JEDI MASTER
Professional
Welcome!.. and Congrats on your new Proton!
Hydrogen Sports PROTON
- Thread starter TagUrIt
- Start date
Welcome!.. and Congrats on your new Proton!
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
if you took one from this to your stomach, would you have to go to emergency room ?
celito
Professional
They had claimed 100 balls. So that's something they underdelivered.
JEDI MASTER
Professional
if the hopper only 80balls.. no where else to put the other 20...
if i had a hopper that holds 100 and with wheels like the Tourna BallPort.. then i'd definately get one...
for $30 the Ball Port 80 w/wheels does the job.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
The main news this month is a significant app update based on some very useful user feedback from our first pre-order batch. Notable changes include:
- Fewer menu layers so you can get practicing faster
- 2-3x faster program uploads
- more guidance to navigate the app (it wasn’t obvious that you have to upload a program before you can run it)
- easier access to calibration (in the main menu)
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Pre-order updates — Hydrogen Sports
www.hydrogensports.com
Here is the picture of my order update. They are building mine with special metal alloy made with rsquare root "element 115". and new alien tech computer AI chip
JEDI MASTER
Professional
Pre-order updates — Hydrogen Sports
Here is the picture of my order update. They are building mine with special metal alloy made with rsquare root "element 115". and new alien tech computer AI chip
Weird... I never got any of those Pr-Order updates... I feel sad and left out...
BobbyR
Rookie
The hopper does hold 100 balls but you really have to pile them in a mound above the rim. With a full hopper of balls and the elevation rising 5 or 6 balls fall out the back aided by the stirrer rod agitating the balls. I am not happy about that so will have to put fewer in.
Another issue that has happened 3 times now in our first session is that no balls shoot even though the hopper is full or close to full. What is happening is a few balls shoot and then, for lack of a better word, a 'cave' is forms around the feeder, sort of a hollow area and the balls just don't drop even though the feeder it moving in both directions and then the machine just powers down so then I have to go over and agitate the balls by hand. I'm not crazy about the smaller hopper as I am used to 200 in my Spinfire. Even 150 would be ok but balls falling which means I should put less than 100 in the feeder/stirrer not working that well is a drag.
The app is well done, connects quickly and I like that I don't have to go into the iOS settings menu to connect via bluetooth but can do it right from the app. Uploads of programs happen in an instant. Programming is easy but I probably won't be doing that much once I have a few programs in and there are already pre-programmed drills.
My son hasn't yet used it.
More to come.
Bolivian10s
Rookie
Great analysis! And the Cube comes with a 3 year warranty vs only 1 year on the Proton
A review from my 12 years old son and 14 years old daughter after trying out the Proton this morning. My neighbor is 70 years old and she drives them to the nearby HS tennis court and back home when they are done. The Proton fit nicely in the trunk of the 2021 Toyota Prius along with the tennis bag and 75 tennis ball. There is about 100 yards between the parking lot and tennis court. Son carried the Proton and tennis bag while daughter carried the ball pickup tube and 75 tennis balls, along with some water. No issue at all.
After 2 hours on the tennis court, here are their comments: 1) machine is very light and easy to use. The app on the iphone is so easy to program;
There are six tennis courts at the high school but only 3 courts are being occupied. Everyone at the tennis court asked my daughter where they can get the Proton so that they can order one.
JEDI MASTER
Professional
LOBS...
i placed the machine as far back as possible.. approx 15'.
max tilt at 28deg. and 70km/h
decent lob approx 30' up.. landing at the T of the services boxes.
good enough to practice overheads...
i'll try to take some videos next time my son is able to join me on court.
i placed the machine as far back as possible.. approx 15'.
max tilt at 28deg. and 70km/h
decent lob approx 30' up.. landing at the T of the services boxes.
good enough to practice overheads...
i'll try to take some videos next time my son is able to join me on court.
FightMeAtTheNet
Rookie
Curious what would happen if you set spin to slice - typically slice with the same speed / angle should send the ball deeper into the court, but not sure how the machine would handle it.
Papa Mango
Professional
Nice.LOBS...
i placed the machine as far back as possible.. approx 15'.
max tilt at 28deg. and 70km/h
decent lob approx 30' up.. landing at the T of the services boxes.
good enough to practice overheads...
i'll try to take some videos next time my son is able to join me on court.
Did you ever find the calibrate option in the new version of the app?
