Technology has started to influence any field of our lives, and this also includes sports, which have begun to use more and more devices, to improve the performance of the practitioners. For example, in golf, more and more people use rangefinders – specialized devices which can measure the distance from itself to a target set by the user. Bushnell Pro 1M is such a performing device, used by golf players to measure the “range” (distance), including horizontal, vertical and slope distance. There are some specialized terms which describe all sorts of variables, such as “pitch” (for inclination), “angle” or “azimuth” (for the bearing). Other models, such as Bushnell Pro X7 are also performing, and are extremely useful if you want to find out the distance between a target and any reference point. Besides the sports domain, these devices are also used as a geographic information system, for data collection, to locate a target normally inaccessible or unsafe to reach. Furthermore, they can establish the exact location of a spot instead of a GPS or if the known data is not correct.

There are some devices which have been designed only to collect GIS data (they measure distance and inclination), and other, more complex, that can also calculate bearing, but this vary taking into consideration their type and the purpose for which they have been designed. The most common uses of rangefinders are related to measuring the distance in construction, hunting, golf and even photography, and their accuracy is extremely important for the final result. As far as golf is concerned, the most important tournaments around the world use rangefinders which are adjusted to the rules of this sport. Years ago, there were some regulations, especially in the US, which do not allow players to use artificial equipment to calculate distance or other variables, since this could influence their performance, but since 2006, these rules have changed and each tournament is free to establish whether the participants can use these devices or not. Nowadays, most tournaments allow exclusively the use of devices which measure only distance, such as Bushnell Pro 1M, which do not provide details about other variables, like the slope, for instance. These conditions are available both for professional competitions and for amateur games, but this also depends on the local regulations.

The main function of a golf rangefinder is to calculate as accurately as possible the distance between the player and the flagstick. This is their basic function, but they can also be set to determinate the distance to other objects relevant to the game, such as trees or other items. This is very useful for players, since the exact distance allows them to find out which club is the best option, taking into consideration the objects on the course. These devices use many technologies and are more and more popular not only among professional players but also among those who play for leisure, since they can establish their own rules and use any equipment they want to get used to the game.

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