Golf is a popular and fun sport that involves hitting a ball with a club on a golf course. Like any sport, the sweetest part of it all is winning. To get all the advantage on the course, you can rely on items like the rangefinder.
What Is a Rangefinder?
A rangefinder is a device that measures the distance of a certain target from the observer’s position.
Who Uses a Rangefinder?
Both amateur and pro golf players can use the device. It all comes down to preference.
What Are the Types of Rangefinders?
There are three main types of rangefinders
Laser Rangefinder
It uses light beams to zoom in on a target. The instrument is aimed at the target and a laser beam is released. The rangefinder records the time taken by the beam to hit the target and bounce back to the source. Once the beam speed has been recorded, it calculates the time and the total distance covered.
In case there is no reading recorded, the exercise can be repeated. It takes longer to measure than other instruments.
GPS Rangefinders
The rangefinder measures the distance of about 150 meters to the pin. It relies on a satellite signal to give you the correct measurements. You preload the course you will be playing at. When you arrive, turn on the GPS and allow it to access the satellite feed. When you select a hole, the rangefinder will give you the reading from the target. With the information, you can map out your location based on the distance of the mapping.
Optical Rangefinders
It uses two lenses. Having preloaded a scale on your device. It zooms in on the target and calculates the height from the scale.
The Advantages of a Rangefinder
Precise Measurements
The rangefinder gives precise measurements between the golfer and the next hole or pin.
They Are Fast
The rangefinders are fast in calculations and therefore do not take up much time on the game.
User-Friendly
The devices are easy to carry and to use on or off the golf course. They give the golfer a real feel of the course. The golfer feels confident about the course and the device giving him the correct measurements.
Affordability
The devices are not as expensive as you would imagine. The thought of the value they bring may make many people believe they are out of reach. The prices are not restrictive, and in the future the prices may continue to fall.
Time-Saving
They help the golfer elude blind spots and avoid hazards as the measurements are accurate.
The rangefinders may not have disadvantages per se, but we can combine complaints and see how the rangefinders fare.
Eliminates Walks
Long before rangefinders, golfers would walk to check the distances manually. Now with rangefinders, no one needs to walk anymore. Walking can take time and extend the game of golf into hours. Embracing the rangefinders can reduce the time in half and still preserve the game.
Complaints/Disadvantages
They Take the Place of Learning
To be good at golf, you learn the skills manually on the course and teach yourself to think critically. You have to decide on what clubs to use and why. You learn to reach a 3:1 swing ratio, until you finally achieve your goal.
However, with rangefinders, you do not have to keep thinking about what to do or how to do it. They even show you what clubs to use!
It can be seen as a fast way to get to the top with little or no hard work. The question can be, without the gadgets, how good would your performance be?
Golfers Can Hang on the Predicted Numbers
With the rangefinders doing all the calculations, golfers expect to perform exactly as their device predicted. However, sometimes the predictions can prove to be just that, predictions.
Despite the shortfalls, a smart golfer will use the rangefinder to improve his skills and keep getting better at their game.
It is important to also not rely 100% on your devices, again, they are just that: devices. They can fail you at times and that is perfectly normal. Do not throw away your rangefinder in the water hazard.
Interruption and Distraction
This applies to the devices that keep interrupting a good game of golf. It is felt that a golf course is a place where playing with your gadgets or setting up business meetings on the phone should not take place.
The etiquette here is to turn off the volume or turn off the gadgets completely to avoid distractions and distracting others.
Taking the Fun out of Play
Golfers can sometimes overuse apps for everything to get the best result. The other buddies have to wait as they scroll up and down for the proper distance between them and the next hole.
Devices should not take the fun out of the game. They should enhance the experience and teach golfers to be better at their game.
Conclusion
The rangefinders are not leaving the golf course anytime soon. Accepting change and using it to your advantage is the best course to take. After all, rangefinders do increase your chances of an accurate shot. There is no sweet feeling like going home the winner of the day.