The tennis ball machine has a relatively short history. The first machine was introduced in the 1920s, and the concept has steadily gained interest from tennis professionals, competing amateurs, coaches and instructors. Throughout the years, the features, conveniences and technology around tennis ball machines have continued to evolve.
Hand-Crank Machine
Rene LaCoste was a famous French tennis player from the 1920s who is most notably recognized for the crocodile logo on LaCoste polo shirts. However, he is also credited with creating the first hand-crank tennis ball machine, which he called “lance-balle.” LaCoste was known as a perfectionist whose own coach criticized him for overtraining. His rigor during training was tiring for partners, so he decided to create a ball-throwing machine to keep his edge. This machine was hand-cranked by someone on the opposite side of the court.
Electronic Machine
Fifty years later, Bob McClure introduced the first electronic tennis ball machine. McClure made the discovery in his Princeton, New Jersey, garage with a tennis partner, Jerry Sweeten, by reversing the motor on his vacuum cleaner. The machine works by using pressure from the vacuum cleaner to propel a tennis ball out of a connected tube. McClure named his invention the "Little Prince,” and later built Prince Manufacturing Company upon the machine’s success.
Additional Features
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, tennis ball machines gained popularity, and many other companies began to manufacture them. As technology continued to advance, so did the features and options on the machines. Some of the current features include portability, range of motion, arc control, feed and ejection speed, oscillation, ball capacity, spin, increased battery life and durability.
Modern Models
Modern tennis ball machines range in price from $200 to $2,000, as of March 2011. Some machines are based on McClure’s original design and rely on vacuum pressure, whereas others function by pinching balls between two or more rotating wheels. Some popular models include the Tennis Twist, Tennis Tutor, Lobster Sports and JUGS tennis ball machines.
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