Finding a reliable practice partner can be one of the biggest challenges in tennis. A good partner can provide varied ball responses, help develop court coverage, and create the unpredictability that makes practice more like a real match. The Pongbot Pace S Pro takes a different approach, using movement tracking and AI-powered training features to bring more responsive practice to the court.
As Tennis.com explored in its hands-on look at the Pace S Pro, the machine combines a large drill library, customizable training, full-court ball delivery, and AI-powered movement tracking to create a more dynamic solo training experience.
Built for Serious Solo Practice
The Pace S Pro is designed as a substantial, court-ready training system rather than a compact recreational ball launcher. Its telescopic handle and wheels make it easier to transport between the car and court, while its rechargeable battery supports extended practice sessions.
The system can be operated using a dedicated remote or through the Pongbot app. The app provides access to the machine's wider range of settings and training options, allowing players to select drills, customize sessions, and manage their practice from a larger interface.
Portable Design
A telescopic pull handle and wheels make it easier to move the Pace S Pro between the car and the court.
150-Ball Hopper
The large-capacity hopper allows players to run extended drills without constantly stopping to reload.
Long Battery Life
The rechargeable battery supports up to eight hours of play, depending on usage.
App & Remote Control
Players can control the machine through either the dedicated remote or the Pongbot mobile app.
564+ Drills for Structured Training
The Pace S Pro includes a large library of preset training programs. The available drills range from straightforward repeating groundstroke exercises to more complex multi-shot combinations designed around full-court movement.
The drills can be selected according to the player's skill level and can be run for a set amount of time or a specific number of rounds. This gives players a structured way to organize practice instead of manually resetting the machine after every sequence.
From Repetition to Full-Court Patterns
The Pace S Pro's drill library covers everything from simple repeated feeds to sequences that require players to move around the court and respond to changing ball placement.
Build Your Own Tennis Drills
For players who want more control, the Pace S Pro also provides a custom drill builder. Individual feeds can be configured according to factors such as speed, spin, height, location, and depth.
A custom sequence can contain multiple shots, allowing players to create combinations that reflect the specific patterns they want to practice. Existing preset shots can also be incorporated into custom routines.
Once created, custom drills can be saved for future sessions. Players can also share their routines through the Pongbot training library, creating another source of practice ideas beyond the preset programs.
“Custom drills take it to another level.”
AI That Tracks Where You Are on Court
What separates the Pace S Pro from a traditional programmable ball machine is its movement-tracking system. The AI setup uses three small smart trackers positioned around the court and on the player to monitor court location in real time.
This movement information powers the machine's Smart Pace training functions. Instead of always following a predetermined sequence, the robot can respond to where the player is positioned and adjust the next feed accordingly.
Movement Tracking in Real Time
The Pace S Pro uses player-position data to make training more responsive. This allows certain drills to react to movement rather than relying solely on a fixed sequence of ball feeds.
Adaptive Rally
In Adaptive Rally mode, the Pace S Pro can send the ball toward the player's current position on the court. As the player moves between different areas, the machine responds with new ball placements.
This creates a different type of warm-up and movement exercise. Rather than knowing exactly where the next ball will come from, players have to move, get set, and respond to the feed.
Dynamic Placement
Ball delivery can respond to the player's current position rather than following only a fixed pattern.
Movement Practice
Players can move between different areas of the court while working on their preparation and shot response.
Adjustable Difficulty
Training difficulty can be adjusted to make the exercise more approachable or more demanding.
Warm-Up or Workout
Adaptive Rally can be used as a dynamic warm-up or incorporated into a longer movement-focused session.
Recovery Trigger Makes Footwork Part of the Drill
Recovery Trigger focuses specifically on what happens between shots. Instead of immediately launching the next ball, the Pace S Pro waits for the player to return to a designated recovery position.
A typical exercise might require a player to move wide to hit a groundstroke and then recover toward the center of the baseline before receiving the next ball.
This creates a natural connection between the shot itself and the footwork required to prepare for the next one. Players can also influence the pace of the exercise through their recovery speed.
Match Challenge Mode
Match Challenge is one of the more distinctive training modes on the Pace S Pro. Instead of simply repeating a predefined rally, the system creates changing sequences based on player positioning, movement, and selected difficulty.
The result is a practice format that is closer to point construction. Players do not know every shot in advance, so they have to react to the sequence as it develops.
Dynamic Shot Sequences
The machine can create changing combinations rather than repeating one fixed rally pattern.
Running Score
Match Challenge keeps track of successful combinations to add a competitive element to practice.
Changing Training Situations
Players can move between groundstrokes, approach situations, volleys, and other training scenarios.
Match-Style Practice
The changing patterns encourage players to react and adjust instead of simply executing memorized sequences.
Pro-Level Speed, Spin and Placement
The Pace S Pro combines its AI features with a high-performance ball delivery system. It can reach speeds of up to 80 mph and produce up to 60 rps of spin, while switching spin in as little as 1.5 seconds.
The machine can also deliver balls at different heights and locations across the court, supporting everything from controlled repetition to more demanding full-court sequences.
Where the AI Still Has Room to Improve
Tennis.com's hands-on testing also found that the AI features were not flawless. There were instances where the movement tracking did not correctly identify the player's position or recovery, which could result in an unexpected ball placement.
The reviewer also observed occasional inconsistencies in Match Challenge sequences. These experiences highlight an important point about AI-assisted training: the technology can add another dimension to practice, but it is still evolving.
Even with these limitations, the core ball delivery, drill customization, and range of training options provide a substantial foundation for solo practice.
A Different Approach to Solo Tennis Practice
The Pace S Pro combines capabilities that traditionally require several different types of training equipment: programmable ball feeding, full-court movement drills, customizable sequences, and player-position-aware training.
Its AI features are designed to bridge some of the gap between predictable ball-machine repetition and the changing demands of a live rally. Adaptive Rally, Recovery Trigger, and Match Challenge each approach that goal in a different way.
More Than a Traditional Ball Machine
The Pace S Pro is built around the idea that effective practice is not only about hitting more balls. Movement, recovery, shot selection, timing, and changing court positions all play a role. Its AI-powered training modes are designed to bring those elements into solo practice.
Explore Pongbot Pace S Pro
Bring AI Into Your Practice Court
Explore the Pongbot Pace S Pro and discover movement tracking, adaptive training, 564+ preset drills, custom routines, and full-court ball delivery in one training system.
Explore Pace S ProFeatured by Tennis.com: The Pongbot Pace S Pro brings AI to the practice court
