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I can't use a rangefinder.....

dhartmann34

dhartmann34

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I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
 
dhartmann34 said:
I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
Click to expand...

Yes you're an extremely strange bird. Haha. I don't know if I can play a full round without a rangefinder anymore. I wish I had your feel. If i'm not confident with the distance, my game falls apart. It's one of the things I HAVE to have.
 
I have a range finder but I have some friends who play who are like you. When I first got it, I would ask them if they wanted to know their yardages and they said no. I haven't asked them again since. They know I have it and if they want to know, they can ask me. I don't want to do anything to get them off of their game or what works for them. So based on that, I wouldn't say you are strange when it comes to this particular point. I can't speak to the other things that may or not make you strange.

I would say that more players rely on a gps device or rangefinder these days than not.
 
Yeah, my strangeness in other aspects is certainly too much to even try and comprehend on a message board.....but everyone at my local club seems to have their finder hooked to their hip. Some even have the gps/rangefinder units......Caddies gotta love it.
 
dhartmann34 said:
I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
Click to expand...

You're strange. I use my GPS for things other than just approach shots, and for that it's gold. Your eye and feel don't do a thing when you can't see over a hill or around a dogleg. I can get distance not only for the shot at hand, but for what I want to leave for the next one. That helps me plan what I want to do for the entire hole, not just for the approach shot.
 
Personally I think it's a mental thing. If you only fire at the middle of the green then no need for a range finder. If you're able to step off yardages and know how far each club travels with a particular swing, no need for one.
But knowing the flag is 158 with a range finder vs 160 with 150yd marker and ten steps should make you take greater risk. You're playing away from flags at the middle and playing to what ever number you get.
 
I guess I must be strange too because I don't use a range finder either. I usually look for a yardage marker/stick and "eye ball" my distances. If I'm really having a hard time, occasionly, I will use an app on my phone that has served me well. I still enjoy my rounds just the same.
 
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To each there own my friend. I like playing with my golflogix GPS. I love the fact that i get to see the whole hole, this comes in handy when I play a course I have never played. In my opinion you are not strange, if you are feel player then that is you. Don't let what other do effect your game.
 
whatever works for you is whats best imo.

But going for the pin or not simply comes down to ones choice regardless of having a finder or not. That is still personal decision for how one choses to manage his game and shots. Its still nice to have a very good idea what the center of the green is. Or perhaps things like how far is the safe area that leaves an uphill putt vs a downhill one. Also helpful with lay up shot distances, dog legs, fw bunkers etc.. the list goes on and comes in handy for many reasons including going for center of green and doesn't mean you cant do that anyway. But if your comfy doing what your doing so be it. Works great for you is all that matters.
 
after playing all weekend in atlanta with THPers that had a rangefinder...I am in need of my own. I like being able to shoot the flag but I certainly understand your thinking in regards to shooting the middle of the green.
 
sparksjr said:
after playing all weekend in atlanta with THPers that had a rangefinder...I am in need of my own. I like being able to shoot the flag but I certainly understand your thinking in regards to shooting the middle of the green.
Click to expand...

I feel exactly the same way. Played a couple weeks ago with mightyquinn and he had his and I loved the convenience of being able to quickly get yardages to anything, especially on courses where GPS isn't accurate like the one we played.
 
dhartmann34 said:
I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
Click to expand...

Owned a rangefinder and more less hated it. GPS all the way for me. Just look at it. Nothing to hold and point....
 
Not sure what I prefer honestly. I played yesterday without either and played some of the best golf of my life.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 2
 
I think my preference is to have a yardage book and pace off my distances. For tournaments I like those green sheets that tell you how far the pin is from the edges. I've used a laser rangefinder a few times and feel like I am less connected to the course.
 
I used one (not mine) in myrtle last month and hit some of the best iron shots ever...im sure its just mental.

