Woomeras

This is the local off-leash dog park, where dogs come to run about, socialise and fetch balls and where their humans come to not run about, socialise and throw balls...

...using their plastic woomeras ("you can get them at the $2 shop").

The woomera is a traditional Australian aboriginal tool, used for significantly enhancing the distance, speed, power and accuracy of spear throwing, by effectively lengthening the throwing arm. It's a simple and brilliant invention. They didn't have the wheel - didn't need it - but they had this.

In this context, it (the tennis-ball-adapted version) also saves bending to pick up (or touching) the disgusting dog-slobbery ball - the end is shaped a bit like a spaghetti server and neatly grabs a tennis sized ball, which is then released by the momentum of the throw (and your other hand stays free to hold the dog-poo collecting bag). Everybody loves it, as you can see. (Look here for a close-up of how it works - 2nd and 4th device shown.)

Ain't 5,000 year old technology wonderful?