If you have ever had the privilege of going through a fitting using either Trackman or Foresight you know without the aid of a professional fitter some of the information can be a bit daunting. You might also be the guy who just loves to jump in a stall and see how far you hit while others stare in desperation for you to tee your last ball so they can have a swing. Whatever the case portable launch monitors are often too expensive or overkill for the average golfer.
3 Bays asked us at Bunkers Paradise if we would be interested in reviewing their GSA Pro. When I received the test unit the first thing I noticed is the beautiful packaging, a very nice plastic sleeve pulls off to reveal a magnetic box that holds the unit, charger, carrying case, and manual. 3 Bays offers the GSA Pro for android and for the iPhone.
Appearance:
I have already touched on how impressive the packaging was. The unit itself fits into the end of the grip via a short tee on the receiver. For android you get a black receiver with a pretty cool faux carbon fiber surrounding the power button. There is a sealed USB port for charging and when powered on the led is a very nice blue when paired and turns red when powered off.
Functionality:
I can talk all day about the looks of the device, but let’s get into how the 3 Bays will benefit your game. I put a full charge on the device and visited to the appstore for the free app and I was able to pair the device via bluetooth as well as follow the set up instructions on my phone. I decided to insert the device into a 7 iron to start. The GSA Pro does not hinder the grip whatsoever and I found it to stay in the grip very well. I did have to make sure it stayed square with the clubface but that is extremely easy to do. At a third of an ounce you don’t have to worry about adding too much weight to the club.
Just like more expensive monitors, 3 Bays GSA Pro will display swing path, face angle, tempo, swing speed, and distance – which unlike expensive monitors – is a guesstimate based on swing speed and force of impact, back swing time, down swing time, and consistency.
I was very happy with my results. My swings with a 7 iron showed how I can get over the top and from the swing speed and distance I noticed a 3-4mph difference from trackman and a 5-10 yard gap on some shots which to me is more than acceptable. For me, my swing path, tempo, and face angle are the biggest keys to improving overall striking. The 3Bays GSA Pro also allows you to store several of your best swings for you to either work with a teacher or while at the range and offers a down the line view or side view. Data is sent almost instantly and playback was very smooth.
Overall:
The 3 Bays GSA Pro is a more than adequate swing analyzer for the average to better golfer. The unit we tested retails for $199 and is inline with other training aids offering similar features. At just 9.8 grams the unit has very little effect on swing weight and one full charge usually gives you up to five hours of use, although I seemed to get more than that.
Pros:
Distance and Ball speed were within a few yards and mph of much more expensive monitors such as Trackman and Foresight GC2.
Pairs easily and offers instant feedback for golfer to view.
Lightweight and is the only unit that plugs into the end of the grip.
Cons:
If you have a huge ego the loss of a few mph and distance might be too much for you to handle.
Face angle and swing path can vary if not lined up properly pre-swing
A huge thank you to 3 Bays for giving us the opportunity to review such a great product. Visit them at www.3bayslife.com for additional product information.
