Range Finder?

Have you looked into getting a golf GPS instead?  As long as it had the courses you play preloaded, it would be a lot easier to use than a rangefinder. 

Yeah lemme jump into this. I'm also interested in a range finder...or any kind of distance-determining device. I have a smart phone (Samsung Galaxy) - would an app for it be the way to go?

You can get skydroid for $2. works pretty well

Quote:

Originally Posted by motsco 

  yes I have golf logix on my phone but it was not even close to my buddys range finder, plus his bushnell for him was aim target and shoot, my gps was wait.  I could aim his range finder but when i tried to lock it in my hands shook to much. 

With a dedicated GPS unit you might not have to wait so much.  I'd think that they would be much faster in updating your position on the course.  But I don't have a smart phone so I've never used one of those apps to compare the two.

I did a little searching but it seems that since a laser rangefinder has to be fairly steady to work properly, you might be out of luck when it comes to finding one that will work with serious shakes.  Hopefully someone else can come up with something for you.  I drew a blank on it. 

I greatly prefer the ease of use, battery life, accuracy, and speed of a laser over a GPS.

If you are determined to get a range finder then a little secret to help with a steady lock in is to put your elbows together (touching) on your chest as you sight in the eyepiece.  This makes the best steady tripod you can get just standing up and shooting a distance.  I have both types of range finders and much prefer the GPS, just because it is quicker for me, and gives distances to the front and back of greens, as well as an estimate of the pin, as well as many other features.  One thing I wish it did not do is ask if I want to keep score on it.  That is a small bother to skip that function.  I play a lot of windy days and the laser type ones are a bit more difficult to use on windy days.  I recommend the rechargeable GPS units made especially for golf rather than the iphone apps, just because the battery life of the phone types runs out too quickly. The lasers are more accurate but not by much with the better GPS units.. 

You want a laser.  I'm so glad I didn't get GPS.  Laser you can shoot to anything, no subscriptions to pay, and it's so much easier.  You get direct yardages TO THE FLAG, not to the center of the green...

I use 'swing by swing golf' on Android 2.2. It depends what smart phone you have. I''m using the Motorola Atrix and that has actual GPS in it. I tried it on iphone and it was useless but on the Atrix it updates my yardage as I walk. On the straight holes I found that it was within 2/3 yards of the yardage markers even on the move. all the courses local to me are on the app. worth a try.

I have the V2 and it has literally changed my game...if you have the shakes, you should try RC's idea of the tripod with you elbows or you can steady the rangefinder on the windshield of the cart or off the top of you bag.  Before you drop some coin, borrow your friend's laser and experiment.  If none of those ideas are practical you may have to go straight GPS.  The guys I know that use them don't have to wait like you described and I have to use theirs on blind shots.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas 

I greatly prefer the ease of use, battery life, accuracy, and speed of a laser over a GPS.

+1000 .  Nothing beats a range finder.  You can pick up a bushnell medalist pretty cheap and I can hit pins from 300 yards with the pin seeker.  Easy to use and fast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SpannersReady 

I use 'swing by swing golf' on Android 2.2. It depends what smart phone you have. I''m using the Motorola Atrix and that has actual GPS in it. I tried it on iphone and it was useless but on the Atrix it updates my yardage as I walk. On the straight holes I found that it was within 2/3 yards of the yardage markers even on the move. all the courses local to me are on the app. worth a try.

Yeah well what do you know. You just broke 100 for the first time.

Seriously (that last sentence wasn't - I'm just funnin with ya), I just downloaded Swing By Swing to my Android phone. I'm interested in seeing how that works.

i have a calloway upro, and i think its great.  i got it for $100 used (actually, it was refurbished), and spent about $50 before they went to an unlimited download plan. 

with that being said, i love playing with people that have lasers.  the extra accuracy to the pin was very helpful.  i have a problem where i can't tell how far back, or how far forward the pin is.  even with a red/white/blue flag, or even having a hole location sheet, i'm still off by as much as 5 yards, which could be the difference between one club or another. 

you guys have convinced me (though i was already 99% sure i wanted one), to get a range finder.  christmas will come early!

I decided to go with a range finder and don't regret my decision. Some courses are also adapting to this use of range finders by adding a prism on top of the flag stick making it a lot easier and quicker to get a distance reading.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by goblue107501 

My opinion is always laser >>>> GPS. Mostly the reasons iacas mentioned. I don't know for sure, but I don't think there is an 'anti-shake' laser. Pretty sure you have to hold it steady yourself. There are things you can do to help. The elbow tripod works if you are standing. If you are sitting in a cart you can rest your arms on your legs or the steering wheel, that works pretty good also. It's just something you have to figure out how to do. Once you get the hang of it, it gets easier.

My Bushnell has a feature where it will display only the closest target you have scanned. What that means is, you don't need to hold it steady on what you're aiming at, as long as it's the closest landmark in its field of view. You just need to be able to sweep it across the object you're lasing. I believe Bushnell calls this feature "Pinseeker", but it's also available in a wide variety of hunting and golfing rangefinders.