True distance vs imaginary distance.

[Fourputt]

With the technology today, surprised you have to get home to be humiliated. Any of the GPS yardage devices will measure drive distance to show your true numbers. You don't have to believe at the time or spout to your buddies about how you "crushed that one.... 240?!!!". AND it's probably a LOT more accurate that the Google Earth method of dragging a pointer.

You would be wrong.  Try it sometime against a known distance.  I've checked it against the fairway markers on my home course, and not just to the center of the green, but from one marker to the next, and they check out perfectly.  Those markers were professionally installed using a surveyors laser.  They are white plaques which are clearly visible on Google Earth.  Depending on the needs of the hole, they are at 25 yard increments from 100-200 yards, then a 250 yard marker is added where needed.  There are others showing distance needed to reach or carry some features.

The attached Google Earth view is the 10th hole.  The yellow line is from the 150 marker to the 100 marker, and the line segment is 50.28 yards long.  The blue line is from the 100 marker to the center of the green, and it's 100.39 yards long. I'd say that's about as accurate as anything you will get with a rangefinder, either laser or GPS.

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

It does make sense to use GPS to see how much farther you need to go. As for accuracy, sometimes the rangefinder measures the wrong thing. GPS could also have up to 15 yards error.

I'm not endorsing Google map labs, but it's pretty accurate.

In any case, I use it to map out the courses and the distances before a round if I've never been there before. I wish it could show 3D more accurately.

People say that a lot (and I'm not saying they are wrong) but I've been using GPS for a long time and have never seen a single time where there was any evidence it was wrong, give or take pin placements.

More times than not my playing partner has a range finder and it's just a habit for me to look down at my GPS after he shoots his yardage and I do the math for the pin placement (which I know because I set them). It always matches the range finder except for the times he is way off and is picking up something besides the pin. Then I tell him he might ought to try that again.

Agree.  I've used a couple of different lasers, and a couple of different GPS receivers, and all were equally accurate when used correctly.  I've seen my buddy's SkyCaddie start to give weird numbers when the battery starts to get low, but otherwise it seems to agree with my Garmin.  And both are usually within a yard or 2 of a laser from the same spot.

It really is amazing what some people claim without ever measuring their drive distance. It's not that hard to get an idea, and you don't even need a rangefinder/any type of technology. Just use the scorecard and subtract your approximate distance to the green. That should get you pretty close and takes like 2 seconds.

This is a poor way to try to measure a drive.  Even when measured correctly, a hole is only measured down the center of the fairway.  If it has a dogleg, it is measured to a point on the center of the dogleg, then from that point to the green or to the next bend in the fairway.  That distance can vary widely from the straight line angles on which the hole is played.  And then too, it varies depending on where the tees are located on the tee box.  Some courses seem to be measured fairly haphazardly, with no discernable logic.

I'm not sure I follow - but of course most people bring a range finder to measure from the ball to the pin.  I used the tee box / ballwasher example since this thread is about accurate drive distances.  But the same holds true for shooting the pin - in fact it is even less frequent that you can confuse the pin distance from a background object.  Since the pin is on the green, there is very rarely anything shootable near the pin.  So if you know you are in the ballpark of a 150 yard approach and you get a reading over 200, it is wrong.  And once again just shoot the pin 2-3 times in succession and you'll be fine.

In both cases, I'm just trying to address your statement, "As for accuracy, sometimes the rangefinder measures the wrong thing."  And I know people have trouble the first time they pick up a range finder.  Since I have one and people want to tinker with it - I see them struggle with it all the time.  But if you actually own one and have used it for a couple of rounds - you are not going to have the accuracy problem that you stated in post 10.  Getting a good measurement isn't usually a problem.

Yes, it can take some practice to shoot what you are aiming at with a laser.  It is also less accurate when shooting a "soft" target, like a mound or hill or bunker lip.  I had a friend trying to measure his drive by shooting the tee marker form about 250 yards away.  I used my GPS to show him that he wasn't even in the ball park, simply because a 3" round ball resting on the ground, shot from 250 yards, is too small a target for the laser to pick out.  Using the ball washer is fine if it happens to be within the range of that day's teeing ground.  Otherwise that's pretty useless too.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meltdwhiskey

I'm not sure I follow - but of course most people bring a range finder to measure from the ball to the pin.  I used the tee box / ballwasher example since this thread is about accurate drive distances.  But the same holds true for shooting the pin - in fact it is even less frequent that you can confuse the pin distance from a background object.  Since the pin is on the green, there is very rarely anything shootable near the pin.  So if you know you are in the ballpark of a 150 yard approach and you get a reading over 200, it is wrong.  And once again just shoot the pin 2-3 times in succession and you'll be fine.

In both cases, I'm just trying to address your statement, "As for accuracy, sometimes the rangefinder measures the wrong thing."  And I know people have trouble the first time they pick up a range finder.  Since I have one and people want to tinker with it - I see them struggle with it all the time.  But if you actually own one and have used it for a couple of rounds - you are not going to have the accuracy problem that you stated in post 10.  Getting a good measurement isn't usually a problem.

