The Bushnell Launch Pro Is Perfect (Except This 1 Thing)
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Bushnell Launch Pro is the most accurate launch monitor for under $5,000 that I have tested. In reality, this is because the BLP is the Foresight GC3 (A $6,000 Launch Monitor) for a cheaper base price with subscription fees. Both of these devices are great, if you plan on having your launch monitor longer than 5 years I recommend the Foresight GC3 because it is the exact same thing, but instead of a low base price and high subscription fees, the Foresight GC3 has a higher base price with no subscription fees. You can get either one of these for the lowest possible price with the discount code GB100-JLKJME for the BLP or GolfBusters10 for the Foresight GC3.
Accuracy
To test the accuracy of the devices I’ve reviewed I hit over 1,000 shots on them compared side by side with a Trackman unit ($20,000 device). Out of all the devices, the Bushnell Launch Pro is the best one I have found for under $5,000 performing more like a device that is in the $8,000-$10,000 price range. This probably is because it truly is a $6,000-$8,500 device(Foresight GC3) for a lower price with high subscription fees.
Pricing
When buying the Bushnell Launch Pro you can either get a $2,000 version with just ball data or the $3,500 version with ball and club data. You can get it for $100 off with the discount code GB100-JLKJME. With the $2,000 unit, you get all the normal ball metrics like carry yardage, ball spin, etc. The club data addition gets you club speed, smash factor, angle of attack, and club path. Sadly, you don’t get face angle which to me is one of the most important club metrics to have. Face angle is one of the most useful data points for fixing your swing so without it I think it’s a little difficult to make swing corrections.
This device is one of my most reliable devices when it comes to accurate club data but you do have to put club stickers on to get an accurate reading. This means unless you want to take the time to put stickers on every club, only very frequent users of the monitor will get that data.
One of the biggest downsides to the Bushnell Launch Pro is the huge subscription fees. The minimum is $500, this is for 30 FSX Play courses which I have found I enjoy, and honestly, on top of that, you don’t need anything else. If you do like GSPRO (I highly recommend it) you can get that membership which is $250 on top of the $500 you’re already spending on the FSX Play courses. Also, if you decide you want more courses on FSX Play I think it’s $150 more per course so I don’t suggest it because at that point you should probably just subscribe to GSPRO.
Bushnell Launch Pro
Foresight GC3
If you find that you like the BLP after reading about it and your only drawback is the subscription fees I suggest getting the GC3. While it is a little more expensive most people will be using their monitor for over 5 years. Since the GC3 has NO subscription FEES after those 5 years are up you will be saving the money you would have spent on fees if you had gone with the BLP. In the long run, the smarter option is the GC3 because these monitors can last you a very long time so honestly getting a new one before that time is up wouldn’t make much sense as the accuracy is already top-notch.
Space Constraints
Out of all launch monitors, this is probably the one you can get away with using the least amount of space. You only need 10-11 feet of width and around 15-16 feet of depth. The only downside of this is you can’t play with both lefties and righties as easily, and if you do plan on it you will need to add a few extra feet of width.
When it comes down to it, it is possible to play with lefties and righties, it’s just more work than it’s worth. Every time you switch you need to pick up the monitor, put it in the right spot, then scroll on the device menu to change the settings. If you plan on having lefties over a lot I wouldn’t recommend this device and I would suggest you read this article about the Mevo+.
NOTE: If you use GSPRO you can use the option “PLAY OUT HOLE” Which makes the lefty-righty experience much better on the BLP & GC3. This allows you to only switch the device every 2 holes when lefties are over as opposed to every shot.
Set-Up
The setup of the BLP is super fast. The first time it might take an hour because you’ll need to set up the program, connect to wifi and the projector, and iron out all the fine details. After that initial set-up, it shouldn’t take more than 1-2 minutes to set up on the daily.
