Has your gps device knocked shots off your handicap?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Not using any form of tech device for distance - the only time I have distance difficulties is when I stray well off the fairway of the hole I am playing and so I've no distance posts or sprinkler head yardages to go by - and that happens at my own track - not just away tracks.

Where I also have problems is whenever I play a course with large greens. The greens of my own course are small - so if I hit the middle of the green I'm never going to have a very long putt. But of course that might not be the case where the green is large...if the yardage markers or planner tells me distance to the middle of the green - that can be a long way from the flag. Yes - front, middle, back flagging helps - but I still find it a fairly difficult mental shift to not just hit to the middle of the green.

And so despite all I have said on this subject in the past, I think that I know what is going to be on my Dear Santa letter this year...

 

[chrisd]

I think that I know what is going to be on my Dear Santa letter this year...

A no deal Brexit ? Just a wild stab in the dark 😉

 

[Swingalot]

Always used a watch and felt it was fine, but lost my garmin a few months ago and have been weighing up buying a rangefinder as I play a lot of new courses and knowing run outs, hazards etc could be useful.

Have been surprised when playing with others how good my guess on yardages has been when I’ve asked what distance they have on their device, but must say at times have been 10-20 yards out on shorter shots and that is a potential card wrecker imo.

Gone for a rangefinder hybrid, so it does both. Awaiting for a dramatic drop in handicap.......my be waiting a while

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Can you use this on the course during a competition round? Seems like an external swing aid - or is it deemed equivalent to a caddy.

Of course not. It's an app and so and external device. Seems a very strange question

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Of course not. It's an app and so and external device. Seems a very strange question

Just that it was mentioned in the context of on-course in-play distance aids.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Just that it was mentioned in the context of on-course in-play distance aids.

By whom. I said clearly I use it on the range for working on tempo

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

By whom. I said clearly I use it on the range for working on tempo

misunderstanding - sorry.

 

[garyinderry]

You would probably struggle to find many single figure handicap players who dont use a distance measuring device of some sort.

They are quite often the difference between having a birdie putt and making a three putt.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You would probably struggle to find many single figure handicap players who dont use a distance measuring device of some sort.

They are quite often the difference between having a birdie putt and making a three putt.

Something I properly twigged a couple of weeks ago playing with a scratch member.

I played well off my 8 and hit just about as many greens as he did. But his putts were usually much shorter than mine - he holed his and I usually missed mine. He also holed a lot of his longer ones, and commented to me that though I thought my putting was pretty good - and it was actually pretty good for me in not three putting - I was really missing the point and in his eyes it wasn't actually that great. Why? I was too conservative - seemingly often just happy for the two putt and so usually putting short - never giving the hole a chance. His view was that, when on the green and not a mile from the hole, his thinking must always be that he must get a birdie - and he won't if he is short.

Next time out I made damn sure I was past the hole every putt. OK - I three putted a load and only scored 22pts stableford - but was OK with that as my goal is to get the ball past the hole. I can sort the putting. But I might need some outside help in getting my distance right and get some confidence and consistency in my short irons.

My goal for next year is 6.4 So I think I must make use of all help available and think I'll soon be moving from the small number of SF players who don't use one...

 

[Orikoru]

Something I properly twigged a couple of weeks ago playing with a scratch member.

I played well off my 8 and hit just about as many greens as he did. But his putts were usually much shorter than mine - he holed his and I usually missed mine. He also holed a lot of his longer ones, and commented to me that though I thought my putting was pretty good - and it was actually pretty good for me in not three putting - I was really missing the point and in his eyes it wasn't actually that great. Why? I was too conservative - seemingly often just happy for the two putt and so usually putting short - never giving the hole a chance. His view was that, when on the green and not a mile from the hole, his thinking must always be that he must get a birdie - and he won't if he is short.

Next time out I made damn sure I was past the hole every putt. OK - I three putted a load and only scored 22pts stableford - but was OK with that as my goal is to get the ball past the hole. I can sort the putting. But I might need some outside help in getting my distance right and get some confidence and consistency in my short irons. My goal for next year is 6.4 Must make use of all help available

I'm reading Bob Rotella, Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect at the moment, which I'm sure a lot of people have, and just this morning I read the part where he said people who try and get their long putts to 'within a dustbin lid' or 'within 3 feet' are flawed. You should be aiming to hole it every single time, because even if you don't that gives you the smallest margin for error anyway. i.e. just trying to be within 3 feet you could be 5 feet away, whereas trying to hole it and miss by the same amount and you're only 2 feet away. Seems obvious really when you write it out.

(Sorry that's a bit off topic, was just responding to your paragraph in the middle there.)

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I'm reading Bob Rotella, Golf Is Not A Game of Perfect at the moment, which I'm sure a lot of people have, and just this morning I read the part where he said people who try and get their long putts to 'within a dustbin lid' or 'within 3 feet' are flawed. You should be aiming to hole it every single time, because even if you don't that gives you the smallest margin for error anyway. i.e. just trying to be within 3 feet you could be 5 feet away, whereas trying to hole it and miss by the same amount and you're only 2 feet away. Seems obvious really when you write it out.

(Sorry that's a bit off topic, was just responding to your paragraph in the middle there.)

I've got the book but never read it - but I will now.

And why have I never read it? Because I thought that my golf thinking was good and that getting more thoughts from Rotella's book would just confuse me. Now it might - but clearly my thinking around my putting is a bit squinty.

 

[casuk]

Not sure its shaved shots off but I'm definitely lost without it,

 

[User20204]

Not sure its shaved shots off but I'm definitely lost without it,

Few weeks back the battery ran out on my laser within 3 holes, I was like a lost wee boy for the next 15 holes.

 

[casuk]

Few weeks back the battery ran out on my laser within 3 holes, I was like a lost wee boy for the next 15 holes.

I forgot to charge my watch and I hated the round like you I was lost, i have a laser but dont like using it

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Of course not. It's an app and so and external device. Seems a very strange question

You didn’t state in that post that you don’t use it on the course, so I don’t know why you’re being so rude to Hugh

 

[HomerJSimpson]

You didn’t state in that post that you don’t use it on the course, so I don’t know why you’re being so rude to Gordon

I also said I plug my earphones in and plug them into my phone. Surely anyone would have realised that would be illegal in a competitive round.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I also said I plug my earphones in and plug them into my phone. Surely anyone would have realised that would be illegal in a competitive round.

He asked a perfectly sensible question and you jumped down his throat.
You could have just said “no, it would not be allowed to be used in competition”

 

[Imurg]

I also said I plug my earphones in and plug them into my phone. Surely anyone would have realised that would be illegal in a competitive round.

Well..at the weekend, a pro didn't know that you couldn't give advice on club selection to another player's caddy so I wouldn't take it for granted....

 

[patricks148]

I've got the book but never read it - but I will now.

And why have I never read it? Because I thought that my golf thinking was good and that getting more thoughts from Rotella's book would just confuse me. Now it might - but clearly my thinking around my putting is a bit squinty.

so let me recap, you are still posting in a thread on if a DND has cut shots of your off your handicap and you are still posting your usual that you don't ues one is that correct?

 

[Orikoru]

so let me recap, you are still posting in a thread on if a DND has cut shots of your off your handicap and you are still posting your usual that you don't ues one is that correct?

I did say it was my fault for taking us off topic by mentioning the book.