Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Tenniix Pro Ball Machine

TW Staff

TW Staff

Administrator
Attention Talk Tennis Members:

We have a Talk Tennis first! We are offering a playtest of the new Tenniix Pro ball machine. This playtest is open to Talk Tennis members living in the contiguous US only.

Application period is now closed. Selected participants will be notified via email by Thursday, April 30th.

We have a very, very, very limited quantity of ball machines to playtest. We select playtesters based on a number of factors, including message board participation and performance on past playtests (see below).

Your review is due by Friday, July 10th by 5PM PST.

Posting a full review by the deadline is necessary to remain in good standing for future playtests. Reviews lacking sufficient effort will resort in disqualification from the playtest program.

Include the following in your review:

Tennis experience/background:
Describe your playing style (i.e. serve & volley):
How many hours did you play with the ball machine:

Please answer the following questions (4-5 sentences minimum).

• What was your initial impression of the machine? (Was it easy to set up and get started? )

• What was your experience using the app? (Was it easy to use? How intuitive was it? How were the features?)

• How was the quality of balls being feed? (Was it realistic? How was the spin/speed/trajectory? Was it consistent?)

• What types of drills did you try? (What was your favorite drill? Did it help improve any aspect of your game?)

• What was your overall experience? (Did you feel there was enough variation in your shots/drills? Was the session engaging? How easy was it to adjust settings mid-session?)

• What was your thoughts on Reliability and Value? (How did the machine function? How does this compare to other machines you have tried?)

• Overall - Final Thoughts? (What did you like/dislike?)

Thanks,
TW Staff

We will delete “request sent” emails, but encourage a lively “pre-game” discussion on the racquets.

__________________________________

What we look for in a playtester:

1) A user that is in good standing - no excess warnings on Talk Tennis
2) A user that is participating on the forum- we look for a participant that is actively participating/posting on the forum on a weekly basis and has at least 100 posts (although we do make exceptions)
3) A user that is participating in threads on the specific forum and bonus points if it is in threads that are related to the product being playtested
4) Participation in a string playtest- we offer monthly string playtests that are much easier to get into. If you show great effort there, it will standout for the next racquet/shoe playtest
5) if you have playtested a racquet/shoe in the past- we look for good effort in the comments, turning in your review on time and actively participating in the thread throughout the playtest

We do try to spread the wealth, if you have participated in either a racquet/shoe playtest within the year, chances are you won't be selected for a racquet/shoe playtest (we do make an exception to the rule if we see a user that stands out, doesn't happen often). Each playtest contains a mix of users that haven't participated in a playtest before, users that haven't been selected in over a year and users that show exceptional effort in recent string playtests.
 
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Definitely interesting playtest. Ball machines had been pretty much the same for over multiple decades. So this is definitely revolutionary.
 
We have a user at our club who has developed a bluetooth module for old style Playmate ball machines that allows control from the far end of the court via a mobile phone app. I've used that a lot and though it doesn't incorporate any sort of intelligence, you can program it to send balls to different areas in specific patterns. I'm very curious how AI functionality improves on that.
 
Great idea for a playtest. I used the Slinger a couple years ago but ultimately resold it because it didn’t quite doing everything I hoped. It would be interesting to see how much ball machines have evolved since then.
 
Very cool playtest! I’ve tried the slinger as well as the lobster. The slinger was very aggressive on topspin feeds which could create a harsh feeling , while the lobster had more variety. Can’t wait to see how machines have improved now.
 
Wow that's very interesting.
Not really a ball machine guy myself, so I won't apply, but always interested in seeing different opportunities
 
Super interested in this! I wonder how it compares to my current SlingerBag where you can’t dial down the topspin. Even at the lowest level it still feels like you’re hitting against prime Nadal.
 
Chairman3 said:
Wow that's very interesting.
Not really a ball machine guy myself, so I won't apply, but always interested in seeing different opportunities
Click to expand...
I had a Lobster many years ago, and it was great when I was coaching my daughter’s high school team. I didn’t have to sit there & feed balls. I could be on their side of the court helping.

Later I used it for working on things like volleys and short balls, but it was cumbersome to lug around, and eventually the battery stopped holding a charge.

Would be interesting to see how AI works. It might actually be good for something, other than wiping out all of humanity…
 
Curious how the Tenniix Pro performs compared to machines like Pusun or Lobster in terms of consistency, spin accuracy, and realistic ball trajectory. Does it actually produce a heavy ball, or is it more of a flat feed machine? I think the voice control feature is pretty cool. Would love to be part of the playtest. Good luck to all!
 
Everybody in my tennis groups is talking about Tennix and the Tennix Pro and Ultra too!
I love how they have made these machines so manageable and easy to carry. Everyone knows hitting partners are NOT reliable! Ball machines are part of a process for ANYONE who wants to get better !!
I have worn out several Wilson and Tutor machines. I've been waiting to see what AI can do in this ball machine!!

