miCoach SMART BALL – Adidas Take Things to Another Level!

I guess it was only a matter of time until this one hit the market! This week, adidas announced the release of their new miCoach SMART BALL. What is the SMART BALL? Well, think of your regular leather soccer ball and add a brain inside that tracks how many times you kick it…..and with that knowledge you are only half way to really understanding!  To comprehend what exactly it does, we will let adidas enlighten you on the official detailed breakdown.

The SMART BALL is a Bluetooth Smart and app-enabled soccer ball with integrated sensor technology for dead-ball kicking training such as penalties, free-kicks, shooting, corners, long passes or goal kicks. The SMART BALL relays data on how hard it has been struck, offers visual flight trajectories, depicts ball spin and shows impact points via the adidas miCoach SMART BALL app available for iPhone and iPod touch. This data can then be used to help train players, providing coaching instructions on how to alter kicking technique to bend free kicks, launch knuckle balls and generate more shot power.

The miCoach SMART BALL has a range of ways to help improve kicking skills, giving the ability and confidence to deliver when it matters most. The intuitive miCoach SMART BALL companion app offers a dedicated training section for users to focus on improving their skills with tutorials to help master progressively more advanced techniques, including the elusive ‘knuckle ball’. A ‘challenge yourself’ section, which challenges you to kick the ball within a certain speed, bend around a wall or try to replicate pro level free kicks. There is also a ‘record book’ section to save and record all kicks to improve and track performance over time.

 

Challenge kicks are supported with social sharing functions. The adidas micoach SMART BALL also features wireless charging capabilities and comes with a charging dock.

Speaking at the retail launch, Christian DiBenedetto, adidas senior innovation director said

We’re proud to bring the miCoach SMART BALL to soccer players around the world. 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. It is another great example of the breakthrough innovation we bring to sports to make athletes better.

Retailing at $299 from adidas .com, those that want a ball will need to invest in the technology!

Ok, so we seriously want to know what your thoughts are on this technology and if you would be willing to sell out on your own ball to test your performance. Is this the type of technology you see improving your game? Let us know what you think in the comments below, or you can always find us on Twitter and Facebook.