Would you like to track your physical AND technical performance during a game or training session exactly as the pros do? Well in this article we will go over one piece of wearable tracking technology you have most probably heard of already; Playermaker.
What Is Playermaker?
Now, Playermaker is a wearable tracker that you strap onto your boots to track various physical and technical performance metrics.
This includes all the data points a GPS tracker usually tracks, such as max speed, total distance ran, and total sprint distance, PLUS various technical performance metrics like the number of touches you performed on the ball with each foot, your kicking velocity, your number of one-touch releases, and a great list of other metrics that we are going to go over later in this video
What Is CITYPLAY by Playermaker?
Wondering what the new CITYPLAY by Playermaker is? It is the latest wearable tracker crafted by Playermaker and Manchester City’s coaching philosophy to help you, the modern football/soccer player, understand your game by becoming self-aware of various technical and physical performance metrics.
This, in turn, will help you make changes to your training based on your data and the elite coaching philosophy of Manchester City, as well as compare your stats with players all over the world!
What Is The Difference Between CITYPLAY & Playermaker
Although Playermaker’s philosophy and its core features remain unchanged, the CITYPLAY tracker by Playermaker and Manchester City includes
- an additional 15+ technical and physical performance metrics
- really small and light sensors that use AI to further enhance data collection and analysis
- durable, light, and elastic straps to keep your sensors in place all the time, and
- an even smaller and more compact case that syncs your data to
- the new CITYPLAY tracker app powered by Playermaker and Manchester City
On top of those new features, you can also expect cutting-edge training advice powered by AI technology and Manchester City’s elite coaching philosophy to really skyrocket your game.
You will also gain access to some great Manchester City drills and exercises you can execute either on your own or with your friends and teammates.
Lastly, another addition Playermaker made was the CITYPLAY Card. You will get access to it after you have played some games wearing the tracker. This will allow the app to gather enough metrics and data points to create your own player card summarizing your skill scores and “revealing” who you are as a player. Track the metrics of your CITYPLAY Card over time, share it with the world, and let your improvement shine!
The Need For Data In Football
Over the last decades, teams, coaches, and individual players, especially at the sub-elite level, (including myself and my athletes) have been trying to figure out ways of collecting various data points of their training sessions and games.
This data is super helpful. It can guide your training process and help you make better training decisions. And it’s great fun knowing those little details about your game, too!
Now smartphones did a pretty good job of tracking various performance measures but I’m not so sure how players would carry their phones around during games and practice.
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That’s where Playermaker came in to revolutionize data tracking in football!
Not only does this little magic thing track various physical performance indexes, such as total running distance, high-speed running, accel/decels, etc., but it also does a great job tracking a range of different technical performance metrics such as the touches you take with each foot, the total ball releases you perform, the power of your shots, etc.
Do I Need Playermaker?
If you are someone that isn’t serious about this game, it would be nice to have access to that data but certainly not a must.
BUT, if you are a player, coach, or team that values the training process and understands that the level of your (or your players’) performance is reflected by the quality of their input (training), then Playermaker can be a great tool in your arsenal that can drastically help you improve the quality of your work.
You see, a common problem that I have to face as a player and as a coach is the lack of performance data.
I mean, how can you improve something if you can’t measure and track it, right?
FUN FACT! Did you know that an F1 car gathers an average of 3TB (TerraBytes!) of data points per race which is then used to improve various KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators)?
This lack of data many players and coaches experience many times leave them clueless, having no idea whether the work they’re putting in is paying off or not; whether the goals they’ve set are actually achieved; whether the players stick to the game-plan or not.
Not having data available can put you in the rabbit hole of second-guessing your decisions.
This lack of awareness can certainly lead to a multitude of wrong training decisions.
The Solutions Playermaker Offers To Football/Soccer Players
This problem can be combated pretty well with the use of modern sports tracking tools. Playermaker seems to be offering the most versatile option currently available in the market.
Why is it versatile though, you may wanna ask?
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Unlike other tracking gadgets, such as GPS tech, Playermaker uses advanced technology to track a wide range of physical *and* technical performance metrics including;
PHYSICAL METRICS
- Total Distance Covered
- Top Speed
- Sprint Distance
- Work Rate
- Number of Sprints
- Accelerations & Decelerations
TECHNICAL METRICS
- Number of Ball Touches
- Technical Balance
- Kick Velocity
- One-Touch
- Time on the Ball
- Time to Release
- Number of Possessions
You just put the featherweight straps on your boots, insert the smart sensors inside the pockets, complete the session, sync the sensors with the iOS/Android app, and there you have it; a full breakdown of your game or training session in “digestible” data points that can be easily interpreted by everyone; whether you’re a sports analyst or an amateur player.
Wait, Isn’t The Playermaker Data Only Useful In Pro Setups?
No, having performance data available at your fingertips can benefit you no matter if you’re a grassroots player, an amateur, or N’Golo Kante; a U-11’s coach, a physiotherapist, or Pep Guardiola.
What Playermaker does is bring the future closer to us.
It provides players, coaches, and teams of ALL levels with the unique opportunity to access those data points at a cost-effective price point, considering the millions (if not billions) that are spent on cutting-edge technologies each year by teams.
Playermaker can bring your training one step closer to the elite standard. And if you’re chasing the elite level, every detail counts!
BORED OF READING AN ENTIRE ARTICLE? CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!
3 Ways To Use The Playermaker To Train Smarter
I know what you’re thinking.
How is that data gonna improve my game?
Well, the device won’t *directly* help you improve your game.