1_19d55c2e-2fa6-4696-b681-e82618bcacc2.png
 
Absolutely in for this! I utilize AI in my 9-5 heavily (don't most of us by now?!), so would be fascinated to see the implications, and could compare it directly to my time with the original Slinger ball machine as well (owned by a friend).

@TW Staff - Thank you for giving us such a cool opportunity!
 
Now this is in my wheelhouse!

I’ve owned and used so many ball machines. I’d love to see what this thing can do and see if it lives up to its expectations.

I’d love to put this to the test. FWIW, I started the threads on the Titan machine and the Pongbot Aura.
 
I was just looking at this ball machine last week but couldn't justify spending that much at the moment. Also, due to it being new and a lack of reviews and there being so many new ball machines out there lately I wasn't sure if this was the best choice. Awesome playtest by TW. Hoping I get chosen but if not, congrats to those that do get picked for this one.
 
My youngest daughter recently purchased the Tenniix Pro, she got the basic and is waiting on the upgrade kit. In the meantime, she loves it. She brought it over a couple weeks ago, and I thought it was great. She said she thought it was loud, but compared to the Playmate my club has it wasn't bad at all.
 
Injured Again said:
We have a user at our club who has developed a bluetooth module for old style Playmate ball machines that allows control from the far end of the court via a mobile phone app. I've used that a lot and though it doesn't incorporate any sort of intelligence, you can program it to send balls to different areas in specific patterns. I'm very curious how AI functionality improves on that.
Click to expand...
I’d be interested in learning more about your acquaintance’s creation. I have an older Playmate machine.
 
This Tennix ball-machine seems so cool!! With the power of AI, dual cameras, voice control and app control all in a lightweight package they have really
"iPhoned" the concept of ball-machines.
I really like the concept of Al Opponent Simulation ( Dual-camera vision reads your game and delivers full-court coverage) for days when you don't have a partner or need to work on a pattern.
Voice control should be great too so there is no need to fiddle with a remote or app while you are in the middle of some serious work!
Tracking with analytics should be like an audit of your game giving you numbers to back up your gut feeling on what you need work on!
 
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I've been looking at ball machines a decent amount lately. This is something that is high on my priority list, and a training tool where I think I could get a lot of benefit.

Unfortunately, my budget limits me to something extremely old, or a slinger that needs repair to the feeding mechanism or a new battery (or both).

Anyway, I have no expectations of being selected, but I sincerely hope that I am.
 
Ball machines help with tempo and rally cadence..
Years ago went to a camp and the ball machine was used along with the rope ladder and cones..
Needless to say...the pro gave a reward to the first person that puked.. hitting a ball standing in one area of the court is somewhat easy.. running back and forth side to side while hitting a proper ball takes tennis skill set to another level..
 
I use a ball machine to groove my strokes and build confidence.

I used to use them to just work on cardio and run me back n forth. That was fun when the machine only had random oscillation left and right. Then I got a machine that had a remote control and a two line feature. I have to admit, I miss the random shots at times.

But these new machines allow for a very focused practice and shot simulation. They’re very cool with the technology.
 
d-quik said:
Higher level players need more point play to truly improve but machine use is the best for lower level players to improve quickly!
Click to expand...

I must be a lower level player then. I need improvement in all the fundamentals, but most notably swing path and contact point. I need to work on footwork, body placement and transfer of energy. It's hard to build that consistency when you practice with other people who are trying to hit winners against you. I have mostly been playing 3.5 doubles lately, but decided to try singles again. The league that I'm playing in had me at 3.0 from a few years back and would not allow me to move up. I'm currently 1-2 in a league where I expected to run the table. I sincerely think that a ball machine would allow me to develop a lethal forehand/backhand/whateverhand will help me to win more points consistently. Practicing with the same dozen men each week is fun, but I don't see my level getting much better.

In short, I have the tangible assets to be a much better player, but I lack consistency and need to improve my fundamentals.
 
Interesting I’d like to try compare this to Lobster. This seems much more portable and with phone programmable drills
 
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Cowboy said:
had me at 3.0 from a few years back and would not allow me to move up.
Click to expand...
I would agree that at 3.5 and below (or even 4.0s) will improve the absolute fastest with a machine.

Technically anyone would benefit from the machine but with 4.5+ players it is usually other things (I am just guessing here) that would be of greater help.
 
Ball machines are awesome and Tennix's take should take ball machines to another level. Movement, speed, spin, point play these new machines will challenge you to get better!!
Too many people are trying to "win" practice - but ball machines don't have that ego (Do they?) so you can get the work that you need to get better.
I like that it is compact so I know I would use it even more than those heavier, bulkier products.
They were great for their time, but these are more versatile and are more mentally stimulating! You still have to do the work, but these ask a few more questions than ball-machines from days gone by.
 
Looking forward to reviews even if I am not chosen. My students could benefit from a ball machine. I've hit with the Slinger, Lobster, Silent Partner, and Tennis Tutor machines before.
 
I am very interested to learn more about the app side of things of this machine. Does anyone know the app has good integration with apple/android watches ?
 
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