Best Golf Rangefinders for Shaky Hands

Here is a list of the 5 best golf rangefinders for shaky hands. If you enjoy the convenience of using a laser golf rangefinder but find that sometimes it’s a little difficult to dial in your distances due to shaky hands, do not despair! The latest innovations in golf technology have given golfers with unsteady hands a new crop of tools to use. Advances in stabilization technology now make it possible for these newer rangefinders to accurately measure distances – and even account for slope – while being held and aimed with hands that tend to be a little bit on the shaky side!

5 Best Golf Rangefinders for Shaky Hands – Comparison Chart

Golf Rangefinder Description	Golf Rangefinder Specs	BGST Rating
	Nikon Coolshot Pro Stabilized Golf Rangefinder Stabilized Viewfinder Laser Stabilization Slope-Adjusted Distance 6X Monocular View Weight: 5.6 ounces Size: 3.1″ x 4″ x 1.6″ Stabilization: INCREDIBLE	4.9/5.0
	Bushnell Tour V4 Laser Golf Rangefinder PinSeeker w/JOLT Technology Accurate to 1 yd Ranges 5 to 1,000 yds; 400+ yards to the flag 5x magnification. LCD Display Fast focus system. Size: 4.1″ x 4.4″ x 2.7″ No slope feature Stabilization: Excellent	4.8/5.0
	Precision Pro NX7 Laser Golf Rangefinder Adaptive Slope Technology Slope capabilities ‘Play-as’ distances 6x Magnification Size: 6″ x 8″ x 4″ For golfers with shaky hands Stabilization: Excellent	4.7/5.0
	Garmin Approach Z80 Laser Golf Rangefinder Extremely accurate Over 41,000 Courses Image Stabilization Reduces Shakiness Full-Color 2-D Overlay Size: 4.8″ x 1.7″ x 3.1″ Stabilization: Excellent	4.6/5.0
	Callaway 300 Pro Golf Rangefinder Pin Acquisition Technology (P.A.T.) 6x Magnification Capability Easy to Read LCD Display Waterproof Fog-proof Size: 2.1″ x 3″ x 1.4″ Stabilization: Very Good	4.5/5.0

 

Top Pick: Nikon Coolshot PRO Stabilized – Best Golf Rangefinder for Shaky Hands

The name says it all! The Nikon COOLSHOT Pro Stabilized Golf Rangefinder is a state-of-the art laser golf rangefinder and is also my #1 pick for the best rangefinder for golfers with unsteady hands.

It’s futuristic white casing with blue accents just looks COOL. It’s lightweight, but very rugged. It’s case is waterproof and this rangefinder is resistant to corrosion, which is very important if you ever golf in the rain.

The Nikon COOLSHOT Pro Stabilized Golf Laser Rangefinder was voted Best Rangefinder of 2018 by MyGolfSpy.com for its stabilization technology, which stabilizes everything from the viewfinder to the laser that is being being directed at the target. This seriously increases the accuracy of every single yardage measurement- whether your hands are shaking or steady.

This Nikon COOLSHOT Pro also features a red OLED display, which makes it easy to see against the typical green backdrop of your golf course.

This laser golf rangefinder allows the user to toggle between slope/no slope with the push of a button. A green light on the outside of this rangefinder indicates whether slope is on or has been turned off. Turing off the slope functionality makes this unit 100% tournament legal. The COOLSHOT PRO comes with a Microfiber Towel  for cleaning fingerprints off the lens and an extra CR2 battery to ensure that your unit never loses power during your round!

Pros & Cons

• PROS: Voted best golf rangefinder of 2018 for golfers with shaky hands Extremely accurate. Easily turn Slope on/off. Image stabilization. Laser stabilization. Sleek design.
  
• CONS: Expensive.
  

 

Runner-Up: Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinder – Best Target Feedback

This golf rangefinder from Bushnell introduces the next evolution of pin seeker enhancements via its JOLT technology that was introduced in its predecessor – the Bushnell Tour V3. This Bushnell Tour V4 laser rangefinder is great for golfers with shaky hands and has even more incredible features than its predecessors in an even smaller and more ergonomically sound design.

The Tour V4 has the same pin seeker with jolt technology that golfers with shaky hands love due to the immediate feedback it provides once locked onto a target. This rangefinder also delivers incredible accuracy that golfers have come to expect from an industry leader and technical innovator of golf technology.

This Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinder delivers all of the great features that golfers have come to expect from the Bushnell Tour V3 in a smaller, faster, and more technologically advanced package. Bushnell’s patented JOLT technology delivers short vibrating bursts that indicate the laser is locked onto the flag. These vibrations can be easily felt by golfers with mild numbness in their hands. This feedback is essential for allowing golfers with unsteady hands to know EXACTLY when they have the unit locked onto a target.

