Distances without GPS

[stanleyboy]

Hi Guys,

Been up to the range tonight and I have found myself getting confused with my distances, On the course I play 7 iron from the 150 yard mark. On the range I have found myself swinging more freely with what felt like a better tempo and hitting better shaped shots, and adding roughly 10 yards a club carry alone.

so my question is What is the best way to check your distances without a GPS?

Cheers SB

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Try the old fashioned pacing method either next time you are on the course or if you have a practice ground at your club. Not recommended for a busy driving range

 

[SGC001]

A few possible explanations

Certain ranges will scale down their yardage markers to reflect their golf balls (I laser the marker posts to check accuracy), it's possible they may err on the side that makes you think you're hitting it further.

On the course you're looking for carry, hopefully hitting a green and having it stop. On a range it may not be carrying longer, more bounding further.

Warming up does help, if I've not warmed up properly I would use more club on hole 1 than hole 7 for a shot into the green that I wanted to hit the same distance.

As you say, you may well be steering it on the course and not worrying where it finishes on the range, if so try making your range practice more realistic, pick targets, play around (visualise a course you know well, think where you'dve ended up and play the appropriate shot from there). Hopefully then you can swing freer on the course.

 

[Leftie]

On the range I have found myself swinging more freely with what felt like a better tempo and hitting better shaped shots, and adding roughly 10 yards a club carry alone.

This is why an easy "lay-up" shot often goes that 10/15 yds further and ends up in trouble after all.

 

[brendy]

Best way to check distances is away from driving ranges. If you must use a range, just practice consistency of strike rather than thinking, "ooh that went 10 yards further, I wonder if I can beat that". You can pick a target and practice hitting three different clubs to that target as it will help smooth out the 3/4 shots better too.