Will This AI Tennis Robot Steal My Job? PongBot Pace S Pro

[@TheTennisMentor]

Who stayed to watch the BTS at the end?? 🙋

[@ace18gs40]

Not only once but twice, could be more 😂

[@davidbenson5384]

Have you hit this machine at full speed yet?

[@bewater4732]

Need a robot that goes around and collects the balls and puts them back into the ball machine.

[@TheTennisMentor]

There is such thing!

[@bewater4732]

@@TheTennisMentorWho, Where, What ??

[@microphonemaster484]

​ @bewater4732 There is such thing, but better save yourself the money (its not cheap) and your arm (that time you spend collecting the balls is a great recovery time for your arm where you can also do some stretching). Ball machine exercise is already very demanding, imagine having to start over right away hitting hundreds of balls

[@microphonemaster484]

​ @bewater4732 There is such thing, but better save yourself the money (its not cheap) and your arm (that time you spend collecting the balls ca be great recovery time for your arm

[@sn1kzZe]

It exists but it's slow and sloppy, if you have 3 students or more it can't keep up due to so many balls

[@peters8699]

The intro music, the perspective of the camera, and then “In a world…” My man is having FAR too much fun out there! 😂

[@TheTennisMentor]

😂😂😂

[@pigchamp6931]

WE WANT MORE VIDEOS!!🎉 Also amazing editing, you have really come on. Could you do a review of the basic bot as well?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thank you, this one was certainly a fun one to film and edit… I need to get my hands on one first!

[@jbranche8024]

Looks like a great training tool. I like all the customization and drills you can create. The break option for more challenging drills is a nice option. My old balls machine I had to take sandpaper to the hard rubber throwing wheels or the throws would become inconsistent. No mention of warranty on kickstarter. The Super Early Bird launch price is great $699 for Pace S and $899 for the Pace S Pro. Most machines I've seen all have one flaw the machine faces the direction the ball will feed. For match training you want practice reacting and positioning for the ball.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Thanks for your comments… I made a trick for that with my old slinger bag, I put a towel over the net to block my view of the machine so that I couldn’t tell which way it was facing… I’m not sure if that would block the signal for this machine (probably not) but it made for a fun challenge.

[@Adventurevictoria]

As someone already mentioned movement entire body instead inside of shooting roller only like spinfiore pro is not only issue for durability but actually realistic issue for training for "competition mode". Since it can be readable for the direction ball heading . You guys should know that what was the main reason spring fire pro 2 can picked up against robster .

[@PongbotTennis]

Thanks for your comment and suggestion. Our product has undergone rigorous quality testing and comes with a comprehensive after-sales support system. You can purchase and use it with confidence.

[@nikkollai]

I noticed it rocks from side to side and it's a little concerning. It's a complicated piece of machinery and having the internal parts subjected to rocking like that kind of questions its durability. I know that PongBot folks are going to read this post, so they can think on how to reduce the wobbling. Thanks

[@tbdpodcast2276]

Can you link to the specific part of the video you're referring to?

[@jonh5788]

I noticed that too. Its almost like it gets confused. I can see this breaking very easily. No thanks!

[@taruntius1]

@@tbdpodcast2276 @3:41

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi nikkollai, thanks for your comment and suggestion. Our product has undergone rigorous quality testing and comes with a comprehensive after-sales support system. You can purchase and use it with confidence.

[@andyak1969]

I have watched videos and have yet to see any balls fed at a pace over 50mph and flatter trajectory. Are there any videos showing range of ball speeds and spins?

[@luyin1961]

Have Pongbot table tennis machine. Didn't know they are making tennis ball machine now. The adaptive feature is really good, have not seen it anywhere else. Can't believe the pro version is only $900

[@touchtennis]

That intro though! Ashley Neavesberg.

[@TheTennisMentor]

🎬🎥🎞️🍿

[@anthonydodge]

Damn I want this !!! Great video as always Ash ! The intro should get you an award :)))

[@TheTennisMentor]

Haha, thanks Anthony 🙏

[@RobBlanzy]

Great video and love the end behind the scenes. I look forward to seeing more videso on this kit and what you can do with it.

