SAM Tennis Ball Machines - Hone Your Tennis Game With One Of These Sports Action Marvels!

Whether you've just been 'bitten by the tennis bug', whether you're a competant player wanting to develop consistency in your tennis strokes or whether you're a tournament player keen to 'iron-out' any remaining weaknesses, SAM have a ball machine to suit. There's even a range of AC powered extra-durable models designed to appeal to tennis coaches or clubs, or those with home courts.

SAM Tennis Ball Machines appeared as late as 2006, but these apparent newcomers were born from a highly successful range of machines made for 'Prince', and have been refined and renamed under the Sports Action Machines banner.

The selection has been recently trimmed to make the models more complementary and manageable. We're left with the beginner to intermediate level and superb value, 'i SAM', the professional, portable 'P-1' and 'P-4', with some extra refinements, and the 'Commercial Range' - 'SAM Sport' and 'SAM Coach'.

The Big SAM Robot is currently only available in used/refurbished form. Even so will take a large chunk out of $30,000 if bought, though even at that price with it's 10,000 shot database and ability to rise up to 9ft 5ins for accurate serve trajectory, (like facing Ivo Karlovic), could be considered value for money!

P-1

P-4

In the real world, most people won't need the extravagance of Big SAM Robot to take their tennis game up a level or two. There are function-packed, sturdy, compact warrior-like machines that will do the job for much less money - the i SAM is just such a Tennis Machine

The i SAM portable tennis ball machine is one of the on the market at about $685, and at that price has been a superb, special present to many a son/daughter/husband/wife or tennis loving parent.

It has many features common with professional level machines: First and probably the most obvious is the number of balls it can deliver before re-loading - about 250. This eclipses many other ball machines, and will encourage a really good fitness workout alongside the natural improvements to your tennis game accrued by .

best value tennis machines

multiple shot repetition

The 'business end' is able to shoot out balls at up to 60mph in a wide, (almost too wide!), arc to challenge your forehand and backhand and fitness, but with a quick spin of the dials on the easy-to-use control panel, you can return to a comfortable speed, rate of fire and constant delivery.

The i SAM battery powered model weighs-in at only 29Ibs minus ball hopper, and the alternative AC mains option only 25lbs, making it one of the lightest tennis machines available, and it can be carried to court like a Duffel Bag over short distances.

Unlike most of SAM's battery powered competition who view it as an optional extra, all SAM battery models come equiped with a 'smart' battery charger that automatically switches to 'trickle' charge when fully charged to prolong battery life. This free add-on makes the i SAM even better value.

These two machines have a little more in the armory than the i SAM, most notably, the ability to impart topspin and backspin to the ball and random oscillation, which can make ball delivery a bit more like facing a 'real' opponent. The maximum ball speed is higher at 75mph, the battery is heavy duty giving 3-4 hours of play, and the ball hopper is even larger at 300+ capacity!

The P4 has the addition of a 2 line feature which is particularly useful in a ball machine for practising forehand and backhand alternately, or for feeding balls to two players standing on different sides of the court. This is good for teaching two players consecutively or for friends or family to play together.

Perhaps the most desirable characteristic of the P4 though is the inclusive 10 function remote control. This will really allow you to maximize the benefits of your time on court by directing your SAM machine's play from the opposite side of the net, controlling things such as ball speed, spin, elevation, oscillation width and of course, feed on and off.

All SAM Ball Machines for Tennis are solidly built to last, and these two Professional Models are no exception, but the downside to that is they're a little less portable than they might be. They both have retractable handles and two small wheels and can be moved around on a flat surface like a suitcase, but gravel or grass could prove a problem.

The SAM P1 and P4 are 49 and 52 lbs respectively plus the 9lbs ball hopper, which with your tennis balls and other tennis gear might even be a challenge for a young man, so a small investment in a luggage cart might save a few backaches in the long run.

Most Tennis Ball Machines are a little weak at mimicking the trajectory of the ball struck by a 'real' opponent in that, for stability reasons, the ball launching mechanism is often found near the base of the machine. Consequently, balls have to climb to clear the net before falling to into the opposite court which reduces the useable court area and causes a slightly 'unnatural' bounce for the receiver to strike.

SAM Sport and SAM Coach are designed to combat this failing by ejecting the tennis balls at 30 inches from the ground, allowing balls to fall close to the service line.

Both machines are robustly made, feature packed and engineered for the demands of continuous operation required by tennis clubs and schools, and would perfectly suit those wanting to coach others in the finer points of the game, with their free, feed on/off remote controls.

Balls can be shot at a scorching 90mph, or severely spun with top or back spin, and with the programmable oscillation sweep, can be sprayed along any of 7 lines to cover every useable inch of court and to test the skills of even two players consecutively.

Where the ball machines differ is in the number of types of shot available to fire down the seven lines - the Sport has up to 3 and the Coach up to 6. Also, the Coach is slightly more 'refined' with it's digital control panel as opposed to the Sport's analogue one.

These are serious ball machines at $3500 - $4000, so there's a free 3 year warranty available on both that befits the size of the investment and gives you peace of mind knowing that you'll have many years of trouble-free tennis training ahead of you!