HEAVY-BALL PRO
What is Heavy-Ball Pro ?
Heavy-Ball Pro is a brand that develops hands-on training tools to help tennis players develop better swings, higher-quality shots, and greater competitive ability.
What we value most is not just “being taught,” but rather allowing players’ own bodies and senses to learn naturally through the environment and equipment.
Tennis is a sport shaped by the interplay of multiple elements, including the opponent, the ball, the court, the point of contact, time, and space.
That is precisely why, at Heavy-Ball Pro, we go beyond mere repetitive drills or isolated strength training;
we develop tools designed to elicit the perception, decision-making, and movements that translate directly into actual play.
This is what Heavy-Ball Pro refers to as the “ecological approach.”
Unleash your full potential: confidence, judgment, and spirit.
Heavy-Ball Pro helps tennis players achieve better swings and higher quality shots.
This brand develops "practical training tools" to help athletes achieve higher levels of performance.
We are not simply doing repetitive exercises or partial muscle training,
We developed a tool that elicits "perception, judgment, and action" that translates to actual gameplay.
Within the complex elements of the opponent, the ball, and space,
We will embody an "ecological approach" in which the athlete's own body and senses naturally learn.
Why does Heavy-Ball Pro value an ecological approach?
For tennis players to truly improve, simply "teaching" them the correct movements is not enough.
In actual play, you need to constantly move while sensing various pieces of information, such as the incoming ball, the opponent's position, your own balance, the point of contact, the amount of time you have, and the course you want to aim for.
In other words, improvement isn't simply about imitating form, but about being able to appropriately perceive, judge, and act within the environment.
Heavy-Ball Pro's tools encourage this "learning from the environment" in players.
- A heavier racket helps to bring out a better swing technique.
- The elevated rope helps to produce shots with a better trajectory.
The tool itself provides the athletes with the necessary challenges and answers.
That's why Heavy-Ball Pro training isn't just practice; it's learning that leads to actual matches.
We create the right environment to help players improve.
Improving an athlete's level isn't something that happens through words alone.
Appropriate stimulation, appropriate constraints, and the right environment.
Through repeated play, players naturally adapt their movements and develop better shots and plays.
Based on this concept, Heavy-Ball Pro will develop an "environment-designed tool" that promotes player learning.
It's not about brute force.
It's not just a feeling.
The tools help to bring out movements and shots that are relevant to actual matches.
That's the kind of training Heavy-Ball Pro aims for.
The birth of Heavy-Ball Pro
Assaf and Takeshi often found themselves sharing thoughts and ideas on ways to enhance training methods, designed to help players at all levels elevate their game.
As they discussed the challenges players faced, the idea of creating a specialized training tool took root. They envisioned something that would improve strength and control but also boost players' confidence on the court.
After developing and testing different prototypes, they produced a unique training device allowing players to refine their swing mechanics, improve their timing, and build strength. It was a game changer.
Recognizing the potential impact of their invention, Assaf and Takeshi decided to create a brand that embodied their vision. They named it Heavy-Ball Pro, emphasizing the focus on professional-level training for players of all abilities.
Heavy-Ball Pro is planning to expand their product line to include additional training aids, all designed with the same philosophy: to elevate players' games by enhancing their playing skills and confidence.
For its commitment to innovation and player development, Assaf and Takeshi continue to work closely with players at all levels, passionate about helping them reach their full potential, all from their shared desire to help elevate the game.
About Us
Founders of HEAVY-BALL PRO, Assaf Drori and Takeshi Itoh have both left their home countries as teenagers to live in the United States to train at different tennis academies. They both went on to play Division-I college tennis and first met at Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Assaf began playing college tennis at the University of New Mexico and later, transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then went on to play professionally on the ITF/ATP Tour. He currently lives in Melbourne, Australia where he is the director of the All-Court Tennis Academy and is a Tennis Australia Club Professional Accredited Coach.
Takeshi played 4 years at the University of New Mexico and also went on to play on the professional tour. He was ranked as high as 15 in Japan and after his playing career, he began coaching players at tennis clubs, junior teams, and universities. He developed several top national/world ranked junior players.