21st Century sporting tech

Whilst sport might be one of humanity’s oldest pastimes, there’s been no shortage of innovation in recent years to use the latest technology to transform our athletes into sporting legends.

This is hardly surprising given that sport has increasingly turned into a massively lucrative business. As a result, many athletes and trainers will be looking for ways to improve their performance, and here are some interesting uses of technology in the sporting arena.

Tennis

Whilst it may be thought of as something of a ‘pure’ sport, tennis has changed drastically in the past few years.

Not only are there rackets made out of graphite, titanium and carbon fibre, and courts made out of a plexi-cushioned composite of latex, rubber and plastic, but there have also been many digital incursions into the tennis arena.

Hawk Eye ball tracking technology is now an essential part of any major match. By tracking the movement of a ball to within a 3.6mm range of accuracy, they are indispensible in settling any areas of dispute.

And seeing that serves in major matches are frequently travelling at speeds of over 100mph, it’s not surprising to find that around 30% of all calls are overturned due to this amazing piece of technology.

Darts

A game of darts might not be the frontline for technological innovation, but there have definitely been some interesting improvements in regards to the equipment used.

Using advances in streamline technology, there has been something of a small revolution in the dart world with the introduction of the Japanese Cosmo Fit Flights that utilise a special polycarbonate resin that ensures the flights and stems of the dart stay strong and very straight. And as the darts premier league will be wide open this season, the competitors will need every advantage they can get.

Swimming

The swimming world was recently rocked with controversy over the introduction of skinsuits. The suits were designed with the objective of removing the drag generated by the flow of water over the athlete’s body. And they proved to be so incredibly successful that many thought they were the equivalent of doping.

However, the skinsuits have stood the test of time due to the fact that they can reduce drag by as much as 10%, and have ensured that many of our Olympic swimmers have been seen adopting this simple but effective piece of technology.

Football

One of the most impressive uses of technology in the sporting world in recent years was witnessed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. And no, it wasn’t the still-controversial goal-line technology, but the cheap, yet incredibly effective use of a spray can of ‘vanishing foam’ that kept footballers in their designated positions during free kicks.