The Tour V4 is tournament legal and is also accurate to within one yard from distances from as far away as 400 yards. The Tour V4 is an excellent choice for golfers of all handicaps, from beginners to experts, and ideal for a golfer with unsteady hands due to its JOLT technology, rugged casing, and excellent grip.

Pros & Cons

• PROS: Pinseeker with JOLT provides instant feedback . Rugged, easy-to-grip casing.
  
• CONS: No slope feature.

 

THIRD PLACE: Precision NX7 PRO – Best Golf Rangefinder for the Money

 

The  Precision NX7 PRO Golf Rangefinder w/ Slope has been engineered to provide accurate distances on all golf courses no matter the terrain. Whether the hole you’re playing is flat as a pancake or your home course is hilly with varying degrees of slope, the Precision NX7 Pro is excellent on all sloped or level surfaces.

This rangefinder was a serious contender in my comparison of two excellent rangefinders in my Bushnell Pro X2 versus Precision NX7 Pro rangefinder comparison challenge. And while I ended up declaring the Bushnell X2 as the ‘winner’ in that challenge, I cannot recommend the NX7 Pro enough for golfers who struggle with shaky hands.

This NX7 Pro Slope golf laser rangefinder features Adaptive Pro Slope technology that provides a “play as” distance (that accounts for slope) for every shot that makes club selection especially simple. The slope feature can be turned off in order to make the NX7 legal for tournament play. This rangefinder is built with crystal clear optics, 6X magnification, and precise yardage technology. The NX7 Pro Slope Golf Rangefinder provides fast yardages to the flag and is easy to use, even for golfers with unsteady hands, due to its rubberized top and bottom grips. It also delivers a short vibration once locked onto the target, which can be easily felt.

Pros & Cons

• PROS: Vibration feedback. Easy-to-operate slope feature. Water resistant. Price.
  
• CONS: No image stabilization.

 

FOURTH: Garmin Z80 – Most Accurate Distance Measurements

 

This new laser golf rangefinder from Garmin is one of the most accurate units on this list. The Garmin Z80 Golf Rangefinder produced extremely accurate laser distance measurements to the flag to within ten inches from as far away as 350 yards!

This unit has full-color 2-D CourseView(TM) mapping that is overlaid on the viewfinder for more than 41,000 golf courses from all over the world.

Advanced image stabilization reduces shakiness and makes it easier to find and range the flag no matter how still the user is holding the unit, which makes it great for golfers with unsteady hands.

The Garmin Z80 Rangefinder has a neat feature called GreenView(TM) that automatically displays the distance to the front and back of the green each time the user ‘shoots’ the flag. The Z80 also has a similar feature to the Bushnell that Garmin calls its ‘PlaysLike’ Distance. This feature adjusts distances based on uphill or downhill slope. This slope functionality can be turned on or turn off (for tournament play). The Laser Range Arc technology draws an arc that is overlaid on the 2-D course view map at the distance the laser returned to the target. This makes it possible for the user to see everything that is in play within that distance, such as any hazards like water or bunkers.

Pros & Cons

• PROS: Advanced image stabilization. VERY ACCURATE distances to within 10″ from 350 yards. GreenView.
  
• CONS: Somewhat pricey – but worth it.

 

FIFTH PLACE: Callaway 300 Pro – Best Budget Rangefinder

 

The Callaway 300 Pro Golf Laser Rangefinder offers pin-seeking precision in a nicely understated package. This rangefinder comes equipped with Callaway’s Pin Acquisition Technology (P.A.T.) that allows the user to lock onto the pin from up to 300 yards away.

One of my favorite features of this unit is something Callaway calls their Exclusive Birdie Feature, which delivers an audible ‘chirp’ that confirms whenever the distance to the flagstick has been acquired.

This rangefinder features slope measurement technology that measures the angle of incline or decline on any given hole then automatically calculates the slope adjusted distance. The slope function can be turned off with the click of a button, which makes the Callaway 300 Pro legal for tournament play.

The Callaway 300 Pro Rangefinder provides accurate distances – adjusted for slope. This unit comes with slope, P.A.T (Pin Acquisition Technology), birdie technology that emits a chirp once target is acquired, 6X magnification and water/fog resistance. It has a 5 – 1000 yard range and is accurate to within with +/- 1 yard. This rangefinder also comes with a Premium Molded Case for extra protection. The Callaway 300 Pro Laser Rangefinder is both water and fog resistant. This rangefinder is perfect for the pros that want accurate distances, while being ideal for beginners due to its friendly price-point.