[@TheTennisMentor]

😆😆

[@lilies9251]

I don’t think these features, however cool they are, have anything to do with AI or machine learning, just an easily customizable machine with a tracking feature. ML would be the machine analyzing your game, and feeding you balls to your weak side or type, forcing you into more repetitions. While also sending you links to a tutorial database (or you tube videos?). The fact it can’t compensate for the wind just proves my point. Nevertheless, a cool ball machine

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes you’re right… the future could be crazy with features like this!

[@Wj3399]

Yeah it’s just using ultra wide band width UWB sensors like they have in Apple tag and then just allow you to set offset. AI is just the marketing buzzword. In real rally your opponent don’t hit to where you are anyway they hit random. So nothing added here

[@sethandjesse1]

@@PongbotTennis when are you shipping to US?

[@funfactsexplorer403]

@@Wj3399 That's a pretty narrow view. First, the setting feature was mentioned in the video, where you can even set random balls or want to practice and improve certain shots, like me. So your statements show you have not given much thought or maybe did not finish watching the video.

[@jamesj590]

From reading the comments, it seems there is more "AI" in use with the pongbot comment replies than with the machine itself ;)

[@farhadrosh]

1- does it feed underspin? 2- can you adjust the speed and spin of each fed ball separately? Warranty? Customer service?

[@xristosmat5727]

I have placed the order and I can't wait for this gem to come into my hands!! 💥🤙💪

[@mikesalami7]

This is pretty cool and a great video! I noticed a couple of things; for the feeds being to your “forehand”side it wasn’t really doing it your right enough. You kept having to move left to make it a forehand if that makes sense. Another is that court you’re on - the lines are so faint! Or maybe it’s just the video or the lighting. I really like this but I don’t see myself being able to lug this around for solo sessions at courts near where I live. I don’t even know if it would comfortably fit in my car.

[@justinwilliams2919]

Thank you for this review! I’ve been trying to decide between this and the Titan ball machine so I can keep playing and improving through the winter months especially. I’d really love to see a head to head of both machines. I really like the all in one features of the Titan in terms of portability and the app features; but the AI gameplay here is really compelling for the price! Thanks again 🙌🏾

[@TheTennisMentor]

I’ll see if I can get my hands on one! For the price, I’m not sure this one can be beaten!

[@justinwilliams2919]

Update: I bought a pro model at launch. Can’t beat that price and features

[@RhayaderGoesToTown]

I wonder why they didn't use computer vision for determining the position of the player. I guess it's just cheaper and potentially more reliable to use a transmitter. Really cool idea!

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, I’m not sure but I think your two points are probably true!

[@SeekMe-i5q]

Nice one. I think they could develop it more and add more features, and make the app more usable. Also if you have a coach he can set the drills and feed , then he could see your ball if it’s in or out, there’s more great features could be added here. But I think our biggest problem as a tennis players and coaches is the tennis courts 😅😂

[@ibnfpv]

There is option So drill will start only if you in start position and not after a period of time ?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes there is, it’s called Recovery Trigger. I didn’t get time to test this out properly yet but the idea is that you set a recovery zone and the machine will feed once you’re in it. So if you need a break, stand away from the zone and when you’re ready, step in and play!

[@jamesduffy5019]

Surprised at the price! Alas, I’ll have to stick with the Slinger for a while longer yet! Love to see top speed though! Can it feed you balls for serving practise? The real star of the show, the Groundsman!👍

[@simenbo797]

I would like to see more videos with increased ball speed. Also yiur thoughts on the quality/durability, wich is essential for a machine spitting out thousands of balls at the same time rotating and elevating.

[@TheTennisMentor]

👍👍 I can’t comment on the durability or quality of materials as this prototype that I tried is actually made from different materials to what the consumer version will have. They told me that the launch version will be higher quality materials

[@OscarEggen]

Can the machine follow multiple players who have sensors in a training session of, for example, four players, who perform the same exercise one after the other

[@colinhoos8714]

Not yet, but PONGBOT has confirmed they will do this in the near future.

