Wimbledon goes hi-tech with Shot Tracker

Whodathunk Wimbledon — with its sober traditions, dutiful curtseys, and annual Tiger Tim emotional drubbing — would be the latest showcase for high tech gadgetry? Well, the All England Lawn Tennis Club staff are currently flaunting wireless IP telephones and "Internet-enabled handheld computers" with television feeds in an effort to keep the courts cable-free and security keen to the exact status of the players they must protect. Moreover, Shot Tracker (or Hawkeye) provides a three-dimensional animated image of every rally not just to commentators, players or coaches but now to punters and yobs alike on the wimbledon.org site.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

This was there for the French Open this year too...pretty amazing technology

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

This is sooo cool!

Anyone for tennis?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Wow. I can't wait 'til they do the same thing for golf.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Wimbledon has always been pretty good with new technology for tracking the ball. For this wimbledon they've employed a super high frame rate camera that tracks the serves of players. It's damn cool to see the ball distort in slow motion.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

It's had Hawk Eye for years, actually.

Tom, UK

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Umm they have it for golf now...
www.pgatour.com

Its cool

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

They've been using Hawkeye for a couple of years for cricket too - but I can't imagine anybody in North America would have noticed :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

Haha, Jon, actually, I have noticed. Living in New York, I've seen [and very much enjoy] Hawkeye during cricket broadcasts. It is a useful tool when used properly. For example, watching an over or two bowled by Pakistanis as compared to Australians show the disparity in the control exhibited by the bowlers of the squads.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

What? No pointless, gratuitous photos of Maria Sharapova? You guys are SO letting me down...

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 19th 2005 2:05AM]

this was done for golf quite a while back and basketball... there was a company that was building the backend technology and web interfaces for this sort of thing back in the .bomb era - I believe the company was Quokka Sports and they acquired a bunch of other smaller tech companies that was working on this sort of tech before they folded under the pressure...