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Factors to Consider when Purchasing a Portable Tennis Ball Machine

1000Ways | Mar 17, 2010 |

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Portable tennis ball machines are a necessity for anyone who's looking to get serious about their game. There are many different tennis ball machines on the market and each one has their own unique features and costs to go with it. This being said, ball machines are a very expensive tennis investment and it's good to do some research on what you do and don't need as you don't want to pay for features that aren't important to you. Below we'll cover some of the features that many ball machines have and what make them good or bad in terms of portability.

The first thing you'll want to consider is the size of the machine; this means looking at both how big it is (dimension-wise) and also how heavy it is. Obviously portability means that it can be moved with relative ease but it also implies that it can fit into your vehicle and be of a reasonable size and weight that it can be picked up, carried, or otherwise transported. While it helps to have an SUV or station wagon, portable tennis ball machines should be able to collapse small enough that when closed it will fit into a passenger seat or the trunk of a car. Some of the models have some well designed hoppers (the part the feeds the ball into the machine) that are either easily collapsible or able to be configured so that it covers the unit. These are great space savers and really contribute to the portability of the unit as well as keeps it from being too cumbersome. Fortunately, the design of these machines enables it to hold 100 or more tennis balls so that you don't have to stop as often and can still get a good workout.

The next thing to look at is the weight of the machine. This is tricky because you don't want to compromise on power or quality but you also need it to be light enough to pick up and carry when needed. As most of the machines on the market weigh between 30 and 50 pounds, it can mean the difference between easily tossing it in the trunk to needing a hand lifting it into the vehicle (and the point of a tennis machine is to be able to practice alone right?)

Another feature to consider is whether you'll want battery powered tennis ball machines or not. Being a portable ball machine, you want to be able to take it anywhere you go and many outdoor courts are nowhere near an outlet. This can really be a limiting feature of the machine which is why so many people opt to go with the battery powered units. While this is a nice feature, it also means that the unit will be heavier as most of them use nickel metal hydride batteries which have a good lifespan but also are pretty heavy. So depending on how long you're going to use it between charging may determine how heavy and therefore portable the unit is.

Finally you'll want to take a look at how the unit is designed for transport. Some units are designed with great features such as large wheels that make moving the unit easy, extendable handles so you don't have to reach down to grab and/or move it, and center of gravity so that the unit is easy to pick up and carry. These design features may be tie breakers if you find two similar units. You'll want to make sure that you think about all of the possible scenarios that you'll be using these tennis ball machines and how the features will affect the portability.