Discussion Of The Impacts Of Introduction Of Tennis Racket On Coaching - Essay Example

Discussion of the impacts of introduction of tennis racket on coaching Completed by: Technology is getting into sports in all sorts of amusing ways. We have seen an electronic basketball and another one is the football helmet with sensors. Now it is time tennis got a turn with the Babolat play pure drive connected tennis racquet. (Fuss & Subic, 2008)Technology introduction in the sporting field has had merits and demerits; this means that there are some instances application of technology assists in sporting while there are other instances where some people believe application of technology in sporting will erase the origin of sports and the human element is also erased. Technologies sporting are made by man that is; they are implemented to meet human desires or objectives in relation to a certain sport. In sports technology is a technical means by which athletes try to improve their overall athletic performance through improving their training and conducive environment (Thorpe & Bentley). Latest modern technologies and use of more efficient and specialized equipments are applied to undertake tasks with more ease. These are examples of sporting technologies; tennis rackets, golf clubs, pole vault poles, and athletic sports gear among others. Implementation of sports science nowadays has allowed participants particularly athletes to get ready for their games at hand through the use of technology beyond their pre-sager fierce dreams. There is a question that is often asked, whether the impact of technology on the training and performance is underrating the spirit of the modern games, as it gets back to the origin of the early games. For instance most people believe that athletes who have access to modern technology were on better side compared to those who did not have the same access of the technology. Research done prove that the implementation of man-made equipments has had a drastic impact on some sports, for example pole vaulting. There has been dynamism in this sector since it is observed that in early years (beginning of the 2oth century) athletes used wooden poles to clear the bars. (Nigel, Kuhn and John, 2009)Within a period of ten years, they used the best offered by nature, bamboo. Weight reduction came with its merits since it meant that the athletes were able to achieve high speeds and attain greater heights. Competitors strained and struggled to set new records, since they had perfected their techniques. Fibre-glass introduction in 1960s, followed by carbon fire, poles this meant that once again records had to change. The vaulters nerve as well as the levels of the pole, is a determinant of how high they go. A technician in UK strongly feels that too much concentration is given on technology’s effort to deliver medals. According to him the primary factor should be talent. Since no matter what a person does with technology, it still lies in the hands of the coach. The merit is in the way through which the coach makes use of the data that can be delivered by technology. In the mind of a talented coach lies the aspect of innovation (Vicky, Tweedy, and Sean). Analyzing the benefits of applying sporting technologies there has been creation of new products with the objective of improving and enhancing performance in various sports. Application of modern technologies in sports may imply that there is completion created in the uppermost levels only affordable to the top participants because of sports equipment having high costs. There are several ways in which assistance can be offered in those sports where people with disabilities are involved. For instance, building s could be modified in order to ease accessibility of the wheelchairs, specialized equipment introduced so as to offer particular help to individuals with disabilities. Competition judging has been made easy and efficient by the modern sporting technologies, spectator pursuit and happiness is improved by broadcasting and in stadium displays (Taylor & Francis, 2014). Babolat is a tennis racket (frame) with strings. The frame is ordinarily static and it holds the driving force of the racket –the strings being intact. On the both sides of the frame the strings are attached there(Miguel and Reid 2007-11 2007-06-22). When the ball strikes the strings only a few of them become active. It means that there is no full potential delivered by these rackets. Babolat is set out to come up with a racket making use of the frame and the strings- to come up with a frame which allows all the attached strings to coordinate and function together to their full capability when hitting the ball. It keeps track of forehands and backhands, serves and the strokes. When the play is done; the coach makes the comparison of the tennis player with the earlier tennis information recorded. This coach analyzing this data is not dressed out with tracksuit and trainers. Instead it depends on sensors and micro chips. This sounds unbelievable but technology like this is at our disposal, fixed in one of the most recent tennis rackets in the market- the Babolat play pure drive (Steelyn & Carolyn, 2006). The Babolat is fixed with sensors that detect strings vibrations and movements any time a player hits the ball. The producers of this racket