I used to play A LOT in college and now 3 years later I need to get back in the game. It would just be me using it... I do have electricity at the local court but am willing to look at the battery operated ones out there too! Thanks for the input!
2007-08-10 19:14:13 · 4 answers · asked by aroundtheom 3 in Sports ➔ Tennis
A few months ago, I spent quite a lot of time researching the available ball machines. decided on a battery operated, two rotating wheel (as opposed to pneumatic) with verticle wheels (not side by side - side by side can't generate topspin) then bought the silent partner sport. on sale now at sptennis.com for $750 + $50 shipping. didn't want to spend the extra $200 for the pro.
It's excellent. Best purchase I have made in years. I use it everyday. My game has improved dramatically!
Adjustable speed. Angle, pitch speed, topspin, backspin, oscillation etc. It can pitch at 95 mph with incredible topspin. Just like Venus. has two batteries. 1 is easily interchangeable so if you want to pick up an additional one (off the net for $16) you can swap them out. I get about 3 to 3 1/2 hours out of one overnight charge of the two built in batteries.
some drawbacks. although it does have wheels and a pull handle, it's a bit awkward to lug around (weighs about 43 lbs). You'll see what I mean. But then, all machines are.... And of course, all machines have this problem... The tennis balls. The machine holds 200 balls. You must have a pickup hopper. gamma makes one for about $30 that holds 75 balls. not bad. and the balls themselves. I spent about $125 buying heavy duty pressurized penn tennis balls. they lasted about 2 weeks. Then the ball placement on the court became inconsistent. I then spent another $125 buying pressureless balls. They lasted about 3 weeks hitting 2-3 hours per day. they are now bald. They land consistently the court, but they bounce odd.
My message to you is this. Silent partner sport (or pro if you want the remote). And be prepared to buy a whole lot of tennis balls. I have spent about $1k total on machine and balls this year and expect to spend another $250 before the snow sets in.
Oh one other thing for the entrepreneur in you. Almost daily, someone asks me if they can rent my machine......
2007-08-11 02:32:18 · answer #1 · answered by Dr W 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Tennis Ball Machine Used
2016-12-08 18:49:05 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Used Tennis Ball Machine
2016-09-30 08:02:30 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hello Namaste, One that I would recommend is the Silent Partner Pro Programmable with remote. You should probably get the AC/DC model or the full electric. The battery model is fine for those who do not have external power but it only lasts about 3-4 hours. The two batteries last about 3 years then require replacement.
http://sptennis.com/ballmachines.asp
If you are in the USA then they will ship from Buffalo, NY and for Canadians from Toronto, ON
They have an excellent customer service division.
2007-08-11 01:33:28 · answer #4 · answered by terminator 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try aiming more for the sides of the table instead of always going for the middle. (if you don't already) try to get to the point that you're able to hit the corners pretty consistently. When you play, try aiming for the same side over and over again, and when your opponent shifts towards that side, hit it to the other side. You can also buy special pads for you paddles that are stickier, and therefore have more spin due to the longer amount of time that the ball is in contact with paddle. (they generally do not detract from the power that you're able to hit with) It's only a tiny fraction of a second longer, but it can make a difference.
2016-03-16 21:15:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