The popular thing to do nowadays is to use advancing technology to improve sports. And it's not just this way at the professional level; companies around the world are using chips and apps and bluetooth and web connectivity to, at the very least, give some of the best athletes in the world they edge they deserve.
But some of that technology is reaching us, the amateur/weekend athlete, at home. We've got sensors in everything from golf clubs to soccer balls. And basketball is no stranger to advancing forms of technology. The ShotTracker sensor that is mounted on a basketball net—and when paired with the included wristband that holds another sensor—can totally tell you that your jump shot is whack and give you pointers on how to fix it.
If you don't want to install anything on your net (or wear something on your wrist while shooting), the new X-Connected basketball from Wilson might be a popular choice. It has a sensor inside the ball that can track your shot and calculate shot percentage, distance from the basket and more. All of this is taken care of by a Bluetooth radio, a tiny processor and an accelerometer inside the ball.
You don't have to recharge it, either; the battery is good for about 100,000 shots. Wilson figures that if you shoot the ball 100,000 times and the battery goes dead, you can just contact the company for a replacement one, because taking 100,000 jump shots is actually quite the amazing feat.
The Wilson X Connected ball ($199, releases Nov. 16) won't tell you how to fix your jump shot, but it will track your shooting with alarming precision. And maybe, just maybe, that jump shot will get better after all, and you'll finally be able to dominate your pickup games at the gym.
What do you think?