[@anthonydodge]

Hahahah the ending BTS 🤣👌🏼

[@TheTennisMentor]

😁

[@charlieodegaard7081]

Can you only set it down at the middle t? Not possible to let it feed from one of the corners?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, you can set in the corners too

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, thanks for your interest in Pongbot. Of course! The PACE S series products support tennis serves from six different positions, with the default position being the center of the baseline. It also supports left and right singles baseline positions, the T position at the service line, and left and right toss modes for serves from the same side as the player. Each position includes a variety of built-in balls tailored for that specific spot. After placing the device, you can select the corresponding position in the mobile app to experience the built-in training content and the associated custom features. Some functions are only available by default for the center baseline position.

[@denefreeland5369]

Great video. Cool machine. In the mark 2 I’d like small holes in the ball basket so I can see how many balls are left, larger and more sturdy back wheels, an indication of battery life, drills that users can create and put online so other users can download, maybe if possible a mechanism so the machine can use pressured balls rather than pressure less balls? Great looking machine though.

[@TheTennisMentor]

I like your simple idea of a hopper with holes in!

[@jbranche8024]

Kickstart says you can share/upload your drills. Battery life if not already could be displayed in the app.

[@denefreeland5369]

@@TheTennisMentor thanks. And thanks for the video.

[@denefreeland5369]

@@jbranche8024 Thanks. Sounds great.

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, thank you so much for your positive feedback and valuable ideas. Pace S series is powered by a pluggable mobile battery, through the Mobile APP you can monitor the battery status and bring it back indoors to complete the charging. Pace S-Series serve robots support most of the common balls on the market, and we recommend using the same type of ball in the same session. The wheel diameter of the Pace serve robot is 10cm, and after testing in multiple scenarios, the wheel size can fully meet the needs of different use scenarios for equipment movement.

[@OscarEggen]

Many ball machines occasionally skip a ball during a cycle. Is that also the case with this machine?

[@TheTennisDaddy]

I’ve got the Spinfire Pro 2 ball machine and it’s come out now with AI function where you just talk into your phone app telling it what shots you want in your custom drills…tested it out twice so far and the software is still learning to get all the commands perfect but it’s easy to manually adjust the shots if they’re off a bit…Also has a normal remote to use without AI…Price point of yours sounds pretty damm good👌

[@shawnyeo786]

Please make a video showing the top speed of feeding

[@chrispyp2331]

It's a very exciting product. I'm very close to purchasing it, however there's a few big question marks for me. One is the sensor. Wearing that sensor on your shirt will mean it will be subject to alot of movement / wobbling, so durability is a major concern. If the sensor flies off your shirt as well, will warranty cover this? I'm doubtful. The other is the camera at the front. A tennis ball wil eventually hit it - how well protected is the camera from shock? Lastly is servicing. I live in Australia, and I've been told that there isn't any servicing in Australia currently. Once the warranty expires which is only a year, how expensive will it be to ship the whole unit back to HQ for repair?

[@komandoo_86]

Can you make some more videos for beginners and improvers how they use it? Would you do rental wervice? 😂

[@devinedude3690]

🥂💥Novices to pros.... A gift every tennis person wants Santa dragging down there chimney this Xmas

[@samh373]

This is a good investment for a coaching gig I suppose.

[@Leapops]

Looks good. Lithium battery could be a game changer as conventional batteries are so temperamental. When will it be available in 5he UK?

[@dandan3045]

If you're going to show this ball machine and say it goes up to 80km, then just show it even if it's only once.

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. We will have more video to show Pace's function, stay tuned!

[@MonteCarlo-p9x]

where can I buy one in the US?

[@kingskawn]

Is there a version for padel ? I like the machine and would like to buy one but I'm afraid that it will only have tennis exercises instead of padel. Or can it be adjusted?

[@colinhoos8714]

As far as I know, yes, particularly the feature of customization drills suitable for padel.

[@PongbotTennis]

@@colinhoos8714 Hi there, the Pace S series smart tennis serve robot is Pongbot's smart tennis training product, which currently only supports the training and use of standard tennis. Pongbot is committed to utilizing smart devices to empower sports, and will introduce more smart devices for sports and new interactive experiences for more usage scenarios, stay tuned!

