How to Make a Tennis Ball Basket

One of the best ways to improve your tennis stroke is to take a basket of balls and have someone feed balls to you. Repetition is how pros make every stroke a routine part of their movement. Having balls fed to one spot over and over lets you focus on technique. A tennis ball hopper or basket makes this kind of workout simple, and you can make your own with some recycled items and basic hardware.

Things You'll Need

  • 5-gallon paint bucket Drill 8-foot 2-by-4 (2) 4-inch screws (4) 3-inch screws Pencil Table Saw Wood Glue
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Instructions

  1. How to Make a Tennis Ball Basket

    • 1

      Empty and clean the bucket. Pry off the the wire handles.

    • 2

      Cut the 2-by-4 into five sections. The first section is the post and should be 2 feet long. The other sections should be be 7 inches each. These will be used to make two identical crosses, one for the base and one to attach to the bucket.

    • 3

      Trace the width of each 7-inch section on the center mark so that two pieces can interlock. Use the table saw to carve the notches into the 7-inch section so they fit snugly.

    • 4

      Fit two sections to make a cross. Repeat to make a second cross. Remove the pieces and add wood glue where the pieces meet, then rejoin them. Allow them to dry.

    • 5

      Place one cross under the bucket. Measure the center point and four points 1 inch from the end of each cross arm. Drill holes at the point in the bucket and the cross. For the bottom cross, only a center hole is required.

    • 6

      Hold the 2-foot post upright. Determine the center point on the side facing the sky and drill a hole. Once again holding the post upright, drill a hole centered on the bottom.

    • 7

      Screw the base (the one with one center hole) to the post with a 4-inch screw. Then place the base on the ground and assemble the bucket with the cross center lining up between the bucket and the post. Align the holes and drill them in place from the bottom inside of the bucket. The center should have a 4-inch screw with the arms using two 3-inch screws.

    • 8

      Sand any sharp edges.