FAQs on Spektacom PowerBat Technology (Cricket Bat Sensor)

PowerBat technology (Cricket Bat Sensor) uses an ultra-lightweight compact sensor sticker (PowerSticker) that can be easily placed on the back of the bat to get real time feedback on batting performance, including data on bat speed, ball impact location on the bat, twist observed on the bat, swing angles, and power. The PowerBat technology brings a new dimension to the way batting performance can be analysed by broadcasters, professionals, amateurs, and coaches.

How does PowerBat sticker work?

The PowerBat sticker is designed to capture precise & detailed information pertaining to the shots played by a cricket player. It has multiple sensors which capture shot data, which is then transmitted to an app using Bluetooth, and sent to the cloud for later retrieval by the user. 

What are the metrics currently in use?  

Bat Speed: It is the speed of the bat at the time of impact with the ball, measured in km/hr. Bat speed is one of the metrics used to determine the power of your shot. Understanding your bat speeds can help you immensely in timing the ball better and generating better power in your strokes.

Want to know more? Check out the article, "Four ways to generate cricket bat speed for power hitting"

Bat Twist: It is the degree of rotation of the bat in hand at the time of impact with the ball. It helps you to determine the deviation between the intended and the actual direction of the shot. You might experience a higher bat twist when your bat grip is not firm while playing the shot. 

Want to know more? Check out the article, "Bat Twist in Power Hitting - The Most Underrated Factor"

Impact Location: It measures the quality of the shot by determining the ball impact location on the bat blade, measured in %. The closer the impact of the ball to the sweet spot region of the bat, the higher is the impact score. It helps you to measure the effectiveness (timing) of the shot played. Some of the best players in the world cricket, like Sachin Tendulkar, always focused on perfecting the timing on the ball.

Want to know more? Check out the article, "It is Time to Draw the Pitchmap on Your Cricket Bat"

Bat Power: It is a metric derived from the other metrics (bat speed, twist, and impact). It is measured in the unit of SPEKs, and helps to measure the overall power on the shot. It allows you to compare and contrast your scores on power hitting with your friends and your cricket superstars.

Want to know more? Check out the article, "PowerBat - Bringing the Fans Closer to the Game"

Bat Swing Angles: Understanding bat swing typically include the angles of backlift, bat face angle, downswing angle, launch angle of the bat at ball impact, and the follow-through angle. It helps a batter to correct any gaps in the batting technique and perfect the art of timing the ball.

Want to know more on the batting angles and how it can help you? Check "The Angles that Matter in Your Batting" 

How to understand and analyse SPEK?  

The bat power metric is measured using the unit SPEK. It a parameter that combines all other parameters to provide a holistic measure on the overall power of the shot. The metric helps you to determine the efficiency of your effort in playing the shot and effectiveness on the type of shot played. 

For example: If you play a lofted pull shot, what is the least effort required to score the maximum run possible for the shot? The analysis of the power hitting can be broken down into

• If the bat speed is not good enough, the chances of getting caught at the boundary are high
• If the bat twist on impact is high, the ball may travel in a direction or in a trajectory not intended by you
• If it is not timed well (not hit on the sweet spot region of the bat), the effort spent on hitting the ball will be wasted
• Instead, assume that you have timed the ball perfectly on the sweet spot of the bat. Now, you can analyse your bat speed to determine the optimal downswing required for perfecting the shot

You can use SPEK to benchmark the type of shots you play against different bowlers. You can also use it to compare and contrast with peers or other professional players to understand the effectiveness of the shot against similar bowlers. 

Here is something you might like: "Dissecting a Perfect Cricket Shot"

Are there any restriction on the type of bats?  

No! There are no restrictions on the type of bat that you can use, unless you are talking about non-wooden bats. You can take any standard cricket bat and use the PowerSticker to transform your bat into a PowerBat.

How well do you know about your cricket bat? "The Age for Smart Cricket Bats"

Will PowerSticker affect my batting?  

We understand the impact of any weight difference on the bat and hence the sensor sticker is designed to be non-intrusive and ultra-light weight. You won’t feel any difference in weight even after the sticker is placed on your bat.

Do you have a tech buddy? "Your Cricket Bat Sensor will be Your Next Cricketing Buddy"

Can PowerBat be used in broadcasting? 

Yes! The technology was used in the 2019 Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) during live match broadcasting, the first such instance in world cricket. Recently, it was used in IPL 2020 as part of the PowerShot Challenge – a matchup between the biggest power hitters from multiple IPL franchises, and shown on Star Sports.

Have you seen the PowerShot challenge? Check out Andre Russell's take on the tech: "PowerBat in Action at PowerShot Challenge"

It empowers broadcasters to enhance fan engagement by providing contextual insights in batting and with never before seen player stories and matchups. It empowers broadcasters to enhance fan engagement by providing contextual insights in batting and with never before seen player stories and matchups.

Here is something you might like: "How TV Broadcasting Influenced Cricket?"

Is it only for professional players or can any cricket enthusiast use it to improve their performance? 

PowerBat technology will be soon available for all the cricket enthusiasts to purchase and use. It will help them to understand the nuances in their batting techniques and also add a fun element by enabling them to create personalized groups and compare their scores with their friends, and even with their favourite superstars of the game. They can engage more with the game and in the process win some exciting prizes. 

Check out, "PowerBat - Bringing the Fans Closer to the Game"

Want to buy PowerBat Sensor (PowerSticker)?

How will it benefit coaches and academies?

Coaches can use this technology to continuously measure, track, and analyse the performance of their students. Students can also send their practice drill data and videos to their coaches, through the mobile app, for remote analysis. The technology enables data-driven model of coaching by objectively analysing every shot played and the overall performance of the student with contextual insights and visualizations.

Know more: "Technology Stack in Cricket Coaching"

How does PowerBat tech complement data and video analysis in cricket coaching?

While statistics and video analysis greatly help in enhancing the player performance, there is still a lacuna in the system when it comes to real-time feedback. PowerBat will help the batter and coaching unit to immediately assess the parameters behind a cricket shot. It helps the batter to analyse every aspect of the bat swing, right from the batting stance to backlift, downswing, launch, and follow-through. 

Know more: "How Cricket Bat Sensor is Set to Complement Video Analysis in Coaching"

How to setup PowerBat tech?

The technology is quite simple to use. Peel it, stick it, smack it. Just stick the PowerSticker as instructed, download the Spektacom app from the App Store or Play Store, and start taking your PowerShots.

Broadcast edition: A smart receiver will be placed behind the stumps and in the pit. It will be wired directly to the broadcaster room and the data will be received instantaneously when the batsman plays the shot. 

Are you a proponent of analytics in cricket? "The Next Wave of Cricket Analytics will be through Smart Sensors"