Best Tennis Ball Machine

yonexRx32

Professional
I am almost sold on the Proton. My only concern it does not allow me to practice overheads like Novak. My question really is . I were to take the Proton and and ball hopper and rackquet bag and walk 10 minutes to the bus stop, take the bus and then walk 15 minutes to the tennis court, would it be really tortorous?

PS for peoplle with the lobster, same question. Is transporting by bus feasible?

If you do that, make sure a friend films it because it will be a hit on social media.
 

yonexRx32

Professional
So are you saying if I am want to and willing to spend the money on a machine I should only get a playmate?


First, you need either:
A) your own car (a medium size preferably) or
B) a house with a tennis court.

AND
Enough room in your home for the machine and 200 balls and a hopper and a tennis bag.

Short of that.. you're in for some endless problem solving.
 

teotjunk

Rookie
First, you need either:
A) your own car (a medium size preferably) or
B) a house with a tennis court.

AND
Enough room in your home for the machine and 200 balls and a hopper and a tennis bag.

Short of that.. you're in for some endless problem solving.
First, you need either:
A) your own car (a medium size preferably) or
B) a house with a tennis court.

AND
Enough room in your home for the machine and 200 balls and a hopper and a tennis bag.

Short of that.. you're in for some endless problem solving.

I stay where tennis courts are 15 minutes walk away so your concerns are not a concern
 

2ndServe

Hall of Fame
My understanding hat the lobster can be wheeled?
Lobster works great for this, it is easily done in 1 trip. Put the ball basket/bag on top of the lobster resting against the handle and wheel it. Can also put the bag on there if you don’t want to shoulder it
 

ryohazuki222

Hall of Fame
Not sure if it’s in here but you need to remember that in addition to the ball machine you need about 50-80 balls and your tennis gear.

I have a proton, here’s what you need to know.

Sure you can sling it over your shoulder just fine. And I could see someone getting away with taking it on a bus. But that’s just the machine - no gear.

You add balls. You add a bag. Where are you putting all the stuff.

I wear my rackets and gear on the back. I carry my proton in my hand. And with my other hand I carry a hopper filled with balls.

So what… you’re going to pick up balls over and over and over and over by hand? You’ll pretty quickly realize you don’t get enough serious time hitting balls because you’re spending so much time picking them up.

Laying all this out, because no matter what machine you get…. Still gonna run into the ball hopper, balls, gear problem in addition to the machine.

Now a slinger bag is super crazy bulky. I have one too. But… the balls are inside the machine. It has extra storage for your gear. They sell a little tube thing to pick up balls that fits in there too. So you can conceivably literally just put everything in the slinger and roll it around. There is zero chance this thing is going over your shoulder. It’s so big that you will probably need an Uber XL.

For you, best option is just renting a ball machine at the courts you go to and/or finding courts that have a machine you can rent.
 

philxor

Rookie
I do exactly the same, and it's fine going from my car to the court which is about 100 feet. Not sure I'd want to lug all that around for much further, but is it possible? Sure.
 

yonexRx32

Professional
Not sure if it’s in here but you need to remember that in addition to the ball machine you need about 50-80 balls and your tennis gear.

I have a proton, here’s what you need to know.

Sure you can sling it over your shoulder just fine. And I could see someone getting away with taking it on a bus. But that’s just the machine - no gear.

You add balls. You add a bag. Where are you putting all the stuff.

I wear my rackets and gear on the back. I carry my proton in my hand. And with my other hand I carry a hopper filled with balls.

So what… you’re going to pick up balls over and over and over and over by hand? You’ll pretty quickly realize you don’t get enough serious time hitting balls because you’re spending so much time picking them up.

Laying all this out, because no matter what machine you get…. Still gonna run into the ball hopper, balls, gear problem in addition to the machine.

Now a slinger bag is super crazy bulky. I have one too. But… the balls are inside the machine. It has extra storage for your gear. They sell a little tube thing to pick up balls that fits in there too. So you can conceivably literally just put everything in the slinger and roll it around. There is zero chance this thing is going over your shoulder. It’s so big that you will probably need an Uber XL.

For you, best option is just renting a ball machine at the courts you go to and/or finding courts that have a machine you can rent.

Why are you discouraging the man? Let him go for it. He has a vision.. let him pursue it. Be positive.. don't be a nay sayer.. He only has 15min to the bus, the bus ride, and another 10 mins to the courts. That's when he only carries his tennis gear. And then he only has to do the same thing in reverse, only this time a bit sweaty. And Singapore is humid.. So..no biggie..He can do it..
 
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VVV85

New User
That's the spirit! As they say "Just do it"..

The Titan ball machine has wheels.
As I understood Titan Ball Machine is actually manufactured by Spinshot. I don't know how reliable is Titan One, but for Spinshot I've heard not very posibive feedback in terms of reliability and customer's support.
 

smboogie

Semi-Pro
Have you looked at the Slinger? The Slinger would be the best option for you b/c it's portable and is more of all in one unit to carry stuff. It's a basic ball machine but I see a few at local public courts and they look to function well.
 
