Technology (too far)

FixdePitchmark · 17-08-2014 10:15PM #1

Ok lads - I know I'm an odd ball on this. And had to give in on gps eventually

Was almost crying that I didn't have it for a golf event recently. Haven't had one for 5 weeks now. No difference to my game - I know the courses I play.
Away from home - maybe ?

But is anybody else (no) - getting a bit sick of the ever more impact technology is having. I've seen lads that are now actually incapable of judgement. Funny one recently - lad said to me "you are 247 yards out" - wrong hole - I was about 160 - I said couldn't be - he said it is - couldn't be, "sorry wrong hole"

Some lads - have a laser - then will ask for a distance from a lad with a gps - I'm hatting that I'm looking for a distance now

Some lads - forget to charge it - then just go out and play a great round.

Then - apps on phone.

I'd imagine most lads are all for it.

I'd be honest - I wish the ruling bodies had held out, but industry is industry.

Hurling today, step up hit the ball. In play Technology should not be part of real sport.

On for lashing here

Russman · 17-08-2014 10:37PM

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Ok lads - I know I'm an odd ball on this. And had to give in on gps eventually
Was almost crying that I didn't have it for a golf event recently. Haven't had one for 5 weeks now. No difference to my game - I know the courses I play.
Away from home - maybe ?

But is anybody else (no) - getting a bit sick of the ever more impact technology is having. I've seen lads that are now actually incapable of judgement. Funny one recently - lad said to me "you are 247 yards out" - wrong hole - I was about 160 - I said couldn't be - he said it is - couldn't be, "sorry wrong hole"

Some lads - have a laser - then will ask for a distance from a lad with a gps - I'm hatting that I'm looking for a distance now

Some lads - forget to charge it - then just go out and play a great round.

Then - apps on phone.

I'd imagine most lads are all for it.

I'd be honest - I wish the ruling bodies had held out, but industry is industry.

Hurling today step up hit the ball. In play Technology should not be part of real sport.

On for lashing here

Couldn't agree more. It's got to the stage where guys can't play a shot at all without having an exact yardage now. No using your eyes & feel. As if it matters to your average club golfer whether he's 158 or 163 from the flag, considering he only hits the centre of the club on rare occasions. We've a par 3 that yesterday was a hard 6 iron and today was a wedge - what good was yardage to me ? Sweet FA.
I played a few weeks ago with a young kid off 4, seriously impressive in fairness, but when I saw him lasering 30/40 yard pitch shots I really thought golf is gone fuc-ing mad.
Most clubs have distance markers at 100, 150, 200 etc., I genuinely can't understand how using a laser/gps makes a material difference to looking at the marker, judging you're 15 yards back, so 165 to the middle when the gps says you're 167.........2yds out, so what !

I have both a laser and a gps, rarely use them except on an away course.

SaveOurLyric · 17-08-2014 10:47PM

Couldn't agree with you more old bean. Game just isnt what it used to be.
The rot set in a long time ago with chaps teeing it up without a caddy to carry their bag. A lot of cats using these modified perambulator contraptions to wheel their clubs around. And what more, they dont even have a caddy to do that. But pull it after them, or guide a self motorised version like a motorcar driver!
I ask you. Progress my **** !

PARlance · 17-08-2014 10:51PM

Russman wrote: »

Couldn't agree more. It's got to the stage where guys can't play a shot at all without having an exact yardage now. No using your eyes & feel. As if it matters to your average club golfer whether he's 158 or 163 from the flag, considering he only hits the centre of the club on rare occasions. We've a par 3 that yesterday was a hard 6 iron and today was a wedge - what good was yardage to me ? Sweet FA.
I played a few weeks ago with a young kid off 4, seriously impressive in fairness, but when I saw him lasering 30/40 yard pitch shots I really thought golf is gone fuc-ing mad.
Most clubs have distance markers at 100, 150, 200 etc., I genuinely can't understand how using a laser/gps makes a material difference to looking at the marker, judging you're 15 yards back, so 165 to the middle when the gps says you're 167.........2yds out, so what !

I have both a laser and a gps, rarely use them except on an away course.

Oh (Russ)man, that's brilliant.

Bloody technology.
Bloody technology.
I've a Gps AND a Laser.
Bloody technology.

dar_cool · 17-08-2014 10:59PM

Maybe if they standardised distance markers but at the moment some clubs yards to front, yards to middle etc, difference between front of green and back of green can be 40 yards, thats 3/4 clubs. You can always guess but knowing the exact yardage helps me commit to shots, if im just guessing at yardages i hit bad shots. The laser easily took 2/3 shots off my game and i would be lost without it playing on away courses. home course I dont need it that much.

