Slinger tennis ball machine

zinzan8

zinzan8

Rookie
Nostradamus said:
i think Proton machine is better and cheaper and more portable. any advantage of spitfire ?? i don't see one
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The Proton does look intriguing, but it still has to be produced, assembled, and delivered. The Slinger failed to live up to it's Kickstarter promises (though some still find it a good buy). It remains to be seen whether or not Hydrogen Sports can come through on the delivered product and support.

Also, a lot of these companies fall short in app development. I have experience with a number of apps created for health equipment, sports equipment, smart devices, etc, and they are often pretty terrible apps.
 
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omni2k7

New User
No, not yet. The Proton looks to be targeting an Oct launch according to their website so as zinzan8 said, remains to be seen if they can actually deliver.
 
JEDI MASTER

JEDI MASTER

Professional
bobleenov1963 said:
I also like the Proton because of the way it looks. It looks so modern and so much lighter than both the Spinfire Pro 2 and Lobster Elite V Grandslam.

I also purchased the Slinger and used it once and donated it after using it one time. You get what you pay for.
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yea.. I sold my Slinger after using it 2x.. for a whopping $900! :oops:
that will pay for my Proton.. :laughing:
 
topspn

topspn

Legend
My only compliant so far is weight since i can’t just role it around as luggage all the time. My apartment is on the top floor of a city 3 floor walk up. I have to carry it up and down 3 flights every time i use it. I use the side handles to carry it like a backpack but its heavy with balls, racquets, etc.
 
zinzan8

zinzan8

Rookie
topspn said:
My only compliant so far is weight since i can’t just role it around as luggage all the time. My apartment is on the top floor of a city 3 floor walk up. I have to carry it up and down 3 flights every time i use it. I use the side handles to carry it like a backpack but its heavy with balls, racquets, etc.
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Theoretically, wasn’t this designed to be worn like a backpack as an option?
 
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omni2k7

New User
I just got my slinger a week ago and after 3 sessions, I wanted to give my 1st impressions.

I was not an early backer, I stumbled upon slinger while randomly browsing this forum and FB and the price was low enough compared to other ball machine and I decided to take the plunge. I've never owned a ball machine and only use the ball machines at clubs every now and then because they're hard to book. To go from no ball machine to ball machine is like going from using rideshare sometimes to getting your own car (even if it's a cheap one). While the slinger is a very basic ball machine, it allowed me to enter market and the flexibility it affords me now to practice my shots in-between hitting sessions are big wins for me.

As for the machine itself, it does what I need it to do. It can only do topspin and on high, it's a lot of topspin but definitely not unmanageable and it's quite fun to learn to hit against that much topspin. I don't find this to be a negative. At slower speeds, it's like someones feeding me balls which is awesome for working on consistency and understanding my strokes. Ball-person mode works as advertised.

I like the packaging as well, it really does feel like I'm carrying around luggage. I find all the pockets and the ball tube holder really convenient making it an all-in-1 bag for me. We'll see how well the packaging holds up over time.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase. It is a basic machine with limited functionality range but I would expect so given the price and it does most of what I need. The other features would be nice but from what I can tell from the market, I would need to pay more/substantially more which maybe I'll do later when I learn what I really want out of a ball machine.
 
R

rman

New User
Looks like a lot of shilling going on here for the Proton.. I am looking for a ball machine and leaning toward the Spinfire pro 2.
 
K

kevint

New User
I just placed an order for the Slinger too with 30 days delivery while waiting for the Proton and perhaps the Spinfire pro 2.
 
Phantasm

Phantasm

Semi-Pro
omni2k7 said:
I just got my slinger a week ago and after 3 sessions, I wanted to give my 1st impressions.

