One of the worst feelings is when you have nobody around to play against or help to practice your tennis drills. If you are facing this problem as we speak, then the best thing is to invest in a tennis ball machine.
Many tennis players have used these machines to improve their footwork, ball placement, stamina and overall control on the balls and spins. In addition, you can use these devices to practice as long as you want.
In this article, we will provide you with some of the best information out there regarding a tennis ball machine. I’ve also listed some of the best tennis ball machine available on the market. When we are finished, you should have a better understanding of whether or not a tennis ball machine is the right practice tool for you.
So without further ado let’s get started.
Best Tennis Ball Machine Reviews
1. Spinshot-Player Tennis Ball Machine with Phone Remote Supported – Best Tennis Ball Machine
The Spinshot-Player is absolutely one of my favorite portable tennis ball machines to practice with and as you’d expect for a device with such a high price range, it has a lot of advanced features.
These features include long battery life, full-court oscillation targeting and it can be easily controlled by using an app on your smartphone. It can help you in a variety of areas as far as working on returning shots as you try to improve your tennis game.
One of the best parts of this ball machine is the mobile app. The machine has a very unique design that allows you to customize the program of height, speed, ball, ball spin and direction for each sequential shot.
You can create up to 12 preset drills for yourself with up to 6 shots per drill. You will even have the ability to programmed the settings on the device as your personalized drill which means better training.
The app and the machine itself is incredibly user-friendly. It’s pretty easy to use, even young players should be able to operate it without facing any kind of issues.
The machine has a ball capacity of over 120 balls. The weight of the machine is about 20kg. Its speed is ranging from 30kmph to 110kmph. Also, the ball feed rate is from 2 seconds to 10 seconds every shot. This impressive machine checks all the boxes that you’d look for in a decent tennis ball machine.
Pros
- It has all the features you need for any skill level
- Can be used with a mobile app
- Easily programmed
- It is not made from cheap plastic material
Cons
- Only smartphones operated remote via app
2. Spinshot Pro Tennis Ball Machine – Beginner Friendly
Here is another amazing tennis ball machine available that’s certainly worth the investment, it’s also affordable when compared to other models out there. Even though the price is a bit affordable doesn’t mean that the machine is low quality. It is one of the best on the market and is also great for both beginners and professional players.
There is a lot of amazing features about this machine that we like including its ability to spin a shot, full-court oscillation and a full 2 hours of battery time. You will certainly be impressed by how well this machine can move the shots randomly from side to side.
Spinshot Pro is capable of storing 120 balls in the ball feeder just like all Spinshot tennis ball machines out there. The speed range can be adjusted between 18 to 68 mph and the feed interval is 2 to 10 seconds which can also be adjusted base on the user’s preference.
This tennis ball machine may not be as advanced as the Spinshot-Player, but it will surely save you a few hundred bucks and it still performs extremely well.
This machine has an extensive spin variation with 6 different top spin levels and 6 backspin levels. This is considered to be a lot better than other tennis ball machines in a similar price range.
With its compact size, good battery life, and multiple speeds and spins option, you will be able to work on all your shots.
Pros
- The tennis ball has a wide range of paces and spins for all skill levels
- Affordable price
- Great portability
- Include a 2 button remote
Cons
- No digital controls
3. Lobster Sports Elite One Tennis Ball Machine – High-End Performance
The Lobster Sports brand has been manufacturing ball machines since 1971 and has been one of the most popular brands in the market because of its superb quality products. This is why when it comes to choosing one of the most effective tennis ball machines, we simply can’t abandon the Lobster Sports Elite One.
This tennis ball machine is loaded with a lot of impressive features. These include a wide selection of shot arcs and speeds, the ability to add spin to a shot and full side to side oscillation which will improve both your forehand and backhand.
It’s pretty compact, durable and easy to use. This machine is made of heavy plastic that offers weather protection and has a solid aluminum frame as well.
This machine fires out 60 degree lobs in order for you to practice your overhead. The speed of the balls ranges from 15 to 130 km/h. This product also comes with a super-fast charger, this will enable the tennis ball machine to be fully charged within 2 to 3 hours.
When fully charged, the batteries will last for around 8 hours max and the machine can store up to 150 tennis balls. Compared to the Spinshot Pro, this machine has a few advantages such as larger ball capacity and can feed balls harder.
I highly recommend this tennis ball machine for players who don’t need all the drill customization. After all, you will be able to hit a lot more balls and adjust to your skill level as you improve.
Pros
- Can hold up to 150 balls
- Has an ergonomic design and is very easy to operate
- It is made of heavy plastic and offers weather protection
- Batteries can last up to 8 hours when fully charged
Cons
- Does not use digital technology on its control systems
Things You Should Consider When Choosing The Best Tennis Ball Machine
When you are searching around for the best tennis ball for the money, you absolutely want to avoid wasting your time and investment on a machine that’s not of great value. You should also keep in mind that these machines are quite expensive so you will certainly need one that works wonders and will be able to last for a very long time.
Luckily we’ve listed a few factors you should consider before buying a ball machine.
Price
The price of the machine is considered to be one of the most important factors when you are searching for a high-quality tennis ball machine. On average these machines range from $600 to $4000+ depending on the brand you are considering and their features and specs.
Base on testing we realized that the higher the price of the machines, the better the quality is. Luckily, there are still ways in which you can always find a machine with a low price that has tons of features, specs and would be great for practicing.
Remote Control Capability
For some tennis ball machine, you can buy a remote control accessory. If your machine is compatible then I highly recommend doing so has most tennis ball machine is loaded with a lot of settings on them and this is a bonus because it will certainly help you improve the necessary tennis skills you need to be more competitive.
It can be extremely difficult to control the function of the machine when you are on the other side of the court and you certainly don’t want to spend your valuable practice time running back and forth to change the settings. This is why having a remote control is important because it will everything much easier for you.
Oscillation
Whenever you are playing against someone whether it’s an opponent or simply your friend, they will hit the ball to every area of the tennis court which means your machine should be able to do the same. So oscillation is when your tennis ball machine has the ability to shoot balls in more than one direction.
Ball Capacity
This is also very important and you should certainly check the number of tennis balls that the machine can hold. An average tennis ball machine should be able to hold about 100 balls or more and usually tennis ball machines that can hold over 300 balls are known to be professional machines.
Portability
Since you will be moving the tennis ball machine you buy on and off the court, you will also want to make sure it’s fairly portable. This is especially if you keep your ball machine at a facility where there are other tennis players who constantly practice as well.
The machines that are smaller in size tend to be lighter which means they are much easier to move around. So if you are constantly moving it’s best if you invest in a smaller machine.
Ball Speed and Spin
The speed is how fast can the machine feed each individual tennis ball. Most machines can fire between 10 to 80 mph. If you are a beginner, a range of 10 to 50 mph would be enough. For an advanced player, it is necessary to invest in a machine that feeds the ball harder to simulate real match play. On the other hand, spins refer to the spin on the ball. If you are a newbie, then you would want a machine that can hit both topspin balls, and slice shots.
Conclusion
I truly hope this article is everything you need to make the right decision when it comes to buying a tennis ball machine. We have done our research base on testing, customer reviews, and people’s personal opinions so that we can put together this list. So what you will need to do is read the reviews carefully and choose the one that best suits your needs.
We hope you find this tennis ball machine reviews guide helpful.
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