GCQuad Review - A Real Outdoor Field Test

GCQuad Outdoor TestHardly a week goes by that Carl isn't asked to do another launch monitor review, so in true Carl’s Place fashion, we tested the Foresight Sports GCQuad at the driving range to see how it performed compared to real life numbers measured by a Bushnell rangefinder.

We’ve done this type of outdoor field test with several other launch monitors, including:

 

GCQUAD FIELD TEST SETUP

The GCQuad is a relatively small, photometric launch monitor that sits adjacent to the ball position, making it easy to take to the driving range and set up once there. At the outdoor range, we made sure the GCQuad was on as level of a surface as we could find and did not have sunlight shining directly on the cameras to try to get the most accurate data.

GCQuad_front_side_white_shadowsTim, a product specialist at Carl’s Place, took 20 swings each with a pitching wedge, 6 iron and driver. Mike, a content writer (and the guy who won the first matchup in the Tim vs. Mike Challenge Series on our YouTube channel), was out in the field tracking the ball. Mike marked the carry distance, then Tim used the rangefinder to measure that distance. Jon, videographer and all around good guy, was behind the camera recording all the action.

Disclaimer for the naysayers (we know you’re out there): Of course, there are factors that come into play in an uncontrolled outdoor environment, such as wind, tee box elevation and human error marking the ball out in the field. Keep those factors in mind when you check out the data.


GCQUAD FIELD TEST RESULTS

PITCHING WEDGE

Overall, the GCQuad was quite accurate reading the pitching wedge with 16 of the 20 shots being within 5 yards of the actual range finder distance.

The average difference and percentage were a little inflated due to a couple of large outliers that were pretty big misses.

“Although we only had a couple shots perfectly accurate, most of the pitching wedge shots were quite close to actual numbers,” Tim said. “I felt pretty good about the Quad’s performance with the roller coaster of numbers from my pitching wedge.”

GCQuad on the driving range measuring a pitching wedge

Pitching Wedge Real Life Carry Distance Simulator Carry Distance Yardage Difference % Difference
Shot 1 106 108 2 1.89%
Shot 2 102 106 4 3.92%
Shot 3 105 112 7 6.67%
Shot 4 89 89 0 0.00%
Shot 5 107 122 15 14.02%
Shot 6 102 110 8 7.84%
Shot 7 96 98 2 2.08%
Shot 8 115 119 4 3.48%
Shot 9 104 109 5 4.81%
Shot 10 101 113 12 11.88%
Shot 11 120 120 0 0.00%
Shot 12 99 100 1 1.01%
Shot 13 113 114 1 0.88%
Shot 14 102 103 1 0.98%
Shot 15 119 122 3 2.52%
Shot 16 87 90 3 3.45%
Shot 17 123 125 2 1.63%
Shot 18 114 117 3 2.63%
Shot 19 113 118 5 4.42%
Shot 20 108 111 3 2.78%
    Average 4.05 3.84%

6 IRON

We were very impressed by the data the GCQuad read from the 6 iron. The first shot was the only one that was more than 10 yards off. Otherwise the GCQuad tracked 18 of the 20 shots within 7 yards of the actual distance measured by the rangefinder.

In fact, the percentage difference improved, which is not something you see all the time as you start hitting longer distanced clubs.

“Seeing the improvement compared to the pitching wedge was a pleasant surprise that we’ve rarely seen before in other tests,” Tim said.

GCQuad on the driving range measuring a 6 iron

6 Iron Real Life Carry Distance Simulator Carry Distance Yardage Difference % Difference
Shot 1 148 161 13 8.78%
Shot 2 134 139 5 3.73%
Shot 3 130 136 6 4.62%
Shot 4 118 114 4 3.39%
Shot 5 144 151 7 4.86%
Shot 6 138 145 7 5.07%
Shot 7 118 120 2 1.69%
Shot 8 142 146 4 2.82%
Shot 9 157 163 6 3.82%
Shot 10 151 151 0 0.00%
Shot 11 160 161 1 0.63%
Shot 12 140 145 5 3.57%
Shot 13 148 156 8 5.41%
Shot 14 156 157 1 0.64%
Shot 15 133 127 6 4.51%
Shot 16 150 153 3 2.00%
Shot 17 157 159 2 1.27%
Shot 18 142 148 6 4.23%
Shot 19 133 136 3 2.26%
Shot 20 144 147 3 2.08%
    Average 4.6 3.27%

DRIVER

And even more interesting was that the GCQuad’s data for driver percentage difference improved even more over the 6 iron and pitching wedge.

It’s not easy for launch monitors to measure or calculate these longer numbers, especially with Tim’s inconsistent slice, because the margin of error is significantly more, but only three shots ended up being 10 or more yards different.

It even got 9 shots within 5 yards, and two exactly right. 

“The GCQuad just kept getting better as I hit longer clubs,” Tim said. “I couldn't believe it. That has not been the norm for other launch monitors we’ve tested.”

GCQuad on the driving range measuring a driver

Driver Real Life Carry Distance Simulator Carry Distance Yardage Difference % Difference
Shot 1 205 212 7 3.41%
Shot 2 219 219 0 0.00%
Shot 3 200 197 3 1.50%
Shot 4 224 231 7 3.13%
Shot 5 207 211 4 1.93%
Shot 6 194 200 6 3.09%
Shot 7 207 213 6 2.90%
Shot 8 198 197 1 0.51%
Shot 9 201 202 1 0.50%
Shot 10 202 205 3 1.49%
Shot 11 190 197 7 3.68%
Shot 12 196 206 10 5.10%
Shot 13 210 223 13 6.19%
Shot 14 200 209 9 4.50%
Shot 15 209 215 6 2.87%
Shot 16 204 216 12 5.88%
Shot 17 208 216 8 3.85%
Shot 18 195 200 5 2.56%
Shot 19 204 201 3 1.47%
Shot 20 203 203 0 0.00%
    Average 5.55 2.73%

GCQuad showing data parameters on LCD screenCONCLUSION

The data accuracy from the GCQuad was impressive, especially with how it kept improving as we moved to the longer distance clubs. But is it worth the price tag? Let’s compare it to the similarly priced Uneekor EYE XO. 

  Uneekor EYE XO GCQuad
Price See Pricing See Pricing
Data Parameters Ball Speed Side Spin Back Spin Side Angle Side Total Launch Angle Angle of Descent / Land Angle Flight Time Distance to Apex  Carry, Run and Total Distance Club Speed Dynamic Loft Angle of Attack Smash Factor Club Path Club Face Angle Club Face to Path Club Lie Angle Club Loft Angle Impact Point Vertical Impact Point Horizontal Ball speed Horizontal & vertical launch angles Spin Side spin Carry distance Available with additional purchase: Club head speed Smash factor Angle of attack Club path Loft at impact Lie & face angle at impact Impact location on the club face
Software Comes with View software, which is a driving range. Upgrade to Refine+ and still stay under the price of the GCQuad with the included FSX 2020 software Includes FSX 2020, FSX Play and FSX Pro
Setup Overhead mounted Sits on the ground adjacent to the tee position
Multiplayer Friendliness Center mounted overhead so no need to move it if you have righties and lefties Must be placed adjacent to ball, which means moving the device for an opposite handed player. Foresight does offer an overhead, centrally mounted launch monitor called the GCHawk.
Portability Indoors only Indoors and Outdoors

Let us know in the comments what you think about the GCQuad.

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