- Foresight Life
Best Golf Launch Monitor: Comparing GCQuad and GC3
The best golf launch monitor is an essential tool for players
At Foresight Sports, we understand and embrace that reality. That’s why we designed all Foresight Sports products to stand out from the competition and deliver unrivalled accuracy, ease of use and reliability. Because that’s what you, the golfer and coaches, demand.
But what makes our products some of the best golf launch monitors — more consistent than competitors like TrackMan 4, Full Swing KIT and Uneekor EYE MINI? To answer this, we turn to Gene Parente, a golf data expert with over 35 years of experience testing golf equipment, to compare golf launch monitors.
Gene Parente | The Expert Voice
Gene Parente, founder of Golf Laboratories, has been at the forefront of golf equipment testing since 1990. Known for developing a state-of-the-art robot that’s used by all major golf club manufacturers and the game’s governing bodies, Gene has established himself as a standard in the industry. His deep understanding of launch monitors, robot testing and data measurement drew him to Foresight Sports products, particularly the groundbreaking abilities of GCQuad.
Swing robot testing is crucial in the golf space for its ability to replicate consistent, controlled swings and provide precise, repeatable data. These robots help manufacturers optimise equipment performance by simulating various swing conditions and skill levels. This leads to better-quality clubs and balls, enhancing the overall golfing experience at every touch point.
In the case of launch monitors, it allows us to know exactly what’s happening with the club so we can verify data in different swing scenarios.
Gene’s Experience with Foresight Products
Gene explains, “Before the GCQuad, I could replicate any set of launch conditions with my robot, but I didn’t know the cause behind those conditions. The GCQuad changed that by providing accurate clubhead delivery data, enabling me to better understand the cause and effect in a golf swing.”
Testing Protocol: Ensuring Accurate and Reliable Data
To provide a thorough and unbiased comparison of the Foresight Sports launch monitors (GCQuad and GC3) against their competitors (TrackMan 4, Full Swing KIT, and Uneekor EYE MINI), we designed a rigorous testing protocol. This approach ensured that our findings were based on consistent and reliable data, highlighting the real-world performance of each device. Here’s a detailed look at our testing methodology:
Same Conditions & Simultaneous Recording
Gene conducted simultaneous testing in the same environments, ensuring that conditional factors impacted each shot evenly. To further maintain consistency, we used the same 10.5° driver for all shots.
We hit 10 shots with various face-strike locations (centre, toe, heel, high, low, etc.), with both devices in a head-to-head battle recording the same shot at the same time. This allowed for a direct comparison of the data instantaneously.
We tested the TrackMan unit in multiple settings: Indoor, Outdoor and utilising their Normalised feature. We featured three strike locations: centre, 15mm toe and 15mm heel.
Key Differentiators | Clubhead Delivery and Spin Axis Measurements
Within his rigorous testing, Gene compared the GCQuad and GC3 against TrackMan 4, Full Swing KIT, and Uneekor EYE MINI. He found two main areas where Foresight products stood squarely above the rest:
- Clubhead Delivery Measurements: The GCQuad provides precise data on clubhead delivery, crucial for understanding swing mechanics. As Gene states, “If you see an effect and don’t know the cause, it’s difficult to change the result – meaning if you’re a golfer, instructor or clubfitter, you can’t make the proper adjustments to play better golf or get your customer to optimise their swing. Accurate data for clubhead delivery and impact conditions is essential.”
- Spin Axis Measurements: Accurate spin axis measurements are vital for understanding ball flight and total distance. The largest discrepancy Gene saw during testing was with the Uneekor EYE MINI, which on mis-hits toward the toe the range ballooned to 1500 while the standard deviation jumped to 448. In comparison, GC3’s range was 325 with a standard deviation of 114.Compared to TrackMan 4, the GCQuad delivered much more consistent spins rates on centre strikes (82 standard deviation/226 range vs. 175 standard deviation/620 range), respectively. On off-centre strikes, the numbers were comparable and both performed well.Why are spin rates so important? According to Gene, spin rates determine total distance. So if the spin is wrong, so is the distance calculation. In essence, it’s tough to play your best golf if your caddie’s giving you bad reads.
Consistency and Reliability
Gene emphasises the importance of consistent and reliable data. “The totality of the data shows inconsistencies in each competitor’s product, but Foresight Sports products maintain their consistency throughout. Would you buy a dozen golf balls knowing that five of them weren’t actually a Pro V1? That’s a comparison I like to make after digesting the data.”
