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Lobster Elite Range

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Playmate Slam

A Handful Of Manufacturers With Very Different Ball Machines

With so many makes and models to choose from, it's a good idea to focus on the most important attributes you want your tennis ball machine to possess. You'll have to weigh-up factors like value for money, versatility, durability, ease of use, portability, reliability, power supply, etc, etc... Don't worry, I'll try to point you in the right direction for your ideal machine for any or all of the above, on this page and throughout the website.

As you've probably already guessed, the more costly the machine, the more 'bells and whistles', with some programmable feature-packed machines costing up to $10,000 and beyond. Yet there are some great value machines capable of stretching all but the best tennis players for around $1000.

If you've done a little research already you'll have noticed hat there are a handful of manufacturers vying for your business, each with a range of models designed to cater to the needs of beginners, intermediate players and those with advanced skills. Names such as Lobster, Tennis Tutor, SAM, Playmate and Wilson should be familiar, but each has approached the problem, (ie How to simulate the shots of a real tennis playing opponent), in a different way, with
very distinct machines.

Portable Ball Machines Give You More Options

Portability is an important consideration when considering your perfect tennis ball machine, especially if, like many others, you intend unaccompanied use. After all, one of the main reasons for their invention was the scarcity of appropriate human practice partners. Most personal ball machines for tennis need to be loaded and unloaded into a vehicle to and from court, so weight is an issue too.

Many of the more affordable machines weigh less than 50 lbs and are fitted with wheels and carrying handles, which shouldn't prove a problem to a fit young male, but might be a challenging lift in and out of the car to a solitary female senior citizen. Unfortunately, even some machines that are a breeze to roll around on court or other flat surfaces, like the Lobster range, are a handful where raising and lowering is required, due to low-lying gripping positions.

Check-out the Portable Tennis Ball Machine page for a small selection of the easiest-to-handle machines.

Most Tennis Ball Machine Machines have optional extras available to buy at the time of purchase or at a later stage, when you've 'grown out' of you current machine but would rather enhance the model you've got.

One such upgrade enhances your battery life on portable machines. External heavy duty batteries can be attached to many machines to lengthen court time available for those that like an extended practice session. Smart battery chargers that automatically shut off when your ball machine battery is charged are a good idea as well, to lengthen the life of your battery and avoid overcharging.

Common upgrades to basic models include the addition of an oscillating unit or ball-spin facility for more variety of shot making, and a wireless remote for some basic functions like on/off feed and oscillation to save the need to constantly return to the base unit. Remotes for top-end ball machines can have multiple functions and enable access to many programmes and drills.