Foresight Sports QuadMax vs GCQuad vs TrackMan | Is There a New Benchmark for Golf Launch Monitors?

We Interview & Get a FIRST LOOK at the Brand New 2024 Foresight Sports QuadMAX at the PGA Show!

The QuadMAX—Foresight Sport’s new flagship launch monitor—was announced on January 23, 2024 at the PGA Show in Orlando. Did it up its game over the GCQuad? Oh yeah.

And what about the Trackman golf launch monitor?

As Marc pointed out in the video above, more and more tour pros are choosing the GCQuad to get their numbers during pre-round warmups. You see it on TV coverage as well as if you attend a tournament in person.

No doubt, the feature upgrades and design improvements on the QuadMAX will continue to give it that edge.

Let’s get on with comparing these cream of the 2024 golf launch monitor crop!

Foresight Sports QuadMAX vs GCQuad Comparison Chart 

Why Are We Seeing More Foresight Sports Launch Monitors?

Why are are the best players in the game turning to GCQuad and QuadMAX for their numbers? The answer lies in a tally of key factors, including:

• Foresight Sports is the undisputed leader in delivering dead-on-accurate club and ball data.
• The GCQuad and QuadMAX are so much simpler to set up quickly than a Trackman.
• What's more, the new QuadMAX includes practically unlimited internal shot data storage.
• On Foresight Sports units, you can get your data right on the internal display. That's another big reason that their a preferred choice for pros warming up. They want numbers at the ready, fast and on-demand. The GCQuad and QuadMAX deliver that functionality in a way that Trackman can't.
• Jump over to this article for a deep dive on what sets the new QuadMAX apart from the GCQuad and any other contenders. 

Foresight Sports GCQuad vs QuadMAX vs Trackman Price

If you’re shopping for one of these golf launch monitors, budget is likely not as significant a factor as for most at-home golfers. 

However, the price hike from the Foresight launch monitors to the Trackman is mighty significant. And considering that these best-of-the-best launch monitors are closely aligned in the data they provide as well as performance and accuracy—the cost disparity comes into stark relief against the gadgets’ similarities.

The Foresight Sports GCQuad starts at $14,500 for Ball Data only, and you can get it fully loaded for $19,999.

The new Foresight Sports QuadMAX starts at $19,999 for Ball & Club Data. If you add on putting, it’s $22,499. And—only at PlayBetter—you can make it a full simulator package with enclosure, impact screen, golf mat, and projector starting at $23,998.99!

A Trackman golf launch monitor starts at $21,495. And Trackman’s software is $1,000 a year, whereas the GCQuad and QuadMAX come with all of Foresight Sports’ software. And, if you want a full Trackman simulator, you can drop up to $49,000 on the setup.

There are differences between the GCQuad and QuadMAX vs Trackman.

But as you will see by the comparisons below, the differences do not seem to warrant the contrast in price. 

GCQuad vs QuadMAX vs Trackman Overview

• The Trackman is lighter than the GCQuad and weighs about the same as the QuadMAX.

• The Foresight Sports launch monitors use camera-based technology while the Trackman is a Doppler radar-based unit.

• The Trackman requires a lot more space, as it sets behind the ball, making the GCQuad and QuadMAX preferable for home golf simulators.

• Trackman needs calibration for indoor and outdoor use, while the GCQuad/QuadMAX require a lot less frequent calibration.

• The Trackman does not have a built-in display, so you must have a device paired to it. The new QuadMAX has a display and more internal storage than one golfer can use in a lifetime—so you can upload your sessions later if you like.

• The QuadMAX and the GCQuad are the more budget-friendly options.

Technology — Foresight Sports vs Trackman

When it comes to these high-end golf launch monitors, Trackman and Foresight Sports employ very different technological approaches. 

Trackman uses Doppler radar technology, allowing the device to precisely trail the ball’s full flight, including the launch angle, spin rate, and curvature. It’s a comprehensive solution that offers a broad stroke of feedback on every shot you take.

On the other hand, GCQuad and QuadMAX take a different route to a wealth of data by employing photometric camera technology. This technology uses four high-speed, high-resolution cameras to capture club delivery details and ball launch characteristics.

GCQuad has an established reputation for accurate data on club delivery details, and the same can be expected from the QuadMAX. Measurements in the camera-based Foresight Sports launch monitors—like ball speed, carry, and spin—are comparable to Trackman. 

Data — The Quads vs Trackman

With the fully decked-out Foresight Sports GCQuad, you have these metrics at your disposal:

• Launch Angle
• Side Angle
• Ball Speed
• Total Spin
• Carry
• Side Spin/Spin Axis

• Club Head Speed 
• Smash Factor 
• Club Path 
• Angle of Attack 
• Loft/Lie 
• Face Angle 
• Impact Location 
• Closure Rate 

Now the new QuadMAX adds on:

• Ball Apex 
• Descent Angle
• Ball Offline from Target 

The Trackman launch monitor offers a dataset comparable to the QuadMAX from Foresight. However, different technology creates strengths in each device:

• GCQuad & QuadMAX: Both excel at providing club delivery details and are known for returning highly accurate, reliable ball data. Additionally, these launch monitors  are more suitable for home golf simulator setups with limited space. 

• Trackman: Known for reliably tracking the full flight of the ball, making it ideal for outdoor settings. Robust ball flight data is where this launch monitor excels.

What About as a Home Golf Simulator?

Simulator-wise, with a GCQuad or the new 2024 QuadMAX in your garage golf simulator, basement, or golf shed, you’ll be able to use all of the following:

• FSX Play Software
• FSX 2020 Software
• 25 Golf Courses
• FSX Pro Performance Software
• Awesome Golf—Lifetime Membership
• Integration with Third-Party Sim Software:
• GSPro
• E6 Connect
• Creative Golf
• Swing Catalyst
• Foresight Fairgrounds
• 2-Year Warranty
• Power Adapter & Cable
• USB-C Cable
• Alignment Stick
• Club Markers
  

If you have ever used or seen FSX software run in a simulator, you know it’s beautifully realistic enough to strike awe in the heart of any golfer. We’re talking about the best golf tech brand here; there isn’t an aspect of performance improvement or golf entertainment experiences where Foresight Sports is not leading.

While the Trackman can be used indoors, its true potential is as an outdoor launch monitor. It does offer some comprehensive software that includes:

• Shot analysis
• Performance putting
• Impact location
• Normalization (effects of altitude, wind, and temperature)
• Optimizer
• Tracy—Trackman’s AI-powered teaching assistant (Check out how FlightScope is doing their own virtual instructor!)
• A library of ultra-realistic golf courses

However, while extensive software offerings come with your purchase of a GCQuad or QuadMAX, the Trackman software will cost you $1,000 a year for its subscription. 

That’s a pretty difficult—and expensive—pill to swallow.

The Wrap on Foresight Sports vs Trackman

If you are considering one of these elite golf launch monitors, you may find that the Foresight Sports options are a better value and a better fit for your indoor golf simulator. You may also enjoy, as many pros already do, the superior club data that the GCQuad and QuadMAX offer.

That said, Trackman is no slouch. In fact, longer than any other, it held the position as the benchmark against which all launch monitors were compared. But the golf tech market is changing—almost daily, it seems. And more top brands are offering value that can compete with what was once considered “the best.”

But Foresight Sports is no newcomer to preeminent golf tech status. They’ve created a range of launch monitors with a range of budgets powered by their superior technology, so that more golfers may experience the best. And at PlayBetter, we think that’s pretty freaking cool.