Can we become too dependent....

[Fish]

on our GPS's?

I forgot mine today and I really had to think about club selection far more and allow a bit here and there for gradients, a little wind, pin positions etc and I had an excellent knock! Was that just by chance or can we become over dependable on GPS devises and select the club to the yardage displayed and think nothing else?

 

[One Planer]

I don't have one so.... No :lol:

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

on our GPS's?

I forgot mine today and I really had to think about club selection far more and allow a bit here and there for gradients, a little wind, pin positions etc and I had an excellent knock! Was that just by chance or can we become over dependable on GPS devises and select the club to the yardage displayed and think nothing else?

You're fishing and wanting me to bite are you not sir!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

A GPS only gives you yardage and should be used in conjunction with your assessment of the other factors you mention, not instead of them.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

I would say it was a bit of chance and possibly a bit of extra concentration

 

[Fish]

You're fishing and wanting me to bite are you not sir!

Would I

Seriously, its very easy to glance at the gps which may display 130yds, take out your 8 iron too quickly without thinking about its uphill, into the wind, that's to the middle and the pins to the back etc etc.

I had to think about all those things far more today and I made the allowances and had a great knock winning my sweep and feeling far more commitment in my shots!

Do they make us lazy and too dependent on them and as such can they actually hinder and cost shots rather than save them?

 

[Foxholer]

Having got used to having exact yardages, I do like to have exact yardages - then make allowances etc.

But I've tested myself against GPS and I'm pretty accurate. Several years of links golf without 150 posts honed that 'skill'.

It's just hitting the shot for the distance, and in the right direction, that's a bit iffy!

 

[Imurg]

A GPS only gives you yardage and should be used in conjunction with your assessment of the other factors you mention, not instead of them.

Is the correct answer.
If you're just looking at yardage to choose a club then you're not often going to score well...
Yardage is the start, not all, of the process

 

[Fish]

A GPS only gives you yardage and should be used in conjunction with your assessment of the other factors you mention, not instead of them.

I understand that, but, does everyone know how far they hit their clubs and more so, on a regular basis?

I play with some Cat1's at my club who don't use GPS's and 1 particular player states he doesn't know how far he hits all his clubs, and he's off 2! He states that when he looks at the target he will know its a 7 iron, he doesn't know if its 130yds or 150yds, he just knows that distance he can see is his 7 iron, so, would a GPS mess him up and are they as necessary to the handicap golfer as we would all like to realise?

 

[Deleted member 15344]

They aren't necessary as such - you don't need them to judge distance or judge what club to use etc

They just help give a more accurate distance to any point to wish. Once that distance has been found out the same thought process should be then followed as if you didn't have a gps etc.

 

[One Planer]

I understand that, but, does everyone know how far they hit their clubs and more so, on a regular basis?

I play with some Cat1's at my club who don't use GPS's and 1 particular player states he doesn't know how far he hits all his clubs, and he's off 2! He states that when he looks at the target he will know its a 7 iron, he doesn't know if its 130yds or 150yds, he just knows that distance he can see is his 7 iron, so, would a GPS mess him up and are they as necessary to the handicap golfer as we would all like to realise?

That's pretty much me, except I'm not off 2 :smirk:

Complete feel player.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I understand that, but, does everyone know how far they hit their clubs and more so, on a regular basis?

That's a completely different question and one I suspect the answer two for a lot of people is no

I play with some Cat1's at my club who don't use GPS's and 1 particular player states he doesn't know how far he hits all his clubs, and he's off 2! He states that when he looks at the target he will know its a 7 iron, he doesn't know if its 130yds or 150yds, he just knows that distance he can see is his 7 iron, so, would a GPS mess him up and are they as necessary to the handicap golfer as we would all like to realise?

For that guy GPS would mess him up I suspect, I certainly couldn't play like that.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Would I

Do they make us lazy and too dependent on them and as such can they actually hinder and cost shots rather than save them?

Heaven forfend that they should do such a thing

 

[Waitforme]

On my home course I now know what club I'm going to hit mostly , doesn't stop me looking at the GPS though to check the yardage , more important when the distance is say between 120 - 150 to the middle. is it an easy 8 , hard 9 etc.
Less than 120 to the middle and it's the laser for me as a few of our greens you can't really tell how far up the green the flag is , could be 15+ yards difference and at 100 or so yards that's at least a club, if not two.

I've always been like that though , hopeless at judging distances and like someone else posted , there are far better players than me not using DMDs.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I understand that, but, does everyone know how far they hit their clubs and more so, on a regular basis?

I play with some Cat1's at my club who don't use GPS's and 1 particular player states he doesn't know how far he hits all his clubs, and he's off 2! He states that when he looks at the target he will know its a 7 iron, he doesn't know if its 130yds or 150yds, he just knows that distance he can see is his 7 iron, so, would a GPS mess him up and are they as necessary to the handicap golfer as we would all like to realise?

Other than the Cat 1 thingy that's me to a tee. Though as we have 150yd posts I'll know roughly how far I am - but I don't really base my clubbing on that knowledge.

 

[Slime]

I don't think so, at least not for me.
Knowing the distance is just a starting point from which I gauge what club to mis-hit based on course and weather conditions.
If I didn't use one I'd be pacing distances from yardage books or markers which would just slow things up.

Slime.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I play with some Cat1's at my club who don't use GPS's and 1 particular player states he doesn't know how far he hits all his clubs, and he's off 2! He states that when he looks at the target he will know its a 7 iron, he doesn't know if its 130yds or 150yds, he just knows that distance he can see is his 7 iron, so, would a GPS mess him up and are they as necessary to the handicap golfer as we would all like to realise?

How does he cope away from home? I can understand that at home you get used to the course and know based on where you are on the hole, ie, next to a bunker or 150yd marker.

I've played courses where they easily trick you with false fronts, and on very flat courses I struggle to get distances, especially if there aren't objects directly behind the green.

 

[bladeplayer]

Guilty .. i think .. didnt realise it until i went to Edinburgh in Oct and had the round of golf , had my gps but left it in my carry bag rather than my golf bag .. i tell ya first few holes i was lost for yardages .. settled down after about 4 holes .. but id say i am getting too dependant on it .. yes

 

[pokerjoke]

I have recently purchased a Garmins1 watch.
On my home course I forget I have it on and don't look at it often,purely because
im not used to having one and I know the yardages on my home course.
On away courses I think it will be very useful,even though its not giving me the exact yardage to the flag.
So to answer the question,im definitely not reliant upon it,yet

 

[Sweep]

I love my gps, but I have found that my ability to judge distance without it is not as good as it used to be, before dmd's were allowed.