Ease of Use and Durability
Beyond accuracy, Foresight products also excel in user-friendliness and durability:
- Ease of Setup: Unlike many competitors that require extensive calibration, levelling, and other setup procedures, Foresight Sports devices are incredibly user-friendly. Gene highlights, “With Foresight, it’s as simple as pushing one button and seeing results almost instantly. No need for complex setup.”
- Durability: Foresight Sports products are built to last. Gene’s testing revealed that competitors like Uneekor EYE MINI struggle with reliability, especially under harsh conditions. Foresight Sports devices, on the other hand, maintain performance even in challenging environments.
Real-World Impact: Data Accuracy and Golf Performance
In exploring competitor products, Gene’s testing revealed significant variances and standard deviations in angle of attack, clubhead speed and shot consistency.
What is standard deviation (STDEV) exactly? It’s a way to see how spread out the numbers are in a set of data. When you are collecting data to measure performance, particularly in golf which is a game of precision, you want to see consistent results. This is why we use robotics in research and testing, because the club delivery metrics should be very consistent once the robot is calibrated properly. Consistency indicates reliability and predictability, which is exactly what you want as a coach, player or club fitter.
If the standard deviation is high, it means the performance data is all over the place, leading to inconsistent quality and difficulty in planning.
GCQuad offers a lower standard deviation compared to its competitors in nearly every vital statistic.
Clubhead Speed: Foresight Sports’ GCQuad offers tighter standard deviations (STDEV), indicating more reliable data.
- Foresight Sports GCQuad: STDEV 0.2
- TrackMan 4: STDEV 0.8
- Uneekor EYE MINI: STDEV 3.9
Accurate Mis-hit Data: Competitors like TrackMan 4 and Full Swing KIT struggle with high and low hits, as well as heel and toe strikes, showing greater standard deviations and unreliable data. Uneekor EYE MINI had the largest inconsistencies for clubhead speed on mis-hits, upwards of 28 MPH and with a standard deviation of 10.4 MPH on toe strikes. This from robot testing, with the same swing repeated over 10 shots.
In comparison the GC3’s standard deviation was 0.4 MPH with a range of 1.4 MPH.
GC3 vs. Uneekor EYE MINI
Angle of Attack: TrackMan 4 (data below in the right hand column) often shows a more negative angle of attack with a driver compared to Foresight Sports GCQuad, leading to misleading spin rates. TrackMan 4 also has a range of 0.6 compared to the more consistent 0.3 of GCQuad.
Closing Argument
Gene’s reason for using Foresight Sports products is clear and simple: “I use my GCQuad on a daily basis and in my line of work, where accurate data is everything, I need to use the best in the industry to provide information to various outlets and golf industry leaders. It’s my livelihood. Without this device, I wouldn’t be as good as I am now. It’s just that simple.
“If you want the best in class, a launch monitor that delivers 99.9% accuracy, then Foresight products are the way to go. Competitors may offer lower prices, but they don’t match the reliability and accuracy. In my opinion, and based on the data, Foresight Sports makes the best golf launch monitors.”
The Gold Standard
Backed by extensive testing and Gene’s expertise, it’s clear that Foresight Sports’ GCQuad and GC3 launch monitors offer superior performance compared to competitors. For golfers, instructors and fitters seeking the best in golf technology, there’s one definitive choice.
Invest in the best and elevate your game with Foresight Sports. The GCQuad, priced at £16,788, and the GC3, at £7,788, provide unparalleled value. While competitors like TrackMan 4 (£21,895), Full Swing KIT (£4,999) and Uneekor EYE MINI (£5,100) may seem appealing, remember that with Foresight, you get what you pay for: the gold standard in golf launch monitors and unequivocally the best in the business.
For more information and to purchase, contact us. The numbers don’t lie, Foresight Sports offers the most accurate and reliable launch monitors in the game.
To review the full results of each comparison, please click the links below:
GCQuad vs. TrackMan 4
GCQuad vs. Full Swing KIT
GC3 vs. Uneekor EYE MINI
Get started. Talk to an Technology expert.
Our team of Technology Experts are ready to assist you with any questions or guidance you need to make the most our of Foresight Technology.
