SwingVision delivers pro-level insights for recreational players

Pro players pay a king’s ransom for match tracking data, but with SwingVision all it takes is a smartphone. Using artificial intelligence, the app records a match or training session and turns it into a highlight reel of memorable points and a trove of stats. Points played, ball speed, shot placement and distribution, rally length, court positioning—just about every valuable measurable is covered. If that weren’t enough, it can even call the lines. Whether it’s to improve performance or just pure entertainment, this app brings a lot of game to the court.

Setup

With numerous how-to videos to expedite the process, getting started with SwingVision isn’t overly difficult, but it may still require some trial-and-error before it’s completely routine. First thing that’s needed is downloading the SwingVision app. It’s currently only available for iOS devices, but will be Android compatible next year.

The other necessary piece of equipment is a mount to position the phone in the back of the court for recording. SwingVision recommends a top of the fence mount —and sells its own model ($60)—as it affords the best viewing angle and the most accurate stats. However, any functional mount or attachment can also work. A tripod is a third option, but only recommended if playing in a bubble or somewhere without a fence or curtain. Ideally the phone should be high enough and far enough beyond the baseline to get a view of the entire court.

Once secure in the mount, the app is then opened to get the phone’s perspective. The camera needs to be angled so that both baselines and alleys are visible. This can be a little tricky as what you see at eye level may not be what you want when the phone is mounted on top of the fence. This is one of those areas where some practice makes perfect.

A smoother and faster way to do this, however, is with the assistance of an Apple Watch. Once the phone is positioned on the fence, you can open the SwingVision app on the watch and get a real-time camera view. If everything is correctly lined up just hit the record button on the watch and start the session.

Features

The watch not only aids setup, but serves other functions such as keeping score and favoriting rallies for post-match viewing. But perhaps its most innovative and useful attribute is challenging line calls. After a point is completed, tap the “challenge” button on the watch to see a video playback of a close-up of the ball bouncing and a determination of whether it was in or out. You can even scroll back to each shot of the point to see if you played an out ball that received the benefit of the doubt. In terms of reliability, testing has shown the app to be more accurate than human eyes for shots landing within 10 cm of a line on both sides of the court. Far more often than not, my playing partners and I were in agreement with SwingVision’s line calls.

If you’re not already used to playing with a watch or fitness band on your wrist, it can be an adjustment. I typically play with a thick sweatband instead, and kept futilely trying to dab my brow with my watch. A drawback for some, but regular Apple Watch wearers often keep theirs on during exercise.

Even still, SwingVision has plans to release an update next year that will enable line calls to be made directly from the phone. Much like the Hawkeye Live currently used in many professional events, an out call will be emitted anytime a ball lands out of bounds. The company says it has received a push from several tennis organizations to make this technology available as it would be a huge benefit to tournament and league play. Imagine playing competitive matches without fear of being hooked by an opponent on a critical point.

After a session is complete, SwingVision offers a host of video playback and statistical features. Thanks to the app editing out between-point garbage time, watching a full set can take less than 10 minutes. Heat maps, graphs and charts reveal numerous metrics from court positioning to shot choice. There are also highlight reels that dissect the action by stroke—yours and your opponent’s—or replay the longest and most tiring rallies. Filters allow you to break down points even further to create your own custom video. All that's missing is the movie montage soundtrack.

The app also autogenerates the game scores. An impending update will prompt users to confirm the final set scores at the end of the match to produce a point-by-point scoreboard displayed during the match playback. This will also expand the specificity of filters—for instance, break points converted or saved—and create even more data for analysis. All of these can also be shared with an opponent, coach or friend even if they don’t have the app. SwingVision has determined that the exchanging of these compilations have led to half of their new customers.

Players and coaches who want to take a deeper dive into technique will find the video alone an invaluable teaching tool. I’ve been trying to keep my racquet more on my hitting side during my forehand take-back. Even though I think I’m making the proper adjustment, the actual playback often tells a different story. What starts out as the desired correction is frequently sabotaged by bad habits once rallies go longer than a handful of strokes.

Spin varietal—topspin, slice and flat—and speed are also given for each stroke. I disagreed with the spin designation from time to time, most often when the app was distinguishing between slice and flat shots. And the mph on some shots didn’t always jibe with the image. Unlike television broadcasts, the speed isn’t tracked by radar. It’s actually the average of the flight from contact to bounce, which results in a reading that’s 20% less than top speed.

So the numbers serve as more of a benchmark. Each time you play, you can see whether you’re maintaining or adding speed to your shots. If you fell short in a particular session, the app offers short instructional videos for boosting speed on strokes. Same goes for other disciplines such as shot depth and consistency.

Bottom Line

Add it all up and SwingVision is an immersive and diverting app that doubles as a worthwhile training aid. Whether creating highlight reels, calling lines or dissecting technique, it brings an added dimension to your tennis. It’s also a pretty good value—the basic option which provides two hours of shot tracking, video analysis and cloud storage is free. However, if you want to experience the full depth of features discussed in this review, such as automated highlights and line calling, it requires an upgrade to Pro ($150/year). A 30-day trial is available for a test run. Once you try it, you just might get hooked—the good kind.