FixdePitchmark · 17-08-2014 11:14PM

dar_cool wrote: »

Maybe if they standardised distance markers but at the moment some clubs yards to front, yards to middle etc, difference between front of green and back of green can be 40 yards, thats 3/4 clubs. You can always guess but knowing the exact yardage helps me commit to shots, if im just guessing at yardages i hit bad shots. The laser easily took 2/3 shots off my game and i would be lost without it playing on away courses. home course I dont need it that much.

Before the year is out - I'll have a laser, watch

Senna · 18-08-2014 12:32AM

I Love Technology, I Love Gadgets, hell if there was more gadgets available for golfers I'd be all over it like a fat kid with a cake.
I just discovered NFC technology on my phone; a €1 sticker on each club combined with a free app could mean keeping compressive stats for a round just by touching the shaft off my phone after each shot.

Russman · 18-08-2014 12:36AM

SaveOurLyric wrote: »

Couldn't agree with you more old bean. Game just isnt what it used to be.
The rot set in a long time ago with chaps teeing it up without a caddy to carry their bag. A lot of cats using these modified perambulator contraptions to wheel their clubs around. And what more, they dont even have a caddy to do that. But pull it after them, or guide a self motorised version like a motorcar driver!
I ask you. Progress my **** !

Bloody captain last year was only a Wing Commander, hadn't even ever been up in a Spitfire, let alone seen off the Hun in one, what's the world coming to ?

On a serious note though, IMHO anyone over about 2 or 3 handicap who says they hit their irons consistent distances to within a few yards all the time is exaggerating, certainly to within the margin of error that fixed markers give versus gps anyway. Take one more club than you were going to hit and you'll be surprised how often you're right. Bah humbug.:D

Arsenium · 18-08-2014 12:41AM

I have a laser device. Wouldn't be without it now. Before I bought it though I spent a lot of time on wedge practice getting a feel for distance. I have found that from less than 100 yards in its all about feel and judgement so i only use it from over 100 or so. But I would never be without it now from those journeys. Yes all the way up to 250 yards. The amount of times people have said to me how far? And then they say "no way?" when I tell them how far away they really are is funny. Front middle or back just doesn't do it for me. Once exact distance to the flag is available why not use it? We all watch the pros and this is what they do so why should we not give ourselves the same advantage? My days of walking to the 150 marker and walking back counting steps are gone!!

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2014 12:50AM

Senna wrote: »

I Love Technology, I Love Gadgets, hell if there was more gadgets available for golfers I'd be all over it like a fat kid with a cake.
I just discovered NFC technology on my phone; a €1 sticker on each club combined with a free app could mean keeping compressive stats for a round just by touching the shaft off my phone after each shot.

lol.

Would make me give up the game if I had to do that

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2014 12:54AM

Russman wrote: »

Bloody captain last year was only a Wing Commander, hadn't even ever been up in a Spitfire, let alone seen off the Hun in one, what's the world coming to ?

On a serious note though, IMHO anyone over about 2 or 3 handicap who says they hit their irons consistent distances to within a few yards all the time is exaggerating, certainly to within the margin of error that fixed markers give versus gps anyway. Take one more club than you were going to hit and you'll be surprised how often you're right. Bah humbug.:D

Like going to a par 3 you have played 100s of times - are lads genuinely lasering that.

I go - 7 was short the other day - pin deep - wind into face.
Ok I'll hit 6 - worst thing that will happen it will roll up bank at back and back onto green.

Bang, slice in water

Maybe - I'm just not good enough for a laser.

Arsenium · 18-08-2014 01:06AM

Yep. On your home course you know the score. There's a par 3 on my home course and when I see where the Tees are i know what I need. And this probably bears out your point. It might be only a short distance but I know it's no lower than a 6 iron from painful previous experience. In that case I use the laser for the sake of it but choose the club completely based on experience! Then again the experience is probably founded by using the laser years ago :-)

FixdePitchmark · 18-08-2014 01:16AM

Arsenium wrote: »

Yep. On your home course you know the score. There's a par 3 on my home course and when I see where the Tees are i know what I need. And this probably bears out your point. It might be only a short distance but I know it's no lower than a 6 iron from painful previous experience. In that case I use the laser for the sake of it but choose the club completely based on experience! Then again the experience is probably founded by using the laser years ago :-)

Maybe.

I will get one.

But - I'm not sure lads scores (most lads) - scores have improved as a result of them.

