The arrival of Dave McCulloch from Third Lanark in 1934 demoted Battles from the starting line-up and he decided to take a year's leave from his footballing commitments. This was in part a period of recuperation for his troublesome knee but it also allowed him the time to train as a masseuse. He returned to Hearts for a final season in 1935–36 but was unable to recapture his pre-injury form or earn consistent selection for the first team, even after McCulloch's mid-season departure to Brentford. He finally retired from professional football in April 1936, aged only 30, his last match being a 2-1 home defeat by Aberdeen. In total he had scored 218 goals in 200 competitive games with Hearts.