If you’re looking for something that will help improve your golf game, you’ve maybe come across rangefinders. They can be really useful tools in improving your game.
If you don’t know what a rangefinder is, or exactly what it can do for you, this handy guide will explain just about everything you need to know!
What Is A Rangefinder?
Rangefinders, simply put, are tools that golf is used to measure distances! They come in a few different types, and can all be really useful for golfers.
If you’re looking for a great tool to help you improve your golf game, a rangefinder might just be the perfect tool for you! They let you judge distances with pinpoint accuracy far better than you can do with your eyes.
They also help you learn to use your eyes more efficiently – as once you start using a rangefinder you’ll naturally get a better idea just how far certain distances are, and what sort of things you can use to gauge distances.
Understanding distances a little better with a rangefinder can also help you in other ways in your golf game, like choosing the correct club for the shot.
They’re no replacement for practice, technique, and dedication – but they can be great companions to those things, and used with a good practice regime can really play a significant part in improving your golf game.
Our Top Rangefinder Picks
Bushnell Pro XE Golf Laser Rangefinder
- Crystal Clear Display
- Rapid detection of the flag
- More accurate distances regardless of slope, temperature, and altitude
- Expensive
- Jolt feature does not activate as often
Precision Pro NX9
- Lifetime battery replacement service
- Magnetic strip on the side
- Pulse vibration activates on any target, not just flags
- Water-resistant, and shockproof design to protect the rangefinder from splashes and impacts
- May be difficult for tournament managers to tell if you are using slope or non-slope more
- Limited maximum range of 600yds
Bushnell Golf Tour V3 Rangefinder
- Accurate to within in 1 yard
- Locks onto the target easily
- Range of 1000 yards
- Jolt technology notifies you when it has measured distance to the flag
- Older version of laser rangefinder
- Not waterproof
Types Of Rangefinder
Differences Between a GPS and Laser Rangefinder
Laser Rangefinders
Although things with lasers sound like really complicated technology, laser rangefinders are actually one of the simpler types.
It’s because all they do is fire a laser beam when you press the button or trigger. That laser beam bounces off the object that you’re pointing it at, and is reflected back into the device.
As light travels at a known and constant speed through air, the device can easily ascertain the distance.
They do this by measuring the time that it took for the laser to shoot out of the rangefinder, bounce off the object and then return to the range finder.
This is what makes laser rangefinders so popular – you can actually use them at any golf course, as they don’t use GPS.
In fact you can use them anywhere on the planet – you don’t even need to be at a golf course! All you need is an object to point them at.
GPS Rangefinders
GPS rangefinders are a little bit more complex in their working. This is because they use the Global Positioning Satellite system to measure distances.
These devices measure distances by sending and receiving signals from a large number of satellites in geostationary orbit around planet Earth.
Without going too much into the science of it, each of these satellites carries a very accurate clock. Slight timing variations between these clocks enables the GPS rangefinder to understand exactly where it is on the planet – to pinpoint accuracy.
However, the drawback with this complexity is that they are possibly a little less versatile than laser rangefinders.
A laser rangefinder can be used absolutely anywhere to measure a distance, whereas a GPS rangefinder needs to have the map or some understanding of the golf course loaded into it so that it can tell you the distance (for example) from you and the nearest hole.
Do Pros Use Rangefinders?
Pros definitely use rangefinders quite often. However you’ll probably never see them being used in tournament play. This is because, usually, tournament play restricts the use of any artificial aids such as rangefinders.
However in practice pros will regularly use as many tools as they can to improve their golf game – this of course includes the use of rangefinders!
When practicing, a pro is going to use absolutely every tool at their disposal to make sure that they’re hitting the best shots, getting the most power and the right angles, and just generally being the absolute best they can be.
Therefore, you shouldn’t subscribe to any silly notions or ideas that rangefinders and other tools like this are cheating.
They’re absolutely not cheating (unless you use them in a tournament where they’re not allowed) – they’re merely tools that are available to improve your golf game.
It’s that simple. They’re not necessary if all that you’re interested in is having a fun game of golf – but if you’re looking to actively take steps to improving your golf game, then using tools like this is a great way of furthering that cause.
How Can a Rangefinder Improve Your Golf Game?
A golf rangefinder isn’t a magic bullet, obviously! Your golf game isn’t going to improve just by buying and owning one – however, repeated use of a tool like this can improve your ability to judge many things.
Distances of course, but also picking the right club, getting your strokes right, improving your par – put in the time with a rangefinder and you’ll see just how useful they can be!
For a start, having a rangefinder simply takes out a lot of the guesswork! When you’re trying to determine the range of your target, flag markers can help, of course – but having an electronic device that tells you the distance precisely is of course far better.
Knowing exactly how far you are away from the next hole is going to give you a much better idea of exactly how you should hit the ball!
Rangefinders can just help speed your golf game up overall. Knowing the exact distance means you know which club you should choose, and exactly how you should play the shot.
They’re really convenient to use and carry too. Most of them will fit in your pocket or really comfortably in your golf bag.
Getting into the habit of using one regularly will pay dividends in terms of improving your overall skills at golf!
Conclusion
Hopefully this guide will have helped you learn a little bit about rangefinders – the different types, how they work, and just how they can be useful tools for every golfer!
