What do you use to get accurate distance WITH slope?

[brogies]

As I get better, I'm increasingly running into issues with using the GHIN app's GPS distances because they don't include slope. Apparently I'm a dummy and can't judge incline/decline. What do you guys use to get "plays like" distances? Or are you not dummies and can judge incline/decline?

And just for more context, I won't ever be playing in USGA tourneys, so I don't need a tournament-legal device. 

[DaveP043]

1 minute ago, brogies said:

What do you guys use to get "plays like" distances?

Experience.  Every player has different shot trajectories, so an elevation change affects players differently.  Make a guess, and the learn from the results.  Its not an exact science.

[cnosil]

8 minutes ago, brogies said:

As I get better, I'm increasingly running into issues with using the GHIN app's GPS distances because they don't include slope. Apparently I'm a dummy and can't judge incline/decline. What do you guys use to get "plays like" distances? Or are you not dummies and can judge incline/decline?

And just for more context, I won't ever be playing in USGA tourneys, so I don't need a tournament-legal device. 

Until I started testing the Shot Scope  Pro LX+ I always just used experience.   There are multiple rangefinders on the market that do slope calculations so anyone of them should work.  

[DawgDaddy]

I use a Precision Pro rangefinder with slope built in. 

[Tom the Golf Nut]

Someday I might get a lazer with slope. But I have just guessed based on experience. My course has a lot of elevation changes so I just got used to estimating how many clubs more or less to use to compensate for the elevation change.  After a while you get pretty comfortable making a judgement. 

The other thing to consider is you have to know your average distances with each club. Even if you have a lazer with slope it won't do you any good if you can't hit a club to that distance. I see that all the time. As an example a guy says he hits his 9 iron 145 yards. He has 145 to the flag and he makes good contact and puts it 130 yards into the front trap.  No need for exaggeration, who cares if it takes you a 9 iron or a 7 iron. Getting on the green is all that matters.

[brogies]

49 minutes ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Someday I might get a lazer with slope. But I have just guessed based on experience. My course has a lot of elevation changes so I just got used to estimating how many clubs more or less to use to compensate for the elevation change.  After a while you get pretty comfortable making a judgement. 

The other thing to consider is you have to know your average distances with each club. Even if you have a lazer with slope it won't do you any good if you can't hit a club to that distance. I see that all the time. As an example a guy says he hits his 9 iron 145 yards. He has 145 to the flag and he makes good contact and puts it 130 yards into the front trap.  No need for exaggeration, who cares if it takes you a 9 iron or a 7 iron. Getting on the green is all that matters.

So true!

[Kenny B]

11 hours ago, Tom the Golf Nut said:

Someday I might get a lazer with slope. But I have just guessed based on experience. My course has a lot of elevation changes so I just got used to estimating how many clubs more or less to use to compensate for the elevation change.  After a while you get pretty comfortable making a judgement. 

The other thing to consider is you have to know your average distances with each club. Even if you have a lazer with slope it won't do you any good if you can't hit a club to that distance. I see that all the time. As an example a guy says he hits his 9 iron 145 yards. He has 145 to the flag and he makes good contact and puts it 130 yards into the front trap.  No need for exaggeration, who cares if it takes you a 9 iron or a 7 iron. Getting on the green is all that matters.

Well, it would have been 145y if he landed on flat ground and it rolled out normally.    I play that shot all the time.

[Kansas King]

I grew up on a course with some elevation change, so I guess I've always been used to it. I do use a laser but it doesn't adjust for slope. If you're just trying to estimate the effect of slope, I would argue that it makes a little less of an impact than you may believe. Outside of the most extreme elevation changes on courses that do it for show, I generally never go up or down by more than one club, if I change my club at all. It could be that elevation doesn't affect me as much since I have a higher ball trajectory but it's not something that dramatically impacts my game unless I'm on an extremely hilly course like something in the Ozarks. I think there is a reason that slope rangefinders aren't a hot product because slope doesn't necessarily have that great of an impact on the game. There are also other factors being that many people play on flat courses and they aren't legal for tournament play.

