It does not matter if you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced tennis player. In each case, a tennis ball machine will improve your tennis game- guaranteed. This is because the most important factor in winning tennis matches, at whatever level you play, is consistency. And to gain consistency, you need to hit many many balls.
The tennis ball machine will get you to hit your ground strokes and other tennis shots consistently. They are not substitutes for a good coach or instructor, but after your lesson or clinic, there is nothing better than a good quality ball machine to hone your skills and apply what you have learned.
THE RIGHT TENNIS BALL MACHINE
There are quite a few tennis ball machine choices available in the market. It can be quite an investment for most players so it is important that you find one that is suitable for you.
The major factors to consider include:
- Your level and anticipated level of play
- Whether you need an easily portable/transportable machine
- Do you require a battery powered machine where you will be using the tennis ball machine?
- Price
Insist on a Machine that You Can Grow With
It is a mistake to think that you should just by a simple machine because if you are thinking of buying one, you will improve your game quickly. At a minimum, you should insist on a tennis ball machine that creates a random pattern of shots, offers changing speeds and tempo and can easily change the direction of the tennis ball feed (from sideline to sideline).
These features are generally referred to as random horizontal oscillation
Portability
Most of the time, the tennis ball machine manufacturers will use the term portable to mean that the machine has batter powered capacity. So, if you are looking for one that is easy to transport and move around, make sure you research a bit more.
There are a lot of so called portable ball machines that are heavy and awkward and thus not easy to carry around. In many cases, a portable machine can be heavier than the pneumatic ball machine.
If you do decide to buy a battery operated machine, make sure you determine whether the stated weight of the machine includes the hopper, otherwise you will be surprised at the weight. A batter operated ball machine obviously is needed for certain circumstances where you do not have access to an electric outlet, but be sure an know that the power of the tennis ball feeds will gradually become less as the battery wears out.
Features to Consider
Here are some key features to think about when looking to purchase a tennis ball machine:
- Ability to feed balls to the same place each time.
- Ability to feed balls from side to side (horizontal oscillation)
- Ability to hit random short and deep balls
- Ability to increase the speed of the tennis ball
- Ability to increase the amount of spin imparted