I was not an early backer, I stumbled upon slinger while randomly browsing this forum and FB and the price was low enough compared to other ball machine and I decided to take the plunge. I've never owned a ball machine and only use the ball machines at clubs every now and then because they're hard to book. To go from no ball machine to ball machine is like going from using rideshare sometimes to getting your own car (even if it's a cheap one). While the slinger is a very basic ball machine, it allowed me to enter market and the flexibility it affords me now to practice my shots in-between hitting sessions are big wins for me.

As for the machine itself, it does what I need it to do. It can only do topspin and on high, it's a lot of topspin but definitely not unmanageable and it's quite fun to learn to hit against that much topspin. I don't find this to be a negative. At slower speeds, it's like someones feeding me balls which is awesome for working on consistency and understanding my strokes. Ball-person mode works as advertised.

I like the packaging as well, it really does feel like I'm carrying around luggage. I find all the pockets and the ball tube holder really convenient making it an all-in-1 bag for me. We'll see how well the packaging holds up over time.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase. It is a basic machine with limited functionality range but I would expect so given the price and it does most of what I need. The other features would be nice but from what I can tell from the market, I would need to pay more/substantially more which maybe I'll do later when I learn what I really want out of a ball machine.
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Thank you for your review. I also found out about the Slinger bag same way you did and waited the 30 days for delivery. Finally arriving this week.

Pretty much sounds like what I'm expecting for this slightly more accessible ball machine in terms of price (non-backer price is still more accessible than other machines). Especially given my long layoff from tennis due to work and COVID, seems to be exactly what I need to get practice in.

People like the the Tennis Mentor guy on youtube has been creative with drills to do with the Slinger bag despite its limits/shortcoming to get a good practice/training session in.
 
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omni2k7

New User
I took the slinger out for several more sessions and I'm quite happy with it. Yeah, it's basic but my strokes need so much work, it almost doesn't matter how the ball is coming to me. Its pretty easy to move it around except for the handful of occasions where I have pick it up for stairs or dirt/grass where it doesn't move well. I picked up a case of Triniti club balls so with a near fully loaded slinger, I definitely tire out before going through all the balls.

I haven't noticed any actual jamming. There's the occasional waiting for the ball to load and a couple of times, I need to run over and just move the balls around inside as it wasn't loading a ball for some reason.

I can't comment on battery life because I haven't used it for more than 2hrs in 1 run yet. Recharge seems quick enough that I don't think about it. All I know is, the battery seems to easily exceed my current needs.

One comment on the extreme topspin: After hitting with slinger on full blast, going back to hitting with actual ppl takes some adjustment where main thing I feel is that the balls appear slower (perhaps mentally thinking of a kick that never comes). So in a way, I feel like I have more time and I've been able to hit the ball earlier.

@Phantasm : Tennis mentor videos are great guides! I tried a few of the drills and it feels good. Leveraging the super topspin with the slinger on full blast, I would position it where the ball lands roughly half way between service and baseline and I would try stand at the baseline and try to hit the ball on the (extreme) rise to practice hitting the ball earlier.
 
R

Robert F

Hall of Fame
Isn't the slinger just a cruddy ball machine in a nice bag?
I think the orginal concept was to be easy compact and easy to transport, something it clearly failed on.
 
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omni2k7

New User
A lot of stuff I read online and in this thread says that Slinger vastly missed the mark compared to what they originally intended to do. I'm just looking at it from what I see in front of me as I only learned of Slinger 4 months ago.
 
Phantasm

Phantasm

Semi-Pro
omni2k7 said:
A lot of stuff I read online and in this thread says that Slinger vastly missed the mark compared to what they originally intended to do. I'm just looking at it from what I see in front of me as I only learned of Slinger 4 months ago.
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FINALLY got a chance to take my slinger bag out today. I had a shred of uneasiness that something was gonna break or the balls would super slow or I'd be underwhelmed based on the negative feedback but it was unfounded. Had to play with machine placement and settings to where I was comfortable but after that, I could just get constant repetition to work on my strokes, technique, footwork, timing which I definitely needed after a long time off from playing with Covid and other priorities.

