How To Use A Rangefinder

If you’re fascinated by those random golf swings, let me tell you those are not “random”.

Without measuring the precise accuracy of the distance it becomes a challenge to ace the golf game. That is why we have the rangefinder at our disposal. But the fact is not everyone knows how to use a rangefinder especially when it comes to a newbie.

And if you don’t know that, this article has got your back. Here we shall look up the step-up step guide on how you do it the right way plus you will get more accurate info if you have been doing it wrong.  But before diving into the guide, let’s have a quick overview on what exactly a rangefinder is.

What is a Rangefinder?

It’s basically a device that is typically built for the assistance of a golf player. It measures the range and the cent per cent accuracy of their shot. With the rangefinder the golfer gets the lucid idea on how hard the ball is supposed to be thrown in first place.  The hills and slopes in the golf course can affect the distance measured by the rangefinder, therefore make sure you enable the slope setting prior to using it. Generally, you will find three different types of golf rangefinders i.e;

•         Laser rangefinder
•         GPS rangefinder
•         Optical rangefinder

So how do we use a rangefinder?

Like mentioned above there are three major types of a rangefinder, so each has its particular way to use. To make things understandable, we shall take a look at each one by one. Luckily, using the rangefinder isn’t a complex task. Therefore, anyone can use it. To know its step-by-step process here is what you need to do.

•         First of all you need to turn on your device i.e. the rangefinder.
•         After that, you should find the exact target you are anticipating at and aim the rangefinder to that.
•         Now activate the device and get your distance on it. It’s pretty simple!

Tips that help in accuracy

The ideal way to use the rangefinder is to aim the rangefinder at the ground and then measure the distance by pressing the button, for accuracy. Besides, when you want to measure the distance, being accurate about its ins and outs matters the most.

Another worth noticing in measuring the distance is to be calm. If you are breathing heavily, it can affect the stabilization of the rangefinder.  Keep your elbow at rest.

For Optical Rangefinders

For optical rangefinder you have to follow pretty much different steps since it’s a different type of device and mainly not in use due to its obsolete features, maybe.

However these rangefinders are basic and are used for calculating and measuring the distance from the intended target. For its usage, look through the sight and you better use the knobs to make things even precise in nature. Set the knobs if you have it on the device, however these rangefinders aren’t 100% accurate in the answer.

For GPS Rangefinders

As far as the GPS rangefinder is concerned it is not only more accurate, but also its technological build makes sure better results. Since many golf players have maps on the internet, the GPS rangefinders connect to the satellite. Understand the device beforehand so that you can know the flags, slopes, and flagsticks. For its usage;

•         Load the map to the rangefinder and turn it on and “allow” it to connect with the satellite for golf course location check.
•         After it’s done collecting data from the satellite, select the targeted golf hole that you want to read on the distance. When the rangefinder finds all the data from the satellite, select the target hole to get the reading on the distance and slope of the target.

Note that the better GPS signals and internet seamless connectivity would affect the accuracy. If you have poor connectivity issues, the final result might be different. Also you need to update the rangefinder on maps.

For Laser Rangefinders

For the high-end laser rangefinders, you can anticipate the finest result, since it incorporates the beam technology. Since it uses the beam of light (laser) those rays read and encrypt the distance between the golfer and the aimed target. If you haven’t used this type of rangefinder in the first place, shifting on it might be rather challenging for you. Here how you can use it;

•         Firstly, turn it on and adjust the mode which you want to. You can also set the mode according to slopes.
•         Secondly, view the target hole or flag by lifting the rangefinder to the sight and press the button right away.

For laser rangefinders there is one thing you need to understand and that is the beam formation and its amount determines the accurate results. If you aim at the surface that reflects more beam, the accuracy would be even more precise and vice versa. That is the reason why you see those small reflectors at the top of each flagstick on the golf course.

Conclusion

You should know the range of the rangefinder. If you are looking for a professional and accurate result, you need to find out how far the rangefinder can measure the distance. It’s pretty apparent that there are different types of golf rangefinder and hence each has its particular capacity to work on.

There are some rangefinders that will merely read the distance for up to four yards, but some efficient ones can measure up to thousand yards. So it all depends on your choice. However the key for how to use the rangefinder accurately lies on how much you use it. Practice its usage and get skilled. Try out its features and for best results read the manual that it comes with.

Generally, using a rangefinder is a fun task that should not be any complex no matter if you are a prop or not. All you need to do is to carefully check out its design, and be at peace.