Assessing your yardages using GPS watch

TheAlbatross

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Hi,

I am really keen to establish my "real" yardages. I have tried doing this at the range and it's not a true enough representation of the distances I hit on course - the balls are rubbish and you can't genuinely tell where they land plus you have to rely on the yardage markers being accurate.

I thought the best way I could establish my yardages for each club would be to hit 20 balls with each club down the fields near me (in the summer obviously) and use a GPS golf watch to calculate the average distance for each club.

if I buy a GPS watch can I zero the yardage on it "off course" and use the shot monitor feature to calculate yardage?
 

duncan mackie

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yes, but it's even easier to assess the distance from the tee to your pitch mark on par 3's as you play a round of golf - or any approach shot (using the same tools)
 

turkish

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Have the garmin s4 and you can measure distances with the ruler function.

If you can find somewhere with a gc2 though I think it's probably a better way to do it.

Done it at the weekend as distances in new irons different from old. Set timer on phone for every 5 minutes to change club. Hit approx 8-9 shots per club. Take out any outliers then take average. I've also noted the high and low points of each club.

A lot of indoor places will hire you their gc2 for £10-15 for an hour(do double if you wanna hit more balls)
 

John_Findlay

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A lot of indoor places will hire you their gc2 for £10-15 for an hour(do double if you wanna hit more balls)

That's interesting, Turkish.

I'd love to have a wee go on a launch monitor that tells me what path I'm swinging on, i.e. so many degrees in to out/ out to in. Don't know of any in my area. Anyone know of somewhere you can use/hire by the hour
 

John_Findlay

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Hi Albatross,

I'm assuming you have a GPS watch already but if not then can I recommend GameGolf for your yardages. See the link in my signature.
 

SaintHacker

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Have you got a smartphone? If so there is a free app called Golf Club Length. You just tell it which club you're using then start it and stop it in the right place, it works out all the averages for you, you can delete any freak shots if need be, and you can record multiple shots from one position. Just don't use it in a comp!
 

turkish

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That's interesting, Turkish.

I'd love to have a wee go on a launch monitor that tells me what path I'm swinging on, i.e. so many degrees in to out/ out to in. Don't know of any in my area. Anyone know of somewhere you can use/hire by the hour

Hi john, funnily enough that indoor golf centre mentioned in other thread hire out gc2 for £15... I've not been yet as go to another one- affordable golf in glasgow which just has 2 hitting bays. They do it for £12 per hour but I got a deal on groupon for 10 x 1 hour sessions for £40.

There's surely somewhere similar in edinburgh; either indoor or a range that will have gc2 or trackman for similar prices.
 

Up_Point_1

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I thought as well as front, middle and back the Garmin S1 watch also has a 'measure your shot' function too. In which case surely setting that to 0 from where you hit your shot from and then walking to where the ball has either pitched or ended up will give you the yardage.
 

TheAlbatross

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Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I don't have a GPS watch but am going to purchase one with AG vouchers i received for xmas.

I have booked myself 10 x 30min slots on the GC2 monitor at Surbiton Golf Studios for £50. I will also use use the "measure your shot" feature to reinforce the data from the GC2.

Out of interest - the "measure your shot" feature sounds like something which i would use frequently when on course, especially after hitting a good drive or approach shot. But it sounds like some of you don't use it that often? Is this just a case of the novelty wearing off or forgetting to press the button?

When asked to give one piece of advice to amateur players, pro's will often recommend "know your yardages" - i would have thought the opportunity to collect this data would be something golfers would be obsessive about.

Out of interest, how many forum members do know their "real" yardages?
 

Maninblack4612

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I thought as well as front, middle and back the Garmin S1 watch also has a 'measure your shot' function too. In which case surely setting that to 0 from where you hit your shot from and then walking to where the ball has either pitched or ended up will give you the yardage.

You don't even need to set it to 0, you just hit "measure shot" after you hit & it gives you the distance from the place you hit the shot to where you walk to. Simples!
 

TheAlbatross

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Hi dan,

I've read plenty of info about GameGolf and the technology sounds impressive. I think it benefits the golfer who plays more frequently thatn i do and also has an interest in more detailed statistics than simply yardage. I would consider it if i played more frequently but at the minute i'm just after a GPS watch.
 