My understanding hat the lobster can be wheeled?
Take a large suitcase with wheels.
Toss in 100 balls.
Throw your bag over your shoulder and a 2 liter of water in hand (or in a jug).

Walk 15 minutes. Don't forget, after your work out, you have to walk back. How's that working out?

Doing it once, sure.

Doing that 2-3-4 times a week, and I am sure you're buying a car.

I throw my machine, ball hopper, 35 balls, teñnis bag, water jug, and batteries into a collapsible cart. I need to walk 100 feet from the parking lot to get to the courts, and then across the courts. It's not all that fun, and I have a cart.

Pulling is different than pushing, too.
 

mctennis

Legend
Tennis Tudor. I've had one for 20+ years. No problems with it. All I did was change the battery once and put new ball delivery spin wheels on it. They have great customer service. Best tennis investment I ever made.
 

jiangrm

New User
Stroke wise, a ball machine is well worth it, for consistency and convenience.

Downside of a ball machine:
1. Battery life. I can get 800 shots in one charge/practice but I was hoping/planning for 1000-1500.
2. Maintenance and issues, see my recent post: Balls stuck in Silent Partner Ball Machine
3. Less fun, sometimes boring than a human partner.
4. No feedback loop. Need a Gopro so you can review and compare with those pros on YouTube.

Don't forget the balls. I usually carry 220 balls. Almost the same weight and size as the SP. Not ideal to carry in a 15min walk, particularly after practice. Consider e-bike/trailer, e-tricycle or folding wagon (if your route is relatively flat).

You could buy a SP for <$1K and save the rest for a hitting partner, a balanced approach.
 
Late to this party, but my setup: Robster Elite Liberty now $1179 (includes remote. Mine: US$949 without remote; diy remote US$20.) A Tourna rolling ball hopper US$35 which, with fifty balls, sits in the Elite’s ball hopper (I don’t need more than 50 balls). My Elite came with a 9Ah lead acid battery that died after 300-700 charges—replaced with a 10Ah lithium battery with many more charge cycles—the 3# lighter weight: not relevant as you’ll be rolling everywhere.
Cheers!
 
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Westerwick

Rookie
Tennis Tudor. I've had one for 20+ years. No problems with it. All I did was change the battery once and put new ball delivery spin wheels on it. They have great customer service. Best tennis investment I ever made.
Tennis Tudor? I think Henry the 8th had some of them at Hampton Court. Sorry, I just couldn't resist the temptation to say that.
 

MrWolfy

New User
Which is the best tennis ball machine for an intermediate level player?
Budget about 1500-2500 USD

There are two different sets of conditions
1 I don't drive so it must be something I can sling over by shoulder

2 I I don't mind taking uber to carry my tennis ball machine around
Hey, based on your needs, you cannot go wrong with a Proton Ball Machine from Hydrogen Sports. It’s the smallest and lightest (approx. 20 lbs. empty) high performance ball machine you can buy. Check out hydrogensports.com…
 

yonexRx32

Professional
Stroke wise, a ball machine is well worth it, for consistency and convenience.

Downside of a ball machine:
1. Battery life. I can get 800 shots in one charge/practice but I was hoping/planning for 1000-1500.
2. Maintenance and issues, see my recent post: Balls stuck in Silent Partner Ball Machine
3. Less fun, sometimes boring than a human partner.
4. No feedback loop. Need a Gopro so you can review and compare with those pros on YouTube.

Don't forget the balls. I usually carry 220 balls. Almost the same weight and size as the SP. Not ideal to carry in a 15min walk, particularly after practice. Consider e-bike/trailer, e-tricycle or folding wagon (if your route is relatively flat).

You could buy a SP for <$1K and save the rest for a hitting partner, a balanced approach.
My silent partner lasts easily 6-8 hours of straight hitting. And I don't even switch it off while I pick up the 200+ balls and reload, just pause the ball feed. I have done 1000+ balls consecutive days without recharging.
Balls stuck have happened only when I managed to hit balls straight back in the feeding system of the machine, but were easily removed, and ball feed restarted via resetting one of the three circuit breakers.
The bigger issue is that I am on the third or fourth circuit board.
 
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yonexRx32

Professional
Hey, based on your needs, you cannot go wrong with a Proton Ball Machine from Hydrogen Sports. It’s the smallest and lightest (approx. 20 lbs. empty) high performance ball machine you can buy. Check out hydrogensports.com…
Do you work for them or are you a reseller?
 

jiangrm

New User
My silent partner lasts easily 6-8 hours of straight hitting. And I don't even switch it off while I pick up the 200+ balls and reload, just pause the ball feed. I have done 1000+ balls consecutive days without recharging.
Balls stuck have happened only when I managed to hit balls straight back in the feeding system of the machine, but were easily removed, and ball feed restarted via resetting one of the three circuit breakers.
The bigger issue is that I am on the third or fourth circuit board.
How did you burn the circuit board?

