It may surprise you to learn that virtual reality has a long history that dates back to 1956, but since its inception, it has been predominately used in the entertainment sector. More recently, sport has entered the space, notably in F1, but not in tennis. Until now.
Welcome to the augmented world of Sense Arena.
What is Sense Arena for tennis?
While it might look like a game, it’s actually a finely tuned training tool that places you virtually in a stadium show court to help improve your game off the court. Once you have guided your way through the wide variety of exercises and warmed up properly, you will start sharpening up on your shots - be it groundstrokes or volleys.
The immersive experience will challenge those all-important cognitive abilities as well as reactions, anticipation skills and muscle memory.
Beloved tennis legend Martina Navratilova loves everything about it. “I saw how great this system was for hockey and thought it would work pretty well for tennis,” she said. “When I tried it out I was totally sold, it’s so realistic. The racket is smaller but it feels like a real one. There’s a lot of potential for growth that can be done on it.”
How does the Sense Arenawork?
The system uses the Meta Quest 2 VR Headset and controllers where you can access the Sense Arena VR Tennis Training app. Installation is pretty straightforward - even if, like me, you skip through the instructions. When launching the training exercise, it does require patience. You will need to link with your Wi-Fi and set the play configuration and area. But once that’s complete, you are good to go.
There is also a Haptic racket accessory available, which feels like you are hitting with a real tennis racket.
How does the Sense Arena compare to Nintendo Wii?
I’m a big fan of the Wii and, although it’s technically a game from a different era, you can’t help throw the question out there.
Navratilova compared the Sense Arena favourably against playing tennis on Nintendo’s Wii system. “I sucked at Wii because it was so unreal. If you practice on it, you become a better Wii player, but not a better tennis player”, she explained. “If you practice on Sense Arena, you become a better tennis player. There’s no comparison. It mimics tennis better than anything I’ve ever seen.”
Does this VR tennis gizmo hit or miss the mark? Our expert tester puts it through its paces.
Our verdict
As soon as the headset went on, I was transported from my living room into a stadium arena with the crowd chanting around me. It completely blew my mind.
The choice of three tennis court surfaces to play on (hard, clay and grass) is an excellent way to familiarise yourself with how they react differently. We hope to see an indoor option enter the fray soon.
If you want to make it more challenging, you can switch up the wind in all directions as well as play at different times of the day. There is nothing like a blustery night match to really test your skills.
Hitting with the weighted Haptic racket does enhance the experience and replicate playing with a real frame. However, the vibration feedback does take some getting used to.
I found practicing my shot sequences against an array of different standard competitors very useful, especially when testing myself to return a tricky wide serve from a left-handed player.
Navratilova’s superb in-play training plan is a also must. The programme is extensive with my highlights being the multitask numbers and quick volley drills - but I was sure not to forget assessing my mental skills with the cognitive- synchro and mirror. The memory reflex exercises are ace. Even though my intial results were dire, they revealed statistics like efficiency, concentration, opponent awareness and reactions that give you motivation to do better next time.
There is the functionality to live cast what you are seeing to your devices and record your footage as well as the ability customise in-play rackets from HEAD and Solinco coming soon. I’d expect to see more gold nuggets like these entering the Sense Arena universe.
While the in-play graphics are decent, you are unable to hit service motions due to technology constraints. In addition, taking a closer look at the fans in the stands, they do appear a little one dimensional. But to sum up in a nutshell, this is one serious piece of kit. The future of (VR) tennis is bright.
Top tip: Make sure you secure and place the left hand controller (rather than the right) in the Haptic’s cradle and stay within a recommended safe space of 12 x 12ft. Keep your focus and don’t exceed 30 mins without a decent break.
Is it better than playing a real game of tennis?
Nothing is ever going to replace playing tennis for real. However, Sense Arena is clevely designed as a specific training supplement and can hughly improve your game.
What do the professionals players think about it?
USA’s Jennifer Brady (Australian Open finalist in 2021 with a career high of 13 in the world) is currently recovering from a long-term foot injury and is one of the early adopters of the Sense Arena that she has been using as part of her rehabiltiation. She reveals that “If you want to find ways to challenge yourself, there are lots of hidden gems within Sense Arena’s mental drills. It feels personalised. You can use different spins and change surfaces”.
The details
You’ll need first need to purchase the Meta Quest 2 headset and controllers (£399). Then, simply select a subscription which is best suited to you. Prices range from approx £16 - £32 per month.