JEDI MASTER
Professional
I'll play around with spin next time i'm out on court...
I email Jonah on that.. he says it's on the Connect to Proton TAB...
but i don't see it.. i'll ask him again..
BobbyR
Rookie
My son and I have had some time on the court now with the Proton. The machine can shoot balls like any other ball machine of course and the app is great, but I would rather not be running around with it in my pocket and would prefer a remote like Spinfire's. Here are the issues we found:
There is quite a bit of drift on the machine due to the recoil because the machine is light. After shooting a few balls manually in the beginning to ensure the machine was pointing straight do the center of the court, we used a few different drills and then the pre-baked Side-to-side drill. The balls were extremely unequal. Spinfire has a similar drill called 2-Line Drill and it does not exhibit anywhere near this type of behaviour, probably because it is heavier and so the machine does not drift off to the side. It was a pain to keep adjusting the machine.
Sometimes the app disconnects and one has to reconnect it. We are using an iPhone 12 Pro so I doubt it's the phone. Maybe that's a fact of life with any ball machine app.
With the ball hopper full with 100 balls, if we started off with any drill that had a signficant vertical angle 5 or 6 balls would fall out the back. That should not happen.
A couple of times, yet again, we had to walk over to the machine to agitate the balls as a cave formed over the drop hole and the golden rod was just stirring around inside with no balls moving.
I am used to the machine not telling me which way to run. The Proton does because the entire machine moves. Seems like an archaic design to me. Spinfire remains stationary no matter which way the ball shoots.
Someone said the lobs the machine can do are enough but they aren't really. The best way to describe it is that it is a mid lob. Lobster and Spinfire now they have what I would call a lob that is more than double the angle of the Proton (60 vs 28 degrees).
The machine sure gets dirty with ball fuzz. You can see it all over the hopper which it sticks to and the body. Given they are both dark colors it really shows. My Spinfire does not have this issue.
I would not discount the fact that the 20 lb machine, 14 lbs of balls, ball picker upper, racquet bag, etc is a lot of weight to carry to the court if you have any distance to walk as most do. My son made me carry everything as it was too heavy for him. My wife lifted all the stuff once and told me "Honey you're going to be carrying this not me". I see that as a huge ergonomic negative with the Proton. They should have made it to be rolled like the Spinfire, Lobster and all the other machines. No need to break your back just before a tennis session.
I had to turn it upside down and bang the side a bit to shake a ball out of the chute that got stuck. It sure doesn't seem like the most robust or durable machine out there. Something has to give when it's made that light. Maybe the build quality is why the warranty is only a year and also this is a brand new company so who knows how long the product will last. The app is great but I think it's only matter of time until we see better apps from the competition out there. The price is good though but I'd say you get what you pay for. Dollar for dollar, I'd buy a Spinfire (going on 7 years now) again even though it costs more. Longevity is worth paying for along with the other advantages. The Proton was for my son anyway and we got it for the super discounted early-birdie $995 price.
YMMV.
There is quite a bit of drift on the machine due to the recoil because the machine is light. After shooting a few balls manually in the beginning to ensure the machine was pointing straight do the center of the court, we used a few different drills and then the pre-baked Side-to-side drill. The balls were extremely unequal. Spinfire has a similar drill called 2-Line Drill and it does not exhibit anywhere near this type of behaviour, probably because it is heavier and so the machine does not drift off to the side. It was a pain to keep adjusting the machine.
Sometimes the app disconnects and one has to reconnect it. We are using an iPhone 12 Pro so I doubt it's the phone. Maybe that's a fact of life with any ball machine app.
With the ball hopper full with 100 balls, if we started off with any drill that had a signficant vertical angle 5 or 6 balls would fall out the back. That should not happen.
A couple of times, yet again, we had to walk over to the machine to agitate the balls as a cave formed over the drop hole and the golden rod was just stirring around inside with no balls moving.
I am used to the machine not telling me which way to run. The Proton does because the entire machine moves. Seems like an archaic design to me. Spinfire remains stationary no matter which way the ball shoots.
Someone said the lobs the machine can do are enough but they aren't really. The best way to describe it is that it is a mid lob. Lobster and Spinfire now they have what I would call a lob that is more than double the angle of the Proton (60 vs 28 degrees).
The machine sure gets dirty with ball fuzz. You can see it all over the hopper which it sticks to and the body. Given they are both dark colors it really shows. My Spinfire does not have this issue.
