Guide To Ball Machines

Everyone knows that practice makes perfect when it comes to your tennis game, and there’s no better way to fine tune that stroke you’ve been working on than with the repetition offered by a high quality tennis ball machine. Deciding to buy one is the easy part however, deciding which one will best fit your tennis training or tennis teaching needs can be quite difficult. We’ll walk you through some of the things you should consider when deciding which ball machine will best meet your needs.

When we compare ball machines, we look at general features like price, dimensions and warranty. We also look at specific features like propulsion, oscillation and power. Each tennis player wants to use a training tool like this for a specific purpose and our aim is to ensure that you choose the best ball machine to meet your goals.

General Features:

These are the obvious aspects you would likely think of first. First, you need to assess your own budget as well as the logistical aspects of housing and storing a ball machine in your home or facility. The weight of the machine is also important and may not be something you think of until you have to move it around! The next thing you need to consider is tennis ball capacity. This is an important feature but remember that many manufacturers report that most players do not come close to using the entire capacity. 300 balls may sound good now, but you might change your mind after you’ve had to pick them all up a couple of times. You should also consider the warranty of the ball machine. You want to make sure your investment is protected and that the ball machine you are buying has the confidence of the manufacturer.

Ball Machine	Price	Warranty	Dimensions (Storage inches)	Ball Capacity	Weight (lbs)
Lobster 201 Ball Bucket Ball Machine	$549.00	2 years	12” x 12” x 37”	50	28
Lobster Hybrid 301 Model Ball Machine	$689.00	2 years	36” x 13” x 31”	150	31
Lobster Tournament 401 Model Ball Machine	$789.00	2 years	36” x 13” x 21”	150	32
Lobster Elite Freedom Ball Machine	$799.00	2 years		150	40
Lobster Elite Model 1 Ball Machine	$1089.00	2 years	24” x 16” x 19”	150	42
Lobster Elite Model 2 Ball Machine	$1349.00	2 years	19” x 21” x 25”	150	44
Lobster Elite Model 3 Ball Machine	$1599.00	2 years		150	44
Lobster Elite Grand Slam IV Ball Machine	$1899.00	2 years		150	44
Playmate Portable	$1695.00	1 year	35” x 21” x 38”	200	65
Playmate Ace	$3495.00	3 years	35” x 21” x 38”	200	115
Playmate Smash	$4615.00	3 years	35” x 21” x 38”	300	115
Playmate Genie	$6295.00	3 years		300	115
Wilson Ball Machine w/Remote & 2 Line	$1495.00	1 years		110	38
Wilson Portable Ball Machine Standard	$1095.00	1 years		110	38
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/ 2 Line	$1295.00	1 years		110	38
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/Remote	$1295.00	1 years		110	38

Propulsion:

Spinning wheel propulsion means that the machine uses two spinning wheels to feed the ball, just like a pitching machine in baseball. Air pressure propulsion means that the machine shoots the ball through a tube using air pressure. Be sure to take into consideration the machine’s top speed and ability to feed ball with spin. Intermediate to advanced players will want to practice hitting balls with pace and spin.

Ball Machine	Spinning Wheel Propulsion	Air Pressure Propulsion	Feeding Interval (seconds)	Top Speed (mph)	Electronic Elevation Control	Manual Elevation Control	Feeds Lobs	Topspin and backspin
Lobster 201 Ball Bucket Ball Machine	No	Yes	3,6,12	60	No	Yes	Yes	$50 extra
Lobster Hybrid 301 Model Ball Machine	No	Yes	3,6,12	70	No	Yes	Yes	$50 extra
Lobster Tournament 401 Model Ball Machine	No	Yes	3,6,12	70	No	Yes	Yes	$50 extra
Lobster Elite Freedom Ball Machine	No	Yes	2-10	70	No	Yes	Yes	$50 extra
Lobster Elite Model 1 Ball Machine	Yes	No	2-10	80	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Lobster Elite Model 2 Ball Machine	Yes	No	2-10	80	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Lobster Elite Model 3 Ball Machine	Yes	No	2-10	80	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lobster Elite Grand Slam IV Ball Machine	Yes	No	2-12	80	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Playmate Portable	Yes	No	1-20	60	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Playmate Ace	Yes	No	1-60	80	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Playmate Smash	Yes	No	1-60	80	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Playmate Genie	Yes	No	1-60	105	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wilson Ball Machine w/Remote & 2 Line	Yes	No	1.5-10	75	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wilson Portable Ball Machine Standard	Yes	No	1.5-10	70	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/ 2 Line	Yes	No	1.5-10	75	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/Remote	Yes	No	1.5-10	75	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

Oscillation:

Oscillation refers to the machine’s ability to feed the ball in more than one direction. Random oscillation means that the ball machine will randomly feed balls in no particular order in the set directions. Programmable oscillation means that you can program a set routine for the machine to give you before it repeats the cycle. The type of oscillation you need in your ball machine will depend on the specificity of your tennis training program and on your budget for this extra feature.

Ball Machine	Random Oscillation	Programmable Oscillation	Number of Shots in Program	Adjustable Depth	Adjustable Height
Lobster 201 Ball Bucket Ball Machine	Yes	No	No		No
Lobster Hybrid 301 Model Ball Machine	Yes	No	No		No
Lobster Tournament 401 Model Ball Machine	Yes	No	No		Yes
Lobster Elite Freedom Ball Machine	Yes	No	No		No
Lobster Elite Model 1 Ball Machine	Yes	Yes	Yes		Yes
Lobster Elite Model 2 Ball Machine	Yes	Yes	Yes	3	No
Lobster Elite Model 3 Ball Machine	Yes	Yes	Yes	7	No
Lobster Elite Grand Slam IV Ball Machine	Yes	Yes	Yes	7	No
Playmate Portable	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Playmate Ace	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Playmate Smash	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Playmate Genie	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Wilson Ball Machine w/Remote & 2 Line	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine Standard	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/ 2 Line	Yes	Yes	Yes		No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/Remote	Yes	Yes	Yes		No

Power:

TennisExpress.com sorts its ball machines into two categories, A/C Power ball machines and Battery Powered ball machines. Before you buy a tennis ball machine, you need to decide which option will be the most convenient for you and your courts. Do you have a power source available on hand at your court or will you need battery power? We try to provide you with a good assortment of both types to make sure you can meet your needs.

Ball Machine	Power Cord Only	Battery Only	Battery Life Indicator	Battery Swapability
Lobster 201 Ball Bucket Ball Machine	Yes	No	No	No
Lobster Hybrid 301 Model Ball Machine	Yes	No	No	No
Lobster Tournament 401 Model Ball Machine	Yes	No	No	No
Lobster Elite Freedom Ball Machine	No	No	Yes	No
Lobster Elite Model 1 Ball Machine	No	Yes	Yes	No
Lobster Elite Model 2 Ball Machine	No	Yes	Yes	No
Lobster Elite Model 3 Ball Machine	No	Yes	Yes	No
Lobster Elite Grand Slam IV Ball Machine	No	Yes	Yes	No
Playmate Portable	No	Yes	Yes	No
Playmate Ace	Yes	No	No	No
Playmate Smash	Yes	No	No	No
Playmate Genie	Yes	No	No	No
Wilson Ball Machine w/Remote & 2 Line	No	Yes	Yes	No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine Standard	No	Yes	Yes	No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/ 2 Line	No	Yes	Yes	No
Wilson Portable Ball Machine w/Remote	No	Yes	Yes	No