3Bays have come in hot and heavy with some slogans for their latest product in the golf swing analyzer conveyor belt. “Eliminate doubt – illuminate your game” is catchy, while they’ve also laid claim to having “the world’s lightest swing analyzer” with the GSA-Zone.
My biggest bugbear with previous 3Bays products was that within the Pro range you had different units compatible with either IOS or Android (but not both), while there was still a separate unit altogether for putting. The latter remains the case with the GSA-Zone, but at least there is now multiple platform compatibility.
And now, onto the fun stuff. Is 3Bays latest and greatest actually any good?
We reviewed the 3Bays GSA as part of our best golf swing analyzer guide.
3Bays GSA-Zone Golf Swing Analyzer
Our Assessment
We confirm at least this... it's very light indeed, and plugs into the top of your grip perfectly. There really is zero interference with your swing here, which is a good start. It’s dead easy to set up, and there definitely aren’t any of the connectivity issues that plagued the Pro. It literally starts talking to you from the moment you turn it on and pair it up with the app. It’s undoubtedly an impressive dashboard, and you can view your swings in 3D from all the angles and perspectives you could ever hope to imagine.
You can also toggle your views, so it’s great for analysis. In fact, it’s one of the better simulation playbacks we’ve sampled. There are a heck of a lot of numbers that get flashed in front of you, which is great for the students of the game (aka data geeks). However, if you’re not so into such technicalities, some of it may not be much use to you unless you’re working hand-in-hand with a coach. But the swing data seemed very accurate to us nevertheless, and we had a lot of confidence in what it was telling us.
All in all, we don’t want to sell the GSA-Zone short, because it’s a very smart, effective, clean and powerful device, and there is no doubting its place among the upper echelons in terms of quality. It’s also a marked improvement on the GSA Pro. However, for something that costs 200 bones, we just aren’t convinced that there are any memorable features, and you’d expect something like this to include putting analysis. Perhaps that’s okay, and you might not really mind. It’s thus a difficult one to rate overall – it really depends on what’s important to you.
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Pros
Cons
Key Facts
Features | Details | |
|---|---|---|
Launch RRP | $199.00 | |
Platform Compatibility | Android, iOS | |
Attachment Location | Club Grip | |
| 6 Hours | |
| 1.2in x 0.6in (1.2in x 1.6in with pin attached) | |
Weight | 0.3 ounces | |
Manufacturers Website |
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3Bays GSA-Zone Golf Swing Analyzer Detailed Review
Build Quality & Features
Again, we’re big fans of the plug-in sensor at the butt of the grip, especially when it sits in as nicely as the GSA-Zone does. It’s very lightweight too, so they’ve done a great job here in terms of the build and design.
The battery life of 6 hours is roughly acceptable, and it’s weatherproof too, so it’s rock solid all round.
As for the user interface, it isn’t the prettiest. But it is clean and well laid out. Everything is where you’d expect it to be, and the 3D simulation is the standout feature of this device.
In terms of data, you get the whole hog. The four key areas for metrics are clubhead speed, carry distance, top of backswing and power zone (impact), and you get a great set of numbers for all of the above.
Image Credit: Official 3Bays Image
The data seemed highly credible to us too, which is important. Arguably there is a slight lack of instruction, or references so that you know what you should be aiming for with each data point.
But this could be viewed as a good thing, as everyone swings the club differently anyway. Besides, it’s nothing that working in conjunction with a coach wouldn’t render null and void.
To sum it all up, this device certainly oozes quality, and is well made. But there just aren’t any features that are going to get your pulse racing, so that’s why we’ve rated it as we have in this category.
Ease of Use
I think they’ve done pretty well here in terms of user experience. It’s largely dinosaur-proof, so if you’re a technophobe you shouldn’t have too much to worry about.
Everything from setup to analysis just happens instantly, and while you may need to have a bit of a click-around on the app at first, navigating your way through it feels very natural and straightforward after a few minutes.
Image Credit: Official 3Bays Image
With regard to swing, you switch it on, wait for the blue light and off you go. They recommend that you hold the club still before takeaway, but it’s pretty forgiving in this regard. Basically just don’t go mad with the waggling at address, and you won’t have any issues.
It then takes no more than a couple of seconds for the data to be uploaded to your phone or tablet. The 3D image is very concise and easy to understand, and you’ve got so much flexibility with zoom and the various viewpoints.
As for the data, some of it is quite technical, but they strike a good balance between giving you ample measurements and readings but not overloading you, and it’s all reasonably easy to interpret.
And if you’re a bit unsure, there’s always the instructions to guide you along – or, better yet, a coach if you have one!
Image Credit: Official 3Bays Image
Value for Money
We’ve said it above, and there is no doubting the credentials of this device. We think it is a massive improvement on the GSA Pro, which we weren’t big fans of, and it’s good to see that they haven’t made the Zone any more expensive.
However, a price tag of $200 naturally sets the bar high, and we’re not sure that this analyzer has enough cutting edge to warrant shelling out that kind of money for it.
Perhaps we’re being a bit harsh in this category, but we can only call it as we see it.
We’d love to hear your thoughts below though if you’ve tried it (or own one).
