Playsight Review

Court tracking technology has become an integral part of tennis over the last 20 years.

Technology that can track the ball, automatically call lines and even give coaching insights are now very popular at professional tournaments and even recreational clubs.

Whilst Hawkeye technologies are arguably the most well known connected court technology and widely used on the ATP World Tour, Playsight is certainly a new and innovative offering.

When the company was founded in 2010, it received backing from many elite professional players including Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic.

So, with that being said, let’s find out how Playsight works, and whether your local club should consider installing Playsight technology!

What is Playsight?

Playsight is a camera based ball tracking system that uses artificial intelligence and offers video feedback and live streaming.

When Playsight is installed on a court, cameras record the play and offer instant video replays, coaching advice and content can be shared via the cloud based internet capabilities.

The internet sharing capabilities mean that players can share their best shots via social media straight from the Playsight smartphone app.

Much like a smart sensor, Playsight also records the height, speed, spin and placement of your shots, giving you valuable insights into your game and how you are performing.

You can instantly stop your session and see how you constructed your last point, use slow motion replays to analyse a particular shot and see whether a ball was in or out more clearly.

This makes Playsight a great supplementary coaching tool for professional and recreational players alike. This makes Playsight a great tool that can help you improve your game.

The smartphone app and online portal allow players and coaches to watch previously recorded sessions in full, making in depth analysis easy.

You can also filter your footage to only show a particular shot. So for example, if you want to only see yourself hitting backhand winners, you can watch just that!

This is a fantastic tool for improving your confidence and really helps you pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to address these properly before your next match. Conversely, if you are looking to analyse an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, you can do this too.

Also, Playsight calls your lines so you don’t have to, allowing for more fairplay in the game. It also allows you to record your session, so you can analyse your own game.

So, Playsight offers an impressive range of capabilities that can really add value to your tennis session. It’s a great tool for analysing your game, pinpointing areas for improvement and can get more people involved in your club’s sessions thanks to interactive online features.

The Playsight Systems

Playsight comes in a range of different specifications. The multi camera rig systems start with the ‘Pro’ setup, featuring cameras placed at various angles around a court or field for full coverage.

This enables ball tracking, VAR, live streaming, a live scoreboard and optional automated player tagging.

The ‘Pro +’ series is an evolution of the ‘Pro’. It features 8K resolution cameras, an integrated SmartScore system, unlimited cloud storage content and seamless online platform integration over and above the standard ‘Pro’ setup.

This is the most advanced product that Playsight offers, and it really is impressive!

The SmartScore technology allows for real time in-game insights and statistics specific to each player, which is a great interactive tool for fans watching a live stream.

In these multiple camera rig systems, the cameras are strategically placed to cover the entire playing surface. They will then record and analyse shots and plays in real time to give immediate insights, which can be accessed using the built in on court kiosk.

Playsight also offers more portable solutions that can be used at multiple venues. The Playsight ‘Go’ is a lightweight, portable camera that allows players to record their sport from anywhere they like.

It also means that if Playsight does not offer fully integrated services for your sport, you can take matters into your own hands! The main benefit of using the ‘Go’ is the flexibility and portability of the camera system.

If you are a player or coach that is constantly on the move, this can allow you to still record and analyse tennis sessions!

The ‘Go +’ system from Playsight is also a portable solution that offers a professional camera and tripod, meaning it is ideal for larger sports courts and sports fields.

Similarly to the ‘Go’ it is ideal for players, coaches or sports teams that are constantly on the move, but are still looking to record and analyse their games.

Which Sports Use Playsight?

Playsight is a major player in the tennis smart court space, however they also offer solutions for other sports. These include:

 

  • Basketball
  • Volleyball
  • Baseball
  • Softball
  • Soccer
  • Ice Hockey
  • Netball.

Other Smart Court Technologies

 

Hawkeye

 

Developed in 1999, Hawkeye is arguably the most well known and widely used ball tracking system. It is used in cricket and is the official system for professional tennis. Whilst Hawkeye is predominantly used for electronic line calls and overrules, it also records statistics and shot characteristic data.

 

FlightScope

 

Founded in 1984, FlightScope is probably the system with the longest heritage in tennis. They offer scoring and line calling functionalities as well as ball flight and player tracking.

The system uses on court cameras and radars to track the ball and call the lines, much like many other smart court systems. Flightscope helps players record and track shot trajectories and movement patterns, providing notable insight.

 

Foxtenn Technologies

 

A fairly new tennis technology provider, Foxtenn uses court level mounted high definition cameras rather than the more conventional high mounted set ups.

This means that the system can be used on outdoor courts that may not have stands or high mounting points. This increases the number of courts that Foxtenn can be used on, opening the smart court market up to a wider audience.

Foxtenn claim that their system also improves the accuracy of line calls compared to camera systems mounted high up, since there is a lower chance of a player obstructing the ball’s landing position on the playing surface.

There is also less disturbance from the elements with Foxtenn’s system, which in turn improves its accuracy.

 

AccuTennis

 

AccuTennis offers visual and audio feedback to players thanks to their on court system featuring 22 cameras and multiple speakers.

The system can also be a great coaching aid as it is able to create custom coaching sessions and drills for players based on their play.

Coaches can also pre-programme drills and session plans into the AccuTennis system, and watch their players remotely. This enables the coach to see whether the players are meeting the session objectives and how well their tennis is progressing.

 

Baseline Vision

 

Baseline Vision is a portable tennis tracking system that can call lines, give video feedback and real time audio feedback.

Baseline vision also offers training tools and allows players to analyse their session videos using the dedicated smartphone app.

Baseline vision simply uses two cameras that connect to each net post, one pointing at each end of the court. It is a great way to get more accurate line calls and have the capacity to analyse your game more thoroughly wherever you are!

Takeaways

Overall, Playsight offers a comprehensive, accurate and multifaceted sport tracking solution that is particularly useful on tennis courts.

Playsight offers this technology in a variety of formats and across a wide range of different sports.

This versatile technology is a great all rounder that can add real value to a tennis club, tournament or coaching business.

The fact that Playsight also offers portable solutions means that no matter which type of court you are on, you can use the technology to benefit your game. Playsight is a user friendly smart court system that makes any tennis court more interactive, useful and profitable.

Discover The Perfect Racket and String For Your Game With Our Famous Custom Fitting Service!
Discover Your Excalibur!

Explore more