Frequently Asked Questions

What is Planchet Tracker?

Planchet Tracker is a software solution that helps athletes record their activity in the sport of fencing during match. With Planchet Tracker, you can set up your profile and track your fencing performance in a single match as well as your long-term progress. It consists of two parts: mobile application and website. You can download the app on the Apple Store here. You can download the app on Google Play here. *We are currently working on a web solution for clubs and federations.



Who is Planchet Tracker for?

Planchet Tracker is a data collecting tool for all fencing enthusiasts. It is designed for fencers, coaches as well as clubs and national federations.



What is the main idea of the app?

Skill awareness, composure and self-confidence are important factors that influence performance of every athlete. When you know your strengths and weaknesses and are aware of your skills, you can fight with composure and avoid mistakes. This helps your self-confidence. Planchet Tracker can help fencers to fight with composure and grow their self-confidence providing them with real data. This way they can compare their subjective feelings and impressions from the matches against facts mirrored in objective statistics, and as a result, make smarter conclusions.



Can the app help me against a specific opponent?

Yes. With previously collected statistical data available in the app, you can predict weaknesses and strengths of both participants in a fencing match, ie. yours and your opponent/rival´s. In each post-match Statistics overview, you can see your offence and defence success rate. Your rival´s success rate data can be displayed too. The application also provides you with a body map using a color scheme to indicate frequency of hits in various body areas. This way you can clearly see which parts of rival´s body are your most frequent and most successful targets. As well, you can see which parts of your body were your rival´s most frequent and most successful targets.



What is the best use of the app?

The app is designed to help you track your practice and competition matches. It works as a convenient note-it-down tool, but it also serves as a tactical guide helping you set a winning strategy against various opponents during tournaments. Once you know your next opponent for the elimination phase, you can easily check the statistics of your previous mutual duel as well as details about what could be the best strategy in the upcoming match. The app will swiftly tell you which maneuvers you should focus on, or better avoid. This way you can optimize your strategy and performance. With such data available, you can focus on improving your particular offence and defence skills during your training and practice matches. All according to your individual needs.



Do I need to enter data about all my matches or trainings?

No. It is not necessary. But it is good to understand that regular data collection leads to a more accurate statistics. Like that, the app can inform you better about your performance progress in time or about your progress when fighting against a specific opponent. The more data you enter, the more accurately are strengths and weakness of your opponents identified.



What information and data can I track, enter and store?

There are several levels. You can enter data about a match (date, names of opponents, weapon etc.), match sequences, specific actions, areas of hits, scoring etc. As well, you can add your own comments about each match. In the Profile section, you can update data about tracked athletes.



How do I enter data about my hits?

The app has several screens for this. Each sequence leading to a hit can be tracked in upto 3 (three) actions: an initial action from one fencer, a re-action from the other fencer (opponent) and his/her counter-action. ​ Hits shall be entered as if from the referee´s point of view. The situation is easy with foil and sabre as it is the referee himself/herself who announces details like “attack/lunge from the left”, “defence/parry”, “riposte”, “hit on the left”. In case of épée where the referee announces nothing but hits, users of the app need to analyze themselves whether the fencer on the left attacks leg with an attack too short or whether the fencer on the right tried to hit back.



Why is it? When I enter data about certain actions, like malparry, I cannot see detailed description of techniques.

To secure fast entry of data and optimized generation of stats, the app works from a general typology of maneuvers. ​ Take Malparry as an example.This option stands for any wrong action (malparry) that has lead to your opponent´s successful attack. ​ Another example is Simple with blade option. In reality we can describe this action in a greater detail or variety. To simplify things, Planchet Tracker app records it as just one type of maneuvre.



How much can I rely on the app data? (considering the fact each match is different)

The more data you collect, the more reliable the app gets. No matter how different each match may seem from a subjective point of view, there are certain individual patterns that every fencer applies during his or her fight, especially in critical situations. These patterns, or regularities, can be revealed when multiple data are collected and statistical methods are applied. This way the app provides you with reliable statistical data while irrelevant deviations and subjective impressions get eliminated. ​ Of course, all fencers work on their performance as everyone is learning from his or her own failures. Your rival´s fencing style may reveal changes/improvement in the course of time, like yours. In such a case (your stagnation vs opponent´s progress), you may experience your decreasing success in a specific area of actions and as a result, your statistics/success rate index will show a drop, too.



Is there anything Planchet Tracker™ cannot identify?

The app works strictly from data that are collected in the course of time. As a result, the app is not able to identify whether the long-term decrease of your success rate is due to your technique, or rather due to your rival´s improvement in that activity/area. Such an analysis and conclusion is solely in your or coach´s hands.



How can I change the default profile?

Scroll down to the bottom and press the icon (a graph) on the bottom right to go to Statistics view. Then, press Profile button in the top left area of the screen.



How can I correct a wrongly set data about the action?

Once you are in Match view and record actions, find the icon of three vertically placed orange dots in the top left corner. Press it to see Delete last action option.



Can I use the app to add my own comments about matches?

Yes. Once you press the Finish button, you finish entering the data for the match. On the next screen, you can add your own comments about the match.



Can I use Planchet Tracker™ with my mobile?

Absolutely. Planchet Tracker™ software can be accessed via mobile app in versions for Android and iOS. iPhone requirements: iOS 11.0 or later Android requirements: 5.0 or above You will soon be able to download the app in stores of Google Play and Apple Store.



Can I use Planchet Tracker™ offline?

Touché. You can definitely benefit from using Planchet Tracker mobile version offline and collect all data from match when withut the internet connection. Your new data entries will get synchronized with the rest as soon as you get online again.