Tennis Radar: Gizmos and Gadgets
In this edition of Tennis Radar, we look at two gadgets, an iPhone app, and a racquet that apply modern technology to tennis in innovative ways. From tracking your footwork to measuring your string tension, these four products are leaning forward.
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PRICE: $69.99
Compatible with the Adidas Barricade 7.0, the miCoach Speed_Cell employs accelerometric technology to capture all 360 degrees of a player’s movement on-court. Just sync up with a smartphone, tablet, or computer after a match or practice, and you’ll be able to access up to seven hours of footwork data—from the total distance you covered to the speed of your fastest sprint. What’s more, the Speed_Cell integrates with Adidas’ miCoach training system, which allows you to track your progress as it leads you through a number of tennis-specific fitness drills.
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PRICE: $220
HEAD SIZE: 105 sq. in.
LENGTH: 27.5 in.
WEIGHT: 10.8 oz.
BALANCE: 10 pt HL
BEAM WIDTH: 23-26-22.5mm
STRING PATTERN: 16 x 19
IDEAL SWING: Medium to Long
NTRP: 3.5+
Are you an early adopter? Looking for a way to increase the speed of your swing? It might be time you hit the court with the Battistone Diamond. The Diamond features a double-handled design, which the company says allows for optimal leverage on both sides of the body, yielding more stable, powerful shots with less effort. What’s more, Natural Tennis claims that the racquet’s ergonomic handles reduce stress on the wrists and elbow, and ultimately encourage more symmetrical play, preventing the development of muscle imbalances.
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PRICE: $1.99
Tracking your string tension is essential for confident swings and consistent shots. That’s the idea behind racquetTune, an application for iPhone and iPad that uses sound to calculate string tension. Just strike the stringbed over your Apple device and racquetTune will translate the frequency at which your strings ping into pounds. The program also features an interactive swingweight calculator, as well as the ability to check whether a ball’s bounce complies with ITF rules.
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Price: $99
It’s physics: The faster you can swing, the harder you can hit the ball. Enter the Swing Speed Radar, a specialized device that makes use of the Doppler effect to clock your racquet-head speed. Whether you’re looking for a fun test of your upper swing threshold, or a baseline measure for improvement, the Swing Speed Radar offers objective feedback that’ll have you whipping your racquet through the air in no time.
