As the social distancing norms due to the novel Coronavirus has shut down industries and most of the sporting events, going out for a hand in Tennis with friends has become somewhat of an impossible task. However, with the “Slinger Bag” on the other side of the court, you won’t be needing an opponent who can up your Tennis practice. So you won’t be breaking the lockdown rules and can practice your forehands and backhands complying with social distancing norms.
Created by Maryland-based startup, Framework Sports, the Slinger Bag is a unique suitcase that can launch Tennis balls from the other side of the net. It looks like a traditional suitcase, only a bit larger than any other trolley-based suitcase.
Now, when this project was launched on Kickstarter as the ball launcher project, the campaign raised over $1 million from 2650 backers. This made the Slinger Bag campaign the most popular sports-based campaign in the history of Kickstarter.
It was only fair, as we have never seen a portable suitcase that can hold 144 Tennis balls and launch them at the press of a remote button. Now, coming to the question of portability, it is portable alright. However, the weight of 15 kgs (when it’s empty) suggests that you will have to struggle a bit to take it to places. This weight is a deliberate addition to the bag, as it helps it to maintain stability while throwing the balls at high speeds.
Nonetheless, once you take it to the court, you can put the Tennis balls inside and set it in the place of your opponent. After setting the speed (goes up to 40 mph), the angle of trajectory, and the ball feed rate, you are ready to play some Tennis on your own.
With the bag right behind the serving area, you can press the button on the remote control whenever you are ready to start the game. Once you press the button, the bag will give a warning beep and start throwing the balls. There is another button on the remote that can oscillate the base of the bag which can, in turn, send the balls to the left or right side of the court. So, you control your playstyle according to your preference.
We have seen IBM’s AI suitcase robot that can guide the visually impaired. However, we have never seen a suitcase that can be your Tennis partner.
So, if you want to check out the “Slinger Bag”, head to the official website of Framework Sports and get yours for a price of £780 (~Rs 64,500).