It is not a magic stick that will turn you into Messi, nor is it a magic potion that will gift you all the skills you didn’t develop earlier in your career.
What it does is it offers you a wide range of data points you can use to guide the training process and make the right decisions.
- “Are you training too much or too little?”
- “Are your current training protocols improving your speed?”
- “Do you spend too much time on the ball?”
- “Is there a technical imbalance between your left and right foot?”
Let me be more practical though and offer you 3 actionable ways you can use the Playermaker device to do what we as a brand believe in; #trainsmarter
#1 OPTIMIZE YOUR TRAINING VOLUME/INTENSITY
Fatigue after a game or training session can be highly subjective.
Sometimes you feel exhausted and sometimes you feel like getting some additional work in.
The use of Playermaker can help you make better training decisions by combining subjective (you) and objective (Playermaker) data points.
Playermaker basically acts as your personal Data Analyst, tracking every action that is related to your physical and technical performance.
So let’s say you had a game this weekend and you’re now structuring next week’s training sessions.
The data you got from your game (as well as the data you’re gonna collect from the upcoming training sessions) can help you adjust next week’s training load (volume and intensity).
For example, if your target is to cover a total of 10km per game, with 800m of sprinting distance, but you only managed to run 8.5km and reach a 500m sprint distance, then this might be an indicator that if you wanna sustain your current level of conditioning you shall probably put in some extra conditioning work next week.
#2 YOU CAN’T IMPROVE WHAT YOU CAN’T MEASURE
This quote is super important in the field of player development, however, having data available as a player, especially at the lower levels, can be super difficult.
That’s where Playermaker can come in and help you measure your progress through data analysis.
If you think about all the levels of football, ranging from Sunday League to Champions League, there are some distinct characteristics that set apart those different levels.
It only takes a look at a couple of studies that have collected KPI data points from various playing levels to understand that elite-level footballers…
- sprint faster
- are capable of producing higher power outputs
- run greater distances
- cover a high mileage of high-speed distance
- play the game faster (speed of play)
…and much much more.
If you wanna climb up the levels of football, you simply have to bring all those key performance indexes to the elite level.
And that happens through SMART training.
BUT, how do you know if you’re achieving growth? How do you know if the work you’re putting in is “smart” and not only “hard”?
A device like Playermaker can certainly help you understand if your training is *actually* working and helping you achieve x goal you have set for yourself.
No matter if we’re talking about your sprint speed, your conditioning, or your speed of play.
This device delivers a variety of physical and technical metrics right at your fingertips that you can use to interpret the effectiveness of your work.
I would personally describe this tool as a “pocket-mentor” that can help players, coaches, and training staff track and evaluate the process of player development.
#3 ARE YOU JUST “FAST” OR ARE YOU PLAYING FAST?
Many players are fast these days. I mean that’s normal if you think of how dominant football is in terms of power and speed. But how come we don’t see all of them playing at the pro level?
Speed is only one part of the equation. I like to think that a pro’s speed of play is what truly makes the difference.
Their minds operate at a really REALLY fast pace. On top of that, they are able to execute their actions with a high level of skill.
This, my friend, is the elite/pro speed of play.
The speed at which you perceive, process, and act is one of the most important qualities in football.
Now, of course, Playermaker might not track your *actual* “brain speed”. However, it helps you recognize whether you’re spending too much time on the ball as well as how versatile you are as a player.
Let me explain.
You know that I’m a huge believer in one- and two-touch football.
By developing this technical skill, you’re forcing yourself to execute a technical action with the same (or even better) technical quality. The difference here is how fast you’ll have to scan and process information.
A player that’s comfortable playing the ball with one or two touches, is a player that:
- Scans fast & precisely
- Processes information at a fast rate
- Takes action with tactical intelligence and technical efficiency
So how does Playermaker help you in this instance?
What it does is track your long & short possessions as well as one-touch releases. On top of that, it also tracks how balanced you are using both of your feet in-game.
So if you’re trying to #levelUP your speed of play keep an eye on these metrics:
- Short possessions
- Long possessions
- One-touch releases
- Balance between feet
The Alternative Tracking Solutions & Their Cons
I believe that the Playermaker unit is a unique piece of wearable tracking tech you simply cannot find.
A GPS tracker, an Activity Tracker, or a Smartwatch might all be able to track various performance indexes of your game such as the total distance you run, your Heart Rate, the calories you burn, etc. but what all of these products lack is technical performance tracking and I honestly think that this is the next level in the field of Data and Sports Analysis.
Playermaker does a great job tracking your physical performance as mentioned. The feature that makes it unique though is that it tracks your technical performance. All of that data can be found in an easy-to-read report inside the app.
It’s like a bundle deal no GPS tracker or Sports Watch can offer you right now!
My Final Thoughts On Playermaker
All in all, Playermaker is one of the hottest pieces of wearable sports tech for footballers currently available in the market.
The broad variety of data points it tracks and the report you get inside the app makes it a unique choice when it comes to integrating technology into your own or your team’s game.
In a game where data plays an increasingly important role in navigating the training process, Playermaker is a great option for any footballer, coach, or team that is looking to step up their game.
The price of a Playermaker unit might be a bit high but the value it offers makes it worth every single penny.
In fact, if you would like to get the tracker with an EXTRA 15% OFF all you have to do is click the link below and use code “FOOTXFIT” at checkout.
AFFILIATE LINK
Click here!
Use coupon code “FOOTXFIT” to get an EXTRA 15% OFF your purchase.
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