Recent Win - Downhill par 3

[ParItOut]

I recently got a shotscope L1 laser range finder and I had a mini win that I wanted to share!
I have played a local course a few times and the par 3 14th has a yardage of 198 but it’s severely downhill. Prior to purchasing the range finder I would constantly fly the green with a 5iron.
However, last week I zapped it with the range finder and with the slope technology found out that it actually plays 167. Perfect 7 iron into the green and birdied that hole for the first time!

 

[Imurg]

Sweet...just don't use it in competition

 

[Orikoru]

You couldn't figure out to go down a club or two after "constantly flying the green"??

 

[rosecott]

I recently got a shotscope L1 laser range finder and I had a mini win that I wanted to share!
I have played a local course a few times and the par 3 14th has a yardage of 198 but it’s severely downhill. Prior to purchasing the range finder I would constantly fly the green with a 5iron.
However, last week I zapped it with the range finder and with the slope technology found out that it actually plays 167. Perfect 7 iron into the green and birdied that hole for the first time!

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your course. I am one of a number of cynics on here who get suspicious of first-time posters recommending a particular piece of equipment.

 

[Neilds]

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your course. I am one of a number of cynics on here who get suspicious of first-time posters recommending a particular piece of equipment.

So cynical ?

 

[Foxholer]

So cynical ?

But so often justified! I'm with Rosecott on this! Damn slow learner otherwise!

 

[bladeplayer]

I recently got a shotscope L1 laser range finder and I had a mini win that I wanted to share!
I have played a local course a few times and the par 3 14th has a yardage of 198 but it’s severely downhill. Prior to purchasing the range finder I would constantly fly the green with a 5iron.
However, last week I zapped it with the range finder and with the slope technology found out that it actually plays 167. Perfect 7 iron into the green and birdied that hole for the first time!

Im no golf coach or guru . So probably not qualified to comment BUT ?IF u constantly flew it with a 5 , maybe try a club or 2 less ? Just an idea ?‍??

 

[bladeplayer]

Please tell us a bit about yourself and your course. I am one of a number of cynics on here who get suspicious of first-time posters recommending a particular piece of equipment.

??

 

[Backsticks]

I recently got a shotscope L1 laser range finder and I had a mini win that I wanted to share!
I have played a local course a few times and the par 3 14th has a yardage of 198 but it’s severely downhill. Prior to purchasing the range finder I would constantly fly the green with a 5iron.
However, last week I zapped it with the range finder and with the slope technology found out that it actually plays 167. Perfect 7 iron into the green and birdied that hole for the first time!

How can it calculate a corrected 'distance' without knowing your shot curve ?

 

[Foxholer]

How can it calculate a corrected 'distance' without knowing your shot curve ?

A question I asked when they first came out.
I was told it used a 'standard' curve - neither too flat, nor too arched - that covers 85-90% of players. So there's a possibility that a further adjustment might be required if shape is significantly different to 'the norm'.

 

[IanM]

Weird...I hit the same club every week, and every week it flies over the green.

What could possibly be solution??

Oh Aggers, do stop it!

 

[VVega]

A question I asked when they first came out.
I was told it used a 'standard' curve - neither too flat, nor too arched - that covers 85-90% of players. So there's a possibility that a further adjustment might be required if shape is significantly different to 'the norm'.

How would the shot curve be relevant to the normal “flat” distances?

All the slope feature does is it calculates the adjacent side of the right-angled triangle based on the measured hypotenuse and its angle

 

[IanM]

I once went on a course to teach how to calculate the impact of the curve of the Earth and weather on the trajectory of radio waves. My head exploded.
Taking a club or two off if going downhill, is no biggy!

 

[Foxholer]

How would the shot curve be relevant to the normal “flat” distances?

All the slope feature does is it calculates the adjacent side of the right-angled triangle based on the measured hypotenuse and its angle

Firstly, if that was all/exactly it did, then the 'equivalent' would be too far, as the ball is not falling vertically (along the right angled opposite line of the tringle) at that 'equivalent' distance (which is what your assertion above seems to assume) when it lands. There would have to be zero roll on the 'equivalent' shot for that to be the case - and that is rarely, if ever the case! So it's more than just a RA-ed triangle. There's an adjustment made for roll that has to assume a 'normal' flight - that would give a wrong result for either steep or shallow flights - as does spin.

Secondly, and for the same/similar reason, the ball will travel further, to a pin below current elevation, if on a flatter arc/flight than one on a steep flight. The unit has no way of knowing which flight a player has, so has to assume an average one.

Basically, if everybody hit the ball on the same arc and with the same spin, then the numbers the unit returns would be highly accurate. But they don't, so they can be slightly out.

Apologies if the above is 'wordy', bit the calculation is NOT simply solved using a right-angled triangle as the model!

 

[VVega]

Tried to reply a few times, the site randomly reloads and looses all entered text ?

Nevermind…

To the point above any extra change is marginal (level of the curve over the elevation), try an example for the biggest elevation change you’ve played. Unless it’s Wolf Creek or similar it won’t matter.

 

[VVega]

. The unit has no way of knowing which flight a player has, so has to assume an average one.

The unit doesn’t know and doesn’t care The player though should know what they want to hit to e.g. 150 yds, depending on their shot shape, green condition etc. Same as they would know for a “flat earth” shot ?

 

[Smiffy]

I wonder if this would work for me.
Our 3rd hole is a par 3 of just over 150 yards and I am continually coming up short with my sand iron.
After 34 years of playing this hole I simply cannot work out what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Imurg]

I wonder if this would work for me.
Our 3rd hole is a par 3 of just over 150 yards and I am continually coming up short with my sand iron.
After 34 years of playing this hole I simply cannot work out what I'm doing wrong.

Try holding the other end......

 

[Smiffy]

Try holding the other end......

I do. Regularly....

 

[Albo]

Firstly, if that was all/exactly it did, then the 'equivalent' would be too far, as the ball is not falling vertically (along the right angled opposite line of the tringle) at that 'equivalent' distance (which is what your assertion above seems to assume) when it lands. There would have to be zero roll on the 'equivalent' shot for that to be the case - and that is rarely, if ever the case! So it's more than just a RA-ed triangle. There's an adjustment made for roll that has to assume a 'normal' flight - that would give a wrong result for either steep or shallow flights - as does spin.

Secondly, and for the same/similar reason, the ball will travel further, to a pin below current elevation, if on a flatter arc/flight than one on a steep flight. The unit has no way of knowing which flight a player has, so has to assume an average one.

Basically, if everybody hit the ball on the same arc and with the same spin, then the numbers the unit returns would be highly accurate. But they don't, so they can be slightly out.

Apologies if the above is 'wordy', bit the calculation is NOT simply solved using a right-angled triangle as the model!

The range finder isnt working out what the player needs to hit or how far any said club will fly/roll. Its working out how far away the pin is then calculating how far it is without the slope, hence the flat part of said triangle is correct, the pin does not move. Its up to the player to work out what to do with the new number, in the OPs case 198 on the score card has become 167 slope adjuates, he or she needa to work out what club to use and how far that club will fly/roll.
You need an actual caddie or a system like shot scope or arccos with a caddie function which advises you which club to hit, I know arccos bases its selections on how far you averagely hit each club, so in its own way that system is sort of using the players shot shape.