Tennis ball machines are a great practice aid and come in handy when there’s no one else around. In fact there’s a ton of good reasons to use tennis ball machines but what should you look for if you need to buy one? Below are several tips on what to consider if you’re considering getting one or several tennis ball machines.

A lot of this depends on the skill level of the people working with the tennis ball machines. Keep in mind that player’s skill will progress and will need more challenging features from the ball machine.

Ball capacity – This will depend on the conditioning of the person(s) working with the machine. Most tennis ball machines have a capacity of around 150 balls. If you receive a ball every 6 seconds, 150 balls will last 15 minutes. 15 minutes of scrambling around is a solid workout, even for the most conditioned athletes.

Delivery Frequency – The delivery frequency will determine how frequently you receive a ball. It’s nice to be able to warm up at a slow frequency and then turn it up as you get to your workout. Also, as you get better you’ll want to up the frequency to challenge yourself.

Ball Speed – Again, you’ll want a range of speeds so that you can warm up at a lower speed before challenging yourself with faster and faster speeds.

Battery Power – This is an important feature depending on where and how long you’ll be using the tennis ball machines. A coach I know has a plug-in model that he uses for 2-3 hours with his team. He complains that the plug-in model is a pain to set up but some battery powered models wouldn’t last long enough. All things to consider.

Oscillation – This is very important to getting a good workout and practicing things like switching to forehand and backhand, approach, footwork. Combining oscillation, ball speed, and delivery frequency in your practice will take you from beginner to expert.

Lob angle – One of the most important (and coincidentally the most fun) is the over smash; which is so easy to make a mistake. This is where lob angle becomes very important for getting the correct delivery for practicing your overhand strokes.

These are the major things to look for in a good tennis ball machine. Each machine is a little bit different and will have extra features that may enhance your practice.

Tags: Tennis Ball Machines