Best Tennis Ball Machines
Avid tennis players appreciate tennis ball machines for the convenience they offer as well as the help they provide during practice. A good tennis ball machine will give you the choice to practice alone without having a partner. The best tennis ball machines offer you a chance to greatly improve your game in the most effective way. Beginners too can greatly benefit from investing in a good tennis ball machine as it helps you in more ways than one.
You can practice anytime and anywhere you want without a coach. This is a comprehensive tennis ball machine guide to help you choose the best on the market today.
Here is a quick list
Who benefits from a tennis ball machine?
The shortest answer is everyone. Tennis ball machines come in a variety of different settings, most of them at least! Like shot location as you are on the court to shot speed. What this means is that a professional player, as well as a novice player, gets to enjoy tennis without necessarily having a hitting partner or coach. They are useful to all genders and people of all ages.
Why is a tennis ball machine useful?
A tennis ball machine sends you a variety of repetitive shots that simulate an opponent on the court. Practicing using one gives an edge when you get to play a real match. Another advantage is that you don’t need a hitting partner or coach every time you want to practice. The machine is at your disposal 24/7.
Best Tennis Ball Machines Review
#1) Match Mate Rookie by Match Mate Tennis Ball Machine
The Match Mate Rookie is one of the best tennis ball machines on the market and it is perfect for beginners. It is the machine you get when you are just starting out playing tennis and you want to practice in your space. Balls are fed at a beginner’s pace which makes it perfect for a novice player as it doesn’t overwhelm you. It is a lightweight machine and it lets you feed the ball at different frequencies. However, this is not the ball machine you get if you are a more advanced player. Features
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#2) Spinshot Pro Tennis Ball Machine
Spinshot makes one of the best tennis ball machines on the market and the Spinshot Pro is among them. It is ideal for family use and all its features can be controlled using a knob making it easy for use even for kids. The ball speed ranges from 20kmh to 110 kmh. It comes with flexible power options with an adjustable topspin. Horizontal oscillation ensures balls are randomly thrown across the court. Features
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#3) Lobster Sports – Elite One Battery Tennis Ball Machine
The Lobster sport-elite one battery comes with great features at a good price. It delivers unequaled spin control and you can adjust the ball spin for both backspin and topspin. It is easy to transport as it has a folding handle and wheels that make it easy to transport over gravel or grass. It is also lightweight and durable. Its versatility offers manual oscillation and a ball speed of 20 to 70mph. Features
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#4) Spinshot-Player Tennis Ball Machine
This is one of the best tennis ball machines for pros and beginners alike. It has all the features of a premium product and the price confirms that. With a ball capacity of over 120 balls and a feed rate of 30 to 110 mph, this is a great investment if you want to take your tennis game up a notch. You can easily customize drills to cater to areas you need to work on through its mobile app. Isn’t that seriously cool! It is a fast-paced tennis ball machine that has a feeding frequency of 2 to 10 seconds. It is a machine that easily replaces an expensive coach and still helps you take your game to a higher level Features
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Factors to Consider when Buying the Best Tennis Ball Machines on the Market
Your level of skill
Your skill level will determine the kind of tennis ball machine you are going to get.
Beginners
If you are a beginner you can get a ball machine that has fewer features at an affordable price. You just need to work on improving your groundstrokes so you get a ball that feeds at a slower pace.
Intermediate Players
On this level, you want to improve your game to a higher level. Ensure you get a tennis ball machine that is not solely for beginners but one that will suit your needs, preferably one for professionals. You might not use all the features at once, but you will need them as you further your game.
Advanced Players
Advanced players need ball machines that can feed different shots with a different pace, heights, and spin. These machines give you a customizable experience but come at a cost. They let you create custom drills.
Budget
If you are on a tight budget you can get a tennis ball machine that has fewer features as you plan on getting a better one. If you have a little money to spare you can get a pro tennis ball machine that offers great features and controls.
What features of a tennis ball machine mean
Oscillation
These come in two types:
Vertical oscillation- This is what height is the ball being fed? Different vertical oscillation is important when you are training on overheads or high lobs.
Horizontal oscillation – This is the ability of the tennis ball machine to feed both tennis court sides. While others can only feed in one direction others are capable of feeding both the back and forehand side.
Tennis Ball Machine Capacity
This refers to how many tennis balls a machine is capable of carrying at any given time before you need to refill it.
Speed & Spin
Spin means the spin on a tennis ball while speed is how fast or how slow the machine feeds each tennis ball.
Feed Rate
Feed rate is basically how much time it takes between shots. For beginners, a machine with a slower feeding rate is ideal while advanced players need a machine with fast feeding rates.
Control
Some machines can be controlled via a remote, a panel, and using a phone app. Phone apps give you leeway to set the machine to your preferred setting.
Power
Some machines are battery-operated while others need power outlets to operate. Battery-operated tennis ball machines give you the convenience of practicing tennis anywhere anytime as opposed to power-operated because you will need to ensure you have a power source every time you need to play.
Custom drills
Some machines let you create your custom drills. You can literally program it to feed the balls to your preference and problem areas. This is a great feature as it simulates a coach.
Conclusion
Tennis ball machines are a great way of improving your game and they never miss. In the long term, they save you private lessons money and are as convenient as they come. You can program a tennis ball machine from your smartphone to your preference. All the tennis ball machines reviewed here offer you all the basics you need to practice your game and others go above and beyond to give you a pleasant and efficient experience.
We hope this review helps in settling for the best tennis ball machines on the market.