[@patrick1161]

Is there a beeping sound upon ejecting the ball?...and can this beep be disabled?

[@RobotPongPros]

Probably yes

[@joaomariasilva5183]

@thetennismentor the manufacturer recommends pressureless balls. What’s your though on this versus normal balls and maybe used balls from normal training or match play?

[@circuitmouth]

Would love to back this but too many concerns about durability and how maintenance would be handled if anything were to break. Heard dealing with Nisplay is a nightmare, not sure if this company would be any different.

[@SamWilliams-p7f]

The brand PONGBOT is completely legit and their table tennis robots are amazing. You can Google about them to learn more.

[@iben6234]

I'd like to know if we can just the Pong Bot on clay ? Thanks

[@TheTennisMentor]

Good question, hopefully PongBot can answer this one. I have been using on artificial clay and it’s been fine. I’d suggest it would need regular cleaning

[@julianlee1312]

Could you help me out with something please? I would like to actually purchase one of the machines but it looks like investing is purchasing a machine, but I don’t know how that’s done. Could you walk me through it please?

[@ROTOCON5373]

Io sono un sottoscrittore dell'investimento. Vorrei sapere se utilizzata sulla terra battuta c'e' un modo per pulirla facilmente all'interno in modo che la terra non crei problemi come succede per altre macchine lanciapalle?

[@bojack3827]

99.9% of "AI" these days is just a marketing/sales gimmick because any machine learning that underpins is based on the the quality of the algorithms and data that is programmed into it by a human person. For something like this, its going to very basic. Don't think its like some chess supercomputer that can figure out what shots you're weak on and only hits those balls to you for instance! Still, this is definitely alot better than a standard / 'dumb' ball machine. As with everything, it all depends on how much it costs as to whether its worth it.

[@ROSEMARY-gl7wx]

Not true in my opinion. Today’s LLM maturity already saved me lots of time in my job. I’m a marketer. LLM capabilities is more correct term to what you called ‘algorithm’

[@apotra20xx]

I agree on the AI term. It's not really AI. It's data feeds loaded into a computer by a human, on an algorithm also fed to the CPU by a human. Probably you need to think terminator or the matrix machines if you think of the true AI term. Anyhow, this is how they market it. And the job loss thing is just a pathetic excuse for shareholders to reduce head count. And they don't do this because of Ai, they do it because of wall street and stupid shares.

[@plkyxander3780]

Then you design and build a "good" ai software and robot and learn how to market the product. Then you will see how "easy" it is.

[@plkyxander3780]

If it's so basic

[@MadHolms]

I wonder how it handles new balls and some older balls? my machine starts to throw the older ones much higher and deeper than the new ones. but otherwise is quite impressive, I paid $1800 for the Tennis Tutor Plus, and is not even close to the functionality this one has.

[@JeanEtienneDURAND]

Doest it fix the '"spinning " bug of the Slinger?

[@TheTennisMentor]

The slingerbag only had one wheel so was only able to deliver topspin. This has two wheels so you can adjust between slice, topspin and flat.

[@deviledeggs3926]

Thankyou I’m on the cusp of purchasing a feeder, for the launch as a standard ball machine and all around spec, is this a great cheaper ball machine but still if you had a larger budget something like the spitfire pro 2 would have a higher spec & motor quality etc ?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I can’t compare as I haven’t used a spitfire pro, but not sure what more you would want in a machine… I’m looking forward to testing its top speeds and full capabilities!

[@deviledeggs3926]

@@TheTennisMentor thankyou very much for responding

[@rafenden]

Is this a sponsored video? You haven’t mentioned anything about the app’s lag.

[@karenedwards937]

The literature states it will serve. How is that possible or do they see a thrown ball as a serve?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I think it’s lost in translation… it means feed

[@Wj3399]

No way it can detect serve, they’re just sensor detecting player position not when it bounces

[@joaomariasilva5183]

Very cool! Is it possible to store the balls inside the machine?

