Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about recording errors on your Apple Watch, sharing matches with your doubles partner, and understanding your stats.

Recording errors

How do I record an error during a match?

Tap the corresponding button on your Apple Watch — Forehand, Backhand, Return, Serve, Volley, Overhead, Tactical, or Winner. It takes a second and Ad-In immediately captures the shot type, timestamp, set, and game.

Do I need to log every single point?

No. Log the points you want to learn from — errors and winners you consider meaningful. Ad-In's analysis is based on the events you record, not a full point-by-point score, so tag what matters and skip the rest.

Can I add an optional detail to an error?

Yes. After you tap an error, a detail sheet briefly appears with contextual chips like Net, Long, Wide, or Shot Selection for stroke errors, Double Fault for serve errors, and Positioning / Rushed / No Commit for tactical errors. Tap one to add nuance to that event — or ignore the sheet and it dismisses automatically.

What if I tap the wrong error?

Swipe to the match controls screen on your watch and tap Undo. Ad-In marks the most recent event as reversed so it stops counting toward your errors and analytics. If you'd like to add an optional detail (Net / Long / Wide / Shot Selection / Double Fault / Positioning / Rushed / No Commit), tap it inside the detail sheet that briefly appears right after you log the error — the sheet auto-dismisses after ~5 seconds, so pick quickly. Once a match is saved, events aren't editable from the iPhone — the Match Analysis screen is read-only.

Can I record my doubles partner's errors on my watch?

Yes. In a doubles match, the watch shows two color-coded pages — one for you (green, Player 1) and one for your partner (blue, Player 2). Swipe between them and tap errors for whoever committed them. That said, best accuracy comes when each partner tracks their own errors on their own watch and shares the data at the end (see Match sharing).

What's the difference between an error and a winner?

An error is a mistake — a ball you hit into the net, long, wide, or a bad shot choice. A winner is a shot that ends the point in your favor. Errors count against you; winners count for you. Both feed into your winners-to-errors ratio.

What's a "Tactical" error?

A tactical error is a point lost because of decision-making, not technique — bad shot selection, poor court positioning, rushing the shot, or lack of commitment. Log these when the ball landed in but the point was still lost due to a poor choice.

Do I need HealthKit or a workout permission?

No. Ad-In can track a match without HealthKit. If you allow the Health permission, matches also record as tennis workouts on your watch so heart rate, calories, and distance appear in the Fitness app. Denying Health has no effect on error tracking.

What if my watch loses connection to my phone mid-match?

Nothing is lost. The watch stores every event locally and syncs to your iPhone when connectivity returns. Match analysis on your phone updates automatically once sync completes.

How do I end a match?

Swipe to the match controls page on your watch and tap End Match. This finalizes the match, syncs to your iPhone, and unlocks the Match Analysis screen so you can review your event breakdown, top priorities, and training drills.

Match sharing

What is Nearby Match Sharing?

Nearby Match Sharing lets two iPhones exchange a completed match directly, peer-to-peer, using a local wireless connection (like AirDrop). It requires no cellular or Wi-Fi — just both phones near each other with the share screen open. Great for handing off a match to a doubles partner right after you walk off the court.

How do doubles partners combine their data?

When each partner tracks themselves as Player 1 on their own watch, and then one partner shares the match with the other, Ad-In detects the overlap and offers to merge the data. Your Player 1 stays as-is, and your partner's Player 1 tracking becomes your Player 2. Both of you end up with a complete two-player picture of the match.

Why do I see a "Merge shared match?" prompt?

Because Ad-In noticed you already have a match at the same time as the incoming one and both look like doubles. Merging means "add my partner's self-tracked data as Player 2 on my match" — because they're more accurate about their own errors than I am.

Will merging overwrite my own data?

No. Your Player 1 data is never touched. Only the Player 2 slot is affected, and only if you approve the merge.

Can I merge the same match twice?