TheAlbatross

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I am unsure whether this warrants a new post but am aware there are almost weekly threads relating to "which GPS watch should i buy?", my question is more specific:

I am going to purchase either a Garmin S3 or S4. There is £20 difference between the two, the S4 has bluetooth connectivity and displays texts and emails on screen when linked to your phone. This feature is not important to me, with that in mind; is there any other advantage/s the S4 has over the S3?

Thanks.
 

Lord Tyrion

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Out of interest - the "measure your shot" feature sounds like something which i would use frequently when on course, especially after hitting a good drive or approach shot. But it sounds like some of you don't use it that often? Is this just a case of the novelty wearing off or forgetting to press the button?

Both. I suspect come summer when the ball flies further and gets a bit of roll I may use that on a practise round but I am thinking about enough things on a course without remembering to press buttons as well :D
 

Rooter

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I am unsure whether this warrants a new post but am aware there are almost weekly threads relating to "which GPS watch should i buy?", my question is more specific:

I am going to purchase either a Garmin S3 or S4. There is £20 difference between the two, the S4 has bluetooth connectivity and displays texts and emails on screen when linked to your phone. This feature is not important to me, with that in mind; is there any other advantage/s the S4 has over the S3?

Thanks.

Found this, the S4 seems to have a better battery, able to track stats, better screen resolution, and ever so slightly smaller.

http://www.golfgps1.com/Garmin-Approach-S3-vs-S4-Best-Price-Review.html
 

WhereIsMyBall

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Out of interest - the "measure your shot" feature sounds like something which i would use frequently when on course, especially after hitting a good drive or approach shot. But it sounds like some of you don't use it that often? Is this just a case of the novelty wearing off or forgetting to press the button?
To be honest with you on the course I simply deduct the distance left from the distance I had on the previous shot. Saves messing about with an extra function that isn't really needed IMO.

Say I have 400 yards from the tee to the middle of the green. I get to my second shot and I have 180 from there. Means my tee shot was 220 yards.

Over the last year using this process I've built up a mental database of the distance each club goes on average and on a really good hit.
 

turkish

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Thanks for all your replies and suggestions. I don't have a GPS watch but am going to purchase one with AG vouchers i received for xmas.

I have booked myself 10 x 30min slots on the GC2 monitor at Surbiton Golf Studios for £50. I will also use use the "measure your shot" feature to reinforce the data from the GC2.

Out of interest - the "measure your shot" feature sounds like something which i would use frequently when on course, especially after hitting a good drive or approach shot. But it sounds like some of you don't use it that often? Is this just a case of the novelty wearing off or forgetting to press the button?

When asked to give one piece of advice to amateur players, pro's will often recommend "know your yardages" - i would have thought the opportunity to collect this data would be something golfers would be obsessive about.

Out of interest, how many forum members do know their "real" yardages?

I think once you know your yardages you know them so pretty pointless to keep using it- concentrate on the game!!! Obviously when you do the gap checking I done knowing the high points and low points aswell as average is good when making wind, green position and flag position decisions (front pin/back pin/ up hill/ downhill greens)

I still use the ruler function but only really if I hit a stonking drive that I'd quite like to know the distance (only to usually dissapoint myself lol)

The good thing about the ruler function on the S4 is that you can use it off course- I used it at my course practice area; hit 10 balls then walk up and estimate a mid point, then walk to each ball for actual yardages.

I still prefer the GC2 for doing the gap test though as is more controlled; it's hard to gauge wind and temperature effects with "live" shots- the GC2 will assume a standard day then you can adjust to what you think is happening on the course. It's harder to assume the other way around- checking yardages then making assumptions.

I have the S4 and like it- havent tried any others
 
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MendieGK

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To be honest with you on the course I simply deduct the distance left from the distance I had on the previous shot. Saves messing about with an extra function that isn't really needed IMO.
Say I have 400 yards from the tee to the middle of the green. I get to my second shot and I have 180 from there. Means my tee shot was 220 yards.

Over the last year using this process I've built up a mental database of the distance each club goes on average and on a really good hit.



I've learnt from gamegolf that this isnt an accurate way of doing it. very few holes are dead straight, meaning you are often cutting off parts of a hole.

not sure that is explained too well, but its true. the 18th in Hawaii on Sunday was 660yds, the players werent hitting 2 shots that far.
 
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