[@TheTennisMentor]

No, the hopper flips and slots on top to make it smaller for storage but you need to store balls separately

[@mario17-t34]

Wow, you really have connections !!!!

[@TheTennisMentor]

How do you mean?

[@anthonydodge]

When is the U.K. release? Can you get us a discount code ;-) ????

[@TheTennisMentor]

The Kickstarter launches next week and I think they aim to start shipping in December/January

[@MPech]

Can it support padel training, too?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I don’t think so yet but I’m sure it’s only software that would need adjusting to make it work!

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, the Pace S series smart tennis serve robot is Pongbot's smart tennis training product, which currently only supports the training and use of standard tennis. Pongbot is committed to utilizing smart devices to empower sports, and will introduce more smart devices for sports and new interactive experiences for more usage scenarios, stay tuned!

[@katemc516]

Yup backed it this morning

[@GwaTeam]

I also pledged for one Pace S Pro, what kind of balls are recommended? Would also like more content on this, great video!

[@gregoriomalagoli1831]

Pressureless 🎾

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, thanks so much for your support! It is recommended that users practice with pressureless ball in good condition and of the same brand during the training process. The device settings in the APP also include built-in ball parameter adjustments for built-in Programmed Drills, which allows you to quickly adjust the overall placement according to the actual serve when switching between different tennis balls.

[@GwaTeam]

@@PongbotTennis Okay thanks, I found a shop in Norway that sell a bag of 72 Tretorn pressureless balls, will probably pick those up then 😊👍

[@iamnetdoktor]

just ordered one on kickstarter

[@keithdansereau7279]

How heavy is the machine?

[@redleri]

17.6 kg

[@Boiiii1888]

Are you from Portsmouth / Havant? If so do you do 1:1 coaching in person?

[@kubivasak]

Hey Ash mate, does this machine do slice n spin? or is it like the Slinger and only does topspin?

[@taruntius1]

Surprised that this wasn't addressed.

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, the Pace S Pro is designed to simulate the real-game experience. It does can serves balls as you asked. Pace supports topspin, no spin and underspin serves. By adjusting the parameters of each single ball serve, it can provide training for different tennis skill movements. For the skill movement of slice, Pace only supports the slice training with underspin, and does not support sidespin.

[@kubivasak]

​@@PongbotTennis great! If it can do underpin and topspin, that's amazing.

[@gianniroma5593]

Is this machine available in EU? I don't see any discount code available and either the shop site? Thx for help, otherwise looks amazing..

[@colinhoos8714]

Currently, they are available only on Kickstarter. The link Ashley has shared in the video description.

[@fitstoic1329]

unfortunately, it looks like it has an external oscillator instead of an internal one and seems to wobble

[@Mikedoesntfly]

Nice intro 😁

[@TheTennisMentor]

Haha, thanks! Got creative on this one!

[@RosaMartins-p3i]

what is the price on this machine? I don't see where that is listed?

[@colinhoos8714]

Check out the video description Ashley has shared the link.

[@harryharrison4749]

Great video Ash 😂 Does the link only work after the product launch to get the 55% discount?

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, launches on the 29th

[@harryharrison4749]

@@TheTennisMentor great thank you 👍

[@meowmixmeowmix]

Wait, this thing has two motors? Top and a bottom?? And its sub $1000?? What??

[@TheTennisMentor]

Crazy! 😅 Even as a basic ball machine this one is great!

[@meowmixmeowmix]

@@TheTennisMentor so it does have two motors right? I might put an order in as soon as the campaign starts

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, it has two wheels, offering the ability to change between topspin, flat and slice and it can change from shot to shot.

[@meowmixmeowmix]

@@TheTennisMentor Hopefully they ship to Hawaii.

[@DanTuber]

Can hardly see the lines on that court

[@TheTennisMentor]

Yes, it’s the only downside of the artificial clay surface that’s popular in the uk

[@TheFourSatoshis]

That’s not AI but pretty cool

[@NealDurando]

I don't see the AI component in this at all. Adapting the feed to the player seems the wrong way around--not tennis, where its up to the player to adapt to the ball. Varying the interval seems only marginally interesting.