Yes, it can take some practice to shoot what you are aiming at with a laser.  It is also less accurate when shooting a "soft" target, like a mound or hill or bunker lip.  I had a friend trying to measure his drive by shooting the tee marker form about 250 yards away.  I used my GPS to show him that he wasn't even in the ball park, simply because a 3" round ball resting on the ground, shot from 250 yards, is too small a target for the laser to pick out.  Using the ball washer is fine if it happens to be within the range of that day's teeing ground.  Otherwise that's pretty useless too.

Ha! Yes, it is not THAT good.  You are dependent on shooting something with some vertical character.  Pins, trees, ball washers, etc.  Mine also does well on bunker lips or creeks where you can shoot the far inside of the creek bank.

I do shoot the ground occasionally, but would not rely on that info if it was important to me.  I have found it to be more accurate than I would have guessed.  But from a logical standpoint, I just don't really trust it.

I tested my course on Google maps like you did with yours above.  I didn't get quite as accurate as you did, but it was VERY good.  Everything seemed to be within a yard and a half or so.  Very trustworthy.

[flopster]

I have been trying to figure out how to post an image from google maps with no luck, what is the right way? Also I remember back in the day when all we had were the course markers and particularly a par 4 on a course me and a friend would play regularly, it was a 415 yard dogleg right that I could cut the corner quite often and wind up with a shot of about 100 yards to the center, I remember how impressed my buddy would be when we would come up to my ball and he would say "wow man you crushed that 300 yards"  more often than not I would just go along even though I knew it was more like 270 am I a bad guy?

[Maddog10]

This is a poor way to try to measure a drive.  Even when measured correctly, a hole is only measured down the center of the fairway.  If it has a dogleg, it is measured to a point on the center of the dogleg, then from that point to the green or to the next bend in the fairway.  That distance can vary widely from the straight line angles on which the hole is played.  And then too, it varies depending on where the tees are located on the tee box.  Some courses seem to be measured fairly haphazardly, with no discernable logic.

I agree that it is the worst of the ways being mentioned to measure driver distance, with GPS probably being the best. I'm just saying that it is not necessary for someone to own a gps or laser range finder to have a ballpark idea of their driver distance. All you need is a straight hole with the tee boxes in normal positions and you can approximate your driver distance within 10ish yards probably. It's not a great method, but it's better than blindly claiming you're a 300 yard hitter when every hole indicates your drive was about 260 yards... Now if the course yardage is labeled wrong then obviously this method is useless. All the courses I have played seem pretty good though... I own a range finder as I'm sure many of you do, but there were ways to determine driver distances before range finders and GPS's were available. Hell, step it off if you have to.

[MS256]

I have been trying to figure out how to post an image from google maps with no luck, what is the right way? Also I remember back in the day when all we had were the course markers and particularly a par 4 on a course me and a friend would play regularly, it was a 415 yard dogleg right that I could cut the corner quite often and wind up with a shot of about 100 yards to the center, I remember how impressed my buddy would be when we would come up to my ball and he would say "wow man you crushed that 300 yards"  more often than not I would just go along even though I knew it was more like 270 am I a bad guy?

I know of a couple of holes that appear to be fairly straight away because trees were blown down on the inside of the dogleg making the dogleg look much less apparent. Since the yardage markers are still the same a lot of people think they've hit their all time longest drives on those holes when they go by the yardage markers.

[jsgolfer]

I also think the layout of the hole also makes people over-estimate their driving distance when they take how far they are from the green and deduct that from the yardage, especially prevalent on sharp doglegs.  A 90 degree dogleg which is 400 yards long will play a lot shorter the more you can cut off, but you haven't hit the ball any farther.

Dogleg Holes

Measurements of dogleg holes typically follow the standard playing path. A measurement of a dogleg par 4, for example, will begin at the tee marker and advance to the middle of the fairway at the dogleg’s pivot point. A second measurement is then made from the pivot point to the center of the green and the two measurements are added. Section 12-2a of the Handicap Manual advises course officials to select a spot approximately 250 yards from the tee for men and 210 yards for women if a typical pivot point cannot be determined.

[Dave2512]

Is it just me or do people seem more concerned about how far they their drive than how accurate their approach yardage is. When I roll up to my ball I'm not thinking wow I really crushed that. I just want to be sure I grab the right club for the next shot. That's my only yardage concern.

[jsgolfer]

Is it just me or do people seem more concerned about how far they their drive than how accurate their approach yardage is. When I roll up to my ball I'm not thinking wow I really crushed that. I just want to be sure I grab the right club for the next shot. That's my only yardage concern.

Agreed, easier to impress people, I'm guessing, with the 300 yard drive than the 150 yard shot on the green.

[MS256]

Is it just me or do people seem more concerned about how far they their drive than how accurate their approach yardage is. When I roll up to my ball I'm not thinking wow I really crushed that. I just want to be sure I grab the right club for the next shot. That's my only yardage concern.

I'm usually thinking wow I'm glad it landed somewhere that I could find it and hit it again.

