Pulse Play: Wearable technology hits the tennis court

By Geoff Nichols | May 20, 2015

Pulse Play: Wearable technology hits the tennis court

Wearable technology has been gaining a lot of coverage in recent months and now there is something for the tennis community to get their hands on. The Pulse Play, a wearable device developed by former Wimbledon winner Andy Ram, is tailored specifically towards racquet sport players.

The Pulse Play device is geared towards simplifying the match experience, all the way from keeping the score to allowing you to track your own ranking and find other players at your level. The experience that former pro Andy Ram has brought to the development is clear, as every little detail seems to have been carefully considered.

Having launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo that is already receiving significant support, the future of Pulse Play is tremendously exciting. Clearly there is demand in the tennis community for such a ground breaking piece of tech and we can’t wait to give one a go!

The Pulse Play tagline of ‘hit the courts like a pro’ couldn’t be more appropriate, as incorporating this technology into your game will really add the extra level of professionalism to your game. The feature that allows you to track the score will mean that you will never find yourself arguing with a friend or opponent again.

It is all too easy to lose track of the score in the heat of the battle. Even with your best intentions you can forget what the score should be and the Pulse Play device offers a simple yet effective solution. You could even imagine an umpire at an amateur match wearing one to accurately track the score and eliminate the human error.

Any technology in sport that allows the user to focus more fully on the match itself is a fantastic thing. Add into the equation that this can be attained for $75 makes it a must have gadget for regular racquet sport players in our eyes.

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There are also smaller touches that show the love and attention that has gone into making the Pulse Play device. You can have the score announced by over 50 different voices, including Homer Simpson. The badges that you earn vary from racking up 5 consecutive wins to beating your mother-in-law, which seems to have hit the perfect balance of enjoyment and helping you improve.

My interest is also piqued by the mobile app and fully-integrated social network, something that I think could work wonders in the racquet sports community. Finding similarly skilled opponents in your area is such a simple concept, but one that really could really help the sports at a local level.

As with all the latest must have gadgets, customisation is key. The Pulse Play device is available in a variety of vibrant colours and the design process was something the team placed a lot of importance on. The aim was to produce a wristband that is lightweight and comfortable without compromising on functionality.

From the final designs they seem to achieved just that, with the Pulse Play impressively simple and stylish. Not too dissimilar to the appearances of sports watches that current pros wear in competitive matches, it is a design that would be a welcome addition to a tennis players gear.

One of the most welcome aspects of the Pulse Play device in my eyes is the consideration for other racquet sports as well as tennis. Many sports enthusiasts play more than one racquet sport and so could use the wristband when playing badminton, squash or even table tennis.

We are tremendously excited to hit the courts with the Pulse Play. Keep any eye out on Lob and Smash for an exclusive interview with Andy Ram, the co-founder of Pulse Play, as well as comprehensive hands-on reviews of this innovative device. We will be sure to put it through it’s paces in tennis, badminton, table tennis and squash in the coming months.

Let us know your first impressions of the Pulse Play. Do we need more technology in tennis and will you be getting your hands on one?

Go here to check out the fundraising project that Pulse Play have launched on Indiegogo.

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