Gps

[Happy_G]

I use the Skycaddie SGX both home and away - as long as the course has been mapped for Holevue. I'm actually more interested in distances to clear bunkers, lakes and ditches particularly if the ground is hard and the greens won't hold. At my home course I'm not always shooting at the green from the fairway - more usually from some deserted spot way out of sight of the 150 marker!

 

[Tiger]

The difference is that Luke Donald knows exactly how far, high and straight or short, low and curved he hits a given club with a given swing and we absolutely don't.

The day I pace out yardage from a marker is the day I bin my clubs. I do like to see others do it though as even if I am having a rotten day score-wise, I still find it very amusing and it cheers me up no end!

That's more like it!!!

 

[Snelly]

that's more like it!!! :d

 

[chrisd]

The difference is that Luke Donald knows exactly how far, high and straight or short, low and curved he hits a given club with a given swing and we absolutely don't.

The day I pace out yardage from a marker is the day I bin my clubs. I do like to see others do it though as even if I am having a rotten day score-wise, I still find it very amusing and it cheers me up no end!

So ........... let's get this right ............ cos he is the best in the world, he has to know exactly the yardage and because I am comparitively cr*p I don't, as I wont hit the shot properly anyway?

So why do I buy professional clubs, balls bag etc etc as it's clear that I can't get out of them what Luke can. However, in yesterday's 4BBB match, 3 from home, I had a 157 to the pin from the fairway (as per Skycaddie) hit a perfect 7 iron shot over the pin and we won the match from that. So, no I'm not Luke Donald but please Snelly, let me try to be!!


Chris

 

[Snelly]

So ........... let's get this right ............ cos he is the best in the world, he has to know exactly the yardage and because I am comparitively cr*p I don't, as I wont hit the shot properly anyway?

In my opinion, you are nearly right, yes. He invariably will hit the shot he wants to hit for an exact yardage with a certain club. He is precise enough as a ball striker for it (it being the few yards of difference between a rough but pretty accurate guess and something exact) to be important. We are not, therefore it isn't. We don't even hit it precisely on line that regularly.

That said, the shots where it comes good, the ones where we do what we intended and the result is as good as anyone could have achieved, are what makes golf the wonderful game that it is. They are the shots that keep us coming back.

Please don't forget though that I am not decrying the use of a GPS device. It is up to you if you want one.

I just don't feel the need as an approximation is enough for me, given the amount of golf I play. If I was playing every week, I might have a different view. Me buying one of these would be a shock though, to me at least....

 

[Robobum]

So, even as hackers, we stand over the ball wuth the full intention of hitting the perfect shot to the perfect yardage?? Surely knowing that yardage is important then, otherwise you don't get any feedback.

Guess @ 150 yds (Actual ydg is 155) hit flushed beautiful 8 iron as good as you can - splash into front bunker. Now, was that the wrong club? the wrong yardage? not the greatest strike after all??

If you had known that the flag was 155 or to get over the sand was 151, you would have known to hit 7 and take the bunker out of play. I think that everyone should get a GPS or laser.

 

[Snelly]

So, even as hackers, we stand over the ball wuth the full intention of hitting the perfect shot to the perfect yardage?? Surely knowing that yardage is important then, otherwise you don't get any feedback.

Guess @ 150 yds (Actual ydg is 155) hit flushed beautiful 8 iron as good as you can - splash into front bunker. Now, was that the wrong club? the wrong yardage? not the greatest strike after all??

If you had known that the flag was 155 or to get over the sand was 151, you would have known to hit 7 and take the bunker out of play. I think that everyone should get a GPS or laser.

What is important is choosing the right club to hit and what kind of shot you plan to play. In your example, what if the guess to the middle of the green is 150 yards - so what? 8 iron. Is it windy? Yes. Wind direction? Into. Ok, fine. Now I change to a 7 iron. Hang on. Ball is on an upslope so will go high - change to a 6 iron. Oops, forgot to say that the hole is downhill. About 30 yards drop to the green. Ah - change back to 7. Hang on though, water in front. Better get past the flag - go with a 6. Nice swing, ball goes as high as an 8 but keeps soaring and is on the green. Ended up hitting a club that was on a flat shot, 25 yards too long for the yardage in question. Wasn't a flat shot though. Not a perfect shot for a perfect yardage as the question of what club to hit is not as simple as that. There are other, equally important factors to ponder.

I am not saying that you should play the game blind. Far from it, obviously you need to know the yardage, but it isn't the whole picture. Me personally, in your example, I would want to know the approximate distance to the middle of the green. I would then weigh in all the other factors and pick a club that I believe will get me not near the pin neccessarily, but past it. On the green, beyond the trouble which is invariably at the front of most greens. Even then, just because it is 150 yards doesn't mean I will hit a certain club. Might hit a soft 7 or a hard 9 for some reason.


