This is a guest post written by Bob Hilborn, the Manager and Head Tennis Pro at Scarborough East Tennis Club, explaining his experience with the hi-tech PlaySight tennis courts.
Have you noticed the in-depth technology that takes place during a professional tennis match on television? From determining whether or not a ball is “in” or “out” to measuring the exact speed of a serve, the digital technology at the professional level is something that non professional players envy.
Scarborough East Tennis Club in Columbus, Ohio has taken their tennis game to the digital world. Thanks to PlaySight’s new Smart Courts, tennis players in Central Ohio now have the ability to get in-depth analyses like never before.
PlaySight’s Smart Courts were installed at Scarborough in August and members have improved their game by the in-depth analysis of their tennis skills. PlaySight uses six cameras, three on each baseline, to record and digitally analyze each aspect of their game.
For members who are trying to improve their serve, PlaySight will record every serve, the speed of their ball, the spot the ball hit the court and detailed reports on each set. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for PlaySight’s innovative Smart Courts.
This is how Scarborough introduces members to the PlaySight Smart Courts:
We start by showing them each functional part of the Smart Court. We show them where the cameras are, and then we walk them through the console at the center of each court. This is where we get them set up on the PlaySight court. All of our members who have signed up on PlaySight’s website are able to access their recorded practices and matches online. This is essential for our competitive members who live and breathe tennis.
Since we installed our Smart Courts, our members have been able to really improve their skills on every aspect. During practice sessions, members are able to go over their last set or swing in great detail. PlaySight allows us to rewind and slow down the footage from every angle possible.
We show them the replay from each baseline, then PlaySight takes the footage and creates a 3D replay of the set. This allows us to see everything they do from any angle, from the side of the court, above the court and even the member’s point of view!
Our competitive members absolutely love playing on our Smart Courts because of the high levels of analysis it generates for each individual person. In matches, PlaySight records every aspect of the set including ball speed, pinpointed ball spots and the type of swing on each serve and hit. Since everybody’s swing is different, PlaySight gives individual-specific data that caters to each member’s techniques.
In practice sessions, we are able to hone in on improving our members’ specific swings. If they want to specifically work on their backhand and forehand, they can do that with PlaySight. If they’re trying to increase their swing speed or shot accuracy, PlaySight monitors that too. There’s so much information that the Smart Court measure that would take hours to do by ourselves.
PlaySight has even been beneficial for our members who don’t play tennis competitively, but play because they enjoy the exercise and the fitness aspect. For members who want to know how much they moved during the match or how many steps they took, Playsight can track their movements throughout a session. We can also bring up previous sessions and help our members find the best workout they can achieve while playing tennis.
Having the ability to access these metrics with PlaySight has made a huge difference to our members and our staff. We have been able to increase the quality of our personalized lessons with PlaySight, and our members love using the stats to see where they can continue to improve their game.
PlaySight’s Smart Courts have been well received by our members. We have seen a sport move from a very traditional standpoint to taking an innovative leap into the digital world, and we know that other areas of the sports industry are watching us with a close eye.