Like @omni2k7 I was not an early backer so I don't know about the extravagant promises they originally made years back for the Kickstarter campaign, but what it can do in its current form is more than enough for me right now and at a much more reasonable price point than some of the other ball machine offerings. Despite the whole bag being bulky, I like that I don't have to lug multiple things to the court and just this one thing. I can have my water bottles, racquets, balls all in the slinger bag. Whereas with something like a lobster or something other offering, I would need to take my racquet bag, ball hopper, and the machine to take to the court which was an extra turnoff for me on top of the price point for other machines.
 
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VaMoose98

Rookie
Nostradamus said:
they need to put a extended head that pops up from the machine to 5 feet height and starte shooting balls at 100 mph . that would be good serve imlations
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Ace Attack Tennis All-In-One Tennis Serving Machine

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Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
celito said:
This Proton machine looks pretty sweet. Wish I found out about it sooner. I would have pre-ordered for under 1k for sure.
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are you still going to buy one at about $1700 ? its still a bargain. and Discover card is just waiting for you business.
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
celito said:
Gonna have to think hard about it. Good thing about these ball machines is that they don't seem to lose that much value if you need to resell it.
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If you get the Discover card, there is NO interest for a year. If you get one of those high paying Chickfilet jobs, you will probably pay it off in 3 months. If Discover , press 1 for yes, and press 2 for Yes Yes
 
celito

celito

Professional
Nostradamus said:
If you get the Discover card, there is NO interest for a year. If you get one of those high paying Chickfilet jobs, you will probably pay it off in 3 months. If Discover , press 1 for yes, and press 2 for Yes Yes
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Already have a Discover card .. lol

I have a friend that owns a Chickfilet .... you can make some serious money owning one.
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
celito said:
Already have a Discover card .. lol

I have a friend that owns a Chickfilet .... you can make some serious money owning one.
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how much does he make per year ? also why are all the employees at Chickfilet so happy all so all the time ?? never seen that before
 
Nostradamus

Nostradamus

Bionic Poster
celito said:
Not sure how much ... but he lives pretty well.

As for 2nd question, I guess good screening process and culture.
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OK, lets get this Proton machine ASAP. I have friends and other players at the club wanting to see it in action really really quickly. They all say if it looks and performs well, they willl ALL buy one themselves. That is like 20-25 players, all wanting one.
 
JEDI MASTER

JEDI MASTER

Professional
Nostradamus said:
OK, lets get this Proton machine ASAP. I have friends and other players at the club wanting to see it in action really really quickly. They all say if it looks and performs well, they willl ALL buy one themselves. That is like 20-25 players, all wanting one.
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hopefully in 3 - 4 weeks we'll get our Protons...
 
B

bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
celito said:
Not sure how much ... but he lives pretty well.

As for 2nd question, I guess good screening process and culture.
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I know a one person who is a Chick-fil-A operator. They make a lot of money but not as much as a cyber security architect:p

JEDI MASTER said:
hopefully in 3 - 4 weeks we'll get our Protons...
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Same here. I can't wait to see the Proton in action myself when it is finally delivered. If it works as advertised, I am going buy a few more of them and donate to my local YMCA. I am making a killing with both Tesla and Amazon stocks so it is time to give back some.
 
Stratotanker

Stratotanker

Semi-Pro
Phantasm said:
FINALLY got a chance to take my slinger bag out today. I had a shred of uneasiness that something was gonna break or the balls would super slow or I'd be underwhelmed based on the negative feedback but it was unfounded. Had to play with machine placement and settings to where I was comfortable but after that, I could just get constant repetition to work on my strokes, technique, footwork, timing which I definitely needed after a long time off from playing with Covid and other priorities.