One other related point in all this is experience. I pretty much know what club I am going to hit before I get within 10 yards of my ball thanks to having hit thousands of shots over a long time of playing reasonable golf. I quite often find myself in friendly games advising higher handicappers or people who haven't been playing that long to take one more or less than they did or are about to as they are not taking into enough account an important factor that is something other than basic yardage.

 

[Robobum]

Agreed, yardage is just your starting point. So if you are yards out with your initial guess, then add in some guesswork for slope, wind, ability, temperature, colour of trousers, day of the week etc etc...........you are more likely to be further out than someone who has taken the guesswork out of one of those variables.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

Whilst us mere mortals may not be able to play to an exact yardage I don't see the problem with giving yourself the best possible chance by knowing the exact yardage for definate. Yes other factors play a part but surely all of this is based on knowing the yardage in the first place? If your on the edge of a particularly wide fairway and the 150 is measured to the centre of the fairway you could easily be a full club out. If you then catch it slightly fat it will compound the mistake even further and instead of being 10 yards short you might now be 20-25 yards short.

 

[Pants]

If your on the edge of a particularly wide fairway and the 150 is measured to the centre of the fairway you could easily be a full club out.

The fairway would have to be at least 110 yards wide to make 1 club difference. On most "normal" fairways, the error between centre and edge would only be a couple of yards or so.

 

[Airlie_Andy]

The fairway would have to be at least 110 yards wide to make 1 club difference. On most "normal" fairways, the error between centre and edge would only be a couple of yards or so.

So a 55 yard wide fairway would make half a club difference. Not unreasonable. Also as I'm usually on the adjacent fairway it could easily be a club difference.

 

[chrisd]

When I got my first device, a Bushnel laser, several people took the proverbial. Those who would, I asked them to guess the distance to an object and almost without exception, not only were they out (usually short) but often by more than 20 to 30 yards out on the distances of up to 200 yards and from as short as 100 yards. I asked them what club they would hit and when they told me I asked what club they would they would hit from (unknown to them ) the correct distance - the result ... they were normally at least 2 clubs wrong.

My conclusion is that they didn't stand any chance of reaching the target in most cases!

I prefer to look at where my game may have weaknesses and try to eradicate them. Knowing the exact yardage may not make me hit a good shot, but mentally, I rarely stand over a shot with any doubt about my club selection.


Chris

 

[bladeplayer]

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"You could argue that map reading and planning a route is a skill too. It doesn't mean I don't want to use my sat-nav."

reading a map or using sat nav is grand in a strange area .. do you need a sat nav to get to your course ? you drive ther once or couple of times a week to play ?? probably not id guess .. yet you need gps to play a course you have played how many times ?? as i said i have nothing against them , nothing at all .. just dont see the need for one on your own course ,..

If something is within the rules & it helps a persons game , use it not mater what other people think

 

[rosecott]

... yet you need gps to play a course you have played how many times ??

I take it, on your own course, you've never been on the wrong fairway on the other side of a hedge with no chance of seeing a 150 yard marker on your own fairway. That's when a GPS on your home course is a godsend.

 

[bladeplayer]

I take it, on your own course, you've never been on the wrong fairway on the other side of a hedge with no chance of seeing a 150 yard marker on your own fairway. That's when a GPS on your home course is a godsend.

Point totaly taken mate but thankfuly that doesnt happen too often (we dont have hedges ) as i said im not against them at all , but ive played my own place so many times id have a decent idea of how far , i feel i am familiar with my own place , if im on the wrong fairway or behind a hedge or something , chances are id be laying up , so id accept my punishment for the bad shot & lay up to somewhere more familiar .. on a strange course yes the gps would be massive help


Can i just ask . do you think you should NEED a gps to play you own course , im not saying dont use it im asking should we NEED them ..

 

[Region3]

I will concede that I don't use my sat nav to drive to the course

I agree I shouldn't need a GPS/Rangefinder on my home course, but my memory for this type of thing is truly truly shocking. I could play the same shot on the same hole from next to the same bush every round for a month of Sundays and I still wouldn't remember how far it was.

Phone numbers, bank accounts and things like that I can't forget if I try, but distances on a golf course I'm toast.

 

[jammag]

I understand the point on you wouldnt need the sat nav to get to your course but what if there was a road block and you had to go back roads it would then be handy surely as you would be approaching in a different way just like if you go on the wrong fairway its unexpected way in?

 

[Deleted member 1740]

I found that my gps was more of a hindrance than a help at my home course and after a few months I got rid. I usually use the same clubs and play same shots on the same holes.

It did come in useful at times when I played at New courses but i dont miss it.

 

[Smiffy]

Off to Turkey at the end of May. Guess what? My Garmin S1 doesn't have Turkish courses loaded....

Standing on a 100 metre post not knowing if it's measured to the front or middle of the green, adding a bit on for the conversion back to yards, then a bit more 'cos you're not sure where it's actually measured to.
That's what GPS units are for

 

[CMAC]

I think it's mostly about confidence!

Knowing the yardage hopefully takes out some of the self doubt about having the right club and maybe let's you concentrate more on putting a good swing on it.