Tennis ball machines can be an excellent investment for any player of any age or skill level who wishes to improve their game or get some exercise while playing their favorite sport, but they’re not for everyone.
My goal with this guide is to help you determine whether a ball machine is right for your business, review popular brands so you know what’s available, identify various features to consider, and present my recommendations.
What are the benefits of buying a tennis ball machine?
In simple words, is buying a tennis ball machine worth it? Here are 05 reasons that will convince you to buy a machine instead of taking classes regularly.
An effective teaching tool
Tennis instructors who wish to be closer to the action can benefit greatly from ball machines as an excellent teaching tool.
In most cases, the instructor sits on the other side of the net, feeding the balls with a basket.
When they want to provide feedback, such as showing or helping a player through a particular movement, they must stop at the net or transfer to the other side of the court.
In the same way, if an instructor wants to demonstrate a particular shot, movement, or pattern, they don’t have anyone to feed them the ball.
There is no doubt that a ball machine can be a useful piece of teaching equipment, but it is not a necessity. Additionally, the machine can be rented or used as a teaching tool over time.
Additional Lessons as Complementary
Another logical reason to purchase a ball machine is to complement a group or private lesson. Even though lessons are beneficial, much of a lesson involves drilling with the instructor or other students.
During group lessons, students rotate as the instructor feeds them balls, and depending on class size, some students may not get to hit nearly as many balls as they would like. This is where a ball machine can come in handy.
In some cases, you can even save up and contribute to the cost of the machine based on your cadence of lessons. By taking 10 lessons once a week at a cost of $50 each, you could save yourself $100 each month, which you could invest in a ball machine.
A wonderful Tennis Playing Experience
A ball machine is a fun way for you to stay active while you are doing something you like, even if you don’t like going for a run, hitting the gym, or riding a bike.
In this sense, I would encourage you to keep the habit by considering portability and convenience. It’s easy to lose the habit if you buy a heavy machine and it’s hard to lug around, or if you don’t have tennis courts nearby.
I would also advise anyone considering buying a ball machine to rent one before deciding to ensure they enjoy the workout.
There are many tennis fans, but the moment you take away another player’s unpredictable behavior on the other side of the court, it becomes less fun, so it’s worth trying it out first.
Targeted Practice
No matter what you’re learning, practice is an important part of progress, and tennis is no exception.
Though I encourage players to learn proper technique through instruction, it’s the student’s responsibility to put what they learn into practice if they expect to see improvement.
A ball machine is an excellent tool for this as it allows players to get more repetitions of a specific shot, building muscle memory and building confidence, which can translate into better skills.
If, however, this is the reason for you to purchase a ball machine, I would urge you to rent one before making the purchase.
A stroke that is repeated over and over seems like it should be good for you, at least on the surface.
It is useful and relatively inexpensive to figure out what you feel like after hitting 50 or 100 consecutive forehands. Some players, however, find the repetition boring or tedious.
Furthermore, a player looking for repetition should ensure they purchase a ball machine that can hold enough balls so that they can use it without stopping and picking up too many balls.
Limited or Non-Availability of Tennis Partners
My ears are always filled with this one. You might not be able to hit with anyone regularly if you live in a less populated area.
If you find yourself in this situation, it might be because tennis isn’t as popular near you or you have difficulty finding players of the same skill level.
This is a frustrating challenge that many players face and a logical reason to purchase a tennis ball machine.
Nevertheless, I would encourage you to consider how important the social component of the game is to you. You can’t replace the social connection offered by tennis with a ball machine. That’s why I would say that tennis ball machine worth to buy.
So, What about the Worth or Usefulness of Tennis Ball Machine?
Simply, if someone has purchased carefully and the best tennis ball machine according to budget and needs then it is the best investment for your tennis.
The tennis ball machine worth is doubtlessly is there.
There are tennis professionals who sometimes use machines to reduce the number of balls they must throw or hit to novices – though not as many as one might think.
Experts tend to believe they can do the job better without machines, since they do the job themselves.
For their own practice, some players use less expensive models. Some of those models have battery power and small storage capacities that are ideal for practice.
I have seen them used by a few people, but better practice can be had if there is a live opponent available.
The use of ball machines on their own does not seem to benefit most players very much.
Individuals on their own are better off using them in lessons than by professionals. However, regular usage might consolidate a solution to a specific problem.
Instead of owning a less capable one, I’d rather rent one from a club.
