Look around the bags of any touring professional on the practice day of a tournament, and without fail you will see a laser rangefinder attached to the bag or in the hands of their caddy. These small devices have become an essential part of the arsenal of the world's best and they use them for more than you might imagine. Here are four ways some of the best laser rangefinders can improve your game...
WATCH: Joe Ferguson highlights the features and benefits of the Shot Scope Pro ZR rangefinder
Pinpoint accuracy to flags
The first and most obvious way a laser rangefinder can improve your golf game is by providing you quick and accurate yardages to the flagstick. The best players in the world understand the importance of being pin high in their approach play. Generally speaking, if their game is in a reasonable state, their approach shots wouldn’t generally be significantly offline, so the only thing stopping them from hitting it within birdie range on every hole would be controlling distance.
Possibly even more so in the recreational golfers game, it is hugely beneficial to be pin high as much as possible. Simply put, if you hit an approach shot 50ft wide of your target, but are pin high, you will have a 50ft putt. However, if you miss the mark by the same amount width-wise and are 10 yards short as well, then you have a significantly longer distance to the hole, and proximity to the hole is one of the biggest influences on your score.
Understanding the effect of slope
With so many of the best rangefinders featuring slope adjustment, there is a real opportunity for learning and storing knowledge here. Whilst such features aren’t legal for tournament play, there is nothing to stop you from mapping out the par 3s and in fact any hole that features a significant elevation change, to establish a reliable and quantifiable number that you can either note down or mentally refer back to during competition. Consistently utilizing the slope feature will lead to a better understanding of how much elevation can add or subtract from the actual yardage, which can only be a good thing for your game. The Shot Scope Pro ZR rangefinder is an example of a model that features a very simple on/off toggle to allow you to switch in and out of slope mode easily when required.
Improving your practice
Ensure you take your laser rangefinder to the driving range when you are working on your game, otherwise, you are potentially missing out on some invaluable learnings. While many ranges have yardage boards to hit at, these yardages can often vary depending on which particular bay you are hitting from, a problem that can be avoided by using your rangefinder. So often, recreational players can be seen just aimlessly launching balls down the range with no real target and are often not getting the most out of their session.
A great way to practice effectively is to switch clubs after every shot, lasering different targets on the range, going through a full routine, and playing the shot with the mindset of being on the golf course. This type of variable, situational practice simulates real golf much more closely and can expedite the learning process.
Avoiding danger
One of the most important jobs a PGA Tour caddy has is steering their player around the golf course, steering well clear of any hazards or potential pitfalls. They do so by creating a robust club selection strategy based on where the trouble is on each hole. Use your laser rangefinder to establish distances not only to the flag, but also to potential hazards such as bunkers and ditches, and pick your club accordingly. A Scan mode is an extremely handy feature that makes assessing the terrain ahead of you quick and easy. Furthermore, you can even scope out things such as the corner of a dogleg to ensure you aren’t making a silly course management error. Finally, you can literally avoid danger by lasering the group in front of you to ensure they are genuinely out of range before hitting your shot.