I would not discount the fact that the 20 lb machine, 14 lbs of balls, ball picker upper, racquet bag, etc is a lot of weight to carry to the court if you have any distance to walk as most do. My son made me carry everything as it was too heavy for him. My wife lifted all the stuff once and told me "Honey you're going to be carrying this not me". I see that as a huge ergonomic negative with the Proton. They should have made it to be rolled like the Spinfire, Lobster and all the other machines. No need to break your back just before a tennis session.
I had to turn it upside down and bang the side a bit to shake a ball out of the chute that got stuck. It sure doesn't seem like the most robust or durable machine out there. Something has to give when it's made that light. Maybe the build quality is why the warranty is only a year and also this is a brand new company so who knows how long the product will last. The app is great but I think it's only matter of time until we see better apps from the competition out there. The price is good though but I'd say you get what you pay for. Dollar for dollar, I'd buy a Spinfire (going on 7 years now) again even though it costs more. Longevity is worth paying for along with the other advantages. The Proton was for my son anyway and we got it for the super discounted early-birdie $995 price.
YMMV.
Crazy Finn
Hall of Fame
Like almost every new device, this is basically the version 1.0, at best.
One can hope, if the company and product is reasonably successful, that they'll be a 1.1 or 1.5, not to mention a 2.0 at some point in the future.
The Spinfires and Lobsters and whatnot are several versions in and have refined their products over a fairly long period of time.
One can hope, if the company and product is reasonably successful, that they'll be a 1.1 or 1.5, not to mention a 2.0 at some point in the future.
The Spinfires and Lobsters and whatnot are several versions in and have refined their products over a fairly long period of time.
stapletonj
Hall of Fame
very first thing they should do is design and market an accessory (perhaps partner with an existing company).
1. ball hopper that would carry 100 balls.
2. custom designed hand truck. It can be a total generic one (cheap!) with some custom plastic pieces added to securely mount the machine and the (full)
hopper. add a couple of well placed straps to strap your bag onto.
VIOLA!
couple of extra hundred bucks profit for the company with little design or infrastructure investment
super convenient for the consumer
If the machine is skidding because of the recoil (sounds like it) a simple weight should do the trick.
just my musings
1. ball hopper that would carry 100 balls.
2. custom designed hand truck. It can be a total generic one (cheap!) with some custom plastic pieces added to securely mount the machine and the (full)
hopper. add a couple of well placed straps to strap your bag onto.
VIOLA!
couple of extra hundred bucks profit for the company with little design or infrastructure investment
super convenient for the consumer
If the machine is skidding because of the recoil (sounds like it) a simple weight should do the trick.
just my musings
mr_starface
New User
Some of this feedback does make me nervous about my pre order, hoping it does live up to expectations!
ACSTracker
New User
Has anyone tried programming a sequence of shots to specific heights and locations yet?
I want to get a machine that can throw a deep groundstroke, short approach shot, low volley, high volley, and an overhead in one sequence.
(Many of the other brands suggest their machines can do this, but they fail in actual practice.)
I want to get a machine that can throw a deep groundstroke, short approach shot, low volley, high volley, and an overhead in one sequence.
(Many of the other brands suggest their machines can do this, but they fail in actual practice.)
Perhaps when you specify speed and location the machine automatically adjusts appropriate height to make the target? I haven't experimented yet.
JEDI MASTER
Professional
after an hour of use.. about an inch or two sideways..
but doesn't effect my hitting sessions..
Folks, for those who experienced drift...I wrote about this earlier:
"I experienced "drift" as explained in the post here - https://www.hydrogensports.com/troubleshooting/left-right-drift - but it turns out there's too much play in the driving wheel. The adjustments that need to be made cannot be done easily by me, so I'm sending it back to him for the fix. I figured Hydrogen would provide super support, and that is indeed the case."
"I experienced "drift" as explained in the post here - https://www.hydrogensports.com/troubleshooting/left-right-drift - but it turns out there's too much play in the driving wheel. The adjustments that need to be made cannot be done easily by me, so I'm sending it back to him for the fix. I figured Hydrogen would provide super support, and that is indeed the case."
paulorenzo
Hall of Fame
The Proton looked really promising a few months ago. Almost a no brainer at its price point considering the specs. But there’s definitely some considerations that have been brought to light. I was considering getting this because of the potential ergonomic benefit. But it seems the small and light form factor advantages are being negated by the function of having to cary (instead of traditionally rolling) the machine along with the other things you’d also typically need to carry.