Like @omni2k7 I was not an early backer so I don't know about the extravagant promises they originally made years back for the Kickstarter campaign, but what it can do in its current form is more than enough for me right now and at a much more reasonable price point than some of the other ball machine offerings. Despite the whole bag being bulky, I like that I don't have to lug multiple things to the court and just this one thing. I can have my water bottles, racquets, balls all in the slinger bag. Whereas with something like a lobster or something other offering, I would need to take my racquet bag, ball hopper, and the machine to take to the court which was an extra turnoff for me on top of the price point for other machines.
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I've had my Slinger for about two weeks now, and had it out on the court about five times. Other than the battery not being internally connected to the bag on arrival (made the first charge a bit tricky!), I've had no complaints. I didn't know about it during the kickstarter days, and knew the speed/spin limitations ahead of time. Still, I've been able to run tons of drills, with the bag primary on my side of the court or on the far side service line. I can get the equivalent of really good drop feeds, or fairly heavy topspin balls. I could spend hours working with just steady drop feeds, so the bag is useful to me. If a ball machine becomes a long-term consistent partner for me, I'd probably prefer a Spinfire V2 or one of the new Protons, if they pan out. But for adding a practice or two a week to your schedule, the Slinger has been very useful for me. I grab a couple of sticks and my phone, throw then in the slinger bag, and head on out.

Most importantly, my wife is thrilled she no longer gets drafted for drop feeds.
 
V

VaMoose98

Rookie
Stratotanker said:
I've had my Slinger for about two weeks now, and had it out on the court about five times. Other than the battery not being internally connected to the bag on arrival (made the first charge a bit tricky!), I've had no complaints. I didn't know about it during the kickstarter days, and knew the speed/spin limitations ahead of time. Still, I've been able to run tons of drills, with the bag primary on my side of the court or on the far side service line. I can get the equivalent of really good drop feeds, or fairly heavy topspin balls. I could spend hours working with just steady drop feeds, so the bag is useful to me. If a ball machine becomes a long-term consistent partner for me, I'd probably prefer a Spinfire V2 or one of the new Protons, if they pan out. But for adding a practice or two a week to your schedule, the Slinger has been very useful for me. I grab a couple of sticks and my phone, throw then in the slinger bag, and head on out.

Most importantly, my wife is thrilled she no longer gets drafted for drop feeds.
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Why drop feeds? Is that what you have to do with it? When you put it at the service line across the net does it feed a ball that simulates match play enough to groove the ground strokes?
 
Stratotanker

Stratotanker

Semi-Pro
VaMoose98 said:
Why drop feeds? Is that what you have to do with it? When you put it at the service line across the net does it feed a ball that simulates match play enough to groove the ground strokes?
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Hmm. No, only drop feeds aren't necessary. I suppose I didn't really mean a totally static drop feed. My practice sessions end up looking a whole lot like the video below. He doesn't hit groundstrokes off the opposite court sideline feed, but it can be done. Something like 60-70% speed with 10* elevation gives you a good ball to play with, but it's definitely carrying some top.


I would say it's main weakness is that from the far baseline, you're not going to get a relatively flat, fast ball to simulate a flatter rally ball from an opponent. With the speed up near max, it's a heavy topspin shot!
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
The Proton has an impressive feature set for its price point compared to the status quo. It will capture more than a fair share of the market above $1500. However, I don't think the Proton is going to be as big of a disruptor as some are thinking. it's priced similar to mid-tier mainstays and that's what's going to hold it back. The biggest problem with the ball machine market is not that it's using old tech or doesn't iterate fast enough, rather their price is not accessible/justifiable to the large percentage of tennis playing individuals and families. Ball machine price points are manageable for clubs, but become high end purchases for individuals. It seems that Hydrogen were able to keep production costs down compared to its competitors, but are introducing industry-first features that more than likely brought the price point back up.

