Tennis ball throwing machine

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A tennis ball throwing machine , also tennis throwing machine , ball throwing machine or ball machine is a training aid in the sport of tennis . It is able to hit several tennis balls per minute over a tennis court with a net and thus allows training without being passed by a trainer or training partner. The parameters (height, force, spin, direction) of the simulated tee-offs can be varied through various setting options, often in conjunction with integrated electronics.

Working principle

Tennis ball thrower at the Pigeon Family Tennis Stadium in Stanford, California

There are different construction principles and several construction variants of ball machines. Many models are powered electrically by mains voltage or by batteries .

The balls are fed in via a container that is usually attached and tapering downwards in the shape of a funnel. The apparatus takes only one ball at a time and conveys it across the field. This is done according to one of the following principles:

  • The ball is guided between two oppositely rotating rollers that take the ball with them. By squeezing the ball between the rollers, it is greatly accelerated when it exits.
  • Using compressed air, the ball is shot through a pipe in the desired direction.

credentials