Why ANSR Removed GPS (We Removed the Risk of Getting Worse)
Why ANSR Removed GPS (We Removed the Risk of Getting Worse)
ANSR has removed in-round GPS navigation. The reason is simple: relying on GPS can make you worse at golf. We've published a LAB tool that explains the evidence using brain science and growth-curve data: Shortest Path to Golf Growth.
Why We Dropped GPS
When you hit from a number on the screen, your brain isn't processing space—it's processing text. That "lazy" mode robs you of depth and 3D sense and undermines shot accuracy at the root. Research in spatial cognition and navigation supports this.
In contrast, stepping off distances, feeling the wind, and taking notes with a pencil—physical output—activates the brain's spatial hubs (including the hippocampus) and improves distance sense and course management. ANSR chose a hybrid strategy: go fast digitally, go deep analog. We removed the risk of getting worse.
The 3-Phase Hybrid Improvement Cycle
The LAB proposes three phases:
- PRE-ROUND (Digital): Use Google Earth and course guides to build the plan efficiently.
- DURING-ROUND (Analog): No GPS. Step off distances, feel the wind, write with a pencil. Sharpen your brain's spatial cognition.
- POST-ROUND (Digital): Enter your analog notes into shot analysis tools. Use Strokes Gained and other metrics to correct bias and improve next round's plan.
The tool shows with growth curves and brain-activity comparisons why this cycle leads to exponential improvement instead of flat growth from nav dependence.
Impact: Nav Dependence Can Shrink Your Brain
Famous research on London taxi drivers showed that learning the streets by memory physically enlarges the hippocampus—the brain's spatial hub—with experience. Following GPS instructions alone tends to leave this region underused, with a risk of atrophy. That's why distance sense gets worse. We removed GPS to remove that risk.
Conclusion
Build digitally, sharpen analog. Drop the GPS, pick up a pencil. That's the shortest path to getting better. For full charts, research index, and Japanese version, see the LAB.
Read in LAB: Shortest Path to Golf Growth