Senna · 18-08-2014 01:22AM

Don't think I would ever need a laser, if I know the distance with GPS to the centre of the green (and hit it there) I'll never be too far away.

newport2 · 18-08-2014 07:35AM

Russman wrote: »

Most clubs have distance markers at 100, 150, 200 etc., I genuinely can't understand how using a laser/gps makes a material difference to looking at the marker, judging you're 15 yards back, so 165 to the middle when the gps says you're 167.........2yds out, so what !

Greens 30 yards deep are not uncommon, that's two clubs in the difference from front to back. There's one at the european club where the green is over 100 yards from front to back. Wedge or 3-iron?

Our tee markers can vary by up to 15 yards too.

Anyway, couldn't care less really. I like having the exact information. At the end of the day you have to hit the shot. If that doesn't come off I have only myself to blame.

Golfgraffix · 18-08-2014 08:52AM

My take on it would be, if it doesn't slow the game down then I have no problem with it.

I can't see how having more information can be a bad thing, surely knowing that you are 160 from the centre and 178 to the back hazard is better than thinking that you might be.

J

scrubber72 · 18-08-2014 09:20AM

Like graffix i don't have a problem with the tech, i just have a problem with people using it in overkill.
Saw a lad once use laser from 10 yards of green to flag in middle of green maybe 30y away on his home course.
There is over dependence on these too and i admit it bothered me when my gps watch didn't have a course on it (needed update).

GreeBo · 18-08-2014 09:25AM

scrubber72 wrote: »

Like graffix i don't have a problem with the tech, i just have a problem with people using it in overkill.
Saw a lad once use laser from 10 yards of green to flag in middle of green maybe 30y away on his home course.
There is over dependence on these too and i admit it bothered me when my gps watch didn't have a course on it (needed update).

Maybe 30 yards away?
What if it was 40 or 20?
Thats a huge margin of error.

The further you are hitting it the greater the gap between two shots will be.
From 50 (or 30) yards you have much more control over the distance the ball goes.
I have a totally different shot for 30 yards versus 50 yards for example.

Rikand · 18-08-2014 09:34AM

GreeBo wrote: »

Maybe 30 yards away?
What if it was 40 or 20?
Thats a huge margin of error.

The further you are hitting it the greater the gap between two shots will be.
From 50 (or 30) yards you have much more control over the distance the ball goes.
I have a totally different shot for 30 yards versus 50 yards for example.

If your struggling with distance perceptions on 20 yard shots, thinking you might have 40... your problems are bigger than any DMD can cure

Rikand · 18-08-2014 09:36AM

Arsenium wrote: »

My days of walking to the 150 marker and walking back counting steps are gone!!

And people wonder why golfers are so obese..... :rolleyes:

GreeBo · 18-08-2014 09:37AM

Rikand wrote: »

If your struggling with distance perceptions on 20 yard shots, thinking you might have 40... your problems are bigger than any DMD can cure

Erm sorry but surely thats exactly the problem that a DMD can cure?

Rikand · 18-08-2014 09:42AM

GreeBo wrote: »

Erm sorry but surely thats exactly the problem that a DMD can cure?

Ah touche!

Dr_Colossus · 18-08-2014 09:42AM

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Before the year is out - I'll have a laser, watch

I'll be joining you, currently don't have any measuring device so just rely on distance markers and eye both of which can be inaccurate leading to second guessing and non committal to shots. However I'm going to wait purchasing one and attempt to achieve my year target of 6 handicap first so the laser is the dangling carrott.

dar_cool wrote: »

Maybe if they standardised distance markers but at the moment some clubs yards to front, yards to middle etc, difference between front of green and back of green can be 40 yards, thats 3/4 clubs. You can always guess but knowing the exact yardage helps me commit to shots, if im just guessing at yardages i hit bad shots.

Good points, one aspect I find difficult to judge is whether the flag is front, middle or back from about 150+ yards out and as you said some greens are 3 if not 4 clubs deep so that's quite a variation. I find the little flag half way up the flagpole some clubs use to indicate the flag location to be of little benefit. The colour coded flags are good but again no standardized colours used but one of the better and more unique system I've witnessed was Rathsallagh's of having the greens marked on the card with 6 different colour segments and to be told which colour was in use that day.

dar_cool wrote: »

The laser easily took 2/3 shots off my game and i would be lost without it playing on away courses. home course I dont need it that much.

Hoping to be able to say similar in future.

