With everything going digital these days, it would only be a matter of time before Sports got into the technological culture. We already have wellness gadgets like FitBit that help with logging in your daily lifestyle traits and helping you improve on it, and now one of the biggest names in the Sporting Industry – ADIDAS has come up with the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball.
So what is the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball about?
Let’s find out.
What It Does
If we talk about the future of football, then it seems that this Smart Ball is it. Using a football that is FIFA Approved, with every kick you make, you are informed about how hard it was struck, the trajectory of the ball and the impact zones touched as a result of the angle at which the ball was kicked. All of this information can be recorded and stored in a FREE DOWNLOAD App that is currently only available for iOS. Having said that, this ball can be used extensively during practice sessions for both, novices and veterans to the game.
Special Features
So the first question that would enter anyone’s mind is, how does a ball become smart? There is a sensor package in the heart of the ball that can scan and determine the strength of a kick, the angle the ball has taken due to the kick and what improvements could be made through smart suggestions. For the most accurate results, the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball has its sensors suspended in the centre of the ball, with 12 extended arms to cover the circumference of the ball. However, there is a shortcoming – the sensors are activated and make records only if the ball has been kicked above three feet off the ground. Another shortcoming is that the Smart Ball will record only one kick at a time. You would need to use the app for it to record kick by kick.
App
The iOS app is actually the star of the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball. This is where all the information is stored meticulously, with a seamless interface that is easy-to-use. Graphs are a-plenty and so are tables that record all your kicks in a session. As mentioned earlier, you would need to record each kick separately by clicking a button, but that shouldn’t be a problem if you are practicing and want to analyze each kick specifically and compare results. Through COACH NOTES, you will be guided on how to sharpen your kicking expertise – this is actually the highlight of the entire app.
Hardware
When it comes down the physical appeal of the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball, you are not going to be disappointed. The sleek outer surface matches up to other world class balls sold by the giant sporting company. The Smart Ball comes with a wireless loading dock to store the ball for charging purposes. It takes approximately one hour for around 2,000 worth of kicks. It may seem weird to charge a ball, but once you get the hang of it, it will be like storing a football after practice the way you normally do.
Price
Here is the next important bit of information you would need after finding out the features of the ball: how much does it cost? It retails for a cool £249.95 – ball and charger included, along with the FREE app that needs to be downloaded separately, only on an iPhone.
For a more personal, first person review of the ADIDAS MiCoach Smart Ball, check out trustedreviews.com.