One possible way of killing the circuit board is having the balls stuck between the two main wheels before the wheels reach enough RPM to shoot the balls out, when there are balls loaded in the turret before the main switch is on. It happened to mine once. Took only 10 sec for me to smell the burning circuit board.
 

yonexRx32

Professional
How did you burn the circuit board?

One possible way of killing the circuit board is having the balls stuck between the two main wheels before the wheels reach enough RPM to shoot the balls out, when there are balls loaded in the turret before the main switch is on. It happened to mine once. Took only 10 sec for me to smell the burning circuit board.
They didn't burn. They just stopped doing certain things, like stop feeding balls, or stop moving side to side, or feeding a few balls, then pausing for a long time, ..then randomly sending one.

When balls got stuck between the wheels, the circuit breaker would trip. No biggie, remove the balls, reset the breaker and good to go.
 
Not sure if it’s in here but you need to remember that in addition to the ball machine you need about 50-80 balls and your tennis gear.

I have a proton, here’s what you need to know.

Sure you can sling it over your shoulder just fine. And I could see someone getting away with taking it on a bus. But that’s just the machine - no gear.

You add balls. You add a bag. Where are you putting all the stuff.

I wear my rackets and gear on the back. I carry my proton in my hand. And with my other hand I carry a hopper filled with balls.

So what… you’re going to pick up balls over and over and over and over by hand? You’ll pretty quickly realize you don’t get enough serious time hitting balls because you’re spending so much time picking them up.

Laying all this out, because no matter what machine you get…. Still gonna run into the ball hopper, balls, gear problem in addition to the machine.

Now a slinger bag is super crazy bulky. I have one too. But… the balls are inside the machine. It has extra storage for your gear. They sell a little tube thing to pick up balls that fits in there too. So you can conceivably literally just put everything in the slinger and roll it around. There is zero chance this thing is going over your shoulder. It’s so big that you will probably need an Uber XL.

For you, best option is just renting a ball machine at the courts you go to and/or finding courts that have a machine you can rent.

Those are all good points.

I live in a big east coast city; here's what I normally do and it may help the OP.

The balls (about 100)) and racquet(s) and water go in a moutaineering backpack - this is surprisingly heavy. Then again, I've been training under iron for a long time; and was a former competitive sprinter, and am very physically fit/strong; so honestly it's not that much of a big deal for me, but this really depends upon your own physical capabilities. Racquets get cinched to the back; very secure/easy.

Here's my ball picker-upper: I use a tote bag -- which I also stuff into that backpack -- by dragging it around on the ground, and flick balls into it with a racquet. It's kind of fun actually. And I'm quite fast at it now.

I don't have a ball machine, but I'm pretty sure that wheeling one (say a Titan Ace), or carrying one (say, a Proton) with my free hands, or even strapping over a shoulder over the pack, wouldn't be all that bad. Currently considering both.
 
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2ndServe

Hall of Fame
Tennis Tudor. I've had one for 20+ years. No problems with it. All I did was change the battery once and put new ball delivery spin wheels on it. They have great customer service. Best tennis investment I ever made.

I’ve had Tennis Tutor, Lobster Grand, Silent Partner, Spinfire they have all been good customer service when I call in.

Though Tennis Tutor really stands out as the best customer service I’ve ever had probably in any industry. I had an issue with mine (no fault of theirs, fell down a flight of stairs) . Tennis tutor even has a location in SoCal and a day for you to bring in for drop in service. Very fast, up front, priced well.

Ron and James really go above and beyond. Any talk tennis user who has dealt with tennis tutor will likely echo the same compliments.
 

jiangrm

New User
They didn't burn. They just stopped doing certain things, like stop feeding balls, or stop moving side to side, or feeding a few balls, then pausing for a long time, ..then randomly sending one.

When balls got stuck between the wheels, the circuit breaker would trip. No biggie, remove the balls, reset the breaker and good to go.
Where are the circuit breaker? Is that the black round button on the panel? Never used it nor could I find anything in the manual.
 

yonexRx32

Professional
Where are the circuit breaker? Is that the black round button on the panel? Never used it nor could I find anything in the manual.
Yes. Mine has three. I think one for each spinning wheel, and one for .. I don't know. When a ball gets stuck, typically one circuit breaker pops up.
 

jiangrm

New User
Yes. Mine has three. I think one for each spinning wheel, and one for .. I don't know. When a ball gets stuck, typically one circuit breaker pops up.
What model do you have? Could you take a picture of the circuit breakers? I couldn't find any on their website. Thanks
 

Spinfire

New User
For those considering our machine, I thought I'd make you aware we've just released an app for iPhone and Android along with the Apple Watch. You can now create drills and even us AI to generate drills for you.
 
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