Professional Squash To Debut New Tech
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has announced two partnerships that will see the organisation implement new analytics and performance data to live matches.
The first announcement is a statistical tracking system that will be used during the 2018 UCS Swedish Open, in a move that will see professional squash analysed in greater depth than ever before.
Developed in partnership with court-manufacturer ASB and interactiveSQUASH – the company who last year launched a new technology that is helping to transform squash courts into interactive playgrounds – the Motion Tracking System, ‘MoTrack’, will allow for real-time analysis of player and ball behaviour.
‘MoTrack’ will showcase key physical characteristics such as distance covered during games and player movement speed, alongside key tactical elements regarding hot zones, momentum patterns and ball tracking data, which will highlight ball speed and trajectory off the front wall.
The system, which has been tested in conjunction with ASB, will also help enable the PSA to analyse and market squash to a deeper level than ever before – with plans in place to combine the system with interactiveSQUASH’s interactive front wall technology in future, meaning statistical data could be projected onto the court wall in between games.
“With its bend of physical and tactical pressure, squash is one of the toughest sports out there and the opportunity to help illustrate that with the use of real-time, in-depth data is something that we have been working towards over the past few years,” said PSA COO Lee Beachill.
The PSA has also partnered with international technology company, Sports Data Labs to capture data on their athletes performance at this month’s J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions.
Sports Data Labs provides the technology and supporting infrastructure to enable in-game capture, analysis and distribution of real-time human data and will track player’s heart rate data in New York by utilising a sensor placed on the chest of players competing at the Tournament of Champions, which will be captured by Sports Data Lab’s real-time transmission and data platform.
Sports Data Labs chief executive Mark Gorski, said: “We are excited to be partnering with the PSA, an organisation that has been at the forefront of technology, innovation and adoption in professional sports.
“We look forward to helping the PSA achieve its objectives of utilising human data to tell new stories around athletic performance in professional squash.”
“As revealed by Forbes magazine, squash is the world’s healthiest sport and we’re excited to be able to demonstrate the hard work and sheer athleticism needed to compete as a professional squash player,” said PSA COO Lee Beachill.
“Squash is one of the world’s most physically demanding sports and the data captured by Sports Data Labs will help to highlight the incredible fitness and endeavour that our athletes showcase every time they step on to court.
“Sports Data Labs hs a proven track record in capturing and implementing athlete data and we are looking forward to working with them both in New York and Chicago.”
