I received such great assistance in making a ball machine purchase by reading the posts here, I thought it would be appropriate to share my experience.
I'm a 4.5 player who recently dropped to 4.0, and every season my strokes seem to get worse and less comfortable, so I finally decided to spend the money on a ball machine to really get those strokes (most notably my forehand) back into a "groove."
I started out hoping to spend around $800 or so, but I quickly decided that I wanted features such as spin and "adjustable" oscillation, to better simulate real-world playing. While some of the other machines (TT, SP, Lobster, SAM) appeared to offer more value, it seemed that once I added in a 2-line oscillation option, the prices for all the machines were pretty comparable to the Playmate, and I was attracted to the reputation for durability of the Playmate, as well as the 2-year warranty (also shared by Lobster). Plus a teammate of mine who used to coach high school tennis spoke highly of the Playmate models, and used them at both schools he had coached for.
So, here are my impressions with the machine (I purchased the "Volley" model):
1) Portability - it seems the other machines are more popular, and I figured this was one of the main reasons. It is on the larger side of all the machines, and weighs in at 46 lbs. without the 14 lb battery, so it is somewhat cumbersome to fit into a car trunk. But the large wheels make it easy to maneuver from car to court, and it's nice to be able to remove the heavy battery while lifting it into and out of the car, as well as to charge it up separate from the machine. I am able to fit the machine, a 75-ball hopper, a racket back and a workout bag into my car trunk with little problem. In fact, that's in addition to a baby backpack, a small sports bag for volleyball and a couple of blankets that always stay in my trunk. The machine does have very sturdy handles on it to aid with picking it up.
2) Performance - I love this thing! Not having played with the other machines, I don't have comparison notes, but so far this has met all my expectations. I've worked with the speed and spin settings at around the mid-point, and I don't anticipate needing to go to the "limits" of the machine.
The oscillation is my favorite feature - with the random setting on, it helps tremendously with footwork and provides a good workout. I think it makes a big difference that the oscillation is "internal" rather than the entire machine moving, so I can't anticipate where the next ball is going. One thing to note though, the "random" is only random between the two targets, not anything between. But like many of the other machines, you can adjust the "spread" of the 2-line oscillation. This was important to me, as I didn't want to always run sideline to sideline just to work both strokes.
The remote works very well from all the way across the court, but it only turns the feed on and off.
So, I ended up spending twice what I originally anticipated, but have everything I hoped for out of a ball machine.
Hope this helps others with their research - feel free to ask any questions.
I'm a 4.5 player who recently dropped to 4.0, and every season my strokes seem to get worse and less comfortable, so I finally decided to spend the money on a ball machine to really get those strokes (most notably my forehand) back into a "groove."
I started out hoping to spend around $800 or so, but I quickly decided that I wanted features such as spin and "adjustable" oscillation, to better simulate real-world playing. While some of the other machines (TT, SP, Lobster, SAM) appeared to offer more value, it seemed that once I added in a 2-line oscillation option, the prices for all the machines were pretty comparable to the Playmate, and I was attracted to the reputation for durability of the Playmate, as well as the 2-year warranty (also shared by Lobster). Plus a teammate of mine who used to coach high school tennis spoke highly of the Playmate models, and used them at both schools he had coached for.
So, here are my impressions with the machine (I purchased the "Volley" model):
1) Portability - it seems the other machines are more popular, and I figured this was one of the main reasons. It is on the larger side of all the machines, and weighs in at 46 lbs. without the 14 lb battery, so it is somewhat cumbersome to fit into a car trunk. But the large wheels make it easy to maneuver from car to court, and it's nice to be able to remove the heavy battery while lifting it into and out of the car, as well as to charge it up separate from the machine. I am able to fit the machine, a 75-ball hopper, a racket back and a workout bag into my car trunk with little problem. In fact, that's in addition to a baby backpack, a small sports bag for volleyball and a couple of blankets that always stay in my trunk. The machine does have very sturdy handles on it to aid with picking it up.
2) Performance - I love this thing! Not having played with the other machines, I don't have comparison notes, but so far this has met all my expectations. I've worked with the speed and spin settings at around the mid-point, and I don't anticipate needing to go to the "limits" of the machine.
The oscillation is my favorite feature - with the random setting on, it helps tremendously with footwork and provides a good workout. I think it makes a big difference that the oscillation is "internal" rather than the entire machine moving, so I can't anticipate where the next ball is going. One thing to note though, the "random" is only random between the two targets, not anything between. But like many of the other machines, you can adjust the "spread" of the 2-line oscillation. This was important to me, as I didn't want to always run sideline to sideline just to work both strokes.
The remote works very well from all the way across the court, but it only turns the feed on and off.
So, I ended up spending twice what I originally anticipated, but have everything I hoped for out of a ball machine.
Hope this helps others with their research - feel free to ask any questions.
