The PGA Tour, which is a group of men whacking a small ball around a whole lot of land, has secured a new wearable tech sponsor. Normally that’s not something we’re concerned with, but it’s how that tech will be utilised that’s especially interesting this time around.
The PGA Tour’s big Whoop
Whoop is set to become the official wearable device of the PGA Tour, as well as a sponsor. Big… er… whoop, really. But there’s something unusual happening as a result of the partnership. Player biometric and heart-rate data will be displayed, as captured by Whoop’s tech, “…during defining moments throughout the season with those real-time metrics integrated into video content.”
Which basically means you’ll see player heart-rate (and other data) on screen, in real-time, during tense moments throughout the next few years on the Tour. Which, if you think about it, is the next logical step for sportsmen. Sports fans already obsess over player stats and performance. It’s only a matter of time before real-time monitoring of players becomes the norm — and then commentators will have to mention it. We can just imagine how football penalty kicks will go.
The PGA’s Brian Oliver, said: “We’re eager to begin a first-of-its-kind activation at the Tour that will incorporate player biometric data with defining moments from the golf course to create fascinating content for fans.” More than 1,000 Whoop Strap 3.0 bands have been issued to players on the PGA Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Champions circuits. And they won’t only be used to entertain viewers. Players will also be using recorded data to “…optimize workouts, recovery and sleep – and…identify changes in respiratory rate”. Which is all useful data to have, if you’re into maxing your sports performance. Let’s do the F1 circuit next.
Source: PGATour.com
