Racket Sports Tech 08/2026

Table of Contents

• Ashley’s Tech Blog

  • The Website Between You and Your Next Regular

• Tennibot

  • They put Tennibot through its paces. See what happ …

• Coming To A Club Near You soon…

  • ==> AceiiLab A1

  • ==> STRIKECO

  • ==> MANTIS

  • ==> NETX Vortex Gen2 Pickleballs

  • ==> HEAD Pickleball Paddles

  • ==> LTA and Redrice

  • ==> iPlayMe2

• Gettinger on Transitioning from VR Tennis to Real …

The Website Between You and Your Next Regular

Most clubs think they compete on facilities, brand, and marketing budget. They don't. Not for the player deciding where to play tonight. That player made their choice in the ten seconds after a Google search, and the club that won wasn't the nicest one. It was the one they could book without thinking.

For most clubs, that's not you. Because the moment a new player is ready to book, you send them to your website.

The detour you didn't mean to build

Your website isn't broken. It has your schedule, your pricing, your story. It's exactly right for the member who already knows you and the shopper still doing homework.

But the new player who just found you on Google and wants a court tonight? For them, your homepage is a to-do list they didn't ask for. Reorient. Hunt for where reservations live. Make an account. Clear a login. Decode three membership tiers. None of it is why they came. They came to play, and every screen between them and a court is another chance to decide it isn't worth it.

Every club in your market asks the same thing of that player. Almost none have fixed it. That's the opening.

Skip the website, keep the booking

Public Booking + Reserve with Google gives the ready player a way in that skips all of it. They find you on Google, tap "Book online," land in your booking flow, pick a time, and pay. The booking lives right on your Google Business Profile, in Search and Maps. Your website never comes up. It doesn't need to.

The site still tells your story and earns its place in search. It just stops standing between a decided player and a booked court. Shortest path from search to confirmation that racquet sports has ever had.

Ease is the edge now

The clubs winning new players right now aren't winning on marble lobbies or a name everyone knows. They're winning on access, how little stands between a player and a court.

That distance is measured in seconds, because the urge to play has a short shelf life. Stay inside that window and you convert the search. Add a few clicks and the player is already booking somewhere else. The most bookable club gets the booking. In most local markets, that's the whole game right now.

First movers take the market

The clubs collecting these bookings aren't the marquee names. Being the biggest brand hasn't made anyone the most bookable one, and most of the franchises everyone talks about still route players to a website. Plenty of smaller clubs already let them book in a few taps.

Picture the three clubs that come up when a player searches your area. Two send them to a website. The third lets them book on the spot. The third wins every player who's ready right now, and it doesn't have to be the fanciest club on the list. That's the entire point.

It won't stay this way. As more clubs catch on, easy booking becomes the baseline everyone's expected to have. The edge belongs to whoever claims it first, while the rest are still sending players the long way around.

Make your club the bookable one

Right now, the next player searching your area either books with you in a few taps or gets routed to a website first. Most clubs are still the second kind.

Public Booking + Reserve with Google takes a few minutes to turn on. After that, the next player to search your area can book with you before anyone across town gets to them. Your website isn't going anywhere. The new player ready today just gets a faster way in, and you get the booking the other club was about to take.

Learn more

The team at Courtside Tennis just spotlighted how AI is reshaping the way players train, and Tennibot is right at the center of it.

The Partner V2 reads your shots with 4K cameras and 3D tracking, then builds custom drills on the fly. The Rover autonomously collects every ball you hit. Together, they create a fully autonomous training loop, so you spend your court time training instead of picking up balls.

Website

Today is the day tennis changed, forever. For the first time in the history of the sport, you will be able to play real tennis whenever and wherever you want, without a court, without a partner, without any of the things that have always stood between you and the game you love.

Reservations are open right now. Early units are available at $1,399 ($200 off the $1,599 retail price). Limit of one per customer. This offer is only available in the USA.

A $99 fully refundable deposit holds your reservation. The remaining balance is due only before your unit ships in Q4 2026. Every reservation includes 3 months of Club Strikeco free, a $60 value and free shipping.

Early units are limited. When they are gone, this price is gone with them.

Reserve your Strikeco now.

Just Launched - New Tennis & Padel Rackets.

Months of design, testing, and refinement have led to this moment. We're proud to unveil our latest collection of Mantis tennis rackets and our first-ever padel rackets, built for players who expect more from their equipment.

From complete beginners to experienced competitors, every racket combines premium materials, precision engineering, and outstanding value to help you play with greater confidence every time you step on court.

We think they're our best rackets yet, and we can't wait for you to try them.

Website

NETX is a new pickleball brand redefining performance through design and technology. They’re leading the way with 3D printing and parametric design—not just for looks, but to solve real problems in the sport:

• NETX 3D-printed pickleballs are built for durability, engineered for quiet play, and designed to reduce strain—helping prevent common injuries from hard impacts and vibrations.

• They're also preparing to launch their GEN 5 paddle, featuring a fully 3D-printed durable internal core - offering unmatched precision, control, and comfort never seen before in the sport.

This isn’t just another brand story - it’s a look into the future of sustainable, injury-conscious, high-performance pickleball.

Announcement by the City of Mashpee in Massachusetts: “Effective Saturday, August 1, 2026, all players participating in pickleball at the Town courts shall be required to use a Vortexball EVO in order to limit noise.”
See the full announcement here.

NETX website

Which Pickleball Paddle Is Right for You?

How to choose a pickleball paddle

SportsTechX
The LTA and Redrice Ventures, a leading investment firm focused on health, wellness and sport, have announced a strategic partnership to identify, support, and champion innovations that advance the future of racket sports in the UK. With the LTA entering venture capital for the first time.

Super Easy & Efficient Game Organizing… with revamped iPlayMe2 racquet sports app, version 4. Fun, Fast, & Freaking Useful…

Be a hero at your own club now! Share with your facility GM, or DOR (Director of Racquets), this 1-minute video intro to iPlayMe2, or our brochure for clubs and facilities, their head pros, and even team captains.