If you’re trying to get better at golf, then there are a few things that you can do that can assist you in this. Whilst a good putting aid can help you on the green, a lot of people struggle even getting there. This is largely because they struggle to assume the distance between the tee and the green accurately.
Two ways that you can deal with this is by getting yourself a laser golf rangefinder, or a GPS. This can help you with orientation and to accurate predict the distance between the two space. Whilst GPS’s and rangefinders can help you to improve your long range game, you can also look at putting aids if you’re trying to improve your short range game as well.
Laser Golf Rangefinder vs GPS – Which is Better?
If you’re trying to find out which of these is better, then in simple words, it’s a rangefinder. Why? Well why a GPS can give you an overview of the course, it just doesn’t have the accuracy that you’re going to get with a rangefinder. There’s a massive difference there, and with a high quality rangefinder, you can analyse distances over a thousand meters. This is important if you’re trying to estimate the distance from your position to the green.
But, golf GPS’s do have their benefits too, and it’s not worth writing them off just because they don’t function the same way as rangefinders. So, let’s take a quick look at the differences between them and why you might prefer one over the other.
Pros and Cons of Laser Rangefinders
When it comes to picking the right laser golf rangefinder, there are a lot of factors to consider. Laser rangefinders are used for golfing and other field sports that require accurate measurements, such as wildlife or land management. Laser technology is quite different from the traditional ways of measuring distances using physical objects on the terrain itself, such as trees and buildings.
If you need an aid for golfing or surveying purposes, then perhaps it’s best to stick with conventional methods, where the human eye can most effectively judge distance. With these instruments however, you get more accuracy in measuring small distances within a short span of time. So if this is your area requirement then laser rangefinders might be something for you to use. Laser technology emulates more advanced methods that would help your whole golf game.
Pros
The main selling point of a laser rangefinder is that their accuracy is unparalleled. There’s no other tool that you can use in the golfing industry that can give you pinpoint accuracy to where you want to go, which is why they are still so popular nowadays.
If you’re just getting into golf, then one of the main things to get used to is the distances and how to estimate them. For beginners, a laser golf rangefinder can eliminate the worry of over and underestimating the distances that you need to hit your golf ball. So for newbies, a laser rangefinder can be an awesome investment.
Although in the past laser golf rangefinders used to be out of the majority of peoples price range, in recent years this is less and less true. You can find good laser rangefinders at a pretty low price, which is one of the benefits of more cheap brands entering the market.
Another good thing about rangefinders is that they use pretty powerful batteries. You’re unlikely to have to change the battery after six months, with most of them lasting around in year in length.
Cons
The main drawback of a laser rangefinder is that they work by using your line of sight. This means that if you’ve got a ton of obstructions in the way – maybe you’re behind a ton of trees, or you’re in a bunker – then it’s not going to be effective.
Another negative about a rangefinder is that it doesn’t always have the best visuals. In damp and overcast weather, you really aren’t going to be able to see particularly clearly. Contrast this with a GPS where you get an accurate overview of everything, and there’s a drastic difference there in terms of vision.
Pros and Cons of GPS
Laser Golf GPS devices are often a good idea when golfing. This Laser Golf GPS device is sure to help you out on your next round. Laser Golf GPS devices are popular items and Laser Golf has several different models available for those looking to purchase this type of item.
A Laser Golf GPS unit uses a laser beam that will hit the flagstick so you can determine how far away from the pin you are. These units also have numerous other features such as topography maps, auto hole advancement mode and course layout view.
The Laser Golf units include a rechargeable battery with an AC adapter which should be used when charging the battery or downloading data into your computer. Laser Golf makes products with much higher quality by using multi-layered fused glass optics instead of plastic optics like their competitors products.
Pros
Golf GPS’s, specifically Golf GPS watches, can have a multitude of different uses. Unlike with rangefinders where they are mainly useful for just one thing, with GPS watches you get the ability to use this for other things like checking the weather forecast.
If you get the right GPS, then it’s interactive mapping can be particularly impressive. If you like to take a little time and debate exactly where you’re going to target, then perhaps a GPS would be a better option.
A golf GPS is a great way to work around obstacles like trees. Using a GPS can help you to navigate around them accurately even though you might not have clear vision, it can give you an estimated distance to help you get round the trees or out of a bunker.
Cons
Depending on the GPS that you’re using, they can be really slow. If you compare this to a rangefiner in which you can find your distance within a few seconds, GPS’s can take a lot longer than this to get an estimate. So, GPS’s are a much slower option.
Not only are GPS’s not as fast, but there also not as accurate either. Though they are getting more and more accurate the more advanced that they get, they aren’t nearly as accurate as a rangefinder over long distances.
Conclusion
To sum things up, a rangefinder and a GPS do try and do similar things – they’re essentially trying to help to navigate a golf course. And whilst a GPS can give you a great overview of the course and where you should hit, it doesn’t have the same interactivity as a rangefinder. With a rangefinder, you can simply aim for a few seconds and know the exact distance that you need to hit your golf ball. So although they are very similar, a rangefinder is likely to be the best choice for most people.
