By J. Fred Sidhu, special to USTA.com
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. – Thanks to the relatively new real-time tennis scoring and notification software called Low Volley, friends and family can follow live scoring of individual matches for the Intermountain Section men’s team at the USTA League Adult 18 & Over 4.5 National Championships.
In the past, Chip Hudson, a 38-year-old software engineer, who serves as captain of the Denver-based USTA Intermountain Section men’s team, would text team scores to people who could not attend the team’s league matches.
Last summer, one of Hudson’s friends developed software to track scores for youth baseball games.
“I told him I could really use something like that for tennis,” Hudson said. “As a captain, it’s hard for me to text all the players, spouses, friends and family, the scores and lineups when I’m playing in a match or trying to watch a match.”
Later, the software, dubbed Low Volley, was developed and Hudson began using it earlier this year to help people who could not attend matches track his team’s scores. The software allowed Hudson and others who were watching the matches to update scores as the matches were being played.
The software’s flexible format allows for up to nine matches to be updated at a time, and it’s easy-to-use interface is ideal not only for USTA League teams, but for high school and college teams as well.
Unlike the live scoring on the ATP World Tour or at WTA tournaments, which track scores point-by-point, Low Volley allows users to following scores as each game and set is completed. However, if a USTA League match goes to a match tiebreak, scores are then tracked point-by-point.
“It’s been great. The feedback we’ve gotten has been fantastic. The players that can’t make it out to Sectionals or Nationals are able to follow along in real time,” Hudson said. “It’s almost like they’re living the action here, but they’re sitting at home or at their (work) desk or wherever they may be.”
Hudson recounted one team match he followed on Low Volley because he could not attend in person.
“They went to a 10-point tiebreaker. I couldn’t be there. I’m at home with my kids and I’m living it out as they score that tiebreaker,” Hudson said. “I’m biting my nails because I’m so nervous. It was awesome.”
For more information on the tennis scoring software, go to LowVolley.com.