TENNIS TECHNOLOGY “BOODLES BALL GIRLS” RUN ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE PROS…

Written by: Staff on 7th July 2015

TENNIS TECHNOLOGY "BOODLES BALL GIRLS" RUN ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE PROS...

A ball girl in action during the first round of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London, Britain, 20 June 2011. EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA |

· Professional tennis player racks up almost 9,000 steps during match but ball girls are quickly catching up with 7,100 steps

· Ball girls ran a total of 248 miles over the course of the tournament, equivalent to the distance between London and Paris

· Wearable technology is becoming increasingly popular, with sales at Currys PC World increasing a whopping 900% over the last year

As the second week of Wimbledon gets under way, research out today from Currys PC World reveals the fitness benefits of wearable technology by tracking ball girls against players. The study reveals that on average ball girls ran 7,100 steps during their time on court, just 1,628 steps less than the professional.

To carry out the study, Currys PC World collected data over a five-day period at The Boodles tennis tournament, using the Fitbit Charge HR, which was worn by 18 ball girls* and professional tennis player Robin Haase. Analysis of the distance amassed over the whole tennis event as well as during a single match was then carried out to determine how much distance the ball girls covered compared to a professional player.

Over the five-day tennis event, the ball girls amassed an incredible 248 miles between them, equivalent to walking from London to Paris and completing almost three quarters (71%) of their NHS-recommended** 10,000 daily steps in just four hours.

When compared to the performance of professional tennis player, Robin Haase, during his match with former world-number one Rafael Nadal, the ball girls averaged only 1,628 steps or 0.77 miles less than the Dutch athlete who covered an impressive 8,728 steps equalling 4.12 miles in just two hours.

Robin Haase, the Dutch number one tennis player, commented: “It was interesting for me to see how much ground I actually cover during a match – even a friendly – and Rafa [Nadal] certainly put me through my paces. I’m amazed by how much of a good workout the ball girls managed to get during our match.”

For those currently enjoying SW19 and fearing that being fit is only reserved for the professionals on Centre Court, the new research demonstrates a wearable device can help you achieve tangible goals during the long daylight hours this summer.

Ben Lovett, Currys PC World spokesperson, echoes this sentiment, stating “During the summer season, people want to be outdoors enjoying the good weather. Using gadgets like the Fitbit helps them find new and creative ways to be active throughout the day meaning they don’t have to sacrifice sunshine for fitness. With sales of wearable technology up 900% year on year, people are starting to use these innovative products to clearly track their activity levels on a daily basis and keep on top of their fitness goals.”

The Fitbit Charge HR is available at Currys PC World for £119.99. For more information on all of its great features and to view the complete range of wearable gadgets – suiting all price ranges and needs – go to www.currys.co.uk and www.pcworld.co.uk.

Tidbits of various information :

Interesting results from the study include:

• The ball girls ran an average of 7,100 steps or 3.36 miles per day;

• In total, they ran 612,855 steps or 248 miles over the course of the five-day tournament.

• Professional tennis player Robin Haase ran an average of 12,154 steps or 6 miles per day during his time on court both practicing and playing the matches and;

• Between them, the total distance covered by both Robin Haase and the ball girls over the entire tournament was 266 miles, roughly the walking distance between London and Newcastle.

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from Currys PC World. Total sample size was 18 ball girls, aged 13 and over. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd – 27th June 2015 at The Boodles tennis event in Stoke Park.

About The Boodles:

The Boodles, now in its 14th year, took place at Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, from 23rd-27th June 2015, the week before the Championships began at Wimbledon.

Year on year, The Boodles attracts the world’s best players as they finalise their grass-court preparations. Over the last 13 years the event has featured a who’s who of the tennis world including Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi and Tim Henman. With an intimate 1,900 seat stadium, where no seat is further than 10 metres from the court, The Boodles puts guests right at the heart of the action on court while entertaining them in a relaxed, garden party atmosphere.

For more information visit: http://www.theboodles.com/

Bottom Line : The Team here @10sBalls.com loves the Boodles. It’s one of our favorite weeks on the world tennis tour. It’s a first rate event and it’s at a beautiful setting. These statistics are fascinating. Tennis is a great sport. This new technology is great.

Ball kids have a tougher job then realized. They work long days. Long hours and are basically very nervous that they don’t mess up. We always love the players that give them hugs and pizza and photo ops after the tourney. Bravo to the ball kids.

Topics: Ball girls, Currys PC World, Tennis News, The Boodles, Wimbledon

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10sBalls_com says:

July 7, 2015 at 9:03 am

TENNIS TECHNOLOGY “BOODLES BALL GIRLS” RUN ALMOST AS MUCH AS THE PROS…-http://t.co/pP6JZt7Dh7 #tennis #ballgirls #TheBoodles @TheBoodles