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stem in sports: technology
depressions helps determine how the ball flies
through the air. By adjusting them through
testing and computer modeling, experts can
help players shoot straighter and farther. Of
course, golf-ball makers want all these tech-
nological improvements to translate into
sales of new golf balls.
OTHER GEAR
B
eyond
the
ball
,
sports
gear
is
continually
getting a high-tech workout. The Babo-
lat tennis racket, for example, has sen-
sors much like the miCoach soccer ball. Play-
ers using this racket can check the power or
spin of their shots on their smartphone. “For
the next generation of players, it will be a
natural thing to switch your racket on before
playing,” said Babolat founder Eric Babolat. “I
am really convinced that within a few years
there will be no racquet that is not ‘connect-
ed.’”
Golf clubs are computer designed and
tested (see page 53) to incorporate designs
that maximize control and minimize mis-
hits. The shafts of the clubs are now often
the same carbon fiber seen in bikes, cars, and
other heavy-duty sports gear. They are not
equipped with sensors yet, but it sounds like
it’s just a matter of time.
In cycling, the materials used to make the
bikes are so lightweight that road racers have