Form launches HeadCoach real-time coaching for AR swim goggles

Form, a maker of augmented reality swim goggles, wants to revolutionize athletic performance with the launch of HeadCoach, a live digital swim coach.

HeadCoach introduces in-goggle, real-time coaching, breaking down the barriers between swimmers and their potential. The new feature aims to provide swimmers with enhanced technique awareness, focused skill development, and comprehensive analysis through personalized assessments.

Swimming is a sport that requires precise technique, but without the guidance of a coach on deck, swimmers often struggle to identify and address flaws in their form. HeadCoach addresses this challenge head-on by offering swimmers improved access to real-time technique feedback, targeted skill development, and educational resources through an integrated app, Form said.

Swimming app

HeadCoach leverages the Form Smart Swim Goggles’ augmented reality (AR) display to provide swimmers with instant visual coaching. During and after a swim, HeadCoach delivers technique feedback based on two types of metrics: Form Score and HeadCoach Skills.

The Form Score measures overall swim efficiency on a scale of 0 to 100, taking into account factors such as pace and stroke length. HeadCoach Skills focuses on five key areas—head roll, head pitch, set pacing, interval pacing, and breathing time-to-neutral—to help swimmers identify specific areas for improvement. Each skill is assigned a rating from 0 to 100, enabling swimmers to track progress and gauge their performance, the company said.

Swimmers can access tailored educational resources and video content through the Form Swim App. While in the pool, they can utilize the HeadCoach Skills mode in the goggles to focus on specific areas of improvement.

Technique plays a pivotal role in enhancing swimming speed, and HeadCoach allows swimmers to receive coaching on skills such as head pitch, observing their Form Score improve over time. Each skill comes with a unique, gamified exercise designed to refine technique. After completing a session, swimmers can review their progress in the app. HeadCoach empowers swimmers of all levels to receive data-driven guidance, enabling them to elevate their performance and speed in the water.

“At Form, we’ve reinvented how athletes train in the water by providing swimmers with real-time data through the Form Smart Swim Goggles’ unique AR display. Today, with the launch of HeadCoach, we’re taking that innovation one step further by giving swimmers access to a digital swim coach in their goggles and on their phone,” said Dan Eisenhard, CEO of Form, in a statement. “HeadCoach marks a new chapter for FORM, providing unparalleled insights into swim performance and empowering swimmers of all levels to unlock new potential.”

Form introduced real-time metrics, activity tracking, and data visualization to the triathlon and swimming world with the release of the Form Smart Swim Goggles in 2019. In 2021, the company expanded its offerings with guided in-goggle workouts and training plans.

HeadCoach is available now. Form was founded in 2016 in Vancouver, Canada, and it started shipping its goggles in 2019. I’ve used the goggles and they do a great job of keeping track of your swimming times and laps.