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Bushnell Launch Monitor: The Bushnell Launch Pro came out in late 2021 and took the world of golf technology by storm.

After Bushnell acquired Foresight Sports in the summer of 2021, many people asked: what would they do with it? The first primary product came from the Bushnell Launch Pro launch monitor. And ever since I first heard that Bushnell had a launch monitor coming out, I’ve been super excited to get my hands on one.

And now I Finally have.

It’s essentially the same product as the Foresight GC3 starter monitor, but instead of costing $7,499, it comes in at $2,999*. *Too good to be true? Maybe. We will cover this below.

I’ve been trying out Launch Pro for the past few weeks trying to explore all the features it has to offer.

What you’ll find in this Bushnell Launch Pro review is an honest look at my experience with it and, more importantly, feedback to help you decide whether you should buy it or not.

I think you might be surprised by what I found because, to be honest? I am amazed by what I found.

First Impressions of the Bushnell Launch Pro

First Impressions of the Bushnell Launch Pro

Most of the devices I review on Breaking Eighty are consumer-level launch monitors. Products like Rapsodo MLM, Garmin Approach R10, and the even more sophisticated FlightScope Mevo+ are small, light, and portable.

I knew the Launch Pro would be more significant than these devices, but when the package arrived in the email, I was still a bit taken aback by how heavy it was.

Unboxing the Launch Pro, it’s clear they mean business.

Launch Pro is a genuinely professional launch monitor. It shouldn’t come as a surprise since it’s a GC3 from a hardware perspective. The same as far as I know. Straight up.

The package includes the device, power adapter, leveling stick, and a small quick start guide.

We’ll get to that “Quick Start” in a Minute.

One of the things I immediately appreciate about the Launch Pro is that it has a built-in screen that remains positioned ideally to be helpful. One of the main differences between Launch Pro and most launch monitors is how it captures your data.

Rather than using doppler radar, it uses an array of 3 precision cameras to track your ball and club data. Because of this, instead of being placed behind the ball like most launch monitors, it is set just a few feet to the side of where you hit.

This means that when you want to look down to see your stats, they’re right in front of you. Other devices force you to turn around or look at your iPad or computer to get your data. So this quick, perfectly placed visual is a nice feature. It looks great, feels great, and is a professional launch monitor.

What does that mean if you’re an average consumer thinking about picking one up? There are a few things you need to know.

Launch Pro can be the launch monitor of your dreams and everything you’ve been waiting for. But there’s a good chance it’s also not.

Bushnell Launch Pro Setup (Don’t Let This Scare You… Too Much)

Setting up the Bushnell Launch Pro doesn’t seem like it should be challenging.

All quick start instructions are apparent and easy to follow.

But my setup process was less than smooth.

I want to think I’m a pretty tech-savvy person. I review golf technology products for a living, so using and setting up the products should be pretty straightforward.

But I had a tough time setting up Launch Pro correctly.

Most of the significant issues, I think, stemmed from wifi connection issues.

At first, it seemed that everything was simple and good.

I used the QR code provided on the device to register my product and set up a Foresight account to access the app and features.

We’ll talk more about the subscription features later, but when you buy Launch Pro, you get their “basic” subscription, which comes with limited data and features.

With this, you also get a 30-day trial of their “Gold” subscription to try everything out.

When you log into Launch Pro and the app on the same wifi network, the app should tell Launch Pro that you have a trial and unlock everything.

It didn’t do it for me.

No matter what I did, I couldn’t get it to register.

To make matters worse, I failed to register the ball the first time I used the device. I restarted it three times, and nothing.

I gave up after an hour.

Although, I did a little better the next time.

I set it up, and it immediately tracked my shots. However, app connections and Gold trials were still ongoing.

Let’s face it: wifi can be a hassle to set up and pair.

I needed to have my iPad and Launch Pro on the same wifi network to enroll them in the gold package. My club only has an open wifi network that doesn’t have a password. With Launch Pro, you must use it on a network with a password. I called support, and they confirmed it.

That seems to be the thing with some of these wifi enabled devices. Last month at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, we ran into a similar issue when using the Nanit babysitter.

Launch Pro also didn’t Recognize my Phone’s Hotspot.

If you can connect the Launch Pro via ethernet or have it on the same Wifi network as your iPad or computer, it’s much smoother.

While I connected the app using wifi in range, the Launch Pro shut down, which worked fine. But also, because I don’t have a mobile plan on my iPad, it prevented me from accessing the internet when I was connected. This was part of the frustration of setting up the device to pair and register with my Foresight account.

The Launch Pro also doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth, which I think may have solved some of these setup issues. For such an expensive device, it would be nice to see that as an option.

That said, it took several hours to set up, and even after setting up, I occasionally had problems connecting the app. But generally speaking, we’re in much better shape now. Now that we have that out of the way, let’s talk about how good this device is once you set it up!

Using Bushnell Launch Pro As A Simulator

I feel now is a good time to mention a few things that will help you determine if this is a product you should consider.

Bushnell Launch Pro is a professional launch monitor (have I said that enough?) And as such, some of its features and usability considerations are aimed more at professionals than weekend golfers.

First, you get access to different courses and simulators depending on your subscription package with Launch Pro. However, unlike the Mevo+ or the Approach R10, it doesn’t come with mobile simulator options.

Conclusion

You can adjust the particulars in the Foresight FSX Pro app or use the included alignment stick to ensure it’s properly aligned, but I’ve found it to have very accurate results with little to no tweaking.

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