On the other hand, having a user friendly user interface accompany ball flight and placement characteristics is still a plus from what I gather. User friendly customizable drill pattern creation is as well. (User friendly in a sense that user is dealing with a GUI instead of knobs, levers, and switches.)
I may still decide to get it, but at this price point with new user insight in mind, it’s certainly even more imperative to consider other machines.
On the other hand, having a user friendly user interface accompany ball flight and placement characteristics is still a plus from what I gather. User friendly customizable drill pattern creation is as well. (User friendly in a sense that user is dealing with a GUI instead of knobs, levers, and switches.)
I may still decide to get it, but at this price point with new user insight in mind, it’s certainly even more imperative to consider other machines.
Seriously, if someone cannot carry 19 pounds over his shoulder, then he should not be playing tennis in the first place.
ACSTracker
New User
I would greatly appreciate it if someone can make a video of my description below:
Has anyone tried programming a sequence of shots to specific heights and locations yet?
I want to get a machine that can throw a deep groundstroke, short approach shot, low volley, high volley, and an overhead in one sequence.
(Many of the other brands suggest their machines can do this, but they fail in actual practice.)
Has anyone tried programming a sequence of shots to specific heights and locations yet?
I want to get a machine that can throw a deep groundstroke, short approach shot, low volley, high volley, and an overhead in one sequence.
(Many of the other brands suggest their machines can do this, but they fail in actual practice.)
dak95_00
Hall of Fame
The only machine that I know does this is the very expensive Playmate iGenie or the Tennis Tutor Shotmaker or similar. The Silent Partner Smart and Lobster 5 are programmable to positions but I don't believe they're programmable to the individual speed or spin of individual shots. I'm interested in the TT Internal Oscillation machine that could do all of this but I'm hesitant about the nearly 100 lbs it comes in at.
ACSTracker
New User
Yes, 100 lbs is too heavy to be portable. I have the original Tennis Tutor 2 ball machine and I wouldn't go any heavier than that for true portability.
celito
Professional
You bought this machine for your son and yet he can't carry a racquet bag or 14 lbs of balls to help you ?
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
why would a ball machine even need to weight 100 lbs. even the android robot lover would weigh less
celito
Professional
I would look at it this way ... if lobs are a deal breaker, then it looks like this machine is not for you. The drifting issue is a problem but doesn't seem like a big one. If it drifts enough during a program that it starts spreading the ball off court, then it's an issue. Everything else you can work around. You can get a bag with a roller to carry it ... that's an easy solution.
The only question that would remain is reliability and durability which only time will tell. The short warranty is definitely something to think about too.
This. The machine isn't heavy at all. It's pretty easy to carry it and a bucket of balls.
BobbyR
Rookie
Drift is definitely an issue with the Proton. They say right on their website under Troubleshooting | Left/Right Drift that 'Some drift is natural, due to recoil of the machine'. Drift is actually not natural in ball machines, at least not on my Spinfire Pro 2 which always remains pointing exactly forward throughout my entire practice session. I found that with the Proton the side-to-side drills, aka 2-Line Drill in most other ball machines, was way off on one side buy 3-5 feet vs the other side after using the machine for about 20 minutes. This then also affected other drills. The problem is with the design. The Proton is designed to roll side-to-side on 2 smooth rear wheels and only a small pin with a quarter-sized pad in the front. Therefore there is very little friction with the ground and being light the machine always moves a bit when the ball is shot and that all adds up.
Proton advises that 'you should just re-aim the machine when you re-fill it'. That's a bit of a trade-off to using a very light machine and to do that you need to fire a few balls each time to ensure they are actually going straight down the court.
BobbyR
Rookie
When all he had to do was pull the Spinfire Pro 2 before it's a big difference.
BobbyR
Rookie
You could say the same about someone who cannot lift 40 lbs down a couple feet from a car like i do with my Spinfire Pro 2 even though after that they just roll it. Also, it's not just 19 lbs. If you add the balls, pickup basket, racquet bag, water bottle, phone, etc. you are talking 40 lbs. I'd rather roll 40 lbs than carry 40 lbs and I think so would most other people.
Don't get me wrong. There are ways to not have to carry anything with the Proton such as get a wagon or cart, but then that negates the light and small aspect that people seem to be focusing on, forgetting that you're not just carrying the Proton itself to the court.
