High-tech training tool sets new standard on courts at Alberta Tennis Centre

About 600 courts around the world are now using the technology.

A new visual simulation system at the Alberta Tennis Centre is providing players with a cutting edge tool to help them track and improve their game.

PlaySight is a player development tool that uses an on-court camera and kiosk system to assess players and help them develope their skills faster.

The system turns the surface into a SmartCourt and provides players with match stats, instant replays, video analysis and shot analytics.

“So it’s going to take a player or a coach that’s hungry to learn more to use video, to use cutting edge analytics and have that edge on their opponents. We call that the PlaySight edge,” said marketing manager, Jeff Angus.

The technology was originally used by the Israeli air force to train fighter pilots using visual simulation and one of the company’s cofounders saw an opportunity to use it for tennis.

“So they developed a camera-based smart-core system for tennis and we’ve been around for about three years now commercially,” said Angus. “It’s not going to replace the hard work and the training but it’s going to amplify it.”

The Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre is the national training centre for western Canada and general manager, Danny Da Costa, says the system gives Alberta players the advantage.

“We want to improve our competitive players, our high performance athletes that train here but also for the general club player who is really interested in learning and improving and we feel that this system gives the ultimate game improvement tool to achieve that,” said Da Costa. “The technology will allow people to just experience a whole new facet of the game of tennis. For me, this is one of the largest and best technological advancements in the sport of tennis in the last 20 years and we think that when people learn and they download the app and they can watch all their videos and it’ll just really raise the bar of tennis and game improvement.”

Some of the best players in the world are using the technology and local players who have tried it say the system is a game changer.

“It has something to offer any tennis player that has that desire to get better,” said Angus. “Most people that play tennis, and really any sport, have never seen themselves on video and they’ve never seen any of their stats so what we’re doing is we’re giving people access to their fastest serve and how they actually look on video, so for most people it’s a new experience.”

“Our feedback’s been exceptional. We have a lot of people using it and we have five and six year old kids using it with their parents and with our coaching staff, all the way up to 70 and 80 year old members that use it,” said Da Costa.

The Alberta Tennis Centre is open to the public and is offering free PlaySight information sessions.

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