SLINGER BAG Review - What Expert Says?

A new and exciting product, rather we would say quite revolutionary in so many ways named “Slinger Bag” has taken the world by storm. It is a unique Tennis ball launcher that is designed to facilitate the training of tennis players without any partner or any other assistance.

Slinger Bag – First Impression

At first glance, Slinger bag will remind you of a duffel bag which consist of three main compartments, first one is the “deep pocket” to hold racket and gear on the top. Next one is a “hopper cover” that extends out to house tennis balls and last one is bottom panel which will open to the left and unveil the ball launcher, battery unit and speed units.

In addition to this, Slinger bag has been provided with several other zipped pockets to facilitate your personal items, USB panel for phone charging etc. These zippers are awesome in designing and are very hard, which give a sense of durability but it can be stubborn to move in some cases.

The Slinger bag termed as “The Most Portable Tennis Ball Launcher, Ever” may look like a bulky product but it fits perfectly in the most of the regular cars and mini vans. It also carries two straps that are attached to do general lifting whenever is needed but you need to be cautious while doing so and avoid it if there is a back pain or shoulder injury.

However, light weight of the bag, luggage wheels and handles are very functional and live up to the statement of Most Portable Tennis Ball Launcher ever made.

In Box Content

If you have purchased the Slinger Grand Slam Pack, it will come with the following items –

1. Slinger Ball Launcher – The Machine itself.
2. Remote Control – To On/Off the Slinger Machine and Oscillator.
3. Oscillator – A square plate which will help Slinger Bag to oscillate.
4. Slinger Telescopic Ball Tube – A Ball Tube to collect the tennis balls.
5. Slinger Phone Holder – A phone holder, in case you want to record your play.
6. Power Charger – To charge your Slinger Bag.

How to Set & Play Slinger Bag Tennis Ball Launcher

It is quite easy to use Slinger Bag launcher once you know and it can be launched to play within a minute. You just need to follow these steps:

1. Open the front top compartment and fill it up with up to 144 tennis balls.
2. Unzip the bottom compartment to reveal the control panel of the launcher.
3. Switch on the Power button and adjust the speed knobs to your desired preference.
4. Unzip the bottom compartment on the right side of the slinger bag to lock the angle of the balls in to place.
5. Don’t forget to take out the remote of the machine to put on / off the ball launch from the machine.

After this, your game is just a click away.

You can use your Slinger bag Tennis ball machine with or without the oscillator. If you want to use it with oscillator, position it on the plastic oscillating plate. Ensure that slinger wheels fit comfortably in the wheel slots. Use the magnetized wire of oscillator to plug it in the control panel. You will get a beep sound after few seconds and will notice the oscillator is rotating from left to right. You can also control the oscillator from the same remote.

Performance on The Court

The Slinger bag Tennis ball launcher shoots random balls that can go up to 45 mph and have a frequency of 2-10 seconds.

If you want to do setting according to the recommendation, you must opt for the high-intermediate level for speed and low intermediate level for ball feed. This will throw the ball deep into the tennis court which will ultimately force players to return back from the baseline to play the shots.

Now you must be thinking about the frequency level that is perfect for a descent game.  You may opt for a 4-5 seconds frequency that is suitable for most players; however, you may go for lesser frequency for a speedy game.

Now we have tweaked speed, feed, and even the angle too. But you must keep in mind that there is no way to control the spin of the ball. Every ball that is thrown from the machine is topspin ball. Top-spin means you really have to focus on the ball and hit it early from the usual time.

Use of Oscillator

Some players who love to rule the court may use the oscillator provided with the machine, this will add variety to the direction of the feed. Oscillator is basically a square plate which is fitted directly underneath the bag, once oscillator is fitted on its position it rotates sideways and throws the balls to different parts of the court.

The company claims to have battery backup up to 5 hours but if you do it after full charge, it can even go more than five hours and practice more. It is highly recommended to use it after a full charge.

Slinger Bag Framework

Pros & Cons of the Slinger Bag

After a few tennis sessions with Slinger Bag, below is what we think perfectly describes Slinger Bag –

Pros:

1. It has an awesome design which makes it attractive for each level player.
2. It can be easily launched on the court.
3. It has got a good battery backup.
4. It can even charge your phone while you are playing.
5. You can adjust the speed, angle and frequency according to playing level.

Cons:

1. Machine always support topspin (no flat or no slice shots)
2. It won’t show any indication if the machine is empty.
3. Oscillator doesn’t have a setting for adjustment of speed.

The Bottom Line

We have tested unique Slinger bag on different courts and climate. It is one of the coolest gadgets that can be used for playing Tennis alone. So, we can say that it is the most portable and advanced tennis ball launcher that can be used to improve your skills.

The ball launcher always works well in all temperatures. You can fit lots of tennis balls inside it and can customize everything according to playing level. As far as spin and speed is concerned, oscillator makes a big difference, as it forces you to grab the balls in all directions.

If you want to advance your skills, all you need to do is drills and repetitions of longer practice session which is the key to success. Moreover, it provides you a personal practice partner on which you can always count upon.