It’s About Time…You Have a Brand-New Tennis Partner

For those worried about the possible intrusion of A.I…here is a welcomed new experience that comes from that new technology.  No longer do we have to worry about not finding the right person to play with, or if that player is going to be compatible.  Just as R2D2 saved so many in the Star Wars movies, the tennis world has now been introduced to a new little friend that has the ability to be programable for random feeds with spin, location, and timing and also is lightweight. The combination of these variations and the fact that it is so portable is a big breakthrough.

Before getting into the details of what this innovation is all about, let’s look at the possibilities this new equipment could provide. Imagine bringing your new mechanical friend to the court and after a brief warmup and a few drills, you take on the machine with a new challenging game. This game would either challenge your weaknesses or increase your strengths. These challenges, or actual games, could lead to an exciting new breakthrough for the tennis world. Besides being a great deal more fun than just hitting balls fed predictably that provide little variation and limited spontaneity, now you would have a brand-new experience that would be far more motivating. It is conceivable that these new games would open the possibility of competing against the rest of the tennis world. After a user plays one of these games, he contacts his friend or his tennis circle of friends, and brags about his results, basically challenging them. That circle of players, now also owning one of these machines, grows with popularity and a new movement in tennis practice will have begun to take shape. The whole process hints at being a new reality video game that could quickly go viral.  Once that begins, expect more diversified coaching, and more video interaction for us in the industry, a true avenue to really “Growing the Game.”

This upgrade to ball machines was bound to happen, and the race is on for several companies to own that market. The first sign of this new product having a major impact came my way when a member of my club bought one of these new machines and was using it with his son. He had been hoping for years to get his son get into the game as much as possible.  But like so many parents that have been struggling with finding other junior players or programs, he was frustrated that those important needs were not provided by the tennis industry. In addition, those programs that existed did not meet his standards. When approached with this idea of having games with specific goals and challenges, he responded with interest, but his son lit up with excitement. Couldn’t wait to challenge his friends, especially those who lived much further away. The observation was obvious to the father and to me.  The results are that the son is on track for playing 50% more than before, but also noted, that he does not need his father to either encourage or facilitate his practice. Even with very involved tennis parents, seeing their children develop autonomy in their efforts to become better, has been the mission of parents for many years.

But this experience did raise the question, “Will players no longer need others to play with if they have this machine?” We can only speculate, but if you use other examples, like golfers on the driving range, or baseball players who use a batting cage to practice, it’s likely that they will improve by virtue of those venues and naturally want to take their new game to the court against a real player. As mentioned, growing the game really means finding more players to interact with and more social or competitive tennis.

It’s likely that most players will develop a desire to go back and forth from the practice court with their R2D2 friend and balance that with their interaction with others. The reason for this can be found in the relationship many have with video games. They can be very addicting and dominate a person’s interest. But they do not offer a strong athletic or physical venue.  Then look at the recent success of online exercise equipment.  They provide both a workout and in some cases a venue of competition. Doesn’t seem like much of a step to see tennis take on that same format. The whole concept sounds very promising, but there is still one hurdle…which every teacher will be hoping some high-tech company will help by creating an affordable and reliable machine that will automatically pick up the balls when our lessons are over!

Rod Heckelman's career started in 1966 when he began his five-year role as a teacher at John Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch in Carmel Valley, California. Later he opened as the resident pro for Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch on Camelback in Scottsdale, Arizona.

In 1976 he took over as head professional/tennis director at the Mt. Tam Racquet Club in Larkspur, California, and added the title and responsibilities of general manager in 1982. 

In 2010 he was awarded “Manager of the Year” for the USPTA NorCal Division and the “Manager of the Year” at the USPTA World Conference. Rod has written several books including, “Down Your Alley” in 1993, “Playing Into the Sunset” in 2013, and most recently, “250 Ways to Play Tennis.”

He also produced the “Facility Manager’s Manual” and the “Business Handbook for Tennis Pros,” which is distributed by the TIA.