Save your energy and launch balls up to 150 feet with this easy-to-make tennis ball thrower! My dog loves this new toy and yours will, too. With just a few simple materials, you can craft a budget-friendly and customizable tennis ball thrower that will keep both you and your dog entertained for hours on end.

I am currently a Junior at Claremont McKenna College, studying computer science. In my free time, I enjoy crafting and making things I can use in my daily life. Inspired by growing up playing fetch with my dog, I wanted to create a simple and practical ball-throwing gadget. Let's dive into the step-by-step guide for this tennis ball thrower.

Supplies

Access to a 3D printer (with filament)
Fusion 360
2 feet of 1-1/4 inch PVC pipe
Tennis ball
Sand paper (if needed)

Step 1: Download .stl File

To get started, you will need to download the .stl file that I created in Fusion 360. This file contains the head of the tennis ball thrower that you will create using a 3D printer.

Ball-Thrower-Head.stl
Download View in 3D

Step 2: Print the Throwing Head

Using a 3D printer, upload the .stl file attached above and print out the tennis ball thrower head. The print job does not use a lot of filament but it does take a while to print- I recommend printing overnight.

Step 3: Prepare the PVC

Acquire a piece of 1-1/4 inch PVC pipe and cut it so that you are left with a piece that is 2 feet long. Once you have your 3D-printed thrower head ready, test it to see if it fits on the PVC. Since all printers are slightly different the PVC might be a little too big for the head, if so, sand the PVC so that the head slides on easily but stays firmly in place.

Step 4: Attach the Thrower Head to the PVC

Once you have printed the head and prepared the PVC, you can slide the thrower head onto the PVC pipe. You are now left with a simple yet effective tennis ball thrower!

Step 5: Conclusion

I've used this tennis ball launcher countless times and have consistently been able to reach over 100 feet. The furthest I have been able to launch it to date is 168 feet but I bet it can go further with enough practice.