My hand are way too shaky to use one constantly though, way slower than everyone else
 
While I don't mind having a GPS for some distances off the tee, safe zones and hazards and whatnot, I find it does little for me at this point in my game upon approach. I play to the center of the green as well. A few yards either way won't make a difference to me as that is at least the amount of inconsistency in my swing without complications like wind and elevation.

Now, put me in a tree stand with a bow in early November and that rangefinder makes all the difference in the world. lol
 
dhartmann34 said:
I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
Click to expand...

This is exactly why I love my neo x gps watch. It gives me exactly what I need. Front, middle, back of the greens. And I don't have to fiddle around with a phone app or a
range finer. The number is right on my wrist. I don't shoot for pins either, not good enough for that. And honestly most people that do pin hunt probably shouldn't. Kind of like a lot of people that play only Pro V 1's probably don't need to.

But do whatever works for you man. As long as you are having fun :)
 
dhartmann34 said:
I get on the course and everyone has their fancy rangefinders. I've never had success with them. It's always been more of a hassle for me. I honestly think it tends to add strokes to my round. That being said, it's not like I get one and everything goes down the drain. I think it just makes me take more risks that I normally would. I like to aim for the center of greens for the most part and two putt my way home....Someone a while back told me making birdie is just a bonus. Hit the green and make no more than two putting strokes. It's worked fairly well. I make 3-4 birdies a round usually. Just hate when people walk up besides me and tell me how far I am exactly which makes me wanna aim right at that pin.....

I've always been a feel player. I can usually guess distances within a few yards. Under 100 yards I don't even look for a yardage. I go by what my eyes tell me.


Anyone else out there feel the same way? Or am I just the lone strange bird?
Click to expand...

You're not alone. Or at least maybe there's two of us.

I'll often shoot the yardage or get a GPS yardage, but that's merely a guideline. I'll look at the lie and the green and see what kind of club it feels like. Sometimes I might be 120 yards from the green but because the green is elevated, I don't want to be short and because of a nasty uphill lie, it feels like a 5-iron.
 
I was a natural with one the moment I picked one up
 
Buckeyeduffer said:
While I don't mind having a GPS for some distances off the tee, safe zones and hazards and whatnot, I find it does little for me at this point in my game upon approach. I play to the center of the green as well. A few yards either way won't make a difference to me as that is at least the amount of inconsistency in my swing without complications like wind and elevation.

Now, put me in a tree stand with a bow in early November and that rangefinder makes all the difference in the world. lol
Click to expand...

Funny I need a rangefinder on the course but don't when hunting! I shoot my bow with no sights - I guess that's how I learned and have never upgraded.
 
I don't use one either but I do rely on GPS. I had a tour v2 for about 6 months and it made me make more mistakes because I'd aim straight for the pin, take the risky shot over water because I know it's only 230 and I can make it etc.

Not the tools fault, this tools fault but someone with my skill level does NOT need anything to make him more aggressive so I sold it to another hacker lol.


Taptaptaparoo
 
Sometimes I use a rangefinder (with slope) and a GPS unit. I like to know how far it is to the pin, and how far it is to the front of the green (or to carry a certain bunker).
 
double-hoo said:
Sometimes I use a rangefinder (with slope) and a GPS unit. I like to know how far it is to the pin, and how far it is to the front of the green (or to carry a certain bunker).
Click to expand...

So I take it that your handicap is established only from rounds where the rangefinder wasn't used?
 
Over here I have never seen anyone use a range finder on our course, and I have never used one myself either. I do have golf gps app's on my phone but hardly ever use them, it just becomes a pain to me to keep checking my phone. I just guess which club from the many rounds ive played at my local club. I don't think the range finders have taken off here in NZ like they have overseas.
 
Fourputt said:
So I take it that your handicap is established only from rounds where the rangefinder wasn't used?
Click to expand...

I don't maintain an official handicap. I play for fun and typically don't play in tournaments/events where a USGA handicap is a necessity.
 
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