Ball Machine Advice

[SC Tennis Player]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a good reliable ball machine? I'm looking for one in the $1,000 range. Key features: Spin capability, battery powered, decent ball capacity (150+) and fairly light. There are very few product reviews on the web.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

SC Tennis Player

 

[rtanson1]

Tennis Tutor machines are probably the most reliable on the market. have had no issues with mine.

 

[gmlasam]

Yes, tennistutor is by far the best. I've had mine going on 8 years now. They have great customer service also.

When purchasing tennistutor, purchase directly from them instead vof going to a middle man. Believe me, it will save you much headache.

www.sportstutor.com

 

[Rackethead]

I agree Tennis Tutor is good but I would omit the spin feature. It makes the machine a lot more bulkier (about 1/3 bigger) and much heavier, for a feature that doesn't seem to affect things much.

I would go for the 2-line feature instead. The remote isn't really needed -- there is a delay so you have enough time to go back to your side of the court. Once you start hitting, how often do you need to stop right in the middle?

I got a Lobster first because I liked the cart form, but it wasn't working and the funny shape makes it harder to put in your trunk so go with Tennis Tutor.

 

[Downunder Kid]

If your thinking about a ball machine... you should check out the SAM machines.
They have a really cool website, and you can download the ball machine drill training manual... www.samtennis.com check it out.

I've got the SAM SP-4 which is an awsome machine... at around $1899... they also have the SAM SP-1 at around $1000, the only other machine to consider is the robot... if you had the money.

Downunder Kid
Bab Puredrive
Pacific Tournament Gut 60-lbs

 

[SC Tennis Player]

Thanks for the information. I had spoken to ATS and they had recommended the Lobster Elite. I was leaning toward this model based on the ball capacity and the features. The Tennis Tutor Model 2 is within my price range but I'm not sure I want to pay the extra $400 for the 2-line (even though this would be a nice feature to have).

 

[Fatmike]

If your thinking about a ball machine... you should check out the SAM machines.
They have a really cool website, and you can download the ball machine drill training manual... www.samtennis.com check it out.

I've got the SAM SP-4 which is an awsome machine... at around $1899... they also have the SAM SP-1 at around $1000, the only other machine to consider is the robot... if you had the money.

Downunder Kid
Bab Puredrive
Pacific Tournament Gut 60-lbs

Nice machines... same same same thing as prince's...

both are made by mastersports

 

[wingit]

Ball Machines

Your specifications point to the Tennis Tutor...dependable machine. Think about the spin feature for the added cost, many folks get great benefit from their machines without this feature, same for remote control.

 

[rws]

Ball Machine recommendation

About a month ago I was going through the same process as you. I ended up buying a Prince Model I and love it. It has spin, speed and feed control and is priced about $1000+. It is a little heavy but it seems to get all those features it must weigh more than a machine that doesn't do spin, etc.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

RWS

 

[gmlasam]

Aside from quality and features, you should also look into customer service. Where do you take the machine if something goes wrong? Do you take it back to the place you purchased it from and they will send it out to a third party to fix it? Also, are parts easy to get? In case you need to replace the battery (the battery is the first thing that will need replacement for sure) is it easy to purchase?

Can you also upgrade your machine? Tennistutor will credit you the value of your machine for an updated one, and they offer new features that can be upgraded with older machines, for example the smart charger, and 2-line function that automatically shoots to two preset court positions.

Those things are worth considering.

With purchasing tennistutor you send it back straight to the source, no third party to deal with and no extra time to have your machine serviced.

 

[godeyes]

Hi, which lobster model did you get?

Thanks for your advice, may make me to cancel my idea to buy lobster.

I agree Tennis Tutor is good but I would omit the spin feature. It makes the machine a lot more bulkier (about 1/3 bigger) and much heavier, for a feature that doesn't seem to affect things much.

I would go for the 2-line feature instead. The remote isn't really needed -- there is a delay so you have enough time to go back to your side of the court. Once you start hitting, how often do you need to stop right in the middle?

I got a Lobster first because I liked the cart form, but it wasn't working and the funny shape makes it harder to put in your trunk so go with Tennis Tutor.

 

[federer_nadal]

have you seen the silent partner tennis ball machines
?