3 On Your Side: Sporting Equipment Gets Smart
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- They can help everyday athletes improve their skills like the pros. Smart gadgets designed to help your golf game, baseball swing, basketball dribble, soccer kick even your running stride! 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan has a look at the latest smart sports devices.
Rebecca Thorburn is always trying to improve her tennis game. At times she works with a coach but when she doesn't she uses smart gadgets like this Zepp sensor to track her play. Thorburn says,, "It gives you a lot of great feedback on: are you hitting the ball on the sweet spot, what's your power level on your different shots?"
Thorburn says the devices she uses serve up valuable information she couldn't get anywhere else. According to Thorburn, "You can analyze your game in a way that you would never be able to, you know, just from playing or having someone watch you."
And this type of data-gathering tech isn't limited to tennis. Jessica Dolcourt is a senior editor at CNET. She says, "We're starting to see a variety of smart sporting equipment across basketball, soccer, baseball, golf, running, that are equipped with sensors to help you measure your statistics and help you improve."
Equipment like: Smart soccer or basketballs to measure every kick or dribble, products to track your golf stats and swing, and even smart socks designed to help runners improve their technique.
As for pricing, Dolcourt says, "These are not cheap. They're going to go anywhere from $50 at the low end to $300 at the high end, depending on what it is.
But can more data lead to better performance? Ted Vickey with the American Council on Exercise says, "The ability to measure allows you to improve and that's where these sport devices really make an impact."
Vickey believes the technology should be a training tool, not a substitute for a professional coach. He says, "There will always be the need to have a personal relationship between a player and a coach, between a client and a personal trainer. Trainers and coaches use this technology as a tool to allow improvements with their client or with their players."
Thorburn says her smart gadgets actually motivate her to keep working to achieve her goals, and she recommends other athletes give tech a try. She says, "It's fun, you get to learn about your game and it gives you the ability to improve."
When it comes to choosing the right tech for you, experts say focus on a few areas you want to improve so you don't get overwhelmed with data.
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