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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

stem in sports: technology

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