The app is great but other than small and light, which introduces new issues such as machine recoil drift, smaller ball hopper, lower top speed, low lob height, having to insert/remove a stirrer rod and carry strap each time, short warranty, durability a question mark, and the fact you cannot even get one right now, etc., I don't see much innovative about it. However, being more of a budget machine it is more affordable for some and might be the right choice if one does not care about the negatives. Each to his own I say. What matters to you in a ball machine may be different from what matters to me. I'm must trying to provide a more balanced view on here as to the actual facts differentiating it from other machines instead of just the rah-rah-rah it's the greatest thing since sliced bread I keep hearing on here.
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celito
Professional
Well...your phrasing was weird. It sounded like your son couldn't cary any one of the items ... but I am thinking you meant to do a test with 1 person carrying everything and he was unable to do it.
JEDI MASTER
Professional
very windy day today in the Bay Area....
i guess this machine is too light.. with no balls in the hopper and the basket open... acted like a sail.. and toppled over...
i guess this machine is too light.. with no balls in the hopper and the basket open... acted like a sail.. and toppled over...
paulorenzo
Hall of Fame
Not a matter of can’t. In my case it’s more the feature I was looking forward to most with the Proton, portability because of ergonomic nature of size, weight and form factor, is neutralized in real world use. It would be just as easy to transport the Proton as it would be to transport a larger ball machine with wheels. Portability becomes more of a neutral feature than a flagship selling point. It was marketed to be “the ultimate portable practice machine.” Small? Yes. A level of magnitude more portable than a larger ball machine with wheels? Not really.
Like I said, its still under consideration. However, it’s no longer a no brainer.
Now, if your post was meant to make yourself feel good about being able to carry 14 lbs over your shoulder, disregard the above statement and pat yourself on the back. You deserve a win.
paulorenzo
Hall of Fame
The only oddity from the get-go was the question of durability and the vibes I’m getting from a one year warranty. Granted the spinfire and lobster only have 2 year limited warranties with optional extensions.
I can deal with the rest.
The biggest pro left, IMO, is the feature and programmability to price-point ratio.
The proton weighs as much as a 6-7 month old baby. It is very portable. In contrast, a 60+ pound ball machine is not portable just because it has wheels. You still have to load and unload it, lug it up and down stairs, and over unpaved surfaces.
Nostradamus
Bionic Poster
Was it damaged in anyway ? may have to get some bricks and put it next to the machinevery windy day today in the Bay Area....
i guess this machine is too light.. with no balls in the hopper and the basket open... acted like a sail.. and toppled over...
Or pick up a couple of those heavy batteries from Lobster or SpinFire to use as a ballast.
BobbyR
Rookie
Sorry, but the Spinfire Pro 2 is $2,399 and weighs 40lbs and you do not carry it as it rolls on wheels. I suggest you check their website to educate yourself. You just carry the balls, battery, racquet and ball picker upper. If you buy the internal battery version you only carry the other stuff. Either way, it's less than you have to carry with the Proton.
When I switched to the lithium battery recently I phoned in to buy it and Spinfire told me they've been selling out of stock before every shipment they get for the last year and sales have increased 100%. So yes it turns out that people do 'want that'.
It would be extremely helpful to everyone that you get your facts straight. You are doing those who read this forum a great disservice by spewing misinformation. The fact that you do that suggests very strongly that you have skin in the game with Proton and probably work for them. Otherwise you wouldn't provide wrong information just to make the Proton sound superior. Both machines have advantages and disadvantages and people deserve to have accurate facts so they can decide what to buy that works for them and their budget.
As a long-time product developer I know that that is above all what customers want, which is Honesty.
BobbyR
Rookie
I just leave my Spinfire Pro 2 in the car and bring in the battery to charge so no lugging anywhere. 40lbs is pretty easy to unload from a car unless you have a very bad back. I see now they even made the rolling wheels much larger in their new version.
bobleenov1963
Hall of Fame
The spinfire pro v2 is 40lbs with the 6.5 lbs external battery. don't you need to take the batter to the tennis court? Furthermore, try to load/unload a 40 lbs from a car as a 60+ years old grandma. I used the Proton twice now and I really like it. It does have some disadvantages but it works out well for me. Main thing for me is the portability.
If I need a better ball machine, I'll go with the ACE attack or better yet, I'll hire a UTR 12+ to hit with me.
