Gear

Gear We Actually Use

We only recommend products we'd buy ourselves — things that solve real problems for golfers. No junk, no paid placements, no "best of" filler. If it's here, we'd put our own money on it.

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Rangefinders

Distance measuring devices are legal under Rule 4.3 (local rule permitting). A good laser is the fastest way to stop guessing yardages.

  • Bushnell Tour V5 Shift (~$330) — Our pick. Lightning-fast pin lock with vibrating JOLT confirmation, ±1 yard accuracy, slope switch. Magnetic cart mount is genuinely great.
  • Bushnell Tour V5, no slope (~$300) — Tournament pick. 100% USGA-compliant out of the box, same optics and speed as the Shift.
  • Bushnell Tour V7 Shift (~$400) — New & fast. 2026's runner-up in MyGolfSpy's rangefinder test.

GPS Watches

If you'd rather glance at your wrist than shoot a flag, a GPS watch gives front/middle/back yardages and plays-like distances.

  • Garmin Approach S70 (~$650) — Best overall. AMOLED display, 43,000+ courses, Virtual Caddie.
  • Garmin Approach S50 (~$400) — Sweet spot. Value king of the mid-range.
  • Garmin Approach S12 / S44 ($150–300) — Budget. S12 strips to pure yardages, 30-hour battery; S44 adds 90% of the S70 experience.

Golf Balls

Rule 6.3c: play the wrong ball and it's a penalty. Play a ball you trust, and mark it.

  • Titleist Pro V1 (~$55/dozen) — Gold standard. Most-played ball on tour.
  • Callaway Chrome Soft (~$40–50/dozen) — Best value. 90% of the Pro V1 at a better price.
  • If you lose 3+ balls a round — Save your money: grab something budget-friendly (Kirkland Signature or Callaway Supersoft).

Training Aids

Practice aids we'd actually buy — the ones that fix real, common problems.

  • Orange Whip Swing Trainer (~$100–130) — Swing tempo. Counterweighted design makes it physically impossible to swing out of sequence.
  • PuttOut Pressure Putt Trainer (~$30–40) — Putting. The best $40 in golf.
  • Orange Whip Putt Master (~$70–100) — For the yips. Locks arms and shoulders into a true pendulum.

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