高科技电子网球拍揭秘

    百保力集团在12月中旬将Play球拍引入其第一大市场美国，目前这款产品在美国的50个专营店中有售。（相比之下今年五月才在欧洲发布。）上架仅十天，它的销量就占到12月美国所有品牌网球拍销量的第四位。Play球拍的售价为400美元，基本上是一个普通球拍的两倍。埃里克•百保力指出，2013年，他的公司在全球共卖出180万支普通球拍，他觉得电子球拍具有巨大的潜力：“我相信，十年以后，所有的球拍将都安装电子设备。”

    与此同时，还有另外两家公司也在研究类似的产品。比如法国迪卡侬旗下的Artengo品牌专门销售中端价位的球拍和其它运动产品，现在Artengo推出了一款可以附着在球拍手柄之外收集数据的设备（也是由Movea公司研发的）。另外，今年一月，索尼公司（Sony）在拉斯维加斯的消费电子展上展出了一款传感器的原型产品。它的重量不足3盎司，可以附着在尤尼克斯（Yonex，一家日本网羽用品公司）公司的球拍上。它今年春天已经在日本正式上市。

    埃里克•百保力认为这种竞争令人振奋。他说：“索尼成为第一批在这个领域竞争的公司之一，这让我觉得很惊讶，因为体育并不是他们擅长的方面。但是看到他们也把重点放在网球上，并且他们也相信在线社区娱乐的潜力，还是让人吃了一颗定心丸。”

    去年七月，国际网球协会（International Tennis Federation）制订了它的第31条规则，允许在网球比赛中使用经过批准的“运动员分析技术”。埃里克•百保力非常期待有一天能在正式的网球锦标赛上看到Play球拍的亮相。目前这家公司的产品中，电子球拍只有Pure Drive一款，而公司的产品代言人纳达尔和威尔弗雷德•特松加则使用的是另一款产品。

    2012年的一场法网表演赛上，专业运动员们获得机会试用新的电子球拍。据埃里克•百保力表示，当纳达尔和他的教练安东尼奥•纳达尔（托尼）拿到这款新球拍时，他们表现得就像小孩子一样。托尼对他侄子开玩笑说，现在他可以知道他发球到底有多差了。拉菲尔•纳达尔则回答说，他要让他叔叔看看他的击球多么有力。埃里克•百保力说：“他们总是在寻找任何能提高成绩的细节。运动员可以感觉到一些东西，而教练能看到其它一些东西。Play球拍让他们第一次有了可以研究的量化数据。”

    表演赛开始之前，一名14岁的球童走过来，高兴地对埃里克•百保力说，这款球融合了他最喜欢的两个活动——网球和电脑游戏。埃里克说：“这再次让我确信，我们走在正确的道路上，尤其是对于年轻人来说。网球不仅仅是一项古老的运动——比如大家传统上都要穿着白色的球衣参加温布尔登公开赛。网球还很酷。”（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    Babolat introduced the Play in mid-December in the United States, its number one market, selling it in 50 specialized stores. (It launches in Europe in May.) Though it was on the shelves for only ten days, it took fourth place for December's overall tennis racquet sales in the U.S., in terms of dollar value -- at $400, it is roughly twice the price of a normal racquet. Eric Babolat notes that in 2013, his company sold 1.8 million unconnected racquets worldwide, and he feels that the potential for connected racquets is huge: "I'm convinced that 10 years from now all racquets will be wired."

    Meanwhile, two other companies have been working on a similar concept. Artengo, a French brand specializing in modestly priced racquet sport equipment, now sells a gadget that attaches to the outside of a handle and gathers data (also developed by Movea). And in January, Sony (SNE) showed off a prototype sensor at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Weighing under 3 ounces and made to snap onto the butt of certain Yonex racquets, it comes out in Japan this spring.

    Babolat sees this competition as encouraging. "I'm surprised that Sony is among the first to enter this field, since sports is not really their thing. But it's reassuring to see that they are focusing on tennis, and that they believe it has potential as online community entertainment."

    Last July, the International Tennis Federation wrote its 31st rule, permitting the use of approved "Player Analysis Technology" during competitions. Babolat is looking forward to the day the Play makes its debut in an official tournament. For the moment, however, only the Pure Drive is wired, and the company's star ambassadors -- Nadal and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga -- use a different model.

    The pros had the chance to try the new racquet at a demonstration match at Roland Garros in 2012. According to Babolat, Nadal and his coach, Antonio Nadal, were like children when they got their hands on it -- Toni teasing his nephew that now he'd see how badly he was serving, Rafa responding that he would show his uncle just how powerfully he was hitting. "They are always on the lookout for the detail that make a difference," the Frenchman says. "A player feels certain things, and his trainer sees others. For the first time they had quantifiable data they could discuss."

    Before the demonstration began, a 14-year-old ball boy went up to Babolat and told him excitedly that the racquet combined his two favorite activities, tennis and video games. "It confirmed that we were on the right track, especially with young people," Babolat says. "This is not just an old sport, people wearing white at Wimbledon. Tennis is cool."