Slinger: your very own portable tennis ball launcher
Although steeped in tradition, tennis has been at the forefront of ushering sports into the computer age. Gadgets and wearables designed to improve your game are now easily accessible to professional players and those less serious about the game. This includes everything from sensors that attach to your racket and monitor your shots, to robots that vacuum up tennis balls saving you time and hassle.
Just when we thought we’d seen it all, a new product launched on Kickstarter for a high-tech portable tennis ball launcher. Now you don’t even need a live opponent to practice with! The company behind the gizmo says “We had this crazy idea that quickly became a core mission for us: that everyone should be able to own a tennis ball launcher.” So they got to work.
The crowdfunding campaign went live earlier today and managed to sail past its $25,000 goal in less than an hour. The ball launcher is definitely generating lots of interest amongst aspiring amateurs and hobbyists.
Some two years in the making, Slinger is designed to resemble an oversized tennis bag. You can put things in it such as your racket, a water bottle, towel and more. It even has a USB port for charging your smartphone while practicing. Carry it on your back as you would a normal tennis bag, or just pull it along as a trolley. The bag holds 36 balls when closed and 72 when open.
Essential reading: Tennis gadgets and trackers to improve your game
That’s all very nice. But the really cool thing about this bag is that it can hurl balls in your direction at speeds ranging between 10 and 80 miles per hour. You control the speed and the gizmo can be set to launch shots at a variety of angles and elevation modes. The feed rate ranges from 2 to 10 seconds. And if you set it to low speed and low feed, it acts like a ball boy – useful for practicing serves, for example.
If you ever wished you owned a high-tech tennis ball launcher, wish no more. Now all you need is that robot vacuum to suck up tennis balls around the court and feed them into the launcher for you!
[update 21 July 2020]: Those living in the US purchase Slinger Bag on this link. The gadget can also be purchased in the UK and a select number of other countries.*
Price: $219 and up
Funding open:
$73,166 raised out of $25,000 goal
36 days to go
Estimated delivery: October 2018
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