Pitch performance testing
- Transform testing into actionable insights
- Make smarter, data-driven maintenance decisions
- Keep your playing surface safe and consistent
Pitch performance testing plays a vital role in modern pitch management. By measuring how a surface behaves under play, it ensures the pitch is both safe for athletes and consistent in quality. Objective data helps grounds teams move beyond assumptions, making it possible to benchmark performance, track changes over time, and demonstrate alignment with professional standards. Our first solution in this field, fLEX, provides reliable and repeatable measurements to support informed decision-making and raise the standard of every playing surface.
fLEX
fLEX is the most game-realistic solution for pitch performance testing, designed to give grounds teams precise and actionable insights into how their surfaces perform. By delivering reliable, repeatable data, fLEX helps assess pitch consistency, player safety, and overall quality under real playing conditions. Built to perform on any type of pitch, it empowers teams to monitor changes over time, make informed maintenance decisions, and ensure every pitch meets the highest standards of performance. fLEX turns complex testing into a trusted, data-driven foundation for elite pitch management.
Backed by science
fLEX was first developed in 2019 at the University of Tennessee by Dr. John Sorochan, Distinguished Professor of Turfgrass Science and Management, and Dr. Kyley Dickson, who began the project as a Research Scientist specialising in Sports Turf Management. Today, Dr. Dickson leads fLEX as its Director at SGL. Reflecting on the project, Kyley explains: “There was a gap in technology for truly in-depth player-to-surface interaction testing. We asked ourselves how we could detect aspects of the pitch that current devices were missing.”
The University of Tennessee recognised the potential of fLEX by awarding the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, which supports faculty in moving technologies from the lab to the marketplace. This backing enabled the team to advance development and ultimately test fLEX on over 130 professional fields across the UK, US, and Canada, demonstrating the real-world value of this unique pitch performance testing tool.
