Hop-A-Razzi Makes Fetching Tennis Balls Easy
February 5, 2009
Chicago, Ill.— Tennis teaching pros and players no longer need to waste their energy dragging heavy ball hoppers because the new HOP-A-RAZZI™ basket rolls on wheels, making ball pick-up easy, quick and fun. The sturdy, colorful, stackable basket’s built-in wheels and adjustable handle allow all ages to retrieve balls quickly—and spend their energy on hitting balls rather than picking them up.
The patent-pending design was created by USPTA-certified teaching pro Christi Turdo, whose 30+ years in tennis include competing at the collegiate level and working as a club manager and owner. Her on-court experience drove her to invent a ball basket that would be a pleasure for everyone to use.
“I was on the court teaching a lesson to a seven-year-old girl. It was a very hot day and she was picking up balls all the way down at the other end of the court,” says Chicago-based Turdo. “I heard her scream, The basket’s too heavy, I can’t pick it up! That night I took the basket home and started working on a design that would make it pleasurable for all ages to pick up tennis balls.”
The result is the HOP-A-RAZZI™, debuting nationally today at the USPTA Midwest Conference & Buying Show in Detroit and in this month’s issue of ADDvantage magazine, published by the USPTA, a tennis teaching pro organization.
Standard ball hoppers are heavy and cumbersome to use. The HOP-A-RAZZI™ is easy to use: After picking up balls, give it a slight tilt to enable the built-in wheels to move the basket with speed and ease across any court surface. The 90-ball capacity basket may be purchased in a variety of bright colors at www.HopARazzi.com.
Special features of the HOP-A-RAZZI™, so named because “it follows you wherever you go,” include:
Tennis instructors and players praise the HOP-A-RAZZI™:
“In all my years of teaching, this is the best ball hopper I have ever used. I especially like the fact that they are stackable and easy to store between uses.” — David Elsasser, Director of Tennis, The Birchwood Club, Highland Park, Ill.
“I was unsure as to how the wheels would move across the clay courts and I’m glad that they move so smooth and easily.” — Jack, Instructor, Orange Park, Fla.
“The Hop-a-Razzi™ makes it easy for kids to use even when the basket is filled with balls. Plus the handle easily adjusts for their height. The kids now love picking up the balls…they even run to grab their favorite color basket!” — Steve Heaviland, Northbrook Racquet Club, Northbrook, Ill.