David Allen has been around the block. After serving his apprenticeship as an assistant pro first at Galgorm Castle and then completing his training at Roe Park, he moved on to Newtownstewart where he had his own pro shop and then became head pro at Lough Erne before returning to Roe Park in 2019.
For eagle-eyed readers, David was also one of our TGI Golf Stars on the cover a few years ago. He was 15 years in the industry before making a slight sideways shift and taking up the role of Regional Sales Director for Foresight Sports Europe earlier this year and is now in charge of the Irish region.
For those unfamiliar, Foresight are one of the leading launch monitor manufacturers in the world and the GC Quad is the favoured launch monitor of many of the leading players in the world.
Using photography as opposed to radar, the various Foresight models give the most consistently accurate data based on clubhead interaction with the ball and it was the ideal position for Allen who has vast experience with launch monitors.
“I have great background knowledge from a coaching perspective and from using and analysing the data,” Allen explains, “so that gives me a good foundation to work with the technology and advise everyone from the private golfer to the PGA Professional to the business looking to open an indoor centre. I can advise how best to use the technology and the software that Foresight have to offer.”
There are four models within the Foresight range; the GC Falcon and GC Hawk are overhead launch monitors that are ideal for stationary swing room setups and can seamlessly adapt back and forth between right- and left-handed players, while the GC3, GCQuad and soon to be released QuadMAX are portable monitors that can be taken to the range or the course, or just as easily set up at home as long as you’ve room to swing a club.
“The company believes that every golf club or PGA Professional should have an indoor space available to them, so our target is to essentially reach every golfer and offer them an indoor option,” Allen continued. “We have everything from the launch monitor itself to the fully-installed simulator room, so we can cater for everyone’s needs, starting with the entry level GC3 right up to the latest QuadMAX.
“From a day-to-day basis, it’s pretty much just getting in front of people and trying to educate them on how camera-based launch monitors work versus the other radar-based launch monitors that are on the market.
One of the unique selling points of the Foresight models as opposed to radar models is that the photometric system monitors are placed to the side of the golf ball, facing the golfer, while radar systems must be placed some six to eight feet behind, thus requiring significantly more room in an indoor setting.
“What makes our launch monitors the most portable is that there is an onboard screen,” Allen adds, “so you don’t need any other equipment if you want to just go to the range. Just set it down, hit shots and see your data right on the onboard screen.
Accuracy is all important. We know we have the most accurate launch monitor in an indoor space and since the weather isn’t getting any better, we’re all looking for a way to play golf 12 months of the year and we can also fit it into a smaller space if needs be because we don’t need to see any ball flight.”
The data provided is fully comprehensive, and when paired with a phone, tablet, laptop or simulator screen, the PSX Pro Data Analysis suite provides powerful data analysis and visualisations to help instructors and club fitters to get the maximum out of each and every session.
There’s a reason why Foresight’s models are the leading launch monitor on the PGA Tour, the preferred choice of big-name golf influencers including Peter Finch and Rick Shiels, and at TaylorMade’s European Golf Headquarters.
Contact david.allen@foresightsports.eu to find out what Foresight Sports Europe can do for you.