Foresight Sports QuadMAX Review: The New Best in Class Golf Launch Monitor

So much of the most recent golf launch monitor innovation has focused on making the technology more affordable. We’ve seen tremendous growth at the lower end of the launch monitor market as more people are now able to justify building home golf simulator studios.

But it’s been a minute since we’ve seen substantial breakthroughs at the top end, where the most serious launch monitor and simulator customers shop. That’s why everyone was so excited for the announcement in January at the 2024 PGA Show about the new Foresight Sports QuadMAX, an improved version of their top-of-the-line GCQuad.

Instructors, fitters, tour pros, top-level amateurs, and consumers who want the absolute best have taken notice. And now that I’ve had my own first-person experience with the QuadMAX, I’m excited to share what I see as the most interesting improvements and innovations.

A fully loaded QuadMAX, with the putting analysis add-on, retails for $22,499. The fully loaded GCQuad, with the same putting data, retails for $18,499. So the most pressing question is: Is the QuadMAX worth $4,000 more than the GCQuad?

That’s what we’re going to tackle here. Make no mistake, the QuadMAX is the new top of the mountain. But, as they say, is the juice worth the squeeze?

Let’s untangle it all.

Internal Shot Storage: The Biggest Advancement of the QuadMAX 

One of the absolute best things about the Foresight Sports GC3 and GCQuad is the built-in display. It means that you can get numbers immediately without having to interface with an app, which is a really nice luxury at times.

But the downside about those times with the GC3 and GCQuad when you choose not to open the app or Foresight software is that you can’t store those shots. Once you hit the next shot, the data from the previous one is gone. If you want to store your data, you have to be connected to another device.

Now, with the QuadMAX, there’s enough internal storage capacity for more than 1 billion golf shots. It’s, essentially, unlimited.

To me, this is a super cool and really useful advancement. It takes the one downside of the GC3 and GCQuad — where you have the benefit of quick setup and instant feedback but can’t store data for those on-the-fly sessions — and makes it a non-issue. Now, you get the best of both worlds. You can use the launch monitor without interfacing with the software, and all of your shots are stored.

On the QuadMAX, once you push a button, a QR code will pop up. You scan that code with your phone, and then all of the data that’s been stored will automatically load to your account so that you can review and analyze all of it later on your computer.

I love this for when you want to bring your golf launch monitor out to the driving range but don’t want to worry about connecting it with another device. Now you can have that quick range session, maybe before a round, and still have the benefit of collecting that data for later interpretation.

And think of how useful this new feature can be for instructors or fitters. Rather than fumble around with another device, they can pay full attention to their client, all while the data is seamlessly being recorded and stored.

So, right off the bat, we’ve got a legitimately useful advancement with the internal shot storage. Does that make it worth another four grand? Not quite, I don’t think. So let’s see what else the QuadMAX can do.

QuadMAX Display Is Now a Customizable Touchscreen 

Alright, so I mentioned how great the built-in display is on the GC3 and GCQuad. Well, now, with the QuadMAX, it’s even better. Much better, in fact. It’s now a touchscreen instead of an LED pushbutton screen. It’s simpler to navigate and a definite improvement. And it’s now protected by scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass.

Full disclosure: I have not had the opportunity to use the QuadMAX outdoors, so I can’t comment on how well the new screen reacts in sunlight where glare can be an issue with the other Foresight Sports golf launch monitors.

What’s most impressive about the new screen is that you can now customize the data that you see on the display. Foresight has introduced what they call “MyTiles.” So now you can go into the mobile app and pre-set what information will show on the launch monitor screen. Say you’re working on a specific part of your game and want to focus only on your spin numbers and angle of attack. MyTiles gives you that control.

This is also going to be a very useful feature for teaching pros and clubfitters. Talk to someone from either of those professions and they’ll tell you that some clients only benefit from certain information. MyTiles allows the pro to remove distracting, unnecessary information that might do more harm than good.

Swing Speed Training Part of QuadMAX Improvements

You can use the new QuadMAX as a speed training aid without even hitting a golf ball.

By placing a small sticker either on a golf club or on a speed stick like SuperSpeed you can store, chart, and track your swing speed numbers.

You might initially think, as I did, that there’s not much value in measuring swing speed without hitting a golf ball. At first, I didn’t see that as useful. But I now realize that it’s actually a great feature. And one big reason is because you can chart and analyze your swing speeds with every club in your bag, all the way down to the wedges and putter.

A couple of use cases that might benefit any of us are practicing tempo with our chipping and putting strokes. With the QuadMax, you can rehearse your chipping and putting strokes indoors while you do something like watch TV and the QuadMAX can tell you whether you are decelerating or correctly maintaining your speed.

GCQuad vs QuadMAX: New Model Has More Ball Data

One thing that is not improved with the QuadMAX is accuracy. It’s the same advanced four-camera photometric data capture technology as is in the GCQuad. Then again, that device was already noted as having the most accurate combined ball and club data in the industry.

But the QuadMAX does include an a bit more ball data. You now get:

• Ball apex
• Descent angle
• Ball offline from target

I think ball apex and descent angle are particularly interesting and a valuable metric in optimizing your ball flights and trajectories.

Just like with the GCQuad, you also get ball data points for:

• Launch angle
• Side angle
• Ball speed
• Total spin
• Carry distance
• Side spin/spin axis

For club data, the metrics are the same as with the GCQuad:

• Clubhead speed
• Smash factor
• Club path
• Angle of attack
• Loft/lie
• Face angle
• Impact location
• Closure rate

And, just like with the GCQuad, the QuadMAX is available both with and without putting data and analysis. Without the putting information, the QuadMAX retails for $19,999 compared to $15,999.99 for the GCQuad. When you add the putting, the QuadMAX comes in at $22,499 versus $18,499 for the GCQuad.

