Badminton Player's Diary: more than a backyard game
Badminton became an Olympic sport in 1992 and is extremely popular in most of Asia. Here in the United States the game is viewed as more of a recreational activity for a summer's afternoon in the backyard or at a picnic. However thousands of people across America do participate in badminton as a competitive sport and this new app is intended for them. Badminton Player's Diary Coaching App is free and made for just your iPad. It requires iOS 6.1 or later.
The app is intended to be used by a third party viewing a match and tracking one or both of the players involved. The person using the app charts each shot during the match and is able at any time to check out the statistics of each player. All strokes are recorded in real time and are separated into attacking strokes or non-attacking strokes. They each receive a different designation in the app so it is easy to tell at the end of a rally or match which player was the aggressor. The app user just taps on the screen showing where the shot ended up.
When a rally ends, the user can designate whether the stroke that ended the ended it was a forced or unforced error resulting in the shuttlecock going over the line or into the net. At any time the user can look at the game and match statistics and see just where all the shots were placed, whether they were attacking or defensive, and the result, part of a rally, a winner, out of bounds, or into the net.
Badminton Player's Diary also makes recommendations on how each player can improve his or her strategy during the game in terms of attacking or location of the strokes. However to get this information you need to make a $0.99 in-app purchase. It appears you would need to make this purchase for each match. If you do buy the recommendations, you will receive three actions supposed to help that player improve his game. If you tap on each recommendation you get a graphic visualization of how to implement the suggestion.
The app is simple to operate. You use a drop down menu to add players and to start new matches. You can then save both the matches and players so the players can be used again and the matches for review.
I have only played badminton as a diversion but I can see how Badminton Player's Diary Coaching App could assist competitive players. It would be helpful to see if all your shots were to one side or the other of the court or if all your misses were to your backhand. Since the app is free it is worth trying and maybe you can end up in the Olympics some day.
