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| | Using GPS Rangefinders to Improve Your Golf Score
| An article from Used Golf Clubs and Golf Bags
| | Rangefinders have been used in golf for years as a way to improve performance on the course by simply calculating the distance between the ball and the pin. In addition to yardage, most rangefinders are engineered to produce other data necessary to determine your next shot, including shot direction and course elevation. A more recent innovation in the area of rangefinders is the GPS golf rangefinder, which uses Global Positioning to produce faster, data that is more accurate without the need for a clear view of your target.
A typical golf rangefinder relies on eye-safe lasers to determine distance, although the target is required to be in sight to calculate the yardage from point to point. A GPS golf rangefinder, however, uses the same satellite mapping as the GPS systems installed in cars, allowing your exact location to be pinpointed on the course. GPS devices then use recorded course information to calculate the distance between your current position and other course locations, including hazards such as sand, water, or trees. This can be especially useful when playing a course for the first time.
GPS golf rangefinders are available in a variety of models, and many include additional features that can help you improve your golf game. This can include down-the-fairway measurements to the back, front, and center of the green and satellite course imaging. Any and all of these features can be used to lower your golf score as well as your handicap, as knowing the exact distance to the pin, the locations of course hazards, and the detailed lay of the land can help you choose the best club for your next shot. Some GPS rangefinders have the added feature of allowing individual shot statistics to be recorded to determine the average distance achieved with particular clubs.
GPS golf rangefinders have improved distance measuring from simple yardage to actual satellite mapping, which allows exact locations to be pinpointed. The primary advantage that GPS devices have over traditional rangefinders is that the target does not need to be in sight, as recorded course information is used rather than visual sighting. Additional features such as down-the-fairway measurements to all areas of the green, as well as aerial and satellite course viewings provide detailed information that can be used when selecting a club, while shot recorders can save individual shots to provide personalized statistics on the accuracy and distance of particular clubs. A really useful feature that can help you determine distances for each club in your bag is the ability to measure distance, you simply mark the position when you take the shot, go to where the ball landed and read off the distance.
Many GPS rangefinder manufacturers require membership or subscription fees to access their database of recorded courses, although some some come with courses preloaded and some allow you to do the mapping yourself (useful if the course has not been pre-mapped). Accurate and detailed data is critical to improving game scores and handicaps, making GPS golf rangefinders an indispensable golf accessory.
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