Having already announced the Babolat POP tennis sensor, we got to put this interactive wristband to the test ourselves over the past month. Here’s an in-depth review of Babolat POP!
Following our post in mid-September 2015 about the upcoming launch of Babolat POP, Babolat gave the mijnracket.nl team the opportunity to test the interactive tennis wristband ahead of its official release in mid-January. Thanks to Babolat for that! Buy the Babolat POP tennis sensor now in our webshop!
What is Babolat POP? Just to refresh your memory: Babolat has developed a wrist-worn tennis sensor in collaboration with PIQ, a company specializing in activity trackers and sports sensors. The sensor fits into a special wristband worn on your playing arm. The wristband is very comfortable and feels almost like a regular sweatband. With the launch of Babolat POP in early 2016, Babolat gives players the opportunity to collect and analyze all kinds of game data, regardless of the brand or type of tennis racket they use, challenge their tennis buddies via social media, and compare themselves with the greats of the game, such as Rafael Nadal and Eugenie Bouchard!
What does Babolat POP consist of? 
- Adjustable neoprene wristband (one size fits all), weighing 10 grams
- 9-axis sensor with built-in battery (9 grams total), featuring a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer
- Bluetooth 4.0 charger with cable
Getting started with Babolat POP To get started, install the Babolat POP/PIQ app on your smartphone and create an account.
What does Babolat POP measure?
With Babolat POP, you can measure forehands, backhands, smashes, volleys, and serves. You can also see the amount of spin or slice on each shot. The sensor measures racket speed, or swing speed, the total number of shots, and playing time, and provides an activity score and a PIQ score. You can also track your best rally and your shots per minute.
How does Babolat POP work?
The Babolat POP menu looks like this:
At the top are your name, your level (Rookie in this case), and your activity ranking, which here is for January. You’ll also see buttons for Dashboard, PIQ score, Activity, Skills, Challenges, Community, Settings, and Help.
Let’s take a look at the main features.
Your Dashboard gives you an overview of all your activities. My global stats could use some improvement: my ranking is 2076, my activity score is 1913, and my level is Rookie. Below that, you can see that I’ve played 4 sessions and hit 1,006 balls in 2 hours and 47 minutes, consisting of 1 match, 2 practice sessions, and 1 open session. In my case, the last one was a short 20-minute drill. After each session, you can indicate which surface you played on, whether you won or lost, and how you felt physically. All the data is then saved. A total score, the so-called PIQ score, is calculated based on your last 6 sessions. It is made up of style, (swing) speed, and effect (spin/slice). You can use this score to compare yourself with others!
The data above clearly shows that I’m no spin monster, which is also true given my fairly flat repertoire of shots. You start at the 'Newby' level and can work your way up to 'Pro'. I’m currently a 'Rookie', but not for much longer, judging by the following statistic:
My Skills are currently at 74% of the Rookie level. I’ve already hit enough volleys, but still need to hit a few more backhands to unlock the next level. Each level has its own color, by the way. I can now challenge other players at this level or be challenged by them. At the next level, your challenges are against stronger players, and you also have to hit more forehands, backhands, serves, volleys, and smashes to complete that level. All in all, it’s a fun incentive. Below is an example of a Challenge I took on:
The player in question, 'Pablo Millan', challenged me to beat his score in 20 backhands. What’s great about this feature is that you can challenge both your local tennis buddies and players from around the world by finding them in Community. Conclusion Babolat POP is a fun, accessible way to collect a surprising amount of game data. While this tool doesn’t measure ball speed like the Sony Smart Sensor, for example, it can be used by any player with any racket. What’s more, Babolat POP’s price of €89.99 is much more attractive than the Sony Smart Sensor’s €199.99. The app for the Sony Smart Sensor is also still unavailable in the Benelux, whereas the Babolat POP app is readily available to download. The option to challenge your tennis buddies or other players around the world is great fun. Babolat POP is therefore an excellent motivator to spend more hours on the court and improve your game! I’ll certainly keep using it with great pleasure!
Buy the Babolat POP tennis sensor now in our webshop!
