UPDATE ON THE LAUNCH PRO – 8/13/2021
According to new details that have emerged, the upcoming Bushnellgolf Launch Pro will, in fact, be camera-based. That’s not any surprise given the partnership with Foresight Sports. What is perhaps a pleasant surprise is that the Launch Pro will feature three cameras. According to Bushnell, that places the Launch Pro a step above any consumer-grade launch monitor currently on the market.
The talking points are similar to what Foresight has said before:
“Unlike radar-based systems that set up behind the golfer and rely on algorithms to guess what happened at impact, the Bushnell Launch Pro uses a high-speed camera-based system to capture every detail at impact.”
With its three infrared high-speed camera, the Launch Pro is capable of capturing thousands of frames per second to prove the most reliable and accurate data in the consumer space.
The specific details of what metrics will be provided to golfers remain under wraps for now.
We expect full details to emerge within the next couple of weeks.
Let us know what you think about these little teasers in the comments section below
Bushnell Enters the Personal Launch Monitor Space
Should all other personal launch monitors be scared of the Bushnell Launch Pro powered by Foresight?
We have limited information about this story but what we do know is that Bushnell and Foresight joining forces already has golfers excited. But why are two completely different companies coming together? Read on.
After testing Bushnell and Foresight products for many years, I can say with complete certainty that both companies are at the top of the food chain in their selected industries.
Bushnell is known best for their golf rangefinders. In testing, Bushnell’s rangefinders have the clearest optics, top-notch accuracy and many features to help you shoot lower scores. There’s a reason why most of the players were using them at the 2021 PGA Championship.
Foresight is one of the leaders in the launch monitor space. Many PGA TOUR professionals use the Foresight GC Quad while practicing on the range or on the course at an event. So why would Foresight want to compete against themselves in the launch monitor space? Simple. It’s a different niche of the market. The personal launch monitor space is grabbing a lot of attention by the everyday golfer.
Why Are Bushnell and Foresight Joining Forces?
Bushnell Golf enters the launch monitor market with the introduction of the Launch Pro. Bushnell partnered with Foresight Sports to bring a “pro-level” launch monitor to the everyday golfer.
“Our two teams are the right combination to win in the growing launch monitor market,” says Foresight Sports Co-Founder Jon Watters. “Foresight Sports’ leading technology combined with the strength of the Bushnell Golf brand will facilitate growth in new and existing golf markets.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of this sport. Not only to be witnessing the evolution of our game toward a broader, more enhanced user experience through technology but to be actively helping golfers improve while growing the game and reaching new users. We are excited for the future and this partnership with Bushnell Golf.”
When looking at both companies, Bushnell is really good at distributing their products across the world in big box stores. They already have their products in these stores. Foresight is very good at providing accurate and consistent data but don’t have a lot of their products in mainstream stores. See where I’m going with this? It just makes sense. Foresight have the technology of their GC2 just sitting around because the GC Quad has taken over. So why not use the GC2 data and repurpose it in the Launch Pro?
This is obviously my own opinion and I could be completely wrong, but this theory just makes sense in my head. Food for thought.
A First Look at The Launch Pro
That’s literally all we’ve got. A look. A picture. And while it may not be worth the proverbial thousand words, this picture can give us enough hints to make a few assumptions.
“The Bushnell Launch Pro will offer our core consumer access to the best technology in ball-striking measurement and analysis which will support our consumers in their pursuit of improvement,” says Bushnell President Vishak Sankaran.
OK, but we want to know what specific data points the Launch Pro will offer. According to bushnellgolf.com, the Launch Pro will include clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, carry distance, spin rate and roll out. However, the picture of the Launch Pro includes side spin and launch direction. Whether this was by accident or just another tease by Bushnell/Foresight is to be determined. Launch Pro users will have access to multiple course simulations to enhance their in-home or off-course playing experience, according to Sankaran. I don’t know about you, but that sounds right up my alley.
You may be asking, “Will it be a camera or Doppler radar-based launch monitor?” Come on! Do you really think Foresight, a leading camera-based model, really start a Doppler launch monitor from scratch? I will bet my house on the Launch Pro being a camera-based personal launch monitor, using the same technology as their GC Quad.
With all of this technology that Bushnell/Foresight are offering, how much will it cost? Well, if you look at their new competitors with similar data offerings, you’re looking around $2,000. The Launch Pro might come in around that number but for having two top-quality companies come together, the price might come in higher.
How can Bushnell/Foresight differentiate themselves from every other PLM on the market? I think it’s simple. You have two leaders in the industry joining forces so you get double the amount of knowledge and technology in one unit. Plus the tech that Foresight have is incredibly consistent which can’t be said for some of the personal launch monitors on the market.
When Can You Get Your Hands On This?
According to Bushnell’s website, they will be available this fall.
The biggest thing that needs to be addressed is: Can I trust the numbers the Launch Pro produces? Don’t worry. We will be testing this unit as soon as we can get one. Then we will spill all the beans to provide you with more information to make a better, more informed decision.
Let me know in the comments section if you agree with my theory on why Bushnell and Foresight joined forces. If not, what’s your opinion?
Warren
3 years ago
They are not going to release this to compete with the GC Quad so the question is what features will they hold back that is offered by the Quad. One less camera could in theory mean it will be less accurate but would it be material enough to make someone step up to the Quad. If we assume it will include club head measurement, that would effectively mean it’s going to be cheaper than the Quad but will most definitely be more expensive than the 2 camera Skytrak. I would also assume it will have a lot more processing power and memory to process more images from 3 cameras than the Skytrak and not have that ridiculous lag time that the Skytrak suffers from.
Im going to bet it will be in the $6k-$7k range where I see a gap in the market. There really isn’t much available between the price point of the Skytrak/Mevo+ and the GC Quad/Trackman/Flightscope X3. The Uneekor QED is a great option but who knows how long it will be around for with Uneekor focusing on the $10k Eye XO.
Exciting times ahead!