Why use a tennis ball launcher?

Do you want to improve your tennis but have no one (at least of your standard) to play with? Well, fear not, my friend, tennis ball launchers were invented for precisely this reason. In this article, I will detail what tennis ball launchers are and why and when one may use one.

How they work

How they work After buying a tennis ball launcher (aka tennis ball cannon, tennis ball thrower or tennis ball machine), needless to say, one will need to bring it to a suitable tennis court with them. Then the player will need to plug the tennis ball launcher in to the mains (presuming, as most are, that the launcher in question is powered this way), which may well require the use of an extension lead. Launchers work by pulling air, from the outside into the canister, which then flows through a piece of foam and a screen which protects the fan motor from debris. How should the balls be inserted into the launcher? However, to make the launcher work, balls must be filled into the hopper (if not, the air just escapes out). When balls are in the hopper, an electronic rotor rolls the balls through a hole one by one into a plastic tube where it meets a detent. Here, its progress is halted until the air pressure overcomes its resistance and consequently the ball is shot out.

Uses

Why to use one A tennis player would choose to use a tennis ball cannon to practice their game so s/he can improve. It may not always be as fun as having someone to play with, but the benefit of it is that, with of course several balls, it can be an ever-present reliable training partner.
Reliability to offer good practice This is because it will feed the player balls with a reliable trajectory, such that players can tailor its usage so as to improve certain aspects of their game. More sophisticated (and subsequently) more expensive machines will also allow the player to adjust the ball feed rate and trajectory from the machine itself, so the player can effectively improve returns of specific shots (e.g ground-strokes, lobs etc.) Other uses Ball launchers can also be used to feed balls for one’s dog to collect. Tennis ball machines can be used for this purpose, but there are cheaper, specific, dog ball launchers available on niche sites.