How to get the most from your Garmin GPS

Garmin GPS

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 Thinking about investing in a new device? Here are five ways the technology can really help your game.
 
GPS, range finders and shot tracking tech has stormed golf over the last few years, and now it’s pretty rare to play in a four-ball where somebody hasn’t got at least one of them. But with so many options available, how do you know which is best suited to your game? Here’s how.
 
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Handheld or watch?
Once upon a time handheld units were the new kids on the block. That was until some bright spark realised how useful it would be to have yardages on a watch. Since then GPS watches have rocketed in popularity. The choice really comes down to the importance you put on seeing a larger, colour, bird’s-eye map of a hole, and whether or not you like playing with something on your wrist.

Along with the full-colour high-res screen, the big advantage of Garmin’s Approach S62 watch is that it tracks other activities too, like walking and cycling, plus heart rate, steps and calories burned, calls and text alerts.

What are the rules?
Distance measuring devices (DMDs) of any kind cannot be used in competitive rounds, unless a local rule is in place. Always check at your course before teeing off in a comp. If DMDs are allowed, they cannot measure slope.

Turn on the Z82’s Tournament Mode and an external indicator light lets you and your playing partners know you’re competition legal. The S62 can also measure your heart rate, which is against the rules, so make sure this function is disabled in the watch settings.

The perfect laser?
In years gone by if we’ve wanted to enjoy the pros of both a laser and a GPS we’ve had to adopt the belt and braces approach and carry both. Many of you have told us that’s exactly what you’ve done, but Garmin’s Approach Z82 means you don’t need to make that choice any more.

As good as a GPS is at telling you how far it is to carry a fairway bunker or negotiate a dog-leg, they cannot tell you how exactly far away a flag is. So if your game is based on hitting short irons and wedges close from 125 yards and in, you need to know precisely where the flagstick is to get your approaches close

Related: Best Golf Rangefinder 2020

Analyse your stats like a pro
Tour pros like to analyse everything about their game. From how good their driving is to how well they scramble around the greens, every stat allows them to identify and work on areas that are weaker than their competitors.

Garmin stats are calculated in the Garmin Golf app and then sent to the Approach S62 watch watch so you can review handicap, fairway and approach shot hit/miss percentage, and greens in regulation. The app even provides analysis for strokes gained and allows users to participate in leaderboards and tournaments with other players.

Compete with other golfers worldwide
Garmin’s free Golf App gives every round a tournament feel and lets you compete with friends and other golfers on more than 41,000 golf courses worldwide.

You can set up your own tournament event and invite multiple friends to compete, post their results and compare data, rankings and stats and even use the app to participate in weekly leaderboards and tournaments.

For more information, please visit Garmin.com