Skip to main content

Head teams with controversial sport sensor brand Zepp on new tennis tracker

Head Tennis Sensor

For any sport, the advantages of having a personal coach are many — unfortunately, these coaches tend to come with a rather steep price tag. For a fraction of the price, a smart sensor acts as a kind of digital coach, giving anyone the ability to learn the basics. Recognizing this as the trend that it is, racquet sports company Head recently released its own take on a tennis tracker dubbed the Head Tennis Sensor — and it recruited sports sensor company Zepp to help get it off the ground.

Recommended Videos

Similar in function to Zepp’s own line of tennis trackers, Head’s device looks to bring impactful training to players of any skill level — Players who also own a specially designed Head tennis racquet, of course. Compatible with roughly 36 of Head’s racquets, the Head Tennis Sensor either comes already integrated with the racquet or as a separate attachment. Thankfully, neither option adds more than a quarter of an ounce of weight to the racquet.

Hardware aside, the sensor offers users four different modes of use: Play, Train, Compete, and 3D Serve. When in Play mode, the sensors track every shot while logging ball speed, spin, and the user’s accuracy of hitting a ball’s sweet spot. Train mode offers players a range of exercises curated by Head’s in-house tennis coaches while the Compete option allows players to challenge up to three other people to a singles or doubles match. Finally, 3D Serve provides interactive feedback on serve speed and form.

Head Tennis
Head Tennis

Zepp’s collaborative efforts come into play on the tracker’s companion application (available via the Apple App Store and Google Play). Similarly named the Head Tennis Sensor app, it tracks and syncs all logged information, giving users the ability to chart their performance and examine every aspect of their tennis game via what Head calls an “intuitive user interface.” With a price tag of just $100, the Head Tennis Sensor (and companion app) seem like a genuine steal for anyone looking to improve their tennis game — amateur, professional, or otherwise.

Despite its practicality, the device does raise some eyebrows — specifically regarding Head’s partnership with Zepp. On the outside, Zepp’s position within the sports-tracker industry appears solid. After all, a simple trip to its website produces images of Los Angeles Angels superstar outfielder Mike Trout, former Association of Tennis Professionals world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic, and LPGA golfer Michelle Wie — who once was the youngest player to qualify for a United States Golf Association amateur championship, accomplishing the feat at just 10 years old. But dig a little deeper and Zepp’s reputation starts to get a bit murky.

In March 2015, the motion capture and sports-tracking company Blast Motion filed a lawsuit alleging that the sensors developed by Zepp Labs infringed on four Blast Motion patents — the lawsuit also called for the sales of any infringing tech to halt. After nearly three years, a U.S. District Court in Southern California granted the injunction, forcing Zepp to stop sales of its baseball and softball sensors in the U.S. It also entered judgments of infringement on Zepp’s golf and tennis products, though a stipulated settlement allowed Zepp to continue sales of these sensors in the U.S.

Tennis player Milos Raonic using the Zepp Tennis Sensor Zepp Labs

Even outside of its legal troubles, Zepp’s products haven’t always lived up to the hype. During our own tests at a recent TechPop event thrown in New York City in July 2017, the simple act of setting up and syncing Zepp’s baseball and soccer sensors proved troublesome. They worked for only a few minutes at a time before communication with the app stopped altogether. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, however, as its golf sensors connected and functioned as advertised.

A relatively new consumer industry, sports trackers as a whole are still a work in progress. As more sensors like Head’s hit the market — and as companies like Zepp are forced to develop original ideas — it will continue to breed a more competitive and innovative playing field.

Rick Stella
Former Associate Editor, Outdoor
Rick became enamored with technology the moment his parents got him an original NES for Christmas in 1991. And as they say…
Be ready for storm season: Dual fuel portable generator is $150 off today
Pulsar dual fuel portable generator with gas can in background

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that a ton of early Black Friday deals have dropped. There are the usual suspects like laptops, electronics, gaming gear, and beyond. But me, I prefer to pick up unusual items during the huge holiday sales. You know exactly what I mean, the kind of stuff that doesn't usually go on sale any other time. One of those items is a portable generator. Where I live it seems like they rarely go on sale, and when you need them most they're never in stock. People flock to the stores to buy them just before a big storm. Well, right now, Pulsar and Walmart have an incredible deal on a 12,000-watt dual-fuel generator. Normally $900 it's down to $749 which saves you $151. It can run for up to 12 hours on an 8-gallon fuel tank.

 
Why shop the Pulsar 12,000-watt dual-fuel portable generator for Black Friday?

Read more
The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 is a solar backpack and power station — It’s $200 off
BLUETTI Handsfree 2 solar backpack and power station -- black friday deal

While you're busy shopping through all of the Best Cyber Monday deals, here's a little something that might pique your interest. You'll be even more excited if you spend a lot of time outdoors or off-grid. You might want to wait on grabbing that Cyber Monday portable power station deal. Allow me to explain. The BLUETTI Handsfree 2 is a backpack, like any other outdoor pack you might encounter, except for one thing. It's also a power station and solar generator. Believe me when I say this thing is insane and super useful. But for Cyber Monday, there's a deal that includes the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 and a 100-watt solar panel to charge it on the go. Normally $799, it's yours for just $599, saving you $200. Wow. You have to read what it can all do, so don't leave just yet.

 
Why buy the BLUETTI Handsfree 2 solar backpack and power station?

Read more
Cyber Monday is here: Shop these snow blower deals while you can!
The Ego 24-inch Self-Propelled 2-Stage XP Snow Blower on a white background.

When you think of Cyber Monday, you might think of Cyber Monday TV deals, but now is also the time for more practical items like snow blowers. We’ve picked out all the best Cyber Monday snow blower deals with big savings on popular brands, and we’ve also taken the time to provide you with some buying advice so you know what to look for when buying one.

With so many different snow blowers out there, we’ve considered everything you need to know about and included different budgets in our decision-making process, too. Read on, and we’ll take you through all these great Cyber Monday deals. If you’re looking for something a little more fun (but still practical), we’ve picked out all the best Cyber Monday Apple Watch deals, too. Let’s take a look together.
Our top pick: Greenworks 40V 20-inch Brushless Cordless Snow Blower -- $247 $420 41% off

Read more