[@TheTennisMentor]

Another feature is ‘Recovery Triggered feeds’. This is where you set a recovery zone and the machine waits for you to recover before feeding the next ball. The match simulation which is coming is exciting too

[@Wj3399]

Exactly my thoughts, other than the recovery trigger that’s not how rally works you go to the ball not the other way around

[@PongbotTennis]

Hi there, thanks for your interest. AI smart features are currently applied to the PACE S PRO device. The intelligent training includes auto-triggered recovery training, while the AI-powered real-life training adapts to different NTRP levels for personalized sessions. For more details, you can refer to the corresponding feature explanation videos on our crowdfunding landing page.

[@PongbotTennis]

@@Wj3399 Hi there, thanks for your interest. AI smart features are currently applied to the PACE S PRO device. The intelligent training includes auto-triggered recovery training, while the AI-powered real-life training adapts to different NTRP levels for personalized sessions. For more details, you can refer to the corresponding feature explanation videos on our crowdfunding landing page.

[@worldhello8908]

as a table tennis player, I saw and used many robots. But, the speed of ball, and its characteristics are totally different from them in real games. I saw many people to use, but they are all newbies. No one uses those machines any more. Coaches are not useless yet : )

[@danielpuig88]

Hello, I would like to know if this product is legitimate. I came across it on the Kickstarter app and reviewed the project, but I’m a bit skeptical about investing in it. Can someone confirm if the project is trustworthy?

[@TheTennisMentor]

I reached out to the company as there seem to be a few of you in the comments with this concern. They assured me that they’re posting an update for everyone on Kickstarter soon! They’re legit.

[@CollegiateTennisServ]

How can we trust that this kickstart is legit? There is nothing about it online...

[@TheTennisMentor]

Do you mean the platform or the product?

[@ShisnoJoe]

​@@TheTennisMentor They don't seem to be answering a lot of glaring questions in the Kickstarter. I understand they're a reputable table tennis brand but one can't help but be skeptical of a Kickstarter campaign that isn't great with communication.

[@farhadrosh]

Show us the match function pls

[@farhadrosh]

And the LOB

[@PongbotTennis]

Thanks for your comment. We will have more video to show Pace's function, stay tuned!

[@oooodaxteroooo]

NEVER approach a ball machine from the front. (Don't ask 😁)

[@TheTennisMentor]

I’m asking, I want full details! 😆

[@wolpetto]

Let me guess: You can sing much higher now? 😆

[@oooodaxteroooo]

@@wolpetto no, i just picked up balls in front of one. Standing up wouldve been really bad 🤣

[@iwokky]

Looks like a scam! The domain was registered on April 17, 2024, and there are no updates about any progress. A ‘well-known’ company with no trace of its success online? 🤔

[@TheTennisMentor]

The company has been creating table tennis robots for a while, only recently have they invested in tennis. I voiced people’s concerns to them and they assured me that they will be posting more updates on kickstarter

[@sn1kzZe]

The problem with all these solo tools is that you feel alone and awkward when others have partners or coaches. Best thing to do is sign up for classes and find friends through there to play with

[@TheTennisMentor]

You’re right, nothing beats playing with friends! But for those ad hoc times where you have a free hour, this won’t turn down a last minute hitting session!

[@funfactsexplorer403]

I find it troublesome playing with people. You need to chase and coordinate with their schedule. So is the private coach kept cancelling on me and don't get me started on the weather! I prefer a machine and play as I like.

[@TheTennisDaddy]

Each to their own…I do shift work so there’s many times my hitting partners can’t play when I’m free so I find having a machine awesome for this…and I never feel awkward lol

[@harryharrison4749]

Try finding a friend that's happy to feed you non-stop vollies for an hour 🤷‍♂️

[@jonh5788]

There is absolutely nothing AI about this. Your sticking two sensors on the net, and then you are clipping a sensor onto you 😂. Folks an AI tennis robot would play to beat you not serve directly to you. Pass on this hype!

[@MonteCarlo-p9x]

where can I buy one in the US?

[@TheTennisMentor]

The Kickstarter link is in the description