Rikand · 18-08-2014 09:55AM

As if my previous posts sneering dmds wasnt obvious enough, I dont have one. but if i did id get the laser and mainly for courses that measure to the front of the green. If i have a distance to the centre of the green, thats good enough for me. Put the ball in the middle of the green and youll never be too far away. But distance to the front just throws me off, i have to start adding on numbers to the number already given to me by the course and thats too much in my head at one time.

I dont like those ones that give front/middle/back. They offer too much information and only serve to confuse me.

Russman · 18-08-2014 10:04AM

GreeBo wrote: »

Maybe 30 yards away?
What if it was 40 or 20?
Thats a huge margin of error.

The further you are hitting it the greater the gap between two shots will be.
From 50 (or 30) yards you have much more control over the distance the ball goes.
I have a totally different shot for 30 yards versus 50 yards for example.

Do you need a DMD to tell you the difference between those distances though ?

Actually I agree with someone earlier who said there's no problem with technology, it's people who have no need to use it, using it to the Nth degree and total overkill that's the problem IMO. (not that that's you, but many people who have no idea how far they hit their clubs, using DMDs, is IMO a waste for them)

GreeBo · 18-08-2014 10:55AM

Russman wrote: »

Do you need a DMD to tell you the difference between those distances though ?

Actually I agree with someone earlier who said there's no problem with technology, it's people who have no need to use it, using it to the Nth degree and total overkill that's the problem IMO. (not that that's you, but many people who have no idea how far they hit their clubs, using DMDs, is IMO a waste for them)

Sometimes yes I do, if its over a bunker or a tier in the green for example, it can be hard to know for sure. A DMD removes the doubt and for me at least, allows (or makes it more likely) me to commit to the shot.

blue note · 18-08-2014 11:07AM

I do think that technology has gone too far, but mainly the ball and how far it goes. I don't really have a problem on the DMD's.

I have a GPS watch and I think it's a massive help to me. That said, I forgot it on Saturday and came in with 42 points, so maybe it doesn't make that much of a difference!

And finally, I often see in these discussions people saying that mid - high handicappers don't have adequate distance control to warrant the use of them. My accuracy control isn't great either, but if I don't start by aiming for the right spot I'll be even further away. Similarly, If I'm not trying to hit it the right distance I'll be on average further away anyway.

Webbs · 18-08-2014 12:01PM

GreeBo wrote: »

Sometimes yes I do, if its over a bunker or a tier in the green for example, it can be hard to know for sure. A DMD removes the doubt and for me at least, allows (or makes it more likely) me to commit to the shot.

But on 20 - 50 yds shot its all about feel, perception, shot choice etc. Depending on your position relative to green ,whats in front of you (bunker, bank etc), your lie and so on.
Played shots in Tralee recently from 20-50yds off the green with anything from 58deg, 8 iron, hybrid to putter.
Its about feel not playing by numbers at that distance.

GreeBo · 18-08-2014 12:12PM

Webbs wrote: »

But on 20 - 50 yds shot its all about feel, perception, shot choice etc. Depending on your position relative to green ,whats in front of you (bunker, bank etc), your lie and so on.
Played shots in Tralee recently from 20-50yds off the green with anything from 58deg, 8 iron, hybrid to putter.
Its about feel not playing by numbers at that distance.

I dont think you can dismiss facts by saying its all about feel.

If I want to fly the ball 40 yards or 50 yards then I want to know if its 40 or if its 50.
From 200 yards 10 yards doesn't really matter, from 40 or 50 it does.
I can play multiple shots from 50 yards but it always helps to know its 50 and not 40 or 60. What if I leave it short and then I have a similar shot on the next hole. If I know for a fact that one of them was 40 and the next is 50 I can make adjustments with confidence.

Same for a 20 yard putt.

charlieIRL · 18-08-2014 12:23PM

Golfgraffix wrote: »

My take on it would be, if it doesn't slow the game down then I have no problem with it.
J

That's the great advantage of the GPS watch, walk up to your ball, quick look at the watch and pick a club................and miss the target!!:D

Russman · 18-08-2014 01:02PM

GreeBo wrote: »

I dont think you can dismiss facts by saying its all about feel.

If I want to fly the ball 40 yards or 50 yards then I want to know if its 40 or if its 50.
From 200 yards 10 yards doesn't really matter, from 40 or 50 it does.
I can play multiple shots from 50 yards but it always helps to know its 50 and not 40 or 60. What if I leave it short and then I have a similar shot on the next hole. If I know for a fact that one of them was 40 and the next is 50 I can make adjustments with confidence.

Same for a 20 yard putt.

Fair comment, but what about having a different mindset and wanting the ball to fly "to that spot on the green" or "just short of the pin" ?

Technology (too far)

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