Programs
The subscription for the Bushnell Launch Pro is FSX Play, you get 30 courses with that subscription, and every additional one is around $150 which adds up fast so I don’t recommend that. If you do want more courses I highly recommend getting GSPRO because it has so many courses and fun games for one of the lowest subscription fees of just $250 per year.
Battery Life
The official battery life on the BLP is around 10 hours I believe, but whenever I use it I feel like it could run for days without dying. This has the best battery life of any of my devices by far, so as long as you charge it overnight you should be able to use it for a long time.
Driving Range
This is my favorite monitor to take to the driving range because of how simple it is to set up. All you need to do is set it down and go. While I do like the Mevo+ a lot, its radar technology reads the balls full flight giving more accurate reads. It does take quite a bit longer to set up. That being said if I am going for a more intense outing at the range I probably would rather have my Mevo+ because it is slightly more accurate outside, but 90% of the time I will take my BLP outside because of the ease of setup.
Responsiveness
The BLP is the most responsive out of all units under $5,000, it reads the ball extremely quickly every time I hit which is very nice.
Putting
The BLP is amazing at reading putts, but just because you can putt on your monitor doesn’t mean you should. It takes about an extra hour to putt on a simulator when playing a full round with 4 people which is a lot of wasted time. If you’re looking to improve your putting game I recommend just getting a putting mat or going to a green and doing that on your own time.
Lefties & Righties
To be honest, if you have lefties over a lot it can be a pain in the butt. When it comes down to it it just takes up a lot of time and the only way to do it partially efficiently is to get GSPRO and use the setting where you play the whole hole out then switch. If that switch does become easier in the future I think that it would make me recommend the BLP more often for big groups with lefties and righties.
Sturdiness
I have found the Bushnell Launch Pro to be a very solid device that can take a hit. The cameras are also placed strategically so they won’t get damaged. If you are super concerned you can get a protective case just to be safe. I don’t think the case is needed, but a little extra protection for your monitor will never hurt.
Quirks
The Bushnell Launch Pro has the least quirks out of all of the devices under $5,000 that I have tested. You will have to get dark birtees because of the infrared cameras. You also have to use club stickers to get accurate club data, which can make it hard when you are having guests over because you either have to go through the hassle of putting stickers on all of their clubs, or they just don’t get any club data. Another little quirk that happens rarely is that when someone hits their driver with a high swing speed, draw shot shape, and a low launch angle the backspin will read wrong and the carry yardage will be very short. This happens very rarely and for very few people (Approx. 1/30), but it’s a pain when you happen to have that specific driver swing and your shot is getting underread by around 30 yards. I should know, it happened to me until I got a little higher spinning driver and now I don’t have the issue.
Why Is It Not My #1 Device?
The first reason it isn’t my #1 recommended device under $5,000 is because the subscription fees are so high you will reach that $5,000 mark after having it a short time. If you like the BLP and are looking for a long-term launch monitor I suggest spending the money now and just getting the Foresight GC3. It will save you money after having it for around 5 years and it is the same thing with no subscription fees. That being said, the reason the Mevo+ is my #1 recommended device is because of the ease of use it offers when having groups of people over and the amount of data it offers to the golfer, I have found the Mevo+ carry yardage accuracy to be within 99% of the BLP/GC3 (Shot shape on gear effect shots is better on the BLP/GC3). So, when you factor all of that in this is why I use my Mevo+ more when having people over than I do my GC3, despite using my GC3 more when playing solo.
So in short, if you are a 5 HCP or better with minimal lefties I recommend the BLP/GC3, if you and your group are mostly worse than a 5 HCP I think you will get more out of the Mevo+
The reasons to get the Bushnell Launch Pro would be if you’re playing with just righties/rarely play with lefties, you prefer top-of-the-line accuracy, and if you don’t mind the higher subscription fees. That being said if you mostly play with righties but the subscription fees are an issue, I highly suggest playing the long game and spending a little more now on the Foresight GC3 to bypass those subscription fees. If you are still undecided though take this quiz to see which monitor is the one for you and you’ll get a discount code to get that launch monitor for as cheap as possible.