A very accessible price point while offering just enough of the features that the 3.0-4.0 demographic wants is what will cause disruption in this market. It's pricing itself out of the largely untapped sub $700 market. Imagine if Hydrogen were to release a Proton Lite stripped of its programable on-the-fly drill patterns, with slower motors, all the while maintaining the Proton's form factor, weight and the free app model, while being priced at the same price point as the Slinger Bag. It would eat up marketshare across the board. Clubs may still opt for tried and true premiums, and this hypothetical lite version is not the machine for individuals who are already willing to pay high end prices, but individuals who would be traditionally priced out of owning a ball machine (which is the large majority) will jump at the opportunity for an accessible ball machine.
 
2

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
topspn said:
My only compliant so far is weight since i can’t just role it around as luggage all the time. My apartment is on the top floor of a city 3 floor walk up. I have to carry it up and down 3 flights every time i use it. I use the side handles to carry it like a backpack but its heavy with balls, racquets, etc.
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That sounds dangerous hauling it up 3 flights, what if you get off balance.
 
BobbyR

BobbyR

Rookie
paulorenzo said:
A very accessible price point while offering just enough of the features that the 3.0-4.0 demographic wants is what will cause disruption in this market. It's pricing itself out of the largely untapped sub $700 market. Imagine if Hydrogen were to release a Proton Lite stripped of its programable on-the-fly drill patterns, with slower motors, all the while maintaining the Proton's form factor, weight and the free app model, while being priced at the same price point as the Slinger Bag. It would eat up marketshare across the board. Clubs may still opt for tried and true premiums, and this hypothetical lite version is not the machine for individuals who are already willing to pay high end prices, but individuals who would be traditionally priced out of owning a ball machine (which is the large majority) will jump at the opportunity for an accessible ball machine.
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You are absolutely right that the low-end machine you proposing might disrupt the market. However it makes little business sense. Slower throwing wheel motors, of which there are 2, will save Proton only about $1-$2 per motor. Stripping on-the-fly drill patterns from the app won't save much as that is a sunk cost and a small percentage of the total cost of the machine, albeit it would spread that cost over more units. However that would be more than offset by having increased support and maintenance costs. So Proton would not save anything in making this lite version you are proposing and if they do it's extremely marginal.. It certainly would not even make a dent in slashing the retail price from $1,595 to <$700.

Slinger's manufacturing cost is very low because they only have one motor and throwing wheel, a basic remote, no app, almost no software features, a very low top speed, unchangeable extremely high topspin, a cheap woven fabric shell and so on. All they have proven so far is there is no money in the low-end tennis ball machine market as they have already lost a few million even in the face of their apparent high unit sales volumes. This reminds me of the old joke about the vendor who sold products below cost, losing money on each sale, who explains, "But I make it up on volume!".

While the low end of the market may satisfy consumers with low budgets it does not make sense for the vendor. Proton is better off selling 1/2-1/3rd as many machines at a high gross profit margin and gross dollar profit per machine and dealing with fewer consumers than selling 2-3x more at the low price you are suggesting and having to deal with multiples more more customers.

I can't wait to get the Proton I ordered for my kid. I hope we at least get it before Christmas but it doesn't look good with all the constant delays. At least the weather here is warm enough to play throughout the winter.
 
Papa Mango

Papa Mango

Professional
BobbyR said:
You are absolutely right that the low-end machine you proposing might disrupt the market. However it makes little business sense. Slower throwing wheel motors, of which there are 2, will save Proton only about $1-$2 per motor. Stripping on-the-fly drill patterns from the app won't save much as that is a sunk cost and a small percentage of the total cost of the machine, albeit it would spread that cost over more units. However that would be more than offset by having increased support and maintenance costs. So Proton would not save anything in making this lite version you are proposing and if they do it's extremely marginal.. It certainly would not even make a dent in slashing the retail price from $1,595 to <$700.

Slinger's manufacturing cost is very low because they only have one motor and throwing wheel, a basic remote, no app, almost no software features, a very low top speed, unchangeable extremely high topspin, a cheap woven fabric shell and so on. All they have proven so far is there is no money in the low-end tennis ball machine market as they have already lost a few million even in the face of their apparent high unit sales volumes. This reminds me of the old joke about the vendor who sold products below cost, losing money on each sale, who explains, "But I make it up on volume!".

