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But there were drawbacks to all those sys- tems, including the time needed to develop film, the need to do time-consuming editing to create relevant “highlight reels,” and even the physical delivery time that could make a coach wait days. Digital video and handheld devices have changed all that. Other than the sidelines of an NFL game (the league still bans tablet computers from the sidelines, and teams rely on old-time printouts of photos sometimes hand-carried down from the press box), tab- lets are part of every major pro and college team sport. A pitcher can return to the dug- out to watch all the at-bats from a previous inning. A batter can watch every at-bat he has ever had against an upcoming pitcher. A bas- ketball coach can show his team at halftime how they ran every play in the first half. The bus ride home from a college water polo game might include a “video” session with players each watching their own tablets. Motion Studies H ow do you improve a golf swing ? H ow does a quarterback make sure he’s passing in the most efficient way? How does a batter create a stance and swing that will lead to hits? Practice and coaching are, of course, the traditional way to study and improve any body movement in sports. The digital revolu-

stem in sports: technology

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