Rangefinders are great tools, but they can do more harm than good if used incorrectly.
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Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you play smarter and better golf.
Range finders are wonderful tools that are a great investment if you are serious about golf. With the ability to laser through pins, bunkers and other obstacles on the course, you can take the guesswork out of your game and really make your shots.
But while distance are great tools, they can be used incorrectly – and then do more harm than good.
Recently, while scrolling through social networks, I noticed a video from Jon Sherman related to this very topic. Sherman is one of the brightest minds in golf when it comes to course management, so he immediately piqued my interest. See below.
Sherman makes an excellent point about how rangefinders can actually be WOUND your game. When you have the laser in your hand, you will likely only shoot the distance to the pin. However, this is usually a poor strategy.
Shooting straight at the flags can be good fodder for stories on the 19th hole after the round, but it’s not the best tactic if you want to post low scores. When you focus only on the flag, you are ignoring some key steps that are needed to be successful.
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How can the bunker be covered? How far is it to the back of the green? How much room do you have on either side of the flag? Questions like these should be answered before every shot you hit.
“Sometimes they’ll choose a yard that doesn’t give them enough room to move around,” says Sherman.
When you only reach the flag, it can lead to poor strategic decisions that result in big numbers. Instead, you should focus on the yards that give you the most margin for error. Once you start doing this, you will probably see your results drop.