While the low end of the market may satisfy consumers with low budgets it does not make sense for the vendor. Proton is better off selling 1/2-1/3rd as many machines at a high gross profit margin and gross dollar profit per machine and dealing with fewer consumers than selling 2-3x more at the low price you are suggesting and having to deal with multiples more more customers.

I can't wait to get the Proton I ordered for my kid. I hope we at least get it before Christmas but it doesn't look good with all the constant delays. At least the weather here is warm enough to play throughout the winter.
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Well said and to take the phone analogy difference between a iphone vs a generic android phone.
Slinger seems to be a mid range android offering, might just be better to go with a tennis twist for mucho less dineros.
disclaimer: I have a proton pre-order.
 
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omni2k7

New User
paulorenzo said:
The biggest problem with the ball machine market is not that it's using old tech or doesn't iterate fast enough, rather their price is not accessible/justifiable to the large percentage of tennis playing individuals and families. Ball machine price points are manageable for clubs, but become high end purchases for individuals. It seems that Hydrogen were able to keep production costs down compared to its competitors, but are introducing industry-first features that more than likely brought the price point back up.
Click to expand...

Agreed - IMO. I saw the $1600 price tag and moved on. The Proton looks great for the price point it's in and can force new features into the current market and get the current players to up their game. But that will keep the price points up and that goes back to my issue, the price point is the issue. I can imagine that's the case for a lot of tennis folks out there. I saw the Slinger a few months ago and at it's current price point, I just jumped on it.

Slinger may not last long enough to honor the 3yr warranty its giving out but who knows.

Sometimes, the poverty spec is enough and that seems to be the market that Slinger is servicing whether they say it or not. That opens a lot of ppl up to the joys of owning a ball machine and I see that as a good thing.
 
paulorenzo

paulorenzo

Hall of Fame
BobbyR said:
You are absolutely right that the low-end machine you proposing might disrupt the market. However it makes little business sense. Slower throwing wheel motors, of which there are 2, will save Proton only about $1-$2 per motor. Stripping on-the-fly drill patterns from the app won't save much as that is a sunk cost and a small percentage of the total cost of the machine, albeit it would spread that cost over more units. However that would be more than offset by having increased support and maintenance costs. So Proton would not save anything in making this lite version you are proposing and if they do it's extremely marginal.. It certainly would not even make a dent in slashing the retail price from $1,595 to <$700.

Slinger's manufacturing cost is very low because they only have one motor and throwing wheel, a basic remote, no app, almost no software features, a very low top speed, unchangeable extremely high topspin, a cheap woven fabric shell and so on. All they have proven so far is there is no money in the low-end tennis ball machine market as they have already lost a few million even in the face of their apparent high unit sales volumes. This reminds me of the old joke about the vendor who sold products below cost, losing money on each sale, who explains, "But I make it up on volume!".

While the low end of the market may satisfy consumers with low budgets it does not make sense for the vendor. Proton is better off selling 1/2-1/3rd as many machines at a high gross profit margin and gross dollar profit per machine and dealing with fewer consumers than selling 2-3x more at the low price you are suggesting and having to deal with multiples more more customers.

I can't wait to get the Proton I ordered for my kid. I hope we at least get it before Christmas but it doesn't look good with all the constant delays. At least the weather here is warm enough to play throughout the winter.
Click to expand...
Well said. It looks like both Slinger and Proton are SOL.
 
B

bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
omni2k7 said:
Agreed - IMO. I saw the $1600 price tag and moved on. The Proton looks great for the price point it's in and can force new features into the current market and get the current players to up their game. But that will keep the price points up and that goes back to my issue, the price point is the issue. I can imagine that's the case for a lot of tennis folks out there. I saw the Slinger a few months ago and at it's current price point, I just jumped on it.