No, once you approve a merge Ad-In remembers and blocks re-merging the same incoming match. If you delete the merged match and re-share, the merge prompt will appear again.

Why did my share get rejected?

The most common reasons:

  • Free-tier limit reached — the receiver already has 3 matches. Delete one first, or the receiver can unlock unlimited.
  • Overlapping non-doubles match — the receiver had a singles match at the same time, and Ad-In couldn't tell if they're the same match.
  • Times too far apart — start times were more than 30 minutes off, so it doesn't look like the same match.

Can I share a match over the internet?

Not right now. Nearby sharing uses direct device-to-device wireless. Both phones need to be in the same room. Data never leaves your two devices during a share.

Do I need to be on the same Wi-Fi network?

No. Nearby sharing works via a peer-to-peer connection whether or not you're on the same Wi-Fi. Just keep both phones close together (a few feet is enough) with the share screen open on each. Make sure WI-FI and Bluetooth are enabled on both devices.

Is my match data uploaded anywhere when I share?

No cloud service or third-party server is involved in a nearby share. The match travels directly between the two iPhones. It stays private to you and your recipient.

If I have iCloud enabled, do I still need to share manually?

Yes for two different Apple IDs. iCloud sync is per-Apple ID — it only copies matches between your own devices. To send a match to your doubles partner (a different Apple ID), you use Nearby Match Sharing.

Error calculations

What counts as an error?

Any event you tag as Forehand, Backhand, Return, Serve, Volley, Overhead, or Tactical counts as an error. Winners don't count. Reversed (undone) events don't count.

What's "Errors per game"?

The total number of errors you recorded divided by the number of games played. Lower is better — it's a normalized measure that's fair whether you played a short set or a marathon.

What's the "Winners-to-Errors ratio"?

(Winners tagged) / (Errors tagged). A ratio near or above 1.0 means you're generating winners at least as often as you make errors — a hallmark of higher-level play. Below 0.5 usually means errors are the story of the match.

What's a "good" ratio?

Rough guide:

  • Below 0.5 — Needs work
  • 0.5 – 0.7 — Fair
  • 0.7 – 0.9 — Good
  • 0.9 – 1.2 — Very good
  • Above 1.2 — Excellent

These are relative to what Ad-In sees in your tagged events, not absolute skill ratings.

Why don't winners count in "Top Training Priorities"?

Training Priorities is a diagnostic of what's hurting you the most — the categories where you're losing the most points. Winners are wins, so they don't reveal weaknesses. They're still tracked in your overall ratio and per-game stats.

How does Ad-In decide what to recommend?

Ad-In looks at your top error categories, matches them against a curated library of causes, cues, and drills, and surfaces the two most impactful ones as your Primary and Secondary priorities. Priorities update every match, so recommendations shift as your tracking accumulates.

My stats seem off after only 1–2 matches. Why?

Small sample sizes distort trends. Ad-In flags this with a "Minimum-sample warning" when fewer than three completed matches are available. Trust the recommendations more after 3–5 real matches.

Do undone events still show in analysis?

No. When you tap Undo on the watch, the event is marked as reversed and Ad-In excludes it from all counts, ratios, and priorities. The record is preserved in the database but is not restorable — if you undid it by mistake, just tap the correct button again to add a fresh event.

Why is my error count different from my opponent's report?

Ad-In only counts the events you recorded. Everyone tags the moments they consider meaningful, and different observers tag different things. For the most accurate doubles picture, use Match Sharing so both partners' self-tracked data is combined.

Does the sample match affect my analytics?

It contributes until you record your first real match, then a banner appears in the Player Profile view suggesting you delete the sample. Free-tier limits never count the sample match — you always have 3 free real matches regardless.

Are recommendations medical or coaching advice?

No. Ad-In's recommendations are pattern-based observations from your logged events, not certified coaching. Use them as a starting point for practice, and consult a coach for personalized instruction.