My guess is that if you’re spending this much to have the absolute best golf launch monitor and simulator, you’re going to want the putting analysis. The information you get can be very beneficial and includes things like how the ball launches off your putter face and for how long it skids on the ground before rolling. You also can see where on the putter face you’re making contact. No other launch monitor gives you anything as complete as this putting experience.

Just so you know, you do not need the putting analysis add-on to play sim golf with putting. The launch monitor will still read your putts, and it actually does a pretty good job of it relative to other simulators. But if you want all of the detailed information about your putting stroke, you need that $2,500 putting add-on.

Foresight Sports QuadMAX vs GCQuad: Golf Simulator Capabilities

As for simulator software and third-party sim software compatibility, the GCQuad and QuadMAX are the same. For software, out of the box you get:

• FSX Play simulation software plus 25 simulator golf courses
• FSX 2020 software
• FSX Pro Performance software
• Awesome Golf lifetime membership
• Foresight Fairgrounds

The FSX Play software features jaw-dropping graphics if you have a gaming PC. When you combine the incredible accuracy of the QuadMAX with the lifelike graphics of FSX Play, this setup represents the absolute pinnacle in realistic sim golf.

With the purchase of the QuadMAX, you get 25 Foresight simulator golf courses, which are the same as with the GCQuad:

• Blue Bayou Golf and Fishing Club
• Broken Tree Golf Course
• Linfield National Golf Club
• Teton Pines Golf Course
• Willow Crest Golf Club
• The Farms Golf Club
• Beaver Hills Country Club
• Tall Pines
• Butterfield Country Club
• Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club
• Awbrey Glen Golf Course
• Barren Boulders Executive
• Black Rock Golf Course
• Detroit Country Club
• Glen Flora Country Club
• Greencastle Golf Club
• Meadowbrook Country Club
• Mill Creek Golf Club
• Potter’s Park Golf Course
• Prairie Bluff Golf Club
• Sunnyside Golf & Country Club
• The Bedens Brook Club
• Twin Run Golf Course
• Wellington National Golf Club
• Tropical Paradise Executive

You’ll have to pay additional for any other Foresight golf courses, and they can be a bit expensive. Some of the biggies, like St Andrews and Pebble Beach, cost another $500 each.

One great benefit of both the GCQuad and QuadMAX, and the GC3 for that matter, is that there are no annual subscriptions. You’ll be able to use everything the launch monitor can do, including playing simulator golf, as soon as you get it, provided you have a computer capable of running the software.

You also can use the QuadMAX with third-party simulator software like GS Pro, though you’ll of course have to pay an additional fee to those third-party providers.

It’s always worth noting that a photometric launch monitor like the QuadMAX does save you a considerable amount of room space compared to a radar unit that sits behind the ball and can require as much as 21 feet of room depth.

The tradeoff, of course, is that if you’re playing sim golf with righties and lefties together, a unit like the QuadMAX that sits to the side of the ball, will need to be moved back and forth every time you switch between righty and lefty.

Other Foresight Sports QuadMAX Improvements

Not only does the QuadMAX include some of the big enhancements we’ve talked about, like the internal shot storage, the better touchscreen display, the customizable display information, the swing speed training feature, and the additional ball data, but it’s also a bit more portable.

With the QuadMAX, Foresight rebuilt the internal structure using magnesium instead of titanium, reducing the weight of the unit by a full pound. It now weighs in at 6.3 pounds.

They also improved the ergonomics of the back handle, making it deeper and easier to grab.

But maybe most exciting is the increased battery life. Now, with the QuadMAX, you can expect a single charge to last between 7 and 9 hours compared to the 6-to-8-hour duration with the GCQuad.

I think it’s fairly significant that Foresight has taken what was already the best on-the-go golf launch monitor and made it even easier to use. Lighter, easier to carry, and better battery life are all reasons that you’re going to continue to see the QuadMAX when you flip on the TV and watch the pros warm up on the range. Of course, it’s the unmatched data accuracy that matters most.

Is the QuadMAX Worth $4,000 More Than the GCQuad?

If you’re a candidate for the GCQuad, you’re likely a candidate for the QuadMAX. That is to say, you’re willing and able to invest a significant amount of money to have the most accurate and best golf launch monitor and simulator.

And if you’re at that point, I think it’s relatively easy to see $4,000 worth of value in all the things the QuadMAX does better than the GCQuad.

Yes, the overall operation and accuracy is the same. From that standpoint, you’re just as well off with the GCQuad.

But, of course, the QuadMAX does give you more data. And it’s the ability to store shot data on the device itself that, to me, is most exciting. The new touchscreen is also a big advantage, and I think a lot of people will like being able to customize the information that is displayed on the screen. I likewise see a lot of golfers benefiting from the new swing speed training feature, especially the top-level players and instructors who are most likely to buy a QuadMAX.

You don’t have to spend this much money to have a great golf launch monitor and simulator. The Foresight Sports GC3 ball and club data model retails for $7,999. For as accurate as it is at that price, it represents a much more affordable but still great golf simulator option. And, of course, the GCQuad, for $4,000 less than the QuadMAX, is more than enough for a great setup.

But there’s only one best. If you’re trying to build the ultimate golf simulator studio, or want the absolute best way to analyze your golf swing, here it is. The QuadMAX now replaces the GCQuad as the reigning heavyweight champion.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc "Shef" Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.