Slinger may not last long enough to honor the 3yr warranty its giving out but who knows.

Sometimes, the poverty spec is enough and that seems to be the market that Slinger is servicing whether they say it or not. That opens a lot of ppl up to the joys of owning a ball machine and I see that as a good thing.
Click to expand...

Tennis is not a cheap sport. IMO, People shouldn't be playing tennis if they can't afford a $1600 balls machine. People have been paying >$100/hour tennis lesson without batting an eye.
 
S

silentkman

Hall of Fame
bobleenov1963 said:
Tennis is not a cheap sport. IMO, People shouldn't be playing tennis if they can't afford a $1600 balls machine. People have been paying >$100/hour tennis lesson without batting an eye.
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OMG, Thats has to be the most ridiculous comment. People shouldn't be making ridiculous comments on these boards either. Sounds like you are a perfect client for Rick Macci. I know one thing, i don't want to be a part of your world.
 
S

silentkman

Hall of Fame
BobbyR said:
You are absolutely right that the low-end machine you proposing might disrupt the market. However it makes little business sense. Slower throwing wheel motors, of which there are 2, will save Proton only about $1-$2 per motor. Stripping on-the-fly drill patterns from the app won't save much as that is a sunk cost and a small percentage of the total cost of the machine, albeit it would spread that cost over more units. However that would be more than offset by having increased support and maintenance costs. So Proton would not save anything in making this lite version you are proposing and if they do it's extremely marginal.. It certainly would not even make a dent in slashing the retail price from $1,595 to <$700.

Slinger's manufacturing cost is very low because they only have one motor and throwing wheel, a basic remote, no app, almost no software features, a very low top speed, unchangeable extremely high topspin, a cheap woven fabric shell and so on. All they have proven so far is there is no money in the low-end tennis ball machine market as they have already lost a few million even in the face of their apparent high unit sales volumes. This reminds me of the old joke about the vendor who sold products below cost, losing money on each sale, who explains, "But I make it up on volume!".

While the low end of the market may satisfy consumers with low budgets it does not make sense for the vendor. Proton is better off selling 1/2-1/3rd as many machines at a high gross profit margin and gross dollar profit per machine and dealing with fewer consumers than selling 2-3x more at the low price you are suggesting and having to deal with multiples more more customers.

I can't wait to get the Proton I ordered for my kid. I hope we at least get it before Christmas but it doesn't look good with all the constant delays. At least the weather here is warm enough to play throughout the winter.
Click to expand...

just watched the video on the Proton, looks nice.
 
B

bobleenov1963

Hall of Fame
silentkman said:
OMG, Thats has to be the most ridiculous comment. People shouldn't be making ridiculous comments on these boards either. Sounds like you are a perfect client for Rick Macci. I know one thing, i don't want to be a part of your world.
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I didn't go to Rick Macci but I did take lessons from both Emilio Sanchez and Pavel Slozil. They are much better than Rick Macci.

What I am saying is that parents have been paying for private tennis lessons, clinics, tournaments, etc... The cost can run easily like 25k/year. They pay $40/hour for indoor tennis court. Yet they complain the $1600 Proton is expensive.

IMO, $1600 is a very good price for the Proton.
 
S

silentkman

Hall of Fame
bobleenov1963 said:
I didn't go to Rick Macci but I did take lessons from both Emilio Sanchez and Pavel Slozil. They are much better than Rick Macci.

What I am saying is that parents have been paying for private tennis lessons, clinics, tournaments, etc... The cost can run easily like 25k/year. They pay $40/hour for indoor tennis court. Yet they complain the $1600 Proton is expensive.

IMO, $1600 is a very good price for the Proton.
Click to expand...

You have to be 5.0 player at least. We paid $44 an hour at 4 seasons for 25 years. its amazing how much money people spend on lessons and still can't play. reminds me of Adam Neff. everyone is looking for a good deal. The Proton looks like a good machine, only time will tell.
 
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