Nisplay Y1 blends tennis bag and ball launcher into one portable unit
Nisplay is gearing up to launch on Kickstarter a portable tennis ball machine that doubles as a backpack. The Y1 is built to make solo training more convenient, with an all-in-one design that’s light enough to carry yet capable of delivering consistent shots.
A tennis bag that trains with you
The core idea behind the Nisplay Y1 is to reduce the hassle of setting up a ball machine. It combines gear storage and training functionality into a single compact unit. There’s no need to lug around multiple pieces of equipment or find a separate power source on the court. Instead, players can unzip the bag, turn it on and start hitting. Nisplay says the transition from bag to ball launch takes only seconds.
The outer build uses soft-touch vegan leather with quality zippers and fastenings, along with an ergonomic back panel and padded straps. The look is intentionally clean, avoiding the bulky industrial design of traditional ball machines. There are also magnetic modular attachments for extras like bottles, towels and rackets.
Training features with a focus on flexibility
Inside the Y1 is a dual-wheel launcher designed to produce topspin, backspin and flat shots. You can choose between pre-set drills that target different skills, or you can manually configure your own. The system supports up to 15 court target zones, with shot combinations adjustable to suit everything from basic consistency work to more intense rally simulation.
An interesting feature is the so-called Ball Boy mode. It offers one-shot-at-a-time delivery for serve practice or recovery drills, letting users control the pace more naturally. You can switch modes using the included controller, through a smartphone app or even via Apple Watch or voice command. The whole setup is built to be used solo, without needing to walk back and forth to tweak settings.
More than just tennis
Nisplay is positioning the Y1 as a multi-sport device. While it’s launching with tennis as the main focus, there are plans to support padel and pickleball too. Players in those communities often face the same challenges: inconsistent practice partners and limited access to training equipment. A portable launcher that fits in with standard gear bags could help bridge that gap.
There’s also a custom 58-inch mini racket accessory being offered. It’s meant for precision and control training, pushing users to move more deliberately and sharpen footwork. It’s optional, but it ties in with the broader goal of making practice sessions more engaging and dynamic.
Kickstarter coming soon
Now, this sounds very much along the lines of the Slinger Bag which we reviewed a few years ago. But something that is smaller in size. More recently we reviewed PongBot Pace S Pro – that one doesn’t look like a tennis bag but is one of the most feature-packed tennis robots you can purchase today.
The Y1 isn’t out yet, but early backers can place a refundable deposit to lock in a lower launch price. Nisplay lists the VIP tier at $499, compared to a future MSRP of $1,199. Actual payment only happens once the Kickstarter campaign goes live and hits its funding target.
This also isn’t Nisplay’s first rodeo. Their earlier L1 ball machine launched on Kickstarter back in 2022 and raised over $1 million from more than 2,000 backers. That model leaned more toward a compact traditional launcher, but it showed the company could deliver on crowdfunding promises.
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