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Sony’s tennis sensor tells you how much you suck (or rock) at tennis with data

Williams Pelegrin
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Do you have a burning desire to measure how well, or how poorly, you perform on the tennis court? In that case, you might want to get cozy with Sony’s newly-announced Smart Tennis Sensor.

Appearing as a small sensor that attaches to the butt cap of your tennis racket, the Smart Tennis Sensor records all your shot data, such as your swing (shot) type, ball speed, swing speed, ball spin, ball impact shot, and other related information. This data is displayed in real-time on your iPhone or Android smartphone, or even your Android Wear device, through Bluetooth on the Smart Tennis sensor app.

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Interestingly, there’s also Live Mode functionality that lets you record shot data together with live video footage of your mad skills. This functionality would help tennis players with their form and shot placement in relation to their shot data. Finally, you can share your results with others, in the event that you either want to boost or diminish your morale.

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With Bluetooth turned on, Sony says you should get 90 minutes of use with the Smart Tennis Sensor, though that’s based on 500 hits/swings in 60 minutes. You can opt to disable Bluetooth, which should double the battery life. Regardless, the Smart Tennis Sensor is IPX5 water-resistant and IP6X dust-resistance, so you shouldn’t worry about using the sensor in the elements.

According to Sony, the Smart Tennis Sensor is the first of its kind to offer regular tennis players similar types of data that top-tier professionals have access to. Of course, Zepp Labs, which has its own sports sensors for Golf, Tennis, and baseball, would probably disagree.

If you’re someone who wants that kind of access, you can pick up the Sony sensor through Sony or Wilson for $200. The app, which is available for all Android devices running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and up, as well as most iOS devices running iOS 6.1 and up, can be downloaded for free through the Play Store and App Store.

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