Are you excited for the upcoming 2014 World Cup, or at least pretending to be for the sake of social acceptance? Are you planning to brush up those dusty football (soccer) skills in time for the pickup games that will inevitably ensue? Adidas’ miCoach Smart Ball can help. The ball uses embedded sensors and Bluetooth to provide instant feedback and help you maximize your technique.
The Smart Ball helps you train and improve in multiple “dead ball” techniques such as free kicks, penalty shots, passes, goal kicks, and corners, by relaying information to a proprietary miCoach app using Bluetooth 4.0. After interpreting each kick’s attributes, the app depicts the ball’s flight trajectory, spin, and impact point, as well as the strength of impact. Tips and training suggestions are provided in response to develop the user’s ball touch and handling.
miCoach's proprietary app also includes useful training videos and drills for amateurs or professionals alike. Players can challenge themselves by trying to surpass certain speed and power benchmarks, or by attempting to replicate a specific technique. The tutorials become progressively more advanced, even teaching players how to perform Cristiano Renaldo’s “knuckle ball,” a ball kicked at a very low speed to create a zigzagging trajectory.
“There was a huge amount of interest in the concept when we first showcased the ball. The testing feedback from both amateur and professional athletes has been tremendous and we know users will love the engaging and instructional training this ball will bring to their game,” said Christian DiBenedetto, Adidas' senior innovation director, in a statement.
The miCoach Smart Ball is charged wirelessly through electromagnetic induction acquired from a charging dock. The ball is available from both Adidas.com as well as the Apple Store for a whopping £250. The reviews so far are extremely positive; user BYGAR states, “My teammates loved this ball and professional coaches recommend this ball for any level to get better and succeed in the sport.” Another user, Chrishinojo, agrees: “also learned new things about how hard I kick it, how fast the ball travels, and the rotation on the ball which I didn't think it was possible. I definitely will recommend this product to players young and experienced, and coaches.”
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