Pros & Cons

• PROS: Easy-to-read LCD Display. Water resistant. Fog-proof. P.A.T Price.
  
• CONS: Doesn’t feel as rugged as other units. No image stabilization. Plastic casing feels cheap.
  

 

Laser Golf Rangefinders – What to Consider If You Have Shaky Hands

In this guide, we’re going to answer several common questions regarding buying a laser golf rangefinder when you may not have the steadiest of hands.

1. Why Do Shaky Hands Make it Difficult to Use a Rangefinder?

In a nutshell, when a golfer’s hands tremble it makes it difficult for the very narrow laser beam that is emitted from today’s highly advanced laser golf rangefinders to ‘hit’ or lock onto the target (usually the flag). Additionally, the image – when viewed through the lens – may bounce and move, making it difficult for the user to see their target clearly.

2. How Do The Golf Rangefinders Reviewed Here Help Golfers with Shaky Hands?

All of the newer laser golf rangefinders reviewed in this article have advanced features that make them particularly suited for golfers whose hands shake and who have had trouble using rangefinders in the past. In particular, the Nikon COOLSHOT PRO Stabilized was designed specifically for golfers whose hands shake. This rangefinder has advanced stabilization technology that steadies the laser beam that is emitted from the unit, thus making it easier to lock onto the target. It also has advanced image stabilization that allows the user to view a still image – even if his or her hands are shaking – at the time the image is viewed through the lens.

All of the rangefinders reviewed above employ a continuous active search feature (sometimes called pinseeker technology) that continually searches for the target until locked on. Additionally, all of the rangefinders compared above provide some type of indication – either through vibration or sound – once the target is finally acquired.

3. What Other Features Do These Laser Golf Rangefinders Have?

All but one of the rangefinders reviewed above (Bushnell Tour V4 Rangefinder) have slope functionality that takes the slope of the course into consideration and provide ‘play-as’ distances to make club selection easier. Each of the units compared here have some type of active search feature (sometimes called pinseeker technology). Most of today’s newer rangefinders provide 2-D course overlay mapping, as well.

Arguably one of the biggest benefits to golfers whose hands shake is the instant feedback provided in the form of vibration or sound that indicates once the target in locked onto. Built-in golf courses world-wide, image stabilization, and active search are just some of the advancements integrated into today’s sophisticated laser golf rangefinders.

4. What Else Can Golfers with Shaky Hands Do to Help Them Use Their Rangefinders More Effectively?

If you are a golfer with hands that tremble and you are not ready to purchase one of these newer rangefinders, here are some things you can do with your current unit to help you use it more effectively. Unfortunately, these suggestions are for rangefinders that are, at least, new enough to incorporate some type of active search (a.k.a pinseeker) functionality.

The first thing to do is turn ON your rangefinders active search functionality. Once this is done, hold your elbows as close to your sides as possible and aim towards your target. While the unit is in active search mode, slowly scan back and forth across the target until the unit is ‘locked-on’ to the target. Hopefully, your rangefinder is new enough that it will provide some type of feedback – either through a vibration or sound – to indicate that the target has been acquired.

Putting your unit into active-search mode eliminates the need for you to hit the target immediately. One of the most common complaints that golfers with shaky hands have is that their trembling hands make it difficult to hold their unit steady enough to acquire the target upon their initial aim. Following the advice above will help!

5. Why Should You Consider Buying a New Laser Golf Rangefinder?

If you’re on the fence about buying one of these newer laser golf rangefinders, I cannot stress how far the technology has come in the past 2-3 years. The incredible accuracy of units like the Garmin Z80 make it possible to achieve distances accurate to within 10 inches from farther away than any of us really need.

JOLT technology and various forms of feedback can help even the most novice golfers begin to understand their yardages better. Course overlays and incredible magnification have made today’s rangefinders easier to use than ever. Active search (pinseeker) technology has made today’s units more effective than ever – whether you have steady hands or not.

And for the first time, one laser golf rangefinder – the Nikon COOLSHOT PRO Stabilized – has been specifically designed to counteract all of the issues that golfers with unsteady hands have faced when using a rangefinder. Say goodbye to frustration and hello to accurate yardages with any of these awesome tools.

So there you have it: The 5 Best Golf Rangefinders for Shaky Hands. I realize these are just my opinions and others may agree to disagree (as a matter of fact, please add a comment below whether you agree with my list or if you are a golfer whose hands tend to shake. I’d love to know which laser rangefinder you would recommend? Just leave a comment below!)

Happy Golfing!