Foresight Sports GC2 Launch Monitor Review: The Best $1,700 You Can Spend In Golf?

Foresight Sports is widely regarded as one of the leaders when it comes to launch monitor technology, especially the photometric kind which use cameras to capture exactly what the ball and club is doing at and just after impact.

But while they're very good, Foresight Sports launch monitors are also very expensive, which is admittedly justified by the accuracy and reliability. But given the emergence of more affordable launch monitors from a number of different companies, like the $200 Shot Scope LM1 and GolfBuddy Shot Mate, access into the Foresight ecosystem via a more affordable launch monitor was a stumbling block. But that's the problem that the new GC2 aims to solve.

I am old enough to remember using the original GC2, which was undoubtedly ahead of its time and performed well but got passed by fairly rapidly.

This new version comes in at just under £1,700, so not 'cheap' per se but much more affordable than the GC3, the GCQuad, and the GCQuad Max. For that, you are getting trustworthy Foresight technology via a two-camera system that's going to provide the data parameters most golfers need to gain crucial insights on their play. I've been testing it thoroughly over the last few weeks, and my findings are generally very positive.

First of all, it's a smart-looking device. I like the white finish on it. It's relatively compact and surprisingly lightweight at just over 2kg. This makes it easy to carry, helped by the grab handle underneath. It's also incredibly easy to use. Just place it down, turn it on, and you can start hitting shots almost straight away. As long as your ball's in the hitting area (the screen will tell you) you can start hitting.

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The screen is a little bit dark actually, especially on the hitting area section and when outdoors, but once you start hitting some shots and the data appears on the screen, the numbers are very easy to read and there are no such problems indoors.

The LCD display is a lot more modern than other launch monitors in the Foresight range. They've clearly thought about enhancing the screen with some colour to make it look more premium and it works.

You can customize the data you view on the display by pairing the GC2 with the Foresight app. Now, it must be said, Foresight has made considerable improvements to the app - it's a fantastic revamp that was much needed. Once you've created an account and paired the GC2 to your app, you can then customize the tiles that appear on the screen of the GC2 depending on what you're interested in.

But the viewing options on the app is what really sets the GC2 experience apart. You can just go to the quick range session, start hitting shots, and ball flights would appear on the screen, which is a lot of fun. But the great thing about pairing the GC2 with the app is the wealth of customization in terms of how you can view and interpret the data.

You can see your dispersion charts, you can view shots flying virtually on the range, which is great if you're hitting into a net and you're not able to see the ball flight. The in-app range experience really brings that to life.

You can obviously see all your shots in table format where you can see your averages, you can compare two different clubs, and you can even set up your phone, whether it's down the line or face on, select the video feature, and then once you hit a shot, you would then be able to correlate a video of your swing in slow-mo with those data points.

This is a really important thing to be able to do if you're making swing changes and you're looking to quantify improvements in, for example, your ball speed, club path or your angle of attack, whatever it might be. Being able to see the movement that caused a positive of negative change in the numbers? That's invaluable.

It's just one of the many features that I absolutely love about the GC2 and how it works in combination with the app. This was a much-needed product from Foresight. It gives you that accurate, reliable data in a much more affordable, accessible way.

It didn't miss a shot during my two testing sessions with a driver, iron and wedge as long as you make sure you get the ball in the hitting area - you're not going to be left frustrated at shots being missed or shots not tracked.

Another point worth making is that the GC2 comes with a 12 Months free Foresight+ Silver with Course Pass, unlocking premium software features, virtual courses and other ways to improve your game. A subscription is required after the trial to continue accessing these membership features, which start from $199 per year.

The GC2 combined with the free Foresight app provides a fantastic experience that will open up the world of data and quantifying performance and swing and club and ball metrics for more golfers. This is only going to help them understand their swing, their game a little bit more, and possibly speed up their improvement. And given how little spare time everyone has these days, this can only be a good thing.