If you play on hilly courses, get a laser with slope. A laser rangefinder, even without slope, will probably do more for your game than anything. However, if you get a laser, you might as well get one with slope. The special thing with lasers is that every shot at the pin becomes an exercise in distance control. GPS is fine for everyday recreational/casual golf. However, when you can laser every pin, your brain will constantly be making mental adjustments to what your clubs actual distances are. If you laser a pin at 153 yards and you pull out a 9 or 8 iron because you think that is your 150 or 155 yard club and it goes 7 yards by the pin, now you know you just hit it 160. Where lasers really shine is inside 100 yards. I would argue that everything 30 yards and out should be lasered if you're trying to get dialed in for competition. It may feel dumb standing what you think is 45 yards away lasering a pin but when you find out that the pin is actually 52 yards, you'll realize how valuable that information is. Eliminating bad yardage information is one of the easiest things to do in the game and lasers are one of the, if the best way, of accomplishing that.

[TR1PTIK]

I use the GHIN app for all of my distances as well. I'm not sure what your normal routine is, but I always look at the "Green View" (not available for all courses) to rough in where the pin is and get a better feel for distance. If you find yourself routinely coming up short, you can always target something 5-10 yards longer depending on the severity of slope. In most cases this should be enough. 

Aside from that, a laser with slope like others have stated is your best bet. Just make sure it's a reputable brand if you don't want any headaches or have to replace it anytime soon. Precision Pro has definitely proven itself as a solid bang-for-buck option, but you could also snag one of the new Shot Scope lasers as well. Shelling out much more than that for Bushnell just doesn't seem to be worth it these days.

[brogies]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Sounds like I just need to get better with my judgment of slope and love the advice that one club up or down should be enough in most cases. I live in Cincinnati though and it's quite hilly, so there are some courses that have holes with 20-30 yard declines/inclines. 

[foreknox]

On 7/25/2022 at 10:57 AM, TR1PTIK said:

I use the GHIN app for all of my distances as well. I'm not sure what your normal routine is, but I always look at the "Green View" (not available for all courses) to rough in where the pin is and get a better feel for distance. If you find yourself routinely coming up short, you can always target something 5-10 yards longer depending on the severity of slope. In most cases this should be enough. 

Aside from that, a laser with slope like others have stated is your best bet. Just make sure it's a reputable brand if you don't want any headaches or have to replace it anytime soon. Precision Pro has definitely proven itself as a solid bang-for-buck option, but you could also snag one of the new Shot Scope lasers as well. Shelling out much more than that for Bushnell just doesn't seem to be worth it these days.

I will have to check out the GHIN app for future round tracking.  Do you share your data excel sheet?  I am looking to track my rounds to ensure proper focus for improvement.  Thanks!  Hit them long & in the short grass!

[revkev]

Early on there was a reply that everyone's trajectory is different - that is incredibly true and it makes the slope function on a GPS less than useful at times.  I really think this one comes down to experience.  What I have learned from GPS is that the slope is not as much as I think it is.  I may have had an an uphill shot that I assumed was 60 feet (20 yards) only to discover that it was 25 feet once I had the GPS function.  Still that will play a good club longer, for me.  I live in Florida and there's not a lot of elevation change here but I grew up in Connecticut and then lived in upstate NY where there was so I learned how to deal with it in my formative golfing years. 

 

Generally speaking you are going to need to take more club than you think you need uphill because you don't launch the ball as high as you think that you do.  Once your start hitting  it long more than half the time, you can adjust for that.  

 

Great question - 

[MDGolfHacker]

On 7/25/2022 at 11:22 AM, brogies said:

Thanks for all the suggestions! Sounds like I just need to get better with my judgment of slope and love the advice that one club up or down should be enough in most cases. I live in Cincinnati though and it's quite hilly, so there are some courses that have holes with 20-30 yard declines/inclines. 

Precision Pro...any of them with the slope function.  What you can do is use the slope function to double check what you thought the distance you should be hitting would be.  Once you get verification then you can start depending on the laser less. I have the precision pro NX7 and it's been great!

 

MDGolfHacker

[Pandaman]

I use a Garmin S62 with tournament mode turned off if I want 'plays like' distances.

That said, I have absolutely no idea how accurate it is.  Nor would I know how to verify it anyway, and the same would be true regardless of what device I used.