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Lobster Sports Elite Freedom Battery Powered Tennis Ball Machine |
  BEWARE OF ADVERTISED SPECS, THEY ARE NOT ACCURATE (READ BELOW) Misleading manufacturer web page as well (around november 2007): What I like about the machine: What I do not like about the machine: Recommended: Bottom Line: |
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Tennis Battery Twist Ball Machine – Battery Powered Model |
 I have purchased 2 of these units. Both worked great for about 1 year of using 20 minutes every other day. But both broke at about the same time. The spring mechanism of both units snapped at its connection point. Great idea, poor construction. |
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Master I-SAM Model 1 Court Equipment Ball Throwing Machines |
 I bought the I-SAM machine from Amazon.com in June 2010. I received everything in order. The machine was ready to go right out of the box. I usually use it for about one hour and so far I couldn’t see any sign of the battery dying, it could probably go for another hour. The machine controls are pretty good, located on the side of it so that they don’t get hit by the returning balls. It has plenty of power and speed, I’m only using the speed setting at five (out of ten). The oscillation also works. It is pretty light, I can carry it under one arm and the bucket of balls and the racquet in the other arm. One thing I don’t like about it is that sometimes when it feeds I have to wait too long for the balls to shoot, is not feeding consistently all the times. It could be because I only use about 50 balls in the hopper. The hopper could easily take 200. I think that they could improve the feeding mechanism. Other than that, it is a pretty good machine. |
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Tennis Tutor Pro Lite AC-powered Tennis Ball Machine |
 The Tennis Tutor® ProLite™ AC-powered tennis ball machine is a great training tool for beginners and pros alike. You can adjust the speed, trajectory and feed for a well-rounded practice. Ball speed is variable from a gentle toss that’s ideal for kids just beginning tennis, to hard-hitting groundstrokes that will challenge even top amateur players. |
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Wilson Ball Hopper Pickup 75 |
 Bought tennis hopper, one week after use the welds on the arms broke on one side, now it is useless. Weak link is the welds. |
Top 5 Tennis Ball Machines
Tennis Ball Machine – An Amazing Teaching Tool
Whether you are an advanced player or a novice, a tennis ball machine can give you the best challenge one can ever get. With many variations from the trajectory of the ball to the speed at which the ball comes to you, it can give you a new perspective on the game of tennis.
A tennis ball machine is so much better than practicing with a real player. These machines are programmed to hit a sequence of various different types of balls; from flat to topspin and lob with each ball landing on different spots on the court. This virtual partner will give you many challenges and play the entire game instead of practicing with a player who returns the same ball type.
Like mentioned earlier, these machines are programmed to do various sequences of balls, but if you are not quite an expert in playing professional shots at random, then the machine can also be set to do simple repetitive routines so that you get a hang of the shots and play difficult shots in the future.
There are some basic models of tennis ball machines which offer a few different types of shots but if you want to have the ultimate challenge in the game of tennis, you should get one of the machines that have better features and capabilities. You can program these machines the way you want; select the ball type you want to receive, select its location on the court and choose the level of the game and you can repeat this programming for as many shots as you want.
Most machines can program up to 30 shots at a time. So once you’re done with the programming, you can select a play and start playing a challenging game with your “virtual” player. You can also save the game if you are satisfied with the outcome of your return shots. And if you don’t like some shots, you can always edit them before saving.
All these saved games can be recalled with the simple push of a button. The best part of it is that you can program the tennis ball machine with the sequence of shots from your favorite set in a grand slam tournament. Then you can play them in any level you choose. Now you can find out if you are better than Federer or Nadal!
You can modify your shots according to speed, height, spin, and timing between balls and so on until you are satisfied with the required characteristics. A tennis ball machine can be used by professional players to practice game strategies or it can be used as a coach in tennis academies. You can also play with the machine when there is no partner available making these machines a must for any avid tennis players.
How To Choose A Tennis Ball Machine
Today, tennis has become more than just a game. It’s no more waiting in the park or local tennis court for your turn to play a practice match. Now it’s all about displaying your finest strokes and playing a perfect set. All this can be achieved by just a machine. No it’s no magic machine that makes a novice into a professional tennis player overnight! It’s a tennis ball machine!
This machine helps you improve your shots by practicing them over and over again. You don’t get this liberty when you are playing with a teammate or other players. They are sure to get frustrated and bored after a certain point. But a tennis ball machine will let you play for as long as you want until you get perfect with your shots.
This machine also puts up quite a challenge to the player by feeding difficult balls. It can also be programmed to throw different shots one after the other. So now you can play as many shots as you want and keep learning from your mistakes and improve your strokes over time.
So if you want to invest in a ball machine there are certain factors that you need to consider before buying them:
- Oscillation: This is an important parameter to consider before buying a tennis ball machine. Make sure that the ball swings well and covers the entire court by giving variations in shots. You should be able to practice all types of shots such as forehand, backhand, lob and various other shots with the help of the machine. Also check the highest speed of the ball so that you can practice your shots with accuracy. Elevation, speed, height and direction of the ball should be some of the factors that you need to consider before buying a ball machine.
- Portability: This is another essential factor to consider while buying a ball machine. Most basic machines are made of plastic and are not more than 5 kg. But the advanced ones are quite heavy. But you can check if they have wheels and handles that make it easy to transport them from one place to another without any difficulty.
- Warranty period: Make sure the ball machine has a valid warranty period. Most machines come with a warranty period of 2 years. Anything below that should be reconsidered as you are buying them not leasing them.
- Battery life: A tennis ball machine can work on electricity or built in rechargeable battery. But the electricity-run machines are not quite convenient if you want them to be portable and play in a place where there is no source of electricity to plug in the machine; for example outdoor parks. Rechargeable batteries are much more convenient as you can charge them and carry them to different places. Usually a single overnight charge will let the machine operate for five hours.