Tennis Ball Machine Buying Guide

How to Choose the Best Tennis Ball Machine

Whether you’re a coach, a budding pro, or have yet to step on the court, a tennis ball machine is one of many extremely useful tennis accessories for your practice arsenal. But before you up and buy the first machine that can shoot a ball in your general direction, you should arm yourself with as much info as possible. Here we’ll go over various brands, price points, propulsion types, and other important elements that you’ll need to factor in before deciding on the best tennis ball machine for your needs.

A top-rated tennis ball machine might not be the hardest thing to find, but you still want to ensure you are getting the right features and specifications for your needs.

Tennis Ball Machine Brands and Prices

Tennis ball machines can be quite expensive. At Tennis-Point, our prices range from $269 to over $2,000. It’s important to assess your own budget and needs to find the best tennis ball machine for your game. Top-rated tennis ball machine brands like Tennis Tutor, Wilson, and Lobster are a great place to start.

Power

Tennis ball machines typically come in two power options: A/C power and battery power. A/C power provides the juice you need without needing to recharge, but players must always have a suitable power source at the court. If you’re looking for a more portable tennis ball machine, battery powered might be the right choice.

Propulsion

There are two main types of tennis ball machines: spinning wheel, also referred to as counter rotating wheels, and air pressure, or pneumatic pressure.

Spinning Wheel: this is the most popular type of tennis ball machine on the market today. It features two counter-rotating spinning wheels that feed you the tennis ball, very similar to a pitching machine in baseball. The speed of these two wheels can be easily adjusted to create forward spin or backspin, and most spinning wheel machines include some sort of spin control feature.
Pneumatic Air Pressure: Pneumatic propulsion is more of an old-school style that shoots the tennis ball through a tube using air pressure. This typically requires quite a bit of power, so you likely won’t find battery powered pneumatic machines. Spin can be achieved by adding on an extra attachment. The only real advantage you’ll find with air pressure is the lower price compared to spinning wheel machines.

Oscillation

If you’re looking for a portable tennis ball machine that will simulate real play by shooting the ball in multiple directions, keep an eye out for oscillation features. The most common is horizontal oscillation, which feeds the balls at random from side to side. Some machines also include vertical oscillation to help you practice closer to the net or on the baseline. Machines will most often feed the balls in random patterns, but some higher-end models also feature the ability to program oscillation. These are suitable for more advanced players who are drilling down on a specific routine.

Speed

When it comes to choosing the best tennis ball machine, it’s important to factor in speed. Your style of play and practice goals can often require a wide range of speeds, and faster speeds are essential for advanced players and players practicing quick volleys and groundstrokes. Most machines range from 10 to 95 mph.

Capacity

Most portable tennis ball machines have a capacity somewhere between 50 and 300 balls. Whether you’re a tennis instructor or individual player, it’s important to determine the right capacity for your needs – just remember you’ll have to clean them all up!

Additional Features

Remote controls are a great way for individual players to easily practice on their own. They are also perfect for coaches in need of a tennis tutor ball machine that will provide the freedom to move about the court during a lesson.
Be sure to check the warranty – most machines come with a warranty of 1-3 years. With such a big investment, you want to ensure the manufacturer has you covered!

Conclusion

When you’ve decided the time is right to invest in your tennis game, a top-rated tennis ball machine is a good place to start. Be sure to assess the size of your budget (and your garage) and identify the features that are most important for you or your students. This is the perfect chance to take your game to the next level!