe I don't grasp how it would work?

I find it interesting that some see this as a way to go faster. It would be faster than looking for a yardage marker! Good point. Maybe I'm looking at it from the wrong perspective.

 

I'm not sure I have pinseeker mode, not sure what that exactly means? I have a Callaway/Nikkon model. From that thread it sounds like the sweep method would work (it keeps adjusting to what ever you point at for a while, then locks the last reading).

 

If there are any more tips out there, I'd be grateful. Thanks again.

[Howie]

I can alter backswing lengths to change a shot from 77 to 75 yards

 

By how much?

[biscuity]

Here are a few tips that I use with my Nikon:

 

1. Hold it with both hands, brace one of the hands against your forehead.

 

2. Press and hold the button, that way it constantly scans the area and makes it easy to grab the distance to the pin. I used to press the button once to turn it on, then press it once and hope it hit the pin. That method takes longer because you might have to press it 3 or 4 times to make sure you have the right object.

 

It only takes me a few seconds to get the distance, even at over 200 yards. Much quicker than finding a sprinkler head and stepping off yardages. Maybe even quicker than using a GPS and trying to guesstimate the F/M/B versus where the pin is located.

[uwahly]

I use Larry's idea. If there are trees behind the green I always shoot them first. Then the flag. That way I know if I'm missing the flag and getting the trees. If there is no wind it's harder to get the flag so I really try and be ready if someone is in front of me I haven't had issues getting people if their still on the green.

[rapriebe]

If you have one with the Pinseeker mode or equivalent then shooting the trees behind the green is unnecessary. Maybe when you are just learning to use it, but I never worry about that any more with my Bushnell Tour V2. It picks a flag (not the flagstick, but the flag itself) out of the background effortlessly in Pinseeker mode, even from more than 250 yards away.

 

I turn off the Pinseeker when I'm shooting a bunker lip, or a rise of ground in front of the green, etc., but always use the Pinseeker when I have a definite target to range.

 

I also find the laser to be of great value when planning a layup shot... shooting a tree, or bunker lip, or stream bank to ensure that I pick a club that absolutely cannot hit the problem area has shaved strokes off my score.