[Dave2512]

I'm usually thinking wow I'm glad it landed somewhere that I could find it and hit it again.

Well yeah there's that.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Is it just me or do people seem more concerned about how far they their drive than how accurate their approach yardage is. When I roll up to my ball I'm not thinking wow I really crushed that. I just want to be sure I grab the right club for the next shot. That's my only yardage concern.

I don't even carry a driver, so I am definitely not a distance guy.  But when I really catch a good one off the tee with a 3-w or whatever, I am super curious to know the distance and usually make at least some minimal effort to estimate that distance.

But to your point, knowing that distance is not very helpful for your game.

[Dave2512]

I agree knowing averages and potential is a good thing when considering course strategy. I just wish I had the accuracy to take advantage of it. My problem isn't lack of distance it's lack of accuracy. No coincidence my shortest drives are also the ones that don't travel in the intended direction. I am usually flabbergasted at my round stats, my tracker lists best and worst as well as average. That's why I doubt net claims of long distance averages. I suppose everyone is different but a typical day for me is something like shortest drive in the 210ish range and longest 280ish. In between there will be all kind of ugly depending on how well I played. My best scores are never because I am crushing it but because I kept the ball near the fairway.

[Fourputt]

Is it just me or do people seem more concerned about how far they their drive than how accurate their approach yardage is. When I roll up to my ball I'm not thinking wow I really crushed that. I just want to be sure I grab the right club for the next shot. That's my only yardage concern.

However, the shorter that accurate approach measurement is, the better. It's not usually a concern for me either, since any more I'm usually just about the shortest drive in any of my normal groups.

[iHack]

With the technology today, surprised you have to get home to be humiliated. Any of the GPS yardage devices will measure drive distance to show your true numbers. You don't have to believe at the time or spout to your buddies about how you "crushed that one.... 240?!!!". AND it's probably a LOT more accurate that the Google Earth method of dragging a pointer.

Late to my own party. @rayG. I never think to measure my shot while playing besides my approach shot with range finder. There is just so much talk about driver distance I figured this would be a good way to know what I'm actually hitting. That way I don't say 1 thing in clubhouse and do something else on tee box. 1 more thing never humiliated, just humbled. Being humiliated over driver distance would be weak character. To be humiliated is a very extreme emotion 1 I reserve for sharting in white pants on the 3rd hole (have not experienced but could imagine this would be HUMILIATING)

[Spitfisher]

Having used a trackman and a flightscope for the past several years, fitting 1000s & 1000s of people for drivers and irons, hybrid and fairways. I would venture to say 75-85% of the consumers t all golf levels THINK and CLAIM they hit the ball further than they demonstrate. Sometimes they'll hit 35-50 golf balls to prove it and the largest population of age that are mistaken are the 25-40 age group. Onaverage people think they hit the driver 20 yards further than they do.

If I were to demonstrate crushing a ball, most would say I hit 280-290. The reality is ball flight and launch can some times play trick with your eyes. BTW I crush it 260, maybe 265. Most of time 250 pretty straight.

Wanna hit far, go up a 1.5 degrees of loft, I am playing an SLDR  at 11.75

[Lihu]

Having used a trackman and a flightscope for the past several years, fitting 1000s & 1000s of people for drivers and irons, hybrid and fairways. I would venture to say 75-85% of the consumers t all golf levels THINK and CLAIM they hit the ball further than they demonstrate. Sometimes they'll hit 35-50 golf balls to prove it and the largest population of age that are mistaken are the 25-40 age group. Onaverage people think they hit the driver 20 yards further than they do.

If I were to demonstrate crushing a ball, most would say I hit 280-290. The reality is ball flight and launch can some times play trick with your eyes. BTW I crush it 260, maybe 265. Most of time 250 pretty straight.

Wanna hit far, go up a 1.5 degrees of loft, I am playing an SLDR  at 11.75

Seems like 250 carry should be more than enough.

However, on the flip side I had a somewhat bad experience with one of the optical launch monitors and cheaper radar units ($6000 system?). On the course, I was hitting about 40 yards further than the launch monitor reported, and the salesman recommended a senior/ladies flex. I did some experimenting on my own (using a prototype board with a 6-axis gyroscope/accelerometer), and found that the heavier the shaft the better. Based upon this data, I bought some steel DG X100 wood shafts. I had them put on an old TM Burner 1.0 driver, and with a relatively relaxed drive I was hitting about 10 to 20 yards further than before and much straighter. That's about 60 yards further than the club fitters told me I could hit.

So, the launch monitor told me that I was hitting 40 yards shorter than on the course with my old driver (Google verified), but I ended up using a shaft made for someone with a much faster swing and ended up hitting yet another 10 to 20 yards further than before. So, in this case I went completely the opposite of what the fitter(s) told me, and have better results.

BTW, none of these fitters had a Trakman.

[liquor box]

I track stats but not clubs other than drives.

I track my irons a lot more than drives as I believe it is more important. I look at driver length only for amusement if I really get hold of one.