Figuring out how to use your rangefinder isn’t something you want to do on the golf course. It’s easy, sure, but pressing buttons and peering through a scope is a heck of a lot less fun than ripping a long drive or executing an effective approach.
To avoid that dilemma, follow six basic steps.
- Turn on your device.
- Stand beside your ball.
- Look through the viewfinder.
- Aim at your target.
- Press the “fire” button.
- Read the display.
To really get the most out of your rangefinder, you’ll need to dig a little deeper and keep a few tips in mind.
What kind of rangefinder do you have?
There are three popular types of golf rangefinders: laser, GPS and hybrid. This article will focus entirely on how to use laser rangefinders because they’re super common, generally more accurate than GPS devices and a breeze to use. It’s worth noting that the best golf rangefinders we reviewed are all laser-based, though the Shot Scope Pro LX is a hybrid and can be used with GPS.
You should already know what kind of rangefinder you have but if you aren’t sure, check the page you bought it from or the user manual that came with it.
Read the manual!
Reading manuals can be laborious but there’s no better way to learn a lot about your gear, fast. You should’ve received one with your rangefinder. If not, you should be able to locate a PDF version on the manufacturer’s website. For example, using the Cobalt Q-4 Slope rangefinder we had on hand while writing this how-to, there’s a link to the PDF at the bottom of the product description on Cobalt’s website.
Because every brand of rangefinder is different, we can’t tell you exactly how to read your display or exactly which button does what. The manual, however, can give you all of that.
How to use a rangefinder
Using a laser rangefinder is simple. That said, there’s more to it than the six-step summary at the top of this page.
1. Turn on the rangefinder. If you’re scoffing at how obvious this is, consider that you can look through a rangefinder without turning it on—there just won’t be a visible display. Fix that by pressing the power button, replacing the battery or charging your device. It still won’t turn on and you’re already on the course? Sorry, you’re rangefinding with your eyes today.
2. Stand next to where you’re hitting from. A laser rangefinder works by shooting a laser directly at whatever you point it at and measuring how long it takes for the beam to bounce back to the receiving aperture. That means the closer you are to your ball or tee, the more accurate your reading will be. Just don’t kick your ball in the process.
3. Look through the viewfinder. Rangefinders are monocular so put the ocular lens (the one you look through) to one eye and close the other one. If everything looks super small instead of magnified, you’re looking in the wrong end. If you can’t see anything, put it down and check your manual—you’re probably about to fire a laser directly into your cornea.
4. Aim at a target. One benefit of laser rangefinders over GPS devices is that you can aim them at anything and see how far away it is. The flag, a hazard, the front or back of the green, the widest part of the fairway, whatever, it doesn’t matter. As long as your rangefinder’s laser can hit the target and bounce back to you, you can measure distance.
Because aiming relies on a steady hand, try to aim at larger targets, like the flag instead of the stick. Some flagsticks and hazard stakes have reflective material that makes them easier to target and some rangefinders have a feature that allows them to lock onto a pin (often with haptic feedback), all of which will help you aim. (“Haptic” means you can feel a vibration from the unit.)
Otherwise, you can keep your rangefinder steady by placing the elbow of your raised arm against your chest, using both hands or resting your elbow (or elbows) on a solid surface like a golf cart.
5. Press the “fire” button. Once you’re locked onto your target, fire the laser by pressing the firing button. On the Q-4 Slope, this button is on the top of the rangefinder and is also the power button.
6. Read the display. With a successful firing, your rangefinder’s display will show the distance to your target in yards or meters, depending on your settings. The Q-4 Slope has a Y/M button on the left side that will allow you to toggle between the two and it also has a DISP button that lets you set the color of the display to black or red. In low light or when aiming at dark targets, red is much easier to read.
Some rangefinders, like the Q-4 Slope, can also measure the angle of incline or depression between you and your target. When using this feature, the display may show two ranges (with or without slope), or, as in the Q-4’s case, a yardage that automatically takes the slope into account. If you’re below your target, you may have to hit your ball a little farther to make up for the vertical distance and, if you have the high ground, you can take it a little easier.
A note about slope, since we’re on the topic: This feature isn’t legal under U.S. Golf Association rules. When playing casually, you can use it all you want to get a feel for how you, courses and your clubs play but you’ll have to turn it off for any official competition.
All rangefinders that can calculate slope have a button that allows you to turn it on and off and it should be clearly marked. On the Cobalt Q-4, it’s the SLP button on the left side and emits a red light when active so everyone knows what you’re doing.
A Few of Our Favorites
- Bushnell Pro X3+
- Shot Scope Pro L2 (Best Value)
- CaddyTalk Cube
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