Future Trends in Tennis: Part 3

[johnyandell]

Let's discuss Chris Lewit's latest article, "Future Trends in Tennis: Part 3!"

[stotty]

Is anyone old enough to remember the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man? It was about an astronaut who is seriously injured and has to undergo major surgery to have his injured parts of his body replaced with machine parts. The machine parts turn out to be far superior than his body parts were and he can run at 60mph and lift enormous weights. He also had super-duper eyesight as I remember. Chris's article got me thinking about that TV series and that perhaps one day it might come true.

It's a scary thought that one might have one's legs amputated just so you can run faster than anyone else. I could envisage a few clowns out there going to such lengths.

[klacr]

The Bionic Player. I could see it happening. But maybe not for a few more generations.

Kyle LaCroix USPTA
Boca Raton

[arturohernandez]

I love technology. It is great and I think all of these advances will help us all in many ways. I could even see us somehow actually hitting the ball like Federer where a computer would guide our bodies to hit like someone else. Of course, the body suit would have to make sure we did not injure ourselves.

I think many of these trends are already here but we don't know it yet. I forget the famous quote but the notion of 75K as being a limiting factor is key. In basketball, no one takes a two point shot anymore. Why shoot 49% from 15 feet away when just a few more feet at 35% yields more points?

In tennis, we have seen the rise of better and better players but they seem homogenized. Everyone is the same. Have you watched Songland? The songs are very good and they work on them during the show at which point after the song is done it is recorded and released.

But they don't sound original and they don't stand out. So everyone will be better and we will all benefit. But will we get unique players like we did in the past? Will we hear unique songs like we did before? Will the skyhook come back?

I love scifi and am a futurist. My son just asked me last week if I am blown away by technology. I told him that I watched Star Trek and imagined a world where we could use technology the way we use it today.

What I mostly miss is quiet, the dark skies and the times when we all of us used to watch the same shows together or talk about them the next day.

[jthb1021]

I love the idea of the line calling system being affordable enough to be on almost all courts. I agree that would go a long way to eliminating certain types of gamesmanship and cheating which would make competitive junior and adult tennis more appealing to the average tennis family. The life and tennis lesson of "life is hard and not always fair but it's how you respond that matters, Respond like a champion!" That gets old after awhile! I'd love to lessen this conversation with tournament players and their families.

[johnyandell]

Wouldn't that be great! It could eliminate some of the toxic elements.

[doctorhl]

The Edgertronic($5,000 gets you 720 fps), and Rapsodo are two interesting tech items from baseball that perhaps JY or CL can speculate on possible application to tennis.

[johnyandell]

Will check out!

[johnyandell]

Yeah edgertronic no view finder. Have to add prob unusable on court. I thought I had looked at it before...The other one needs to be stationary...

[doctorhl]

Good points!!