Wearables have come a long way since the Casio Databank watch debuted in the 1980s. These days, our wearables remind us to get moving, let us pay for purchases without a wallet, and help us stay in touch through emails, texts, and calls – is it any surprise that the tennis industry is also bursting with sensors, watches and other gadgets that allow us to gather, record and review copious amounts of information about our performance? From big names like Sony to young startups like Pulse Play, tennis players now have a wide variety of data tracking products to explore.
The Sony Smart Tennis Sensor and the Zepp Tennis Kit both use grip-mounted sensors to capture data such as number of shots, impact spot, topspin, slice, swing speed, and ball speed. As you practice or compete, the sensor stores or sends information to your Android or iOS device (both sensors have memory as well as Bluetooth connectivity) for you to review, track and share. Both the Sony and Zepp apps also include video functions, allowing you to combine video and shot data for a more complete picture of your form and performance. While these sensors each have unique pros and cons (the Sony is lighter and retails for $199; the Zepp can mount to any racquet and retails for $149), both offer similar functionality and are ITF approved.
Pulse Play, a smart watch with a corresponding app (coming soon to Google Play and the iTunes App Store), is designed more for social interaction than hardcore performance analysis. It features a scorekeeper and an “announcer” (which may get you swiftly booted from more traditional courts), match history and a ranking system, and the ability to search for local opponents. The Pulse Play, which will not ship until December, encourages users to connect with other players through their social networks and tracks rankings and achievements but will not capture shot data or specific performance metrics.
Babolat, the company that invented racquet strings in Lyon, France, developed the Babolat Play series, featuring fully integrated sensors in the racquet handle that capture data without altering the feel or playability of the racquet. Power, place of impact, type and number of strokes, spin, play time and more are recorded, and the player can use this information to improve performance and compare results with other connected players. Used by tennis pros including Rafa Nadal and Li Na, the new AeroPro Drive Play racquet retails for $349 and has a battery life of up to 6 hours, giving you significantly longer play time than the Sony and Zepp sensors.
This list is by no means an exhaustive accounting of the many different options that are available to tennis players. At this point, there is a sensor for every type of player: the novice who wants an easy way to keep score and meet new opponents, the developing player who wants to improve game play, and the pro whose career can benefit from a scientific analysis of every shot.
For all of these reasons and types of players, the sport of tennis is a very obvious platform for sensors and wearables. The sport has easily identifiable metrics and data to track. It is predominantly an individual sport in which personal performance and analysis is critical. And tennis, while often played as individuals or pairs, is a very social sport – perfect for the type of sharing that these apps promote.
In addition to being a freelance writer, Stacey Moses is also the president of Blue Sea Creative, a marketing and communications agency based in the DC area. Stacey is an outdoor enthusiast, a Pittsburgh Penguins devotee, and has more than a decade of experience in the sports marketing world.