Many tennis players use a tennis dampener, a cheap piece of silicone that reduces the vibration of the strings and makes a smoother sound on contact with the ball.
The dampener created by Courtmatics does a lot more. By placing a microcomputer complete with inertial sensors, internal memory and Bluetooth inside a typical dampener, the company measures tennis analytics from serve type to footwork.
“The technology helps by providing the feedback to the player that just wasn’t available,” Courtmatics CEO Andre Reznik said. “When getting off the court we didn’t feel like we knew what we needed to improve, we thought technology could fill that gap and help us focus in training.”
Reznik founded the company along with Bhanu Pisupati and Vadim Blank, all longtime tennis players. University of San Francisco men’s tennis coach and former pro Pablo Pires de Almeida is on the Courtmatics team as well.
The technology works by connecting via Bluetooth to an app on the player’s phone. Once on the racket, it collects data on 20 metrics including serve speed, serve types, racket acceleration, sweet spot, follow through, top spin and calories burned and distance run.
“There’s a lot of elements we get into that the competition doesn’t,” Reznik said. “Fitness, racket preparation, wrist snap on serves, percentage of time split-stepping, we cover it all.”
After stepping off the court, the player syncs the app with their device and the metrics are delivered in a matter of seconds. Most measurements are given on percentage basis from 0-100, then that data is compared with data from Division I college players. The app tells you what areas are strong and which are lacking, focusing on string tension, stroke analysis, footwork and fitness. Then it provides the player with instructional videos targeted at their individual weaknesses.
“It’s a smart coach that gives you feedback to help you take your game to the next level,” Reznik said.
At six grams, the dampener is only slightly heavier than one made entirely of silicone. While there are some players who say they can feel the difference a dampener makes on their swing, it is marginal if anything. Players prefer different racket weights to fit individual play styles and the dampener is just an added consideration.
“The racket feels exactly the same way and it still dampens impact,” Reznik said. “Really naturally it’s a direct replacement for a traditional dampener.”
Dampeners fit on a balance point of the racket, in the middle below the bottom cross string. This means that the weight, so long as isn’t egregious, won’t change the nature of the swing.
The goal for the Courtmatics product was to fit naturally into the game and to provide players with important data. “Because we are tennis players at heart we feel like we understand the consumer very well,” Reznik said. “This idea was born out of a combination of technology and a love for tennis.”
The Courtmatics dampener will open for preorder on Nov. 29 for $99 with products being shipped in February 2018.