Tennis coach Philip Hofmeyr created Topspin Pro and began selling it during Wimbledon last year and made over £125,000 in a year's time. He claims to have invented a device to teach the most deadly move of tennis, the perfect spin. The Topspin is regarded as the game’s most elusive techniques which involves hitting the ball that it loop higher over the net and then dipping down on the opponent’s side. The gadget uses a tennis ball to racket height which is hit by players continuously, if he ball spins around they are recreating the perfect topspin by brushing rather than hitting the ball.
Hofmeyr, raised £14,000 on Kickstarter, reaching his target in just four days. He raised another £30,000 by selling shares to family and friends. The Topspin Pro can be found in Virgin Active gyms along with Sir Richard Branson’s tennis courts in Necker Island. Hofmeyr said Wimbledon is “critical” for his business, “I don't want to reply on an annual torment”. He has turned to YouTube and tennis coaches to promote Topspin, paying them to use a portion of the sales if they post videos of them using the gadget. He said “Tennis coaches are my natural market. At Virgin Active they use the gadget in tennis lessons and cardiovascular workouts. The head of tennis, Gary Stewart said “The one thing I hear people say more than anything else is ‘what’s that?’, straight away it gets you into a conversation about tennis.”
