Heartrate Monitors Against Rules of Golf

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

So heart rate monitors = illegal, but math is not.

6 seconds of heart beat * 10 = you guessed it.... your heart rate.

12 seconds of heart beat * 5 = heart rate.

Watches with a sweep hand or watches with second display apparently are fine.

Correct.

[turtleback]

15 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

So heart rate monitors = illegal, but math is not.

6 seconds of heart beat * 10 = you guessed it.... your heart rate.

12 seconds of heart beat * 5 = heart rate.

Watches with a sweep hand or watches with second display apparently are fine.

I'm generally a supporter of the Rules and the Ruling bodies, but why is it that any time some kind of technology is concerned they seem to lose their rationality?

A GPS which is unusual enough that it didn't even exist for most of the history of the game and which directly affects play is legal, while a heart rate monitor is not.

On 10/4/2016 at 2:19 PM, iacas said:

Rangefinders are not allowed at all levels. It's still a condition of competition.

Heart rate monitor are disallowed because it's an unusual device, not because you can't get your heart rate some other way.

So are GPSs and they are allowed in most situations.  

[Rulesman]

Has the USGA or R&A made ruling on heart rate monitors?

[turtleback]

20 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Has the USGA or R&A made ruling on heart rate monitors?

I do not know if there has been an actual ruling, But I believe that the event that iacas was describing, where competitors were told they couldn't use them, is a USGA event, and therefore gives at least an informal look into their thinking.

[newtogolf]

23 hours ago, turtleback said:

I'm generally a supporter of the Rules and the Ruling bodies, but why is it that any time some kind of technology is concerned they seem to lose their rationality?

A GPS which is unusual enough that it didn't even exist for most of the history of the game and which directly affects play is legal, while a heart rate monitor is not.

So are GPSs and they are allowed in most situations.  

USGA seems to be uncertain how to handle technology in the sport.  Under most conditions (outside the professional Tours) rangefinders are permitted because it was determined that distance could be measured in other ways, yet the same is true for heart rate yet Fitbits, and any other device that reports heart rate are banned, makes no sense.      

[Rulesman]

11 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

 Fitbits, and any other device that reports heart rate are banned, makes no sense.      

By whom? Where does it say so?

[iacas]

23 hours ago, turtleback said:

I'm generally a supporter of the Rules and the Ruling bodies, but why is it that any time some kind of technology is concerned they seem to lose their rationality?

A GPS which is unusual enough that it didn't even exist for most of the history of the game and which directly affects play is legal, while a heart rate monitor is not.

So are GPSs and they are allowed in most situations.  

Yes, in the specific case of "a heart rate monitor," it can seem irrational or silly or whatever word you want to use.

But the USGA/R&A make exceptions for certain kinds of things, while leaving the rest to fall under the "artificial devices" umbrella of 14-3.

Distance Measuring Devices (DMDs) are one of those exceptions, and they're perhaps an exception because they measure something that has been a part of the game for decades: distance. Distance isn't advice, and it's common knowledge.

It seems to me that the USGA/R&A don't generally want to make exceptions for things. It's clearer to say that artificial devices that "might assist a player in making a specific stroke or generally in his play" and rule out all artificial devices while then adding exceptions to a few (like DMDs) than to do the opposite: say all artificial devices are legal and then make exceptions for the many, many, many… particularly when the latter option means you'd have to update the rules every time a new device was released that the USGA/R&A wished to disallow.

The way the rules read now, made very basic and leaving a few things out… Artificial Devices are not allowed, with the rare exception of DMDs (only via Local Rule), those that alleviate a medical condition, and some other very specific things covered in 14-3.

It's much simpler that way.

That's not to say that heart rate monitors (remember, you can wear them, so long as you don't access the information during the round - you can review your round after you're done playing, for example) won't be made legal in the future, but for now… it makes sense to me that they're not and why they're not.

1 minute ago, newtogolf said:

USGA seems to be uncertain how to handle technology in the sport.  Under most conditions (outside the professional Tours) rangefinders are permitted because it was determined that distance could be measured in other ways, yet the same is true for heart rate yet Fitbits and HRM's are banned, makes no sense.      

You can plumb bob with a club, but you can't bring a plumb line and use that, and you sure as heck can't use a level (digital or otherwise). (You can't even use bottled water to gauge horizontal, see 14-3/12.5).

The "you can measure heart rate in different ways" thing is not in the same category as distance - which is and has been a thing available to all golfers for a long, long time. If you want to measure your heart rate, the USGA rules allow that so long as you don't use an artificial device (particularly one used unusually) to do it.

You can use a pencil to write things down on a scorecard or other things, but you can't use either of them to measure distance if they've been specially marked.

See 14-3/2 and the full details under 14-3.

20 hours ago, Rulesman said:

Has the USGA or R&A made ruling on heart rate monitors?

They disallowed them in their national championships. We warned competitors that if they accessed the information they'd be subject to penalty and so it may be best to simply not wear them.

