The world is changing – and quickly – but sports equipment is largely unchanged.

That is until the past couple of years. We’ve identified some major trends in sports equipment that you should know about and how it is impacting the way we interact with everything from basketball hoops to golf clubs.

The major trends we are seeing include sensors in almost everything out there, an increase in the availability of wearable tech, touchscreen-based augmented reality, new materials in protective equipment, and even virtual reality.

Sensors are nothing new, but putting them in golf clubs, basketball hoops, and even in uniforms is a new trend. What experts hope to get from this is more engagement from athletes and consumers alike as well as data they can use to improve products in the future. Wearable tech by itself probably wouldn’t be worth much, but we’re also seeing the rise in equipment that interacts with it and consumer smartphones, among other things.

Using augmented reality and other methods during training is showing a marked increase in improved performance as well as athlete satisfaction with the product. This data is also being used to advance materials used for equipment to make them safer, more durable, and fit-for-purpose in the modern era.