Round-up review: our score and verdict are based on published specs and reviews from across the web, not our own play-testing yet.
Pongbot’s Pace S Pro is a 150-ball machine with sensors that track where you are on court, so it can hold the next feed until you have recovered or fire to wherever you are standing. It suits players practising a couple of times a week who want sessions that feel like matches, and coaches who would rather watch than feed.
Setting it up
It rolls like a suitcase on a telescopic handle, and at 19 kg the only real effort is the car boot; stairs are awkward. Two small Ultra Wideband sensors clip to the net posts and one to your clothing for the tracking features. A P-Control remote is in the box, handy when your phone is busy filming you. Both long-term owners recommend the dust cover, because the machine sits low and picks up grit.
In use
The recovery trigger is the reason to buy it. A normal machine fires on a timer whether you are back in position or not, which teaches you to camp where the last ball went; this one waits until you are in your recovery zone, so your footwork sets the tempo. Tennis Gear Guide rates it the best feature and came off two-hour sessions more worked than after matches. Adaptive rally mode feeds to wherever you stand, and match challenge scales from NTRP 1.0 to 7.0.
Beyond the clever bits it is a serious feeder: 80 mph, 60 rps of topspin or slice, a 1.5 second spin switch, 564-plus preset drills and custom sequences of up to 45 shots. Topspin kicks realistically off a hard court. The default slice is heavier than anything at club level and needs dialling back, and wind knocks feeds short, so add depth on blustery days. Pongbot quotes eight hours of battery; both owners say a two-hour session uses one of four bars.
A machine that waits until you have recovered teaches footwork a timer never will.
The gripes are consistent. Tennisnerd recommends it outright, Tennis Gear Guide gives it 4.5 out of 5 and Gadgets and Wearables 8.5 out of 10, and all three say the app takes learning. The hopper and wheels feel a little fragile. The cheaper Pace S feeds without the sensors or AI modes.
Key specs
- Ball capacity 150
- Speed Up to 80 mph
- Spin Up to 60 rps, top and slice
- Weight 19 kg
- Battery Up to 8 hours, removable
- Drills 564+ preset, plus custom
- Tracking UWB sensors, net and player
- Control App, remote included
Verdict
The most complete ball machine on this site if you want practice that transfers to matches, and the one we would point most improving players to. Budget for the dust cover and give yourself an evening with the app.