I asked the hypothetical "could I wear my Apple watch?" and the official answer was "sure, just don't access heart rate data during the round. If it's on your watch face, you'd be in violation just for looking at your watch. If it's a few taps away, don't tap to access the data."

---

Those of you who support the use of heart rate monitors and who are perplexed by this… ask yourself this.

Would you be okay with golfers using a FocusBand (http://www.ifocusband.com/golf) on the golf course during play?

Probably not.

(And no, that may not be the best example, but I think it's decent.)

[Rulesman]

Do you know if any of the featured players use it when in competition?

[iacas]

4 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

Do you know if any of the featured players use it when in competition?

I don't know who "featured players" are and as I understand everything they'd be in violation if they accessed their heart rate information during play.

You can wear a FitBit or an Apple Watch during play but you can't access the heart rate information during play, according to the USGA in their national championships.

[Rulesman]

FocusBand is used by 8 players on the US PGA Tour

 * Rod Pampling                *  Greg Chalmers

 *  Mike Weir                     *   Jason Day

 * Daniel Summerhays    *  Chris Stroud            

 * Padraig Harrington      *  D J Trahan

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by Rulesman

[iacas]

7 minutes ago, Rulesman said:

FocusBand is used by 8 players on the US PGA Tour

Not during competitive play.

C'mon… that's not even an argument. Anyone can use a heart rate monitor when they're not playing competitive golf. It's against the rules, as I understand them now, to "use" it during a round of golf. Not to wear it and let it silently gather data… but to actually "use" it.

You could probably even wear a FocusBand during a round of golf if you simply wanted to collect data on how you were playing for review later, so long as you didn't access any of the data while you were playing golf. (Or anyone else accessed it and shared it with you, etc.)

[Zeph]

It's easier to ban all devices that can aid you during a round and make exceptions when specific ones come up, if need be. There has been a surge of electronic devices in recent years, with mobile phones being capable of doing a lot of things, smartwatches etc. Some devices that seem stupid not to allow might fall into a general definition, but that doesn't mean they've gone through every device existing and prohibiting you from using them.

[iacas]

41 minutes ago, Zeph said:

It's easier to ban all devices that can aid you during a round and make exceptions when specific ones come up, if need be. There has been a surge of electronic devices in recent years, with mobile phones being capable of doing a lot of things, smartwatches etc. Some devices that seem stupid not to allow might fall into a general definition, but that doesn't mean they've gone through every device existing and prohibiting you from using them.

Precisely.

You can measure the wind by tossing grass in the air, but you can't use an anemometer.

[newtogolf]

3 hours ago, iacas said:

 

---

Those of you who support the use of heart rate monitors and who are perplexed by this… ask yourself this.

Would you be okay with golfers using a FocusBand (http://www.ifocusband.com/golf) on the golf course during play?

Probably not.

(And no, that may not be the best example, but I think it's decent.)

I'm not sure if it she was misquoted but Sandra Gal claims to have worn the iFocusBand during competition in their blog.  

http://www.ifocusband.com/blogger-feed

Quote

Sandra Gal

27 March at 19:52 · 

Well, I ran out of gas at the end of this week, but it is still my favorite trophy wink emoticon It was still a special week as I wore the FocusBand for the first time in competition (wearing it in the picture) and we got some good data. It's an exciting learning process - just need to be patient with the changes I'm making. On our level it is 95% mental, so I'm looking forward to the progress and insights! Thank you @kiamotorsusa, Aviara Golf Club and all the lovely fans and volunteers for cheering for us! Congratulations @lydsko ?

 

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, newtogolf said:

I'm not sure if it she was misquoted but Sandra Gal claims to have worn the FocusBand during competition in their blog.  

http://www.ifocusband.com/blogger-feed

As I said… you can wear a heart rate monitor during a competitive round so long as you don't access the data. You can wear a FocusBand during a competitive round so long as you don't access the data.

It's a few posts up @newtogolf.

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Not during competitive play.

C'mon… that's not even an argument. Anyone can use a heart rate monitor when they're not playing competitive golf. It's against the rules, as I understand them now, to "use" it during a round of golf. Not to wear it and let it silently gather data… but to actually "use" it.

You could probably even wear a FocusBand during a round of golf if you simply wanted to collect data on how you were playing for review later, so long as you didn't access any of the data while you were playing golf. (Or anyone else accessed it and shared it with you, etc.)

She wore it. Just as I've said a few times you can wear a FitBit or an Apple Watch.

Just don't access the data during the round. Do it after.

[boogielicious]

After going to the FocusBand link, all I could think of was this. 

[SG11118]

The rules of golf have been around since 1744-1745.  Watches weren't invented until 1770.  I wonder what kind of dilemma it caused when people started wearing watches while they played?

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, SG11118 said:

The rules of golf have been around since 1744-1745.  Watches weren't invented until 1770.  I wonder what kind of dilemma it caused when people started wearing watches while they played?

when was the pocket watch invented = 1524