incorporated sensors inside the handle of the racquet, but this does not cause any changes on the specifications. The sensors are the crucial in data analysis since they are the key players in analyzing a player’s game, his/her swing-movements- and all this data will be collected by the racquet. According to the company’s manager, in the process of implementation there were a lot of lab tests made with many players all around the world this was to ensure the information is accurate and the players are guarantee they will have the necessary data. Babolat has the potential to greatly impact professional tennis due to its take on personal sporting analytics. A brief check into tennis history proves technology consistently at the games heart controller can put up with. Wooden racquets were replaced by metal, followed by carbon fibre mixed with other several materials over the past 50 years, and in the recent times we have computer-connected models ( Derek,2014). Babolat was made in 1875, in Lyon, France; Babolat is the longest running global industry specialized in tennis. Today Babolat is the leading in tennis racquets sales in the United States of America, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan. Being an innovative brand company in tennis field in making complete technical equipment available for tennis players these include rackets, shoes, bags, apparel, accessories, and balls. Babolat tennis racket gives a player power, control, and everything close to that(Ross,2008). Babolat are made with aim of offering high performance, and this is clearly seen by their use of many renowned ATP and WTA tennis players for example; Rafael Nadal, Sara Errani, Jo Wilfred Tsonga among others. The babolat frame has similar features and works like a traditional pure drive, bearing a single improbably unique characteristic: A sensor in the handle records different statistics in playing recorded over a period of time and could be analyzed easily. Recorded data is of great use since it can be used in analysis of matches, refinement of stroke, or just in comparison with other users on the Babolat play society. Play being a mirror of a player’s game; he/she can do anything they want to do with it. To use Babolat play, it definitely assists to be technology efficient but this does not mean that the equipment is hard to operate. To operate the Babolat racket the users (players) are required to have an application for their phones and then pair it with the Babolat racket through Bluetooth connections or use of a cable (USB), inserted in the handle. Once the prompts are well followed and done accordingly, the player (user) is required to set up a profile before playing. After a tennis playing session, the user checks the results(Subic,2007). To make analysis of the results, data has to be downloaded from the racket to the Smartphone and this is believed to take just a few seconds. There are various categories of analysis, this includes time the ball is in play, longest rally, shots made per minute, and to the extreme an estimation of the applied energy is done. Playing tennis using this Babolat racket, advancements are made if a player gets to a certain level of performance goals with strokes and playing time(Tennis Association). The numbers are all recorded for the tennis player’s pulse- this can be defined as a measure of power, style, and perseverance. The pulse can be viewed at for the users’ practices and tournaments, and ad progressive measure that can be correlated with that of the fellow users. The Babolat producers company is quite expectant concerning the societal picture presented by the frame. They are optimistic of the young players, already linked with social media, will be more attracted to the sport (tennis) that has for a long time been viewed and branded as old-fashioned. In addition, it brings together players with similar minds in a strategy in which they get determined to compare, compete, and converge. Tennis being an individual sport, but play is more or less having a fellow player on the playground with the other player. Babolat introduction has a major objective of bringing change in tennis with bringing in the first connected tennis racket pure drive play. The equipments require installation of high standards of security and privacy against unauthorized access, this will prevent data getting stolen or being tampered with. But though introduction of this equipment in the market will have a great impact on the development of tennis, the game should never change and remain well known as ever- as long as the players have the chance of competing on skills and tactics only(Doreen & Simon, 2012). One of the applicants picked to test the new equipment (Babolat play pure drive rackets), while he plays tennis he is in the know that his game can be improved by this racket, not through power addition and spin but through measuring these powers. Since the market is getting dynamic. It is getting more competitive, consumers are getting quite brighter and smatter so a new thing is required to get into the market and draw the consumers’ attention. Babolat aims at improving the standards of playing tennis through easy coaching of the players and this means that there is great reduction of the teams’ financial need. A player requires a coach who plays several roles such as training the player and guiding them throughout playing sessions (Monica & James). Despite the new innovations coming in to tennis field so fast, there are trainers who do not think they are in danger of getting banned. Nik Snapes, racket manager and tennis pro at Roehampton club sees this as a good technology introduced but he insists that a player still requires someone to analyze his/her results. He believes that it is the players practice and the potential of a person that makes the player, not particularly the device in their hands. This means that as a coach he strongly believes that with the use of the equipment a player needs training and more practice and this is where a coach comes in. Having a Babolat is like having a virtual coach to check and analyze a tennis players every hit, it senses where the ball strikes the racquet and contact quality(Donald, 2011). More than just a coaching help, the sensor allows the best and top tennis players to instantly and effectively analyze their own shots and learn from certain flaws during a match. This is what coaching is all about assessing your trainees performance and correcting his/her flaws but there comes on the market this kind of technology whereby the equipment does the work of a coach. In the sense that there is no need of having a coach while you have a device that is a virtual coach, the sensors are able to record a tennis players shots, strikes and the hits and quickly analyzes his/her performance. This equipment is fast and accurate in cases where coaches are faced with a decision making situation, this equipment makes the decision so fast and the player gets the results. On area where the player is supposed to improve and adjust the Babolat racquet makes the remarks. Putting into consideration all the inroads of technology hardware into several sports, Babolat play pure drive strikes as a certain well-thought-out entry into the market. A coach will not get replaced by this equipment, but on the other hand the players will receive predetermined insight into the information of their play. Introduction of the Babolat equipment does not mean it is the end of coaching in tennis since the coaches will start to use the recent piece of tennis technology from Babolat as changed coaching equipment. Babolat pure drive play records various things which include, power, ball impact on the strings, techniques, and strokes. With the installed application in this device, players and coaches then get down and analyze the results and see what has been done efficiently and what need to be changed in terms of improvement. This means that though tennis game has received revolution through the Babolat equipment introduction does not mean the coaches need to be banned. We see that both the tennis players and the coach need to work together, after the player gets done with his plays the recorded results have to be analyzed and the coach does this best since he guides the player throughout the training so as to perfect on his techniques (Nora & Sams,2004). Running and biking are among the sports that have already received a nice boost in coaching elegance through the application of modern movements detecting technology. However, the introduction of this modern technology does not eliminate the coaches from offering their guidance to the players/participants. The game is not in the device in the hands rather it is in the practice and perfecting ones techniques, for instance with the modern equipments for instance in tennis playing it would not help much if the tennis player does not have the basic but crucial moves and they have to be taught basically by the coach. Coaching is essential in tennis play as much as the Babolat is accurate and efficient in this game. Tennis coaches will not only depend on their sights and assumptions only, but with help of the Babolat pure play drive racquet now they will have real information for comparison, analysis, and applicability (John & Andrew, 2009). The number of serves, smashes, backhands, and foreheads are tracked by this device. Introduction of this device comes with some negative effects on coaching. Not every single tennis player is able to afford or is need of a coach, with assistance of the Babolat pure drive play, tennis players can efficiently and effectively be their own coaches. This means that introduction of the modern technology in playing tennis puts coaches at stake since with the help of the Babolat pure drive play racquet, a player can coach himself/herself through following the prompts given by the racquet. It is cheaper on the players side since the only cost he/she has to incur is the cost of purchasing the equipment(Alex & Jones, 2008). Even oneself court guidelines are given and are visible through the racquet. Though there is need to bring dynamism in tennis playing (game) the same kind of technology introduced is having impacts on the issue of coaching. There are other coaches who believe that its introduction cannot do any harm on them as coaches since he basically thinks that the equipment alone with no practice, guidance, and professional teaching from a tennis coach can never be so good in the court. Babolat worked with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) towards a common goal which is to make sure that the prompts were to be reflected properly. Perfect is not made by practice. Perfect is made through perfect practice (Peter & John, 2009). With most sports, coaches of tennis are reluctant about the standard of applying the information to bring out the real nature of excellence in playing tennis. The scoreboard does not always tell how well someone really played, rather it shows how the player who had the better day. With no application of the modern technology performance scores such as first-serve percentage, approaches of the net can only be determined accurately through a win or a loss. Coaches often chart matches and practices for their trainees, to clear this out. But with most of those training do not have a coach watching every move they make and checking on their progress. Introduce the Babolat pure play drive. A ten years project in the making, Babolat allows the player to record all his movements, hits, strikes among others by use of the sensors. This means that this player can do all his practice with no coach at their disposal since what is wrongly done will be told as well as the efficient and the accurate works will also be recorded. Introduction of the Babolat pure drive play does not only impose a challenge on coaching task only, there is also a challenge of price tag though they will have attracted the consumer attention. It is a new kind of technology and everyone interested will strive hard so as to own one of the equipment. Consumers with the intention of acquiring one of the Babolat may not meet their heart desires because the price of the device might be quite high impossible for purchase. The other necessary and crucial aspect will be performance this means that the originators will have to make a device that will efficiently and effectively produce accurate performance this means that the device need to work properly. The Babolant team is confident and sure that the equipment will perform effectively, following an extensive test. The Babolat president who is also the CEO, Eric Babolat, extensively elaborated how the technology performs its work and how over a given period of time can be adapted (Katles, Cecile, and Ann). In conclusion, we can say that one of the most challenging and rewarding part of coaching is being able to coordinate with the players during their growth from childhood up to adulthood. The coach need to understand their players’ emotions, reactions, and their progress in mental growth. A coach who coordinate well with the players through understanding the changes that come along physically, emotionally, and mentally stands on a better position to effectively communicate with the players with no barriers or challenges and in case of any problem along the way they will be able to handle it perfectly. Technology is a crucial doctrine in sports since introduction of modern technology has seen different sports make big and commendable progress. However, our focus was on the tennis game and the impacts of these modern technology introductions. Through the exclusive research it is evident that tennis receiving revolution has got its effect on coaching, this being a necessity in each and every game we have seen that introduction of Babolat pure drive play has brought about complication in the tennis coaching aspect. Though it does not kill it completely there is heartfelt reduction of coaches in tennis since pro players (for example Rafael Nadal) do use this kind of technology during their matches. The impacts of Babolat is evident and can be seen clearly in the aspect that it gives the rules, flaws and the player gets to know on the areas to improve and on the areas that he/she has done well. Besides giving recreational players to record, analyze, and discuss their statistics, the pro levels may be affected as well. It has implemented rules that will be effective in the beginning of the year 2014; this is to allow the racquet to be applied in tournament plays. It would not be possible to check information during the games, since the players cannot have smart phones on the courts. In tennis playing modern technology adopted is of help to the players as well as it has brought accuracy in recording of results. On the other hand it has a negative impact on the coaching sector since the players can become their own coaches since all the rules are given in the Babolat pure drive play. No doubt coaching is negatively affected by the modern technology introduction. Work Cited The impact of technology on sport II by F K Fuss; A J Subic; S Ujihashi; Publisher: Leiden; London: Taylor & Francis/Balkema, 2008. 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Babolat Play Questionnaire Strongly Disagree Disagree Agree Technology in sport is a positive? ☐ ☐ Technology in tennis is a positive? ☐ ☐ Using the racket was an enjoyable experience? ☐ ☐ The racket felt the same to use as my own racket and rackets I have used in the past? ☐ ☐ ☐ I felt the data that the racket recorded was accurate? ☐ ☐ I felt the data the racket recorded was helpful? ☐ ☐ ☐ I would like to use the racket full time? ☐ Would using the racket make you consider taking less coaching? ☐ ☐ ☐ The information giving by the racket was as helpful as information giving by a coach? ☐ ☐ ☐ Overall could you see this or similar developments ☐ ☐ ☐